WINNING THE PINNING

5 ways you can get even more out of Pinterest

By Jeremy Caplan

More than 400 million people use Pinterest monthly. It’s one of the best places online to find usefully curated image collections. But Pinterest remains valuable for visual inspiration. It’s a great place to gather and share images. Read on for five ways to make the most of the platform.

1. Create a mood board

Here’s how to start:

• Pick a subject of interest—like a hobby, professional interest or project.

• Create a board on that topic where you’ll collect “pins” or bookmarks that include an image, video or product.

• Save pins you find on others’ boards by searching Pinterest, or by uploading your own images.

Use Pinterest solo or collaborate with friends or colleagues to gather project ideas. It’s always free and works on the Web or on mobile.

Example: Check out Architectural Digest’s ideas for reorganizing your home office. Or for a sillier example, join this oddities public board I started for quirky products.

2. Make a visual scrapbook

If you’re more of a lurker than a creator, you can follow others’ boards and just save pins you come across the way you might tear pages out of cooking or design magazines. Or combine your own photos with others’ images to curate a scrapbook.

Example: I created this Vienna highlights visual journal to share with family, blending my own photos’ with some I found.

3. Find food inspiration

Others use Pinterest for fashion. I use it for food. Whether you’re looking for one-pot meals, quick breakfast smoothies or recipes for a new kitchen gadget, Pinterest has superb range. Example: Here’s my tasty bits board with recipes I imagine making someday.

4. Learn something

Learning guides abound. Get tipsheets for guitar, learning French, or whatever else you’re trying to figure out. Scan through curated resources and pick a few to dive into.

Example: Learn how to swaddle a baby or how to make unique hot chocolate.

5. Catch up with trends

Pinterest’s Today page features a few trending topics each day. It’s a visually pleasing way to discover new stuff around the world. Checking out Reddit, the Internet’s front page, might surface quirkier stories, but Pinterest’s trends are simple & well-curated.

Examples: I liked curated desk organization upgrades & great quotes on reading.

Some see Pinterest like Flickr or Tumblr—an aging platform left behind by hipper newcomers. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are trendier. Some Pinterest boards are woefully out of date. Like eBay, Pinterest’s pages can feel cluttered. And marketing has crept in. Search results can be overwhelming, so you can end up down a that are around rabbit hole. Despite all of that, Pinterest remains vibrant and useful. It’s a lively hub for visual inspiration and a handy resource for gathering stuff you like.