Last year, the most image-conscious of social networks, Pinterest, confirmed that it had amassed 150 million monthly users.
Like Personal Growth on Facebook
Not bad for a platform that many unfairly believe to be best suited to wedding planning and collecting photos of proposed home renovations.
Despite this impressive growth, Pinterest has always been a social media service that has puzzled me – until recently.
I always thought it was designed for a very specific audience and, if I’m honest, fell into the same trap of assuming it was simply a way to digitize scrapbooks and physical pin boards.
So, what changed? Well, I discovered Pinterest’s inherent ability to tell a story – brilliantly. More specifically, I realized it was a way to tell your own story in a way that’s far more engaging than a snapshot of your life on Instagram or Snapchat that disappears after twenty-four hours.
I’ve been experimenting with storytelling on Pinterest and have the following four tips which may inspire you to do the same.
1. Dispense With The Words
We use a lot of words in everyday life. To put it into context, on average, men speak 7,000 words every day, and women 20,000.
Clearly, we’ve got a lot to say, but what if you were to turn those words into images? You don’t need to be a top class graphic designer, either (I’m certainly not) – just grab a tool like Canva and let your thoughts pour out!
2. Have Fun And Be Goofy
Pinterest is at its best when the contributor has his or her tongue wedged firmly within their cheek. The best content on this platform is eye-catching, amusing and highly-shareable, so don’t be afraid to have a bit of fun.
You can’t embarrass yourself on Pinterest, either, which is why you can be as goofy, irreverent or downright bonkers as you like.
The more your personality shines through, the more you’ll enjoy creating the content itself and the closer it will resonate with the people who find it.
3. Use Your Phone And Document Your Life
Hidden away in the Pinterest smartphone app’s user interface is the ability to pin images from your device.
To do so, simply press the profile button, and take a look at the top-right of the screen for a little ‘+’ icon.
Tapping that should enable you to pick from images stored on your camera roll, which means you can use Pinterest to document your life, as it happens.
4. Partner With Another Story Teller
You don’t have to tell your story on your own. If you’ve got a friend, family member or work colleague who wants to do the same, why not team up?
This works particularly well if your stories overlap in some way. The tale of a newly-wed couple moving into their first home or story of two work colleagues making a name for themselves in their chosen field will play out brilliantly on Pinterest if you focus on using images instead of words.
Wrapping Up
Using Pinterest to tell your own story is inherently fun. If you want to show the world what you’re made of and build a personal brand that could lead onto other opportunities in life, I highly recommend giving it a go.
