Trends Turn Your Hobby Into a Business With Pinterest Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Mint.com Published Mar 28, 2012 5 min read Advertising Disclosure The views expressed on this blog are those of the bloggers, and not necessarily those of Intuit. Third-party blogger may have received compensation for their time and services. Click here to read full disclosure on third-party bloggers. This blog does not provide legal, financial, accounting or tax advice. The content on this blog is "as is" and carries no warranties. Intuit does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the content on this blog. After 20 days, comments are closed on posts. Intuit may, but has no obligation to, monitor comments. Comments that include profanity or abusive language will not be posted. Click here to read full Terms of Service. What if there was a free way to market your hobby, in order to gauge interest, build an audience—and possibly, make money in the process? There is, and it’s called Pinterest. In fact, you may be one of the twelve million and counting registered users of the online pin board site (according to AppData tracking). But if you’re not using it in a way that can transform your your hobby into a potential profit, you may be missing out on a ripe opportunity to transform your finances and career. Here’s how to start: The Pinterest boom There are many speculations for the phenomenon that is Pinterest, which may be attributed to the design simplicity, or creativity it inspires. Whatever the reason, Pinterest’s growth has boomed 866 percent from September 2011 to February 2012, according to Mashable. For some hobbyists and small business owners, particularly those who are in a “creative” field, it’s also provided invaluable exposure to a captive audience. If you’re not currently on Pinterest, your first step is to get on the wait list — or ask a friend using it to “invite “ you to register. But once you’re “in,” you can start to build exposure for your hobby, by transforming images that you currently have on your site or desktop, into “pins.” With them, you can compile any number of virtual pin boards, which are shared with others. To get started, install the “Pin It” bookmarklet (which you can find in the “Goodies” section of the Pinterest site), to your computer. When other Pinterest users like your “pins,” they’ll “repin” them; this is the foundation to building traffic to your site with Pinterest. You can also create “pins” from web images that aren’t necessarily original to your hobby or brand, but that enhance what you stand for, as well as “repinning” others’ “pins.” Create original pins Images that invoke emotion, whether by humor, beauty, sadness, cuteness, or creativity, grab attention on Pinterest. To best way to drive traffic to your site (and possibly, capture some sales), is to create as many compelling, original pins as possible, for two reasons. For starters, new pins are shown on the home page of Pinterest, providing endless possibility for exposure. Because source data for pins is mined, those that you create from original content will link back to your site. Linda Boyer of flirtydivatees.com found success on Pinterest, by simply sharing images of her women’s message tees, (think, “I run so I can eat cupcakes,”) on occasion. After about two months, she started to notice an uptick in “repin” activity for tee “pins;” the more she pinned, the more the buzz increased. She estimates that her sales have increased by at least 50 percent, thanks to simply “pinning” images from her product website onto Pinterest. Turn your passion into imagery If you’re a chef, stylist, or crafter, showcasing your work with “pins” is easy to accomplish, but if your hobby isn’t as visually driven, you’ll need to get creative to transform what you “do” into imagery. For example, writers might promote a new article by selecting a powerful but brief passage from the work, and transforming it into an image using Photoshop or a similar design tool to create an original “pin.” Those interested in it will then be taken to the site where the writers’ work appears. What you “pin” is up to you but the more interest it capture, the greater the exposure. You don’t have to be a top-notch designer to create “pins” that people are interested in, but because the sight is visually-driven, it’s worth your time to think about truly interesting ways to turn your passion into imagery. Make your site “pin” friendly Making your site “pin-friendly” starts with having images on your site. You can simplify the process further by adding a red “Pin It” button to your site pages and posts. (Visit the “goodies” section on Pinterest for instructions). Once you’ve taken those steps, developing a Pinterest presence for your hobby may not require much intervention at all. Take for example, Holly Xerri, creator of the Camiband, a small online business that she began as a hobby. She realized the power of Pinterest when an inordinate amount of orders began coming through her website. The trail led back to an image of her Camiband that a Pinterest user had “pinned” to the site, which went viral. In four days, Xerri had generated 40,000 hits! (As a point of reference, her previous all-time high was 3,500, after her product was worn by a “Today” show correspondent). Be active Generating your own pins and repinning images that represent your interests is just one piece of Pinterest. The other is based on social sharing. The larger your “network,” the more attention you’ll potentially grab. Follow the boards of others who are in similar and complementary hobbies, to build a strategic and symbiotic network. Be vigilant about building your own pin boards that complement and encompass what you do and care for. (For example, if you blog about running, create boards that address all aspects of the sport, like gear, nutrition, mental inspiration, and workouts—and integrate as many original “pins” as you can). The more you pin, the more people will see your activity, and share it. Know your audience Pinterest users skew heavily female, and are using the site to be inspired by new ideas, images, styles and products. If you’re blatantly marketing on Pinterest, or taking a half-hearted approach, users will see right through it, so be genuine. Hobbies are based on passion; communicate that interest through your pins and board. You may just stumble into an opportunity to transform your professional and financial life. Stephanie Taylor Christensen is a former financial services marketer based in Columbus, OH. The founder of Wellness On Less, she also writes on small business, consumer interest, wellness, career and personal finance topics. Previous Post The U.S. Dollar is on the Rise Next Post How Attitudes About Investing Have Changed Over the Generations Written by Mint.com More from Mint.com Browse Related Articles Mint App News Intuit Credit Karma welcomes all Minters! Retirement 101 5 Things the SECURE 2.0 Act changes about retirement Home Buying 101 What Are Homeowners Association (HOA) Fees and What Do They Cover? Financial Planning What Are Tax Deductions and Credits? 20 Ways To Save on Taxes Financial Planning What Is Income Tax and How Is It Calculated? Investing 101 The 15 Best Investments for 2023 Investing 101 How To Buy Stocks: A Beginner’s Guide Investing 101 What Is Real Estate Wholesaling? 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