an online class on pinterest

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I was very excited when the Influence Network approached me about teaching a class on Pinterest online. The class was monday night, and it went really well especially since my cats decided that was an ideal time to brawl & my husband wasn’t home to wrangle them.
A class AND a show! 

So, in case you weren’t able to attend, but were curious about the layout of the class, I grabbed this photo from Jessi @ naptime diaries to show you what it looks like. 
The only audio and video is of me, so “students” are only able to watch, listen and contribute to the chat box. I think that’s a great feature because you can log in from anywhere and it doesn’t matter what kind of noise is going on if you are attended the class. I saw a few women logged in from Starbucks, and it may have been suspicious if they began talking to their computer in a public setting.

Typically, the classes are an hour, with about 40-45 minutes of teaching and roughly 15 minutes of Q & A. Shockingly, I didn’t go over 40 minutes. When I spoke at Becoming Conference in September, I was a little frazzled during the first session and didn’t even get to finish. So, I learned from my past, backed off on coffee monday, and stayed on track.

In general, I covered topics to help bloggers increase their Pinterest activity strategically, how to prep your photos to be “pin-worthy”, and other tools to help you pin. I’m hoping to teach another class, so I’ll keep that content private for now, but I will answer a few remaining questions that I didn’t get to during the class right here.
*click here to find more info about classes

Q & A:

Shannon Schreiber: I changed my blog URL a few months ago, I updated the URL that all of my previously pinned pictures point to, but they are still showing up as my former blog URL – do you know of a way to fix this?
I think a good way to combat this issue (that I don’t think is fixable) is to add a watermark to your photos & include a link to the correct site in the caption. The pin should redirect to the right URL, even though it shows the old one.


Kirsten @ Healthful Pursuit of an LEO Wife: Do you think how you name/label your pin is important?

Yes. If you are refering to naming/labeling in the caption, use that opportunity to write why you pinned it, what you are planning on doing, if anything, with that pin, etc. The caption is the only “social” aspect of Pinterest, so maximize your opportunity to become relatable by editing the caption before you repin!
Shannon Schreiber: I have noticed a lot of pins will have the main search word repeated three times like: “owl birthday, owl birthday, owl birthday party for a little girl” does this improve search results? do you recommend this?
The search function on Pinterest is awful. I think what that “pinner” was trying to do was make their pin searchable, however repeating the same phrase will not increase search results. Instead, add new phrases associated with the pin. For example ,”Owl birthday party, party for little girl, owl party for girl, little girl owl party, etc” so no matter what people type in the search box, your pin will be more likely to show up.
Krista: How often, if at all, do you respond to comments people leave on your pins?
Not very, but I also don’t receive a lot of comments on my pins. The comment section of Pinterest is rarely used and not very useful, so I don’t spend too much time on it.
Michelle Curry: What is the best way to apply  these tips to a lifestyle blog?
I love this question. I saw this last night and have thought about it a lot. Michelle, I actually hopped over to your blog and scrolled through a few posts to better answer this question. I think one of the best ways you can tie Pinterest in with your lifestyle blog is subtly and naturally mentioning a few pins, or a board, that coincides with what you posted about.
So, if you wrote a post about some new nail polish you tried, add a few nail polish favorites to a “beauty board” and mention that blog readers can find more of your favorites on Pinterest–and link to your board.
Or, if you are writing about what you did last night, or over the weekend, consider linking to your “food” board if you mentioned anything you baked. 
Look for ways to naturally refer to your Pinterest boards without going overboard.
Hope that helps!
Danielle: Could you share with us what’s a good PinPuff score? Sure, it’s 86!

Kirsten @ Healthful Pursuit of an LEO Wife: Did you think it makes a difference if you post a video vs. a pictures?
Pictures are instant gratification, so I think they are more likely to be repinned than a video.
Molly Wilson: I am a fashion blogger…what are your suggestions for pinning specific fashion pins?
Clear photos, meaning make sure the focus is on the outfit and not the surrounding areas. Consider creating a board made up of items in your closet so Pinterest followers have an easy resource to find an item you are wearing in a photo.
Kerri W: Watermark question: should it just be your blog url or the copywrite symbol too? 
Totally up to you, I think URL is enough, but add a copyright if you feel it necessary.
Cyndi Spivey: Do you ever delete boards? How many boards should we have?? 
I haven’t, and I don’t think there is a specific number. Make sure to have a board for the pins you repin (example: a kitchen board, a bathroom board, etc. instead of “home”.)
Krista: If you had to give just ONE single tip about Pinterest, what is the most important thing you’d want to us to know?
Prep your photos well. Make sure they aren’t cluttered and give a clear idea of what the image is talking about.

Shannon Lyle: How do you link the info from pinterest to the facebook business page, not your personal page?
I’m not sure you can, unfortunately.
Molly S.: What’s with the “Pin Now, Read Later!” crowd? Where did that come from and does that actually help?
Okay, I have no idea. Also, all the “this program works for me!” I usually think “spam” when I see those comments. If you repin a pin, and it has that caption, change it!

Happy Pinning!

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Amy says · 01.15.13

thanks for putting this together Kate!
http://coffeebeansandbobbypins.blogspot.com/

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lesley: the dream tree says · 01.15.13

great stuff to think about! thanks!

http://mylivelymind.blogspot.com

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Shelly says · 01.15.13

This is great, Kate!!

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Luci says · 01.15.13

Love this post, so pinteresting!! I’m new to blogging so definitely looking forward to hearing about future classes!!
http://thehonorarysoutherner.blogspot.com

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AC says · 01.15.13

What is a pinpuff score?

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Suzanne S. says · 01.15.13

Thank you so much for sharing this information! I love Pinterest, however I think it can be overwhelming too. Your information really is a great help 🙂
xoxo
Suzanne from writtenbysuzanne

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Mallory says · 01.15.13

I learned so much from you last night! Thanks again for all of your great tips. Hope I’m able to attend more classes like this one in the future!

Mal
Pastels and Mascara

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Jill says · 01.15.13

Thank you so much for this post! I actually paid for the class but was unable to login because I double-booked myself. I’m hoping we’ll be sent a video link to watch later like the email said.

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Michelle says · 01.15.13

Is there a place to watch the class if we missed it?

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Katherine - Real Food Runner says · 01.16.13 Reply
SH says · 01.16.13

I didn’t see your post soon enough, so I’d love to watch the class! Or if you host another one, that would be great too. If not, the Q&A of this post is helpful!

Sheree
thehartungs.blogspot.ca

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Sarah says · 01.16.13

Thanks for the info!

Sar=)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/owleyevintage

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meg @ pureandsimpleblog says · 01.16.13

Thanks for posting this! Glad the class went well.

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still being [molly] says · 01.16.13

i loved the class, kate! you are a great teacher! and thanks for answering my question LOL – I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks the Pin Now, Read Later sounds spammy!

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Nic♥le says · 01.16.13

I missed the sign up for the class and was super bummed! How do you get people to start pinning your things in the first place?

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MAL says · 01.16.13

Thanks for the advice!! http://pinterest.com/juliacberger/

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theclassybee.com says · 01.16.13

so sad I couldn’t get into your class in time, but these Q&A’s were super helpful! Hopefully I’ll be speedy enough next time!

~Bethany @ theclassybee.com

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Alice in East Washington says · 01.16.13

I appreciate the lifestyle blogger advice. I always find it hard to cross-reference what I’m writing about (mainly children’s books) with the interests of Pinterest. ~Jess @ The Owl’s Skull (http://theowlskull.blogspot.com/)

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Hailey says · 01.17.13

I had so much fun Monday night. I learned some valuable information and felt like I {met} a celebrity. Thank you so much for the insight and I look forward to attending more classes.
Hailey @ Love, Laughter and Lipstick

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AmyKnight says · 01.17.13

I’m am very interested in the format ( program ) you used that allowed the video feed and comments. I teach Communication courses at a University and could see how this would be beneficial to my online class. Thanks in advance for the info.

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bridget b @623designs.tumblr.com says · 01.17.13

Hi Kate, I just *love* your hair tutorials.

I wanted to find out if you will be teaching this course again or if we could purchase the video. It was booked by the time I found out about it, but I would love to see it and learn new ideas for driving blog traffic from my pinterest.

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noneedtostudy says · 03.15.13

Thanks for sharing your experience. Online classes are the best option to acquire specialized knowledge at your own pace and convenience. Your post will surely help many people in learning pintrest at their own pace.

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illy says · 03.18.13

I haven’t done any pinteresting since I haven’t made account, but you made me seriously think about it 🙂

My nail polish blog nails-and-more.blogspot.com

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Emma says · 04.14.13

Thanks for the tips! I’m a new blogger and am considering blogging some DIYs to Pinterest, but I’m just a little nervous that my freinds will find my blog! I don’t know why I am so nervous about that!

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George Mousavi says · 03.05.14

The search function on pinterest is awful.Great tutorial. Computer training nyc

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laura says · 06.11.14

Love Love Love the little cartoon at the end. That’s me on pinterest!

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