If you've not seen the latest update on the ability to set a cover photo for any given pin board, you should! Now you can select a pin to permanently represent what the face of a board looks like, rather than the randomness of the last pinned item.
If you hover over any of your boards, an 'edit board cover' command pops up. There are two ways to do it. Click the pop-up command and it'll give you a little slide show to sift through to find the photo that best represents that particular board. Adjust the image up, down, or side to side for optimal display. Click, 'Set Cover', and you're done.
But, when you have 117 pins on a board, clicking through to find just the right one is tedious. I found the better way was to go into the board to browse, as you can also set board covers from there. It's much easier to select the best pin when viewing the board overall.
When selecting covers, or even creating them from scratch, I recommend images that are simpler and with large, recognizable aspects or color blocks, over busy, cluttered and complicated images.
A larger visual expanse will keep your main page from looking like a busy hodgepodge that's confusing to the eye and a turn off. You want to invite people in to browse and possibly connect with you, not make them want to call the hoarders rescue team to clean up a mess.
Example: Here's my main image for my board titled:
Color: Tangerine Orange
In the overall scheme of my main page, it's a lot more eye catching than this:
Oh, and about that Tangerine Orange. Well, consider having a few well placed board covers with orange in them scattered throughout your main page to draw your viewer's eye through. It's the most visible color to the human eye and marketing agencies use it to bring your eye around an advertisement so that you see what they want you to see.
If you have a brand color scheme already, or orange isn't your thing, consider a splash of yellow, red, green or bright blue to add some punctuation somewhere.
I'd also recommend selecting three main colors, if you don't already have a brand color. Select board covers from pins based primarily on those three colors and then add a few white, grey or black fillers. I selected blues, greens and yellow-to-oranges, with some white and grey board covers tossed in. Here's the result of my first two rows. Click for a full-size view, but also note the visibility of the colors in small size. You primarily see blues, greens and yellow-to-orange colors.
After you've set the board covers, you can also
rearrange the order of the boards. Keep an eye on how each one plays off
the other visually, particularly on the two top rows - the rows that
people see first. Put less effervescent covers next to more flamboyant
covers to keep the flow going. Hence the white bunny between the blue boat and the yellow car. If that messes with your senses and makes you look twice, my job is done!
With Pinterest now the 3rd most popular social media platform, you'll want every advantage you can to capture someone's attention.
Being primarily a visual platform, the end result of taking the time to select the
best covers, colors and display of your content should result in more
engagement and follows.
Granted, everyone's Pinterest will be different, as we all have different
angles and agendas, but there is no reason not put on your 'best face'.
Like most of us, I do large amounts of reading across many platforms to stay on top of as much news and information as I can for my organization.
It's a case of time as well as finding the pieces that are 'just right' to keep our attention. But so many of the pieces I pass on might have been 'just right' had they not committed the following errors.
1. Too Cluttered: Huge complicated graphics that required the visual acuity of a brain surgeon to dissect. Please don't give me a headache at 9 am.
2. Too Vague: The information didn't clearly and immediately point out what the title promised. After much blathering about the deep need to acquire what the mystery title was promoting, I still had only a vague idea of what was being offered two thirds down the page. BAH! Be clear and be upfront.
3. Too Confusing: As much as I wanted to understand and support a plea from someone who seemed deserving, I just couldn't understand what they wanted me to do. There were all sorts of instructions about what you must do and must not do if you wanted to be a part of what was being touted as an easy way to... hmm.
4. Too Obtuse: One blog turned me off because I know first hand they're not practicing what they preach in some of those '7 secrets to success' points they make; one of which is to connect with your clients. They just don't realize they are not connecting with their clients, themselves. I know because I actually tried connecting.
5. Too Inappropriate: I passed on an article because the profanity laced title was massively offensive. The shock value didn't impress me. I didn't visit the link. If I want swearing I'll wait til the cat barfs all over my shoes.
6. Too Annoying: Blaring music that commences the second I landed on the page. I can't click off of that stuff fast enough. Why do people assume it's alright to blare something like that in anyone's office? I wouldn't walk into their office with a boombox blaring on my shoulder, don't do it in mine.
7. Too Lost: Some can't stop promoting long enough to follow up on the business they generate for themselves. I unfollowed one after she tweeted 8576 times how I would improve whatever angle it was she was offering. Why? Because despite my direct contact with her across several platforms, she never once recognized me as a follower, a shareholder and worse, a client. In fact she even sent me an invitation to buy her stock at Empire Avenue and promised as a new user I'd earn 2000e. I'm an established user and was maxed out in her stock. How can she advise my business if she can't manage her own business?
The biggest issue affecting all these communications is they've failed to take their client into consideration, which equates to a loss of direct engagement.
Do you feel businesses fail to make the necessary connections to sell their books, products and services because they simply don't understand the innately human aspects of Social Media? Do you think this is what separates the unsuccessful from those professionals who get it 'just right'?
