Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Pinterest 101 For Authors by Carrie Turansky

Carrie Turansky has some wonderful Pinterest boards and shares her insight into using them as an author. -- Sandy

Carrie: Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media networks in the world. It’s now number three behind Facebook and Twitter. So it makes sense for authors to learn the basics and take advantage of Pinterest to connect with readers and promote their books and author brand.

So what is Pinterest? It’s a visual discovery tool that people use to collect, organize, and share ideas for projects and interests. People create and share collections (called boards) of images (called pins). Any time you find an image on the web that you like, you can pin that image to one of your boards to save, view later, or share with others. You can also download images from your computer to Pinterest, but the first method is better because it links back to the place you found the image.

How can authors use Pinterest? Kimberley Grabas, author of Your Writer Platform Blog says, “Your goal should be to teach, entertain and inspire your audience on Pinterest. In return, Pinterest will grant you the ability to increase awareness of your author brand, drive more relevant traffic to your website, and increase your book sales.”

People head to Pinterest to find solutions, get ideas, and be inspired. Plus pinners are buyers….so authors can use Pinterest as a marketing tool. But like all social media, it’s important to avoid too much self-promotion. Pinterest is a quieter platform where you are mainly sharing images and connecting with readers who share similar interests.

Here are some specific ideas for authors. Create boards for each of your books and feature the cover, characters, setting, clothing, and events that happen in the story. Link those images back to your website and blog to help readers connect with you and purchase your books. These boards can be a great help to the artists who designs your covers. Here’s a link to my next book, The Daughter of Highland Hall: http://www.pinterest.com/carrieturansky/daughter-of-highland-hall/

Since I write historical novels I have boards for different time periods with clothing, cars, people, and events from those eras. Those boards are a good place to keep images that link back to research articles. Authors who do this exceptionally well are Lori Benton and Laura Frantz. Check out their book boards! http://www.pinterest.com/lorilbenton/

My current series is set in the same era as Downton Abbey, and one of my marketing goals is to reach out to fans of that show. So I have a board for Downton Abbey and another for Highclere Castle, where Downton is filmed. Those are my two most popular boards with the highest number of repins. They have helped me connect with many Downton Fans and introduce them to my books.
http://www.pinterest.com/carrieturansky/highclere-castle-downton-abbey/

You can pin images from your blog posts or author email newsletters and link people back to your website. Pin images that lead readers to 5-star reviews and blog interviews. When it’s time for a cover reveal, launch week, or a special promotion, pin those images and share them with those who follow you on Pinterest.

You can also create boards that allow you to share your interests with others on Pinterest. I have boards for Tea Time, English Country Gardens, People I admire, Favorite Authors, Romance, Books Worth Reading, Favorite Recipes, To Your Good Health, Childhood Memories, Kids, Favorite Movies, Doors, Christmas, Favorite Verses and Quotes, Places I’d Like to Go, Scotland, England. These kind of boards give readers a taste of who you are and offer added value. Here’s a link to my boards: http://www.pinterest.com/carrieturansky/

I have a background in art and I’m a very visual person. I’ve always collected photos for my characters and settings, so when I discovered Pinterest…it was love at first sight! For me, it’s a great way to take a break, relax, and see some beautiful images . . . as well as build connections with readers.   

For a great step by step tutorial on how to set up a Pinterest account, get started, and use Pinterest visit: http://www.yourwriterplatform.com/use-pinterest-to-market-book-and-author-brand/


Have you set up Pinterest boards for your books or WIPs? How do you use Pinterest for marketing?

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Carrie Turansky has loved reading since she first visited the library as a young child and checked out a stack of picture books. Her love for writing began when she penned her first novel at age twelve. She is now the award-winning author of more than a dozen inspirational romance novels and novellas. Carrie and her husband, Scott, who is a pastor, author, and speaker, have been married for more than thirty-five years and make their home in New Jersey. They often travel together on ministry trips and to visit their five adult children and four grandchildren. Carrie leads the women’s ministry at her church, and when she’s not writing she enjoys spending time working in her flower gardens and cooking healthy meals for friends and family.  Carrie loves to connect with reading friends through her website, 

www.carrieturansky.com and through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.