Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to Pinterest I go!
When I first wrote this post around 3 years ago I had just recently learned about the power of Pinterest. It was months after hearing the name before I finally decided to check out what all the excitement was about. Well here we are, maybe 3 or more years later. At first I was interested in what the site had to offer me in the way of marketing as it was discussed in a seminar for business and after watching a video on how to set things up, I was off and running like a kid in a candy store.
I set up a few boards and began pinning things that I liked, that is where the addiction began.
I am not here to teach you how to use Pinterest, there are many qualified people out there to help you with that, I am just writing to share how this can be used to de-stress, relieve some anxiety and just have fun. If you are looking for a pro to help you use Pinterest for your business I highly recommend Melyssa Griffin, she is my go to lady, check her out at (this is not an affiliate, just honest to goodness referral) http://www.melyssagriffin.com
A few weeks, maybe even months later, after work one night I found myself sitting at my desk, wanting to do something but not really anything before going to bed. I picked up my tablet and my eyes were drawn to the Pinterest app I loaded a few months ago, before I knew it over an hour had gone by and I felt happy and relaxed. Most nights I struggle to unwind at the end of my work day, especially since I am at the computer most of that time. Tonight, after an hour or so pinning stuff I loved I was not only relaxed but had a sense of contentment before going to bed.
I believe that part of the lure was that there wasn’t much thinking or commitment involved, all I had to do was scroll photos and pin them to my boards, it was like shopping without spending any money, plus I didn’t have the guilt of just surfing with nothing to show for it as I now had all this great content and pictures to look back at later. After some pinning I went back and viewed my boards, this inspired me even more. It was pretty cool to realize in that moment how powerful Pinterest was for many reasons.
I work late hours some nights and to unwind I would normally put on tv and watch anything just to kill some time until I was tired and then it happened again, after work one night instead of closing my computer I went to Pinterest, that was it, I was hooked. It was then that I realized, this was not about marketing or learning how to use it, it was just about the sheer fun. I would later find that along with my sincere love of Pinterest and learning how to use it to market and brand my writing, I was in love.
I was juiced, I began shopping for my dream home and clothing and hairstyles that looked like my wannabe style. Then, being a boot loving girl I had to create a board just for boots and of course one just for black jackets. Another thing I love is that you can set up private boards that are not posted anywhere like the one I did for my dream body and sexy outfits, just for me.
I would soon realize my pinning filled that void that shopping can fill.
Granted it wasn’t the same but how many times have you window shopped? Most times I had to force myself to stop pinning, almost like real shopping. I knew that this amazing visual search engine would help you as I laid in bed that night writing this out in my head. I know there is always something new out there but I suggest you give this one a try, you can use it to promote your business, create vision boards, stay up to date on current trends or window shop until you drop without spending a dime.
If you are looking for a cool way to get to know your kids better in the future I will share how and why I let my 13 year old daughter set up her own Pinterest, yes, they need to be 13 to set up an account. I did not do this on a whim, I had learned the benefits are big, especially since she considers it her social media since she is not on anything else.
Allowing her to learn and use Pinterest from the ground up has helped fill her need for social media for now. As a bonus she is unschooled and this has been an amazing resources for her to learn from and there is nothing more bonding than seeing that we like some of the same pictures on our boards.
To wrap this up, I initially wrote this post a few years ago and am happy to report, I am still in love and think this is the kind of love that will last a lifetime, I go here to unwind, change my mood and focus, learn and read and yes, just the sheer fun of pinning!
If you have a Pinterest account look me up, I would Love to see what inspires you.
Love & Peace,
Rebecca
