Pinterest for Bloggers: 8 Advanced Tipps to market your Blog effectively

Do you have an ideal Pinterest account for Bloggers? Are your boards in line with your content and your niche's preferences? Here are 8 advanced tipps to stand out positively and attract new followers/ readers that share your interests - tailored for bloggers!

Looking at the most popular Pinterest accounts, they have +50 boards with around +10.000 pins and tons of followers. They pin an extremely wide topic range to their boards. They are professional, full-time pinners. But if blogging and content writing is your first priority, should you be doing Pinterest full-time like them? I don't think so, and here is why: A recent survey showed that around 80% of the images on Pinterest are repinned from within the site. So only 20% are actually fresh material. As a blogger, you will gain exposure and find new readers if you concentrate on contributing in the 20% 'new pin' sector by creating pin-worthy content on your blog (this is the insider tipp).

The ideal Pinterest account for Bloggers looks like this:

1. Have no more than maximum 15 boards. Choose them well and nurture them with fresh content (see tipp #2). Here is why: I am reluctant to follow somebody with 63 boards, fearing that my feed will get flooded with their pins. Moreover, people will not have time to find the boards that are actually pointing them to your blog. And caring for so many boards will stop you from writing content for your blog!
2. Pin fresh, new content from outside Pinterest. People follow the VIP-Pinners, because they do exactly that. Every re-pin is a consumption of something that has been provided before. If you want to be interesting for your followers, pin new content!
3. Review the links to your blog, Facebook, Twitter and also your photo. Check if everything is in your favor? Is your website also mentioned in the description of the boards? Don't forget to write a short description about you and your blog in the profile: What are your main topics? What can you offer to your readers? Be precise. Catch their interest.
4. Don't be narcissistic. I have seen it often: Bloggers advertise their Pinterest boards on their blog. You drop by to have a look and find that they only pinned themselves (their blog as the only source). Why would people follow you or your blog? This sends a signal that you prefer to stick to yourself. Bad message! Offer valuable content (pins) from other sources as well! Pinterest is a reflection of what interests you in relation to your blog.
5. Nothing is as sad as an abandoned blogger's Pinterest account with less than 50 Pins on each board. You should at least show enough interest (or effort) to pin to 50 images for each board. And make sure you mix the boards a little between your own content and content from other sources. If people decide to follow your "Mermaid" board only, they will not have the chance to get any pins from the other boards (that relate to your blog). Mix the (blog-related) pins across all your boards! 
6. Set a schedule (like once a week), where you actively comment on other user's boards or great pins. Statistics are on your side: Only 0.2% of the users post comments. If you comment in a nice and appreciating way, people will probably want to find out more about you. Also, if you follow somebody new, leave a nice comment on one of their boards!
7. Pinterest search functions cannot visually analyse your images. They rely on the key words you give them! So write descriptions for your pins and add descriptions if you re-pin. People use the search function for their interests, so this gives them the chance to discover your account and your blog.
8. Here is the golden tipp I found out recently: If you have 10-15 boards, define the 3-5 boards that are most relevant for your blog and niche. Add extra effort in those and keep the other boards at a minimum of 50-80 pins respectively (for the start). And arrange your account to show the 3-5 most important boards in the first line of your profile! Nobody is going to scroll down if the first few boards look average or are not well maintained.

These are my most valuable blogger tipps for now. I will give you an update when I find out more :).

Are you on Pinterest? I'd love to hear your username and your experiences in the comments.

What do you think: Are this tipps helping you to get more value of Pinterest? I am looking forward to hear your opinion and how Pinterest works for your blog.

All the best and talk to you soon!

(Find my boards here: http://pinterest.com/lillyrosestudio/)

PS: If you enjoy this article, please share it with your network and your friends!

New focus: How our blog changes with us

Change brings us to new horizons. It improves our abilities, our outlook and finally our blog.

Returning to the blogging world (blogosphere) feels like a rush of endorphines. Now that I am back, I ask myself: How could I live without my online friends, my blogs, the inspiration? This post quickly outlines how my life has developed in the last year and where we are going with this blog.

Basically, I wrote my last posts around my Bachelor thesis in Israel. Starting my Masters in the following autumn made it an impossible mission to keep up with fashion updates and the likes. I learnt many valuable things (for example, I sat down to study Italian and get a language certificate) and made new experiences. The Masters took two years and in 2012, this even brought me to study in Cape Town, South Africa! South Africa is really buzzing in the film and model industry, just as it has the first rising fashion bloggers right now.

Returning to Germany, I finished my second degree and started to work full-time in a fashion photography company. So exciting!! I loved the creative lifestyle there... My boss came around every other day, treating his hard-working team with a generous sushi order! But my story is not finished here. I moved to Rome, capital of Italy (and also world-famous for its fashion designers), to start a new job in December 2012. After settling in, I came to realize that I want to blog and never let go of it again (*fingers crossed*).

I looked at my blog and something inside me made me wish to delete all the previous (okay, most) posts. What was I thinking?? Haha. I refrain from removing these delightfully naive fashion blogging posts and keep them on here to entertain you and also learn more about me and where I started.

We have to change as life progresses and naturally, this happens to our work environment, to our friends, to our interests and to our blog! Now, I never let go of my interest for fashion and all things visual, but upon returning I understood, that a lot of things had to change or to be refocused. So let's take a look at what this blog will be about:

• Fashion Illustration
• Graphic Design for the Web
• Etsy Seller Tipps
• Advice for Marketing, SEO & Business
• Occasional Personal Snippets of my life
  
  

Even if I am still into shopping and styling, you probably won't find as many outfit posts as I did back then. I treasure how the earlier phase of my blogging activites have helped me to create a *killer wardrobe* (haha), but I focus on work-related matters much more now. I am simply comfortable in my fashion choices and I keep my eyes always open. But I am over the phase were I put an outfit together and thought: Would this look nice? Who could take a photo of it? So, that's settled.

Hey, before I finish this post, here is some major updates in the blog that happened already. I am so excited about all the new possibilities for bloggers out there (Pinterest, Instagram, you name it). I absolutely love my new accounts and I nourish them as best as I can. Please connect to me or comment below with your profiles!

• ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/people/LillysGarden88
• TWITTER: http://twitter.com/LillysTweets
• INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/oceanprincess?ref=badge
• PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/lillyrosestudio/
• YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/oceanprinzess
• GOOGLE+: http://gplus.to/lillyrose

Right, I do have a YouTube Channel and this is were you soon be able to meet me personally!

For now, all the best and let me know: Have you recently re-focused your blog?

XOXO

Blogging Break

I love the contrast to the background xD - Here in my favourite
winter jacket.

Cinema Outfit: dress+cardigan+purse - hm, necklace+tights -
primark, shoes - nina fiarucci.

The most delicious cupcakes, from Budapest's main market hall.

It has been months since I last blogged and I miss it terribly! I am currently studying for my Masters degree at university. I will definitely come back as soon as possible! I am happy to stay in touch with new and old readers, we will meet again! =)

Hide Away in the Flower Tree

Lilly trying to camouflage in the magnificent flower tree with her new print romper from Jerusalem.

Well hidden like a panther =) (or so I wish). Okay, at least I tried.

Climbing down is another matter...huh!
(romper jerusalem, sunglasses+bracelets nazareth, ring six, earrings madonna)

~*~

I got back onto the flower tree during the night to sit between the softly swaying branches and gaze dreamily into the stars... =).

~*~

Look what I found in Jerusalem - Topshop yaaay!!! First time visiting one of their stores!

Pretty stylish girl, seen in Jerusalem.

Shooting (outfit) pictures while sitting in a tree is something I have to try again. It's kind of funny when you pretend to manage sitting on swaying branches, all the time avoiding to fall down. =)

Love,

Rolling in Black Mud at the Dead Sea

400 meters below the average sea level: the last stop of our road trip through all of Israel was the famous "Sea of Death" - or Dead Sea - the deepest hypersaline lake in the world! After visiting Masada, we seeked for a refreshment and went to one of the Dead Sea's beaches (beware of sinkholes!) to jump into the supersalty water...(the water was warm like a baby's bathtub, so far for the refreshment, lol).

Lilly, completely covered in black mud, enjoying the Dead Sea. (Washing that stuff off is another story *sigh*).

Very creepy experience (later funny): The high salt content (~ 34%) keeps you easily afloat. Swimming is not really possible, because the "water" is very thick. Never duck your head under, it literally burns your eyes out (not that I tried or something). Why the shoes? Well, you have to walk in and the underground nearly scratched our soles.

The shore of the Dead Sea (lonely beach^^).

Bizarre salt formations at the shore (try to walk on that!).

Rather typical Israeli breakfast: you realize something?? Yes, half of it is salad and vegetables. (That ratio also accounts for the rest of the diet here O-o).

Flower tree in En Gedi - I had to climb it!! (and I did, haha).

~*~

End of my Israel Road Trip =) I hope you enjoyed the travel report!

Love,

It's a love story, baby just say yes!

Summer, Love, Italy - best ingredients for the new film starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave in "Letters to Juliet" (2010). The soundtrack contains my new favourite song, which is playing non-stop at my home: "Love Story" by US star Taylor Swift. Listen to this song, jump around your room and feel happy^^ - summer, the best time of the year! (And I assume the movie is supercute and worth a visit, too). It's a love story, baby just say... YES!

The Song:
(most adorable music video ever! The dress is awesome!!)


The Movie Trailer:


Love, (still singing and jumping)

Medieval Fantasy Earrings by Vintouch

No end to shopping tipps this week -haha^^. But you'll agree at the sight of those handmade pieces of jewellery that they are something special! Found in the (private) Online Shop Vintouch - handmade and inspired by medieval artwork. Prices are reasonable! Below my shop favourites:

Flower design with coloured pearls.

Blue and gold - is there a better combination? The symbols at the pendants look mysterious.

A little more oriental: hearts and pearls.

~*~

Anything more? Yeah, I am quite annoyed with G**gle right now. When I logged into my blogger account this morning, they asked for my phone number to 'restore' my blog in case of sudden data loss. What a ploy - just yesterday I read that they are focusing now on collecting cell phone data from people and that they are already able to locate you/your phone via the number. I am really unhappy with this (and did not give my number of course). Don't give yours if they ask! With the whole G**gle Street View thing going on, I am trying to get away from them as far as possible - which primarily means changing the search engine and reduced use of my g**glemail email adress. They are crossing the limit with their schemes...

Do you like the new shirt dress by Haburi?

I stumbled upon this dress on Anna's Blog and found out that it is available over Haburi (brand: Herrlicher) for 64,90 Euro. In my opinion an interesting idea, but the price is definitely too high for my budget - so I keep telling myself that it looks like a giant undershirt, lol^^. What do you think - hot or not? Love,

Best Deals at Forever21

After a one week net absence due to serious laptop issues, I am finally back to blogging. For today? The best deals at Forever 21 (hurry up, some of it already in sale!). I love...

...this nerdy tshirt!! The shoes are my most favourite pick^^. (How adorable is that baby chicken?)

And how sweet is that?? Cupcake key caps =). The pink lamé sport bag is a pick for my special friend KMC (you rock, honey!).

A cascade of lace dress and earrings from 1001 nights... what do we need more?!

~*~
Always in search of the latest stylish pieces! ;)

Royal Desert Fortress: Masada

Road through the desert.

Driving to the South of Israel, the scenery changed drastically, as we made our way into the desert of the Negev. Last stop on our big road trip through Israel, we drove to the Dead Sea. Hills of sand and rocks surrounded us for hours and no green far and wide.

Short driving break. Practical outfit: shirt new yorker, shorts hm, sandals keen, sunglasses nazareth, bracelet hm, fish necklace zafed.

Food to survive the long drive: Super yummy cookies from a bakery^^.

Plan for the day was the desert fortress Masada, a national sanctury to the Israelis. It is located on top of a plateau cliff and you have to either walk up (not during the day!!! HOT.) or get up there by cable car.

King Herod built this fortress and he made it quite splendid: there are several palaces and store houses, a clever water system and even a sort of ancient thermal wellness spa.

Great view over the Dead Sea!!

Ruins from the ancient buildings on top of the cliff. Masada is a highly frequented spot of touristic interest. Despite the effects of an earthquake on the fortress, the desert climate keeps the ruins in a good condition.

Leftovers from inhabitants of the royal fortress: ~ 2,000 years old. They also had quite amazing (gold and silver) jewellery in the museum. The vials and bottles in the picture were used for --- Make Up!!! Believe it or not.

***

The story behind Masadas importance

Actually, Masada is famous for a very sad incidence that happened long after King Herod left the castle. The Romans invaded the country and the only resistance gathered at the old castle: Jewish rebels. The Romans tried to take the castle by military force, which is not an easy task, because the fortress is in on top of a remote cliff. (The leftovers of the Romans' military camps are still visible around Masada today!). The night before the Romans were about to finally break into the castle and presumably enslave all the rebels and their families, the leader of the rebels held a very passionate speech with the result that he claimed it would be more noble to die instead of becoming Roman slaves.
He chose nine other men (it is said that they drew lots) and they proceeded to kill all the 2,000 people in the fortress: their wives, children, relatives, everyone. Finally, one of the ten men got chosen to kill the other nine men. After he did that, he commited suicide.
The Romans took the castle on the next day and they were left speechless about the massacre they found inside. It is said in the historical record that only two women and three children survived, because they successfully hid in a small cave. Nowadays, Masada is a national symbol for Jewish resistance against oppression. In fact, the picture in the museum shows belongings that were left from the rebels. They also found shoes, braids of hair and children toys, as well as food. I could'nt help it... when I stood there, looking at all those things, I cried my heart out... What a terribly sad story.