More than 200 million people use Pinterest every month. It is a hugely popular social media network where people find ideas and inspiration for all kinds of hobbies and other interests. Many people also find it a great resource for finding information about products or services before they buy.
What is a Pinterest Board?
If you have never explored Pinterest, even the term Pin isn’t going to mean anything to you. But once you get into Pinterest, you will realize that the concept is simple. At the same time, you will see that it offers great opportunities as a social media platform for you to share ideas and images, as well as showcase your business and brand.
You might think of a Pinterest Board as being like the cork or felt-covered boards some people have in their kitchens or home offices, where they pin notes and pictures, all in one place. But because you can save so much to a Pinterest Board, it makes more sense to think about it as a personal, digital, filing cabinet where you can save, collect and organize all your Pins.
But what is a Pinterest Pin?
Pinterest describes Pins as bookmarks that may be images, videos, or products. Pinterest Boards are full of these so-called bookmarks!
How to Create a Board 2024
You can create a Pinterest Board from your profile or on your personal account when you save a Pinterest Pin. Here’s how you can create a board both ways.
But first, you need to have a Pinterest account and a profile, with a profile photo. Once you’ve done this, you can create your first Pinterest Board.
Also, bear in mind that Pinterest will create your home feed based on a traditional Pinterest algorithm. This reviews the content in your feed and makes changes to what you search for.
Create a Board From Your Profile
Follow these easy steps to create a Pinterest Board from your profile:
Step 1: Log into your Pinterest account.
Step 2: Click on your profile photo to open your Pinterest profile.
Step 3: Click the + button on the right and choose Board.
Step 4: Create a board by giving it a name or board title.
Step 5: If you want to make it a secret board, click the box next to Keep this board secret.
Step 6: If you want to add a start and end date, click on the add dates field.
Step 7: Click Create.
Step 8: Pinterest will suggest ideas for the board you have created. Choose what you want to add (if anything), and then click Done.
Step 9: To add your own photo or video to your Pinterest Board, you need to save it as a Pin.
Step 10: You will see a blank board on the left-hand side of your screen and a + button on the right of it. Click the + and then click + Create a Pin.
Step 11: Add a title and information about your Pin, as well as alt text. Include keywords and make sure your board description creates a context for whatever you are sharing.
Step 12: Drag and drop your file or click to upload. Save.
How to Create a Board on Pinterest When Saving a Pin
Creating a board when saving a pin is very similar to creating one from your profile. The main difference is that you start out with the first pin you want to feature on the board.
Step 1: Log into your Pinterest account.
Step 2: Save a new pin by following Steps 11 and 12 above.
Step 3: At the top of your screen on the right-hand side you will see a drop-down menu with all your boards. Click Create board.
Step 4: Name your new board and keep it secret if you wish.
Step 5: Create.
Step 6: Save.
How to Create a Group Board
Creating a group board is a great way to collaborate with other people and share ideas. You can also use a Pinterest group board to share plans for anything from a holiday or celebration to a business launch.
To create a board for a group to share, all you do is create a board as described above and then invite friends to join. The board becomes a group board, and whoever joins will be part of that Pinterest group.
Alternatively, you can simply invite friends to one of your existing personal boards.
Step 1: Log into your Pinterest account and click your profile photo at the top right of your screen if on a desktop or bottom right if on your cell phone.
Step 2: Click + below the name of your board.
Step 3: Search for your friend by using a first or last name, an email address, or a username.
Step 4: Click Invite. You can also Copy the link and send this to the friends you want to add.
Friends you invite will be notified that they have been invited to join your Pinterest group board.
As the group board owner, you may be able to decide what your collaborators can do and/or limit what they can do. You can also remove collaborators at any time.
How to Make a Featured Board on Pinterest 2024
Also known as the Pinterest Showcase, a Pinterest Featured Board is a great idea for anyone with a business account. It’s also a good way to attract and keep Pinterest followers and attract attention.
If you don’t have a business account, consider opening one. It’s free and has lots of extra features including Pinterest Analytics and is a lot more effective for Pinterest marketing.
Featured boards sit at the top of a Pinterest profile. This is what people will see first when they visit your Pinterest page. Infographics work particularly well on Featured Boards.
If there is more than one featured board, it will rotate automatically. You can use them to introduce your business or advertise what you are doing. There is no doubt that these featured Pinterest boards will add extra value for you and your business.
Step 1: Log into your Pinterest account and click on your profile photo.
Step 2: Click on Edit profile.
Step 3: Scroll down to Featured Boards and check the boards that you want to feature. You can currently add up to five.
Pinterest will make suggestions based on the public boards you have already created. If you decide to add a new public board that you want to feature, be warned that it can take about 24 hours before it shows up. Just be patient.
How to Organize Pinterest Boards 2024
In the good old days when your parents used steel filing cabinets, they would usually organize their papers and other files alphabetically.
You can do exactly the same thing with Pinterest boards, sorting them by board names. You can also sort multiple boards in chronological order, in terms of when you saved them. Or you can choose a custom order that makes sense to you.
Whichever route you choose, you can organize your Pinterest boards automatically. There are, though, differences between desktop and cellphone steps. These are the steps for sorting your Pinterest boards automatically:
Step 1: Log into your Pinterest account.
Step 2: Click your profile picture to open your profile.
Step 3: On your desktop, click Saved to see your boards. On a cellphone, use the search bar to identify how you want to sort your boards. iOS has one extra option that allows you to move boards manually immediately.
When you organize Pinterest boards manually after you’ve opened your Pinterest account and tapped into your profile:
Step 1: Tap the board and hold onto it.
Step 2: Select the up-down arrows and drag and drop your boards to reorder the boards.
Step 3: When you’ve finished, tap Done.
Or you can sort them manually, using the drag-and-drop function.
How to Rearrange Pinterest Boards
Once you have established your Pinterest boards, Pinterest allows you to reorder them however you like. You can rearrange the Pins or various sections of the board.
The best way to do this is to use the manual method of drag-and-drop. After you have logged into your Pinterest account:
Step 1: Click Boards and open the specific board you want to work on.
Step 2: Drag and drop the various sections or Pins to reorder them.
Your changes will be saved automatically.
How to Sort Boards Automatically on Pinterest
We explained how to sort Pinterest boards automatically in the section above, How to Organize Pinterest Boards. But there is an even easier method that lets you sort your boards in one click. You just need to use Chrome as your browser and download an app.
Download the free Chrome extension, Pinterest Sort Premium and you’re all set.
Pinterest Sort lets you arrange your boards:
- Alphabetically using the board names, either from A-Z or Z-A
- By the number of Pinterest pins on the board, either from most to least or least to most
You can also use this Pinterest app to sort boards that you visit on Pinterest. You won’t be rearranging them permanently, just making it easier for you to search or scroll through.
Hide your Pins From Other People
Have you ever wanted to keep something private on Pinterest? With the Pinterest Secret Board, you can now do just that! We mentioned secret boards when we talked about How to Create a Board at the beginning of this article.
This feature allows you to create a board that is completely hidden from the public and is only visible to those who have been invited to view it.
You can share ideas, photos, and other content with your friends and family without worrying about anyone else seeing it.
How to Make a Pinterest Board Private
In general, your personal boards on Pinterest are public boards, unless you choose to make them private.
Making a Pinterest board private is the same as making a new board or an existing regular board a secret board.
Once you have logged into your Pinterest account:
Step 1: Click your profile photo to open your profile.
Step 2: Click the edit icon, a pen, in the bottom, right-hand corner of the board you want to make private.
Step 3: Scroll down and click Keep this board secret. While you’re about it, you can also change the board description if you wish.
Step 4: Click Done.
How to Share a Pinterest Board
You can share a Pinterest board with friends or on a social network.
Sharing via social media is an excellent way to increase awareness, especially if you are using Pinterest for business strategies. You can share a personal or brand board on Facebook, Twitter, or WhatsApp, or you can paste the link to your board on any of these social network platforms.
Whether you are going to share a board with a friend or to a social network, you need to log into Pinterest.
Step 1: Open the board you want to share.
Step 2: Click the three dots next to the board.
Step 3: Click Share.
Step 4: You will have the option to send the board to WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, or an email address. You can also copy the link or choose one of your friends from the list that appears at the bottom of this popup window and click Send.
You can also share boards using Tailwind Community, a tool that will link you to other Pinterest creators with similar interests to yours.
How to Join Group Boards on Pinterest
When people set up group boards, they have the option, as a group board owner, to allow people to request to join groups. Presuming the join group option is available, all you do is:
Step 1: Log into your Pinterest account.
Step 2: Locate the board you want to join. Click or tap it to open it.
Step 3: Click Join below the board name at the top of your screen.
Step 4: If the owner of the board approves your request, you will receive an email and/or a push notification on your computer or cellphone.
And if you are approved, you will immediately be a member of what is potentially a very worthwhile collaborative board.
How to Download Images from Pinterest Board
Downloading images from Pinterest boards is super-easy:
Step 1: Click on the pin you want to save.
Step 2: Click the three dots on the image you are saving.
Step 3: Click Download image. The system will download the image to your downloads folder or gallery.
How to Download Images from Pinterest
You can also download a pin image from the home feed of a Pinterest user. The process is basically the same. It’s just the starting point that is different.
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to download videos from Pinterest boards or home feeds … yet.
On Desktop
The process you follow to download a pin from Pinterest is the same as that detailed in the three steps above.
On Android
The three dots mentioned in Step 2 above will be at the top right of your screen, but also on the image. Apart from that, the process is the same.
On iOS
The process for downloading images on an android or iOS cellphone is the same.
How to Merge Boards on Pinterest
Sometimes Pinterest boards don’t grow the way we intended and there are so few pins on a board it makes sense to merge it with another board.
Step 1: Open the board by clicking on the board title.
Step 2: Click the ellipsis icon (three dots) next to the board name.
Step 3: Choose Merge.
Step 4: You will see a directional icon (rather like a wide V shape) next to Pick the board. Choose the board you want to merge your original board with.
Step 5: Click Move Pins and Delete Board.
An even easier method is to drag and drop one board into the center of the second Pinterest board. A window will pop up warning you that you’re about to move all the pins from one board to the other. Click Move Pins and Delete Board.
How to Search for Boards
Whether you are simply exploring other people’s Pins or looking for Pins to add to repin to your Pinterest boards, it is a quick and easy process to search for boards.
However, Pinterest no longer allows users to search for boards using their cell phones. This option is only available on desktop computers.
Step 1: Once you’ve logged into Pinterest, enter a topic in the search bar on your Home screen. Press enter on your keyboard.
Step 2: A dropdown menu will give you a selection of more specific board topics. Click the one that appeals to you.
Step 3: You can choose to follow the board title by clicking Follow or you can click on individual Pins and Save.
How to Embed Pinterest Pins and Boards on Your Website
If you have a business account with Pinterest you can create Pins and boards that link back to your website. This is a great way to improve your marketing efforts or even increase your followers if you are a blogger.
The simplest way to embed Pins and boards is to copy and paste the URL into a blog post or page content (if you don’t have a blog). You can also get an embed code from Pinterest.
Step 1: Click on the board where your chosen Pin is located.
Step 2: Click on the name of the Pin.
Step 3: The image will open in a new window on that page. Click the three dots below the image and choose to Get Pin embed code from the dropdown menu.
If you have a promoted Pin or a Rich Pin that automatically includes supporting information about your blog or content, these are ideal for embedding.
How to Print Boards from Pinterest
You can print your boards from Pinterest on a PC or a Mac, using any Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. The steps are similar but differ a little, depending on the combination of computer and browser you are using.
Here are several examples for PC and Mac. The first step will always be to open the board you want to print.
On PC
Step 1: In Windows, using Chrome or Firefox, click on the white space on your page. A file and folder will save to your desktop. Keep the folder and delete the file.
Step 2: Open the folder and delete any files that aren’t jpg images. You can also delete your Pinterest profile image unless you want to use it for branding purposes.
Step 3: Select all the jpg files, right-click, and select Print.
Step 4: There will be several possible layout options. If you choose to print them all on one sheet, the file names will be included, which isn’t a good idea. A good option is 9 Pins per page.
Step 5: Select Fit Picture to Frame.
Step 6: Print or Save as PDF.
On Mac
Step 1: In Chrome, click File ➛ Save Page As. Keep the folder that saves to your desktop and delete the file.
Step 2: Follow Step 2, above.
Step 3: Select and double-click all the remaining images. They should open in Preview.
Step 4: Go to View ➛ Contact Sheet.
Step 5: Organize the images as you wish, by dragging them across the screen.
Step 6: Go to File ➛ Print and select Scale to Fit.
Step 7: Switch Preview to Layout.
Step 8: Where it says, Pages per Sheet, select the number of Pins you want to show on each page. If you have 16 or fewer images, you can fit them on one page. Selecting a smaller number will give you larger images.
Step 9: Print or Save as PDF.
Safari doesn’t allow you to save all the images at once, so you will have to right-click each Pin and save it to your computer. All the other steps are the same.
How to Backup Pinterest Boards
The simplest way to back up Pinterest boards is to download them and save them as PDFs as described in the section above.
Pinterest also promotes a third-party app, Pin4Ever Nook. You can save free backups for a week. Thereafter you will need a paid plan.
How to Delete a Pinterest Board
To delete Pinterest boards, you need to be logged in.
Step 1: Click on the board, then on the ellipsis icon.
Step 2: Select Edit board.
Step 3: Click Delete and then Delete forever to confirm.
How to Recover Deleted Pinterest Board
You can try restoring your deleted Pinterest boards from a backup or multiple accounts. But the best solution seems to be to find the email Pinterest sent you informing you that your board was deleted. Click the Restore button to recover the deleted board.
Pinterest Boards Ideas
Your interests will probably determine your Pinterest Board ideas. If you are using Pinterest for business or to increase your blog traffic, your business or the blog topics you write about will be your inspiration.
Pinterest Boards to Follow Ideas
It’s a good idea to follow influencers on Pinterest. An influencer is somebody with authority, insight, or specialized knowledge in a certain field. So, you’ll need to find influencers with knowledge and influence in your particular industry or niche.
The top 10 Pinterest influencers, which have between 6 and 12.7 million followers each, are:
- Joy Cho of Oh Joy, has 12.7 million subscribers and 2.8 million views every month. She has 77 boards, the most popular of which relate to hair, recipes, the home, babies, and marketing.
- Maryann Rizzo, is an interior designer with 9 million followers. She has 168 boards that also include architecture, gardening, and landscaping.
- Bekka Palmer of Mamas Uncut is a textile artist and photographer from Brooklyn who has 8.5 followers. She has 63 boards, the most popular being Things to Make.
- Poppytalk, founded by Jan Halvarson and Earl Einarson, has 8.1 million followers and 133 boards. They use this Pinterest account to publicize their Poppytalk blog, which has a wide interest spectrum including entertaining, DIY, kitchens, fashion, and jewelry.
- Jane Wang has 7.8 million followers and 98 boards. Her top board is Delicious and food-focused, but others relate to nature and the environment, including the Arctic and urban jungles.
- Bonnie Tsang describes herself as the visual and artist mom of two girls. With 7.1 million followers and 26 boards, she was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 30 Pinterest Curators to Follow. Her main focus is fashion, design, and food.
- Evelyn, who says she loves family, traveling, reading, and finding joy every day, has 6.8 million followers and 185 boards.
- Molly Pickering, by Molly Pickering of Texas, has 6.8 million followers and an eclectic range of 17 boards. The board, Angels on Earth has the greatest following.
- pejper, by Anna K., is a Swedish lifestyle blog with a strong presence on Pinterest. Lovely Living, Green Living – Garden, and Christmas – Modern, are the most popular boards.
- HonestyWTF is curated by Erica Chan Coffman who has a background in jewelry design. HonestlyWTF links to her lifestyle blog that covers DIY, jewelry, fashion, beauty, interior design, art, and travel. She has 96 Pinterest boards and 6 million followers.
Pinterest Board Names Ideas
When you create Pinterest boards, it makes sense to stick to one topic per board. If it’s a personal board, the topic can be quite broad, like cats or dogs, plants, jokes, recipes, or whatever it is you want to pin.
If it’s a business board, it’s usually better to use a more specific board for each element of your business. So, if you offer digital design services, you can create separate boards for menus, brochures, ebooks, and catalogs.
Focusing on one topic also makes it easier to come up with name ideas.
Of course, you can also search the Internet for ideas. If it’s a business board, be sure to bear SEO in mind when you name it.
Pinterest Categories
Currently, the top 10 Pinterest categories include:
- Home decor
- Art and crafts
- Travel and leisure
- Health and wellness
- Beauty
- Photography
- DIY, including home renovation
- Design
- Technology
- Quotes, especially motivational quotes
- Food and drink
- Humor
You can see that the leading Pinterest influencers focus on these niches.
You might be interested to check those related posts as well:
- How to Write Perfect Pinterest Descriptions [2024 Guide]
- How to Successfully Post on Pinterest in 2024 [7 Content Types]
- 36 Best Pinterest Strategies 2024 [Learn Digital Marketing]
FAQ
Here are some questions people often ask about Pinterest. The answers will give you some good Pinterest tips.
How do I create a mood board?
Mood boards are visual presentations or collages of images that may also include text. They may cover any topic but are especially popular in the various design and fashion fields. They lend themselves to Pinterest, which is such a visual platform.
Create mood boards the same way as any other board, focusing on content.
How do I edit my Pinterest boards?
It stands to reason that you’re going to want to edit your Pinterest boards from time to time. It’s very easy to do. Once you are logged into Pinterest, click on your profile photo at the top of the screen. Then, click on the edit tool (the pen) on the board.
How can I add a photo to a Pinterest board?
We have talked about adding Pins, which are often photos, to Pinterest boards. You can also add a photo to Pinterest boards from your camera roll. Just click the + sign in the bottom, right-hand corner of your Pinterest feed, select Create a Pin, click the arrow icon, and upload the photo from your computer.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Pinterest is a great resource. But it’s up to you to exploit its full potential.
Our 2024 guide on creating and managing Pinterest boards is jam-packed with inspiration and lots of Pinterest tips.
