Organizing with Pinterest

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Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks today.  It’s a fabulous tool for organizing visual images and the associated website.  Images are “pinned” virtually to self-created boards, limited only by your imagination.  After creating an account, you “pin” your “interests” to your Pinterest boards.  I like to think of it as an online visual storage site where I can gather, organize and share ideas.  The free account comes with a set of starter boards to inspire you.  Jump right in and create your own.  I discover new and interesting ways to use this site everyday. Here are a few ideas:

Blog Posts:

Gather visual ideas to accompany a blog post.  Rather than sight multiple links, each item on your pin-board cites the original source.  Readers can click on the picture as well as the link to the originating site. This creates traffic for other bloggers, as well as your own.  I recently blogged about the plastic bag ban in my community, then linked to my Pinterest Board for a variety of reusable bag ideas.  I included different styles and price points and even a pattern and tutorial for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. I titled the pin board B.Y.O.B. =Bring Your Own Bag.

Sharing Ideas:

If you have an interesting visual you want to share with your community, this is an excellent place to post. I’m helping my sister plan her Halloween costume and together we created a pin-board that allows both of us to post and share ideas such as makeup, wigs, costume pieces for sale on eBay, etc. I’ve created another board for our annual Halloween celebration. The board features decorations, carving ideas, recipes and other fun sites, so that all my ideas are in one place when I plan the party several months from now.

Collaboration:

Certified Professional Organizer ® Allison Carter created a Group Board with over 2,000 followers. Professional organizers post and share organizing ideas. Because you can comment, re-pin, share or simply “like” an idea pinned to group boards, I see potential for multiple collaborations: team-building, university class projects, work-place collaborations or book clubs.

Planning:

Many pinners are planning weddings, parties, graduations and other events using boards. You can gather ideas for invitations, party favors, flowers and food and as well as venues and gift ideas.

The Greenest of Gifts:

I created two or three pin-boards as virtual gifts last year for family and friends. My sister loves the color purple. She also enjoys playing guitar and cats, among other things. I created a pin-board with all of her favorites (in purple of course) and named it PRPL68. She loved it!  No wrapping or shipping required.  The gift is there for her to enjoy for years to come.

A Few Things:

Pinterest requires a Twitter or Facebook account. You can easily share your pins with friends and followers, as well as linking your account to your Facebook Timeline.

“Expressing passion for a hobby is just as easy as browsing for your next purchase. But what’s even more addictive about the site — a collection of collections — is that it’s just as much about the users as it is what they’ve posted.” – Mashable