How to build your Pinterest following? This is a question I get asked all of the time! Some of you may know that I have a kinda big following on Pinterest – currently I have 3.6+ million followers (check it out here!!).

Jennifer Fishkind holding a sign
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I often get asked how did I do it? Can I share the secret? Unfortunately many of you aren’t going to like the first part of my “secret” – I got lucky! I was one of the earlier users of Pinterest, I was pinning before pinning was a verb! Let’s just say I was a bit obsessed. The Pinterest gods took notice and highlighted my boards when new people signed on to Pinterest. This gave me my first initial million followers. From that point forward, I took it and ran with it – which brings me to my second part of my secret……

Don’t listen to the “experts” – Pinterest is a very personal thing. It is about YOU and what YOU like – every single Pinterest user is unique – that’s what makes Pinterest AWESOME! Each user is like a fingerprint – no two are the same. You may like my board on dinner recipes – but you may hate my board on fashion – what is wonderful is that you can follow all or one of my boards – just see what you like in your feed!

So here are my Do’s & Don’ts on Pinterest:

DO: Be Authentic!
The best thing you can do to on Pinterest is be authentic – pin things that inspire you, things that speak to you, things that you like! Don’t pin things that you think will just pin well – your audience will know and abandon you.

DON’T: Feel like you must follow a schedule
Many “experts” will tell you to spread your pins out by XX number of minutes or just pin XX number of pins at a time. Pin what YOU like when YOU are inspired. There are times I go on a total shoe tangent. I can’t stop myself…. I MUST pin each one of these beautiful shoes right now. If my followers don’t like it – they will scroll past it in their feed, but if they do….. we can then share our love of that beautiful shoe together – they repin, like or best of all comment on my pin – and for that brief moment we are connected by that shoe pin….. it is a beautiful thing!

Never EVER Purchase followers or repins
Did you even know you could… well you can – but don’t! These are SPAM accounts and will be removed.

DO: Have a good pin? Pin it again!
You may have been told not to do this, but I personally disagree! I have repined items many times over. BUT, what I try to do is repin it at a different time of the day. Remember  we spoke earlier about every Pinterest user is different – they have different habits, a different number of people they are following, different times of day they typically use Pinterest. So you may have people who use it ONLY in the morning, or ONLY on the weekends or ONLY late at night. So you may have pinned a great recipe or DIY idea and only your afternoon Pinners saw it – so pin it again at night or to a different board or on the weekend. People will scroll down their newsfeed and if it didn’t jump out at them one time, it may the next. You don’t know the other things that were on their feed at that particular time that they are looking at it – so don’t be afraid to pin and pin again!!

DO: Comment, Comment & Comment More!!!
I love people who interact…. I want to know what they like and what they hate (as long as they say it nicely). Many times, I will follow back the people who are interacting with me. Which then will benefit you because you will show up in my feed and I may pin something of yours!

DO:  Join group boards
Group boards are a great way to build your Pinterest audience. When someone “follows all boards”, they are following all group boards too! This gives you much more exposure to a larger audience who will then follow you and all of your boards.

DO & DON’T:  Feel like you have to have a million different boards
The majority of my followers are on my “Want… Need…. Love” board. This is the place where I do most of my pinning. Many “experts” will tell you to have lots of different specialty boards – while I have 85 boards – 90% of what I pin is to my Want…Need….Love board (trust me, there is a lot that I want, need AND love! – much to my husbands dismay). I would say have a diverse board which covers all of those things that you love – it could be a recipe, a dress or a project. But, feel free to pin the same pin to that board AND your more specific board!

Remember – if you look at many of the “experts” on Pinterest, their following is probably not much to speak of. There is no magic spell or golden key to build your Pinterest following, you just need to stay true to you, love this amazing tool and the followers will come!

Coming soon – The best Pinterest tools for bloggers (don’t miss an article – subscribe to my site by clicking on this link: Subscribe to Princess Pinky Girl by Email) Be sure to click on the confirmation email that will be sent to you!!

WAIT – did I mention…. Follow me on Pinterest!!!

Jennifer Fishkind holding a sign

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Comments

  1. Pinning again? That explains it! I’ve been questioning my memory every time I’ve scrolled past what must’ve been one of your “pin agains”. Lol 😀 Love your posts&pins!!

  2. Just discovered Pinterest not to long ago … It’s like gaming once you start you can’t Stop. And I don’t gamble. Like you I’am very carefull what I (

  3. I think your advice is sound. It is nice that you are willing to share your insight with others. What I want to know is how do you ever go back to see the 1st 1000 pins on your “Want…Need…Love” board? I am certain your wants, needs and loves have evolved from back at the beginning. My comp bogs down after the 365th pin. Maybe I need new equipment. I do love some of your boards. As you say, we are all individuals. Please keep up the good work.

    1. Hi Suzi – ya know, I have tried to go back, but it always gets stuck and I can’t get back more than a few weeks! Would love to see where I was and where I am now!!

  4. I remember back in the day, waiting with bated breath for my Pinterest invite to arrive in my email!! Just like you, I’m a Pinterest addict (minus the millions of followers °Ü°) and have always worked to keep my boards a personal reflection of me, no matter the current trend. Thanks for the tips!!

  5. THESE TIPS ARE GREAT – AND JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. GROWING MY PINTEREST FOLLOWING IS ON MY LIST AND I’LL BE PUTTING YOUR TIPS INTO PRACTICE. THANKS!

  6. Hi Jennifer, I loved what you have to say! I have read a few different posts on how you should “pin’ to increase followers & I felt uncomfortable with the clinical way of operating. Yours is the first to give the advice to just pin for the ♥ of it & to just go with the lovely flow!! I don’t follow any rules or pin for anyone but myself and am picking up followers quickly despite that technique 🙂 It comes easy when you are addicted to pinterest! Thanks for sharing your viewpoint.

    1. For the LOVE of Pinterest… right Jody. Pin and they shall follow – and if they don’t…. well OK!

  7. How do I pin a picture of something I have to share for others? I know how to repin but I don’t get how to make a pin. Thanks Jennifer.

  8. Jennifer, this was so helpful! I first “discovered” you a couple of years ago when I was pinning boards for my son’s Bar Mitzvah. That was before I started blogging (and under a different Pinterest account), and didn’t know you had a blog. Now I am following all of your boards, and I’m going to follow your blog via email, too. Thanks for sharing what you know! Amy

  9. Thanks so much for this article. Seems I’m doing most things right except that “comment” thing. 🙂

    1. Hi there. Im probably the person who has posted the most comments on this post hahaha but yes another question. I am not understanding this “comment” thing. I read your tip Jennifer to comment as much as possible but i seem to comment and ask questions and no response