How to Become a Pinterest Ninja: Steps to creating your digital museum

His invitation appeared out of nowhere and caught me off guard. It was exactly what one would expect from a ninja master. And Etienne is one of the best. Etienne received my name from a mutual friend and sent me an invitation to connect. A few days later, I began my journey of Pinterest ninja transformation. Etienne has become my Mr. Miyagi of the Pinterest world.

Etienne–pronounced “A-T-N”–is French for “Steven.” During our real-life coffee shop conversation via Skype–yes, I absolutely had coffee as we spoke–I learned much about my new friend and Pinterest master. Etienne studied social work in college. He has a big heart and is passionate about helping others succeed. In fact, he generously dedicated over an hour of his time to help me unravel the mysteries of Pinterest, even though we had just met.

Etienne also hosts a podcast, where he provides new authors with a platform to talk about their books. I am honored to be joining him in a few days to talk about my book Coffee Shop Inspirations: Simple Strategies for Building Dynamic Leadership and Relationships (You can link to the upcoming interview here: Blog Talk Radio Interview). As a fun side note, I learned that Etienne and I share a love for superheroes–although we disagree on whether Superman or Spiderman is more fun to watch. Finally, Etienne has a strong Pinterest network and a knack for helping writers use this medium to effectively share their message.

Pinterest Insights from a Pinterest Ninja Master

With an estimated 78.2 million users, Pinterest is a powerful platform for authors, bloggers, and everyone with a message to share. While I had always known that I should use Pinterest, I never understood how to make Pinterest work. Then came my introduction to Etienne, and everything changed.

In our initial lesson, I learned the right way to view this social media platform. “Think of Pinterest as your digital museum,” my Sensei said. When people visit your page, they are taking a tour. Each Pinterest board is a different room in your gallery.

“Start by finding pins that strike your interest, and use them to build your museum.” Etienne encouraged me to create a board, especially for my books, and one for new blog posts. By now, I am sure that you realize that I’m starting with the basics. I am a long way from becoming a full-fledged ninja myself. Yet, my training has begun.

Here are my results after only one week:

• I now have a Pinterest museum with an active following.
• A number of my blog posts have been repined, with one reaching an incredible 98 re-pins. I am not sure how or why this happened. Perhaps my Pinterest sensei gave me a boost. Maybe people found this particular article especially meaningful. Either way, this experience provided me a taste of just how influential Pinterest can be.
• Finally, shortly after posting my books, I noticed a spike in sales.

As you can see, Pinterest truly is a powerful social media platform–even for beginners! Although I still consider myself a novice, my journey has begun. For those on the Pinterest journey with me, here are two key takeaways from my session with a Pinterest Master:

Think of Pinterest as your digital museum.

Organize your museum with pins that catch your eye. This will help you connect to a tribe with similar interests. Add a separate board for your blog posts, books, and products. This is vital because others can’t share them if they don’t know they exist–and the best ninjas are always ready to team up with others.

The journey to mastering Pinterest begins with your first pin.

The first step in any endeavor is always the most difficult. Begin your ninja training by creating a Pinterest account (assuming you don’t already have one). Next, update your profile with a current photo and links to your other social media accounts. Then, create your first Pinterest boards. Finally, pin away! Once you’ve accomplished this, your journey to becoming a Pinterest ninja has begun.

Be sure to check back soon for the next steps in your Pinterest training. Oh, and one more thing: You can add me to your Pinterest account. I will follow you back. Let’s grow together!

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