{"id":25732,"date":"2013-03-07T00:07:32","date_gmt":"2013-03-06T13:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/?p=25732"},"modified":"2013-03-07T12:12:46","modified_gmt":"2013-03-07T01:12:46","slug":"how-my-old-blog-post-got-half-a-million-pinterest-views-case-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/how-my-old-blog-post-got-half-a-million-pinterest-views-case-study\/","title":{"rendered":"How My Old Blog Post Got Half a Million Pinterest Views [Case Study]"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot of information on the web, including ProBlogger, on how to maximize Pinterest to get traffic to your site. Between tutorials on how to optimize Pinterest<\/a> as part of your social media marketing strategy, Darren\u2019s own experiment on Pinterest<\/a>, how to create Pinterest-worthy graphics<\/a>, and how to run a Pinterest contest<\/a>, there are some great tips out there.<\/p>\n

But I wanted to share my own personal experience on how an old post on ecokaren<\/a> received almost half a million pageviews\u201450% of all-time page views on the post\u2014just from Pinterest. Along the way, I’ll share some tips (and some of my biggest pet peeves) that you can use for better a Pinterest experience.<\/p>\n

\"Crowd\"<\/a>

Image by unknown photographer, licensed under Creative Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

Ecokaren on Pinterest<\/a><\/h2>\n

Now this wildly pinned post from ecokaren<\/a>\u2014which received over 490,000 pageviews and was pinned more than 129,000 times\u2014is about \u2026 how to wash a washing machine.<\/p>\n

Woah, did you read that right? 129,000 pins and 490,000 pageviews?<\/p>\n

Yup. You read that correctly.<\/p>\n

And the post is about washing a washing machine<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Yup. Again, you read that correctly.<\/p>\n

I was shocked too when this old post started receiving crazy traffic without my trying, never mind that it was from a newly un-shrinkwrapped social media site called Pinterest. One person\u2019s pin of the post was repinned over 1400 times and has more than 300 likes. I should buy her a drink! Or maybe send her my homemade laundry detergent.<\/p>\n

Now, the post was not your typical pin-worthy post. It had no huggable furry animals, no wise quotes, no cute babies nor scrumptious gourmet food. Nor did it have trendy ensemble suggestions for a fashionista or bare-chested Ryan Gosling wannabe.<\/p>\n

Instead, it had a few small, individual photos of moldy interior of a washing machine and how it looked after it was washed. Not pretty at all, as you can see here.<\/p>\n

\"clean<\/a><\/p>\n

So how did a boring, three-year old post get pinned so many times, to the point that it now continuously brings traffic from Pinterest? How did I make pinning sexy? (No, sex has nothing to do with it.)<\/p>\n

My top Pinterest tips<\/h2>\n

Here are my unwritten (now written!) rules on pinning and driving traffic to your site.<\/p>\n

1. Be active on Pinterest every day<\/h3>\n

It’s a no-brainer, right? But it\u2019s true. I pin or repin almost every day, even if it\u2019s just one pin. It\u2019s always better to pin original posts than just repin what others are pinning but either way, I\u2019m active on Pinterest daily.<\/p>\n

And when do I pin? The prime time for pinning is between 4 to 11pm US EST. I pin while waiting at the bus stop in the afternoon, waiting for my daughter. But I also pin early in the morning, while my coffee percolates. It’s a perfect way to spend time in the morning.<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t just pin your own stuff<\/h3>\n

The unspoken rule of pinning is similar to StumbledUpon. It\u2019s better to high-five others than yourself. (Did you try high-fiving yourself? Yeah. Doesn\u2019t work well.)<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t want to be bragging about your post or product all the time. If you compliment others by pinning and repining, pretty soon, others will do the same for you. Sure, you can pin your stuff once in a while but it\u2019s always better to pin that of others.<\/p>\n

My general rule of thumb of ratio is 1:6 in pinning my post to those of others. Again, this is not written in stone, but it\u2019s my own unspoken rule. And remember, don’t ever violate Pinterest\u2019s copyright rules when pinning. Just don\u2019t go there.<\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Install a Pinterest button with a counter<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s obvious that you need a Pin it button on your posts. I use the Pin it extension or widget from my bookmark bar. But it\u2019d be easy to have a Pin it button somewhere on your post too. Don\u2019t make readers have to search for it. Make it easy for them.<\/p>\n

To take it one step further, I like icons with counters. I was f-l-o-o-r-e-d when I saw \u201c108k\u201d on my Pin It icon on that washing machine post when its pinning frenzy started. That number will be over 127k by the time you read this. Your posts’ readers will see that number too, and they will be more inclined to pin it, seeing that it\u2019s a wildly popular post.<\/p>\n

Why? Readers feel validated when their views are in line with the popular majority. They want to share that feeling with their followers, and that makes them want to pin.<\/p>\n

4. Engage your pinners and interact<\/h3>\n

Add nicely and thoughtfully constructed personal comments to pins. Not one word comments like \u201cnice\u201d or \u201c<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t allow interactions. A real sentence or two will.<\/p>\n

Also, reply to comments on your posts that have been pinned. I always check the comments people are leaving on posts of mine that have been pinned or repinned. I thank the original pinner and leave replies to other commenters too. Some people are shocked that \u201cecokaren\u201d is “that personal” and actually came to comment. That always cracks me up. I feel like a total celebrity when I read comments like that.<\/p>\n

5. Upload your blog logo<\/h3>\n

Load a generic blog badge or logo on your landing page, so that even if there is no image attached to your post, at least your logo or badge for your blog will be pulled up on Pinterest for people to use.<\/p>\n

I loaded my logo into the sidebar so if there is some reason an image doesn\u2019t load up for visitors to pin, at least they can use the blog\u2019s logo. I see my badge on Pinterest once in a while, alongside comments like \u201cAwesome site!\u201d\u2014and that makes me grin.<\/p>\n

6. Teach people something<\/h3>\n

My all time record-breaking pinned\/repinned post is about washing your front loading washing machine. Yes: a very sexy topic indeed!<\/p>\n

But apparently, people had so much trouble with moldy-smelling front-loading, high-efficiency washing machines that they were pinning and sharing my post for \u201csolving their problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

So even though the post was written three years ago and images are ugly, it finally got the attention it deserves\u2014albeit late\u2014and all because of Pinterest. All because the post taught readers something. It solved a problem.<\/p>\n

How do I know that? I receive emails from housewives weekly, (I don\u2019t mean to stereotype housewives but let\u2019s face it folks, who does the laundry the most often in your house?) thanking me for the post.<\/p>\n

I also created a Welcome page for email subscribers and about 75% of the signees are from the post. And in the comment section, they describe how I solved their front-loading washing machine mystery. I feel their warm hugs daily.<\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/a><\/p>\n

Optimizing your post for Pinterest<\/h2>\n

Here are some clean stats for the post (as of January 21, 2013):<\/p>\n