Stars: ★★★★★
Wiley (2012)
Pinterest is the hot new social network. I don’t know anyone who has started using Pinterest who has bad things to say about it. For those who are less tech-savvy, learning a new social network can be hard and no one makes new subjects easier to understand than the Dummies series.
Pinterest for Dummies covers everything you need to know to use Pinterest and a bit more. If you are envisioning the size of an average For Dummies book and thinking oh my gosh I’ll never get through that much info on Pinterest, fear not. This is a smaller for Dummies book at just over 200 pages but it still has everything you need.
Here is what is covered:
- Introduction
- Getting Started on Pinterest (joining, setting up profile, finding time for Pinterest)
- Creating Boards (picking topics, creating/naming boards, rearranging, editing, deleting)
- Pinning and Repinning (ways to pin, creating a new board as you pin, repinning, sharing pins)
- Socializing on Pinterest (finding people to follow, sharing profile link, sharing pins)
- Using Community Features (liking/commenting on pins, customizing pins, tagging pins, hashtags, price tags)
- Finding Ways to Use Pinterest (planning a project, weddings/events, shopping/wish lists, self improvement, as a bookmark site, for business and work, to support a cause(
- Going Mobile with Pinterest (App for iPhone, on iPad and other Tablets, Pinterest Mobile Site, Limitations of Mobile Pinterest)
- Understanding Pinterest Etiquette (pin etiquette, quality pins, avoiding too much self promotion, crediting sources, copyright infringement, spam and reporting pins)
- Controlling Privacy and Other Settings (privacy policy, keeping out of Google search, reducing email from Pinterest, social sharing, changing username, deactivating account)
- Self-Promoting on Pinterest (Finding your site’s pins, writing a post/page that is pin worthy, optimizing images for pinning, installing pin it buttons, finding Pinterest linkups and places to share pins and profiles, adding a follow me on Pinterest button to your site, widgets/plugins, traffic referrals, engaging customers/readers)
- Ten Companies Using Pinterest Effectively (Which companies, their profile urls, what they are doing good and what they could improve upon. Includes The Weather Channel, Etsy, Scholastic, Whole Foods Market and more)
- Ten Power Pinners to Follow (Who they are, what they pin about and why you should follow them.)
As a regular user of Pinterest, I knew how to do pretty much everything in the book already but the last two chapters will be fun to go through and follow those I don’t already and see what they are doing. I will however be lending the book out to my friends and family who I’ve been trying to teach how to use Pinterest. I’ve already recruited my brother, mom, niece and friend full time and have been working on my dad and other friends.
The step by step instructions are all bolded so if you need those instructions, you can easily find them or if you just need the basic info and can figure out the steps yourself, you can easily skip it.
There is only one problem with this book… it’s already outdated. It was just published and yet Pinterest is changing so rapidly that it looks different now and so some of what it shows you is a little bit different. Unless you are completely lost when it comes to computers and the internet though, it’s close enough that you can figure it out. I hope they are planning a reprint soon though. I’m sure this is a common problem with books on internet subjects.
Despite that, it’s highly recommended for the regular user, blogger or business owner who wants to learn how to use Pinterest or use it more than just the basics.
About the Author: Kelby Carr is the founder and CEO of Type-A Parent, a social network and online magazine-style blog founded in 2007 for digital moms and dads, and Type-A Parent Conference, an annual blogging and social media conference in its fourth year that attracts major corporations and hundreds of parents who blog. She was an early adopter of Pinterest, and is active there daily with thousands of followers and hundreds of pins. Find her at http://typeaparent.com, http://kelbycarr.com and @typeaparent
I have one copy of Pinterest for Dummies to giveaway (Open US/CAN till Jun 1)
Enter using the rafflecopter form below. You only have to do the first entry to win but the more you do, the better your chances of winning. Please consider supporting the sponsors at least. It may take a few moments to load. Click on Do It for more instructions and then after you do it, click Enter.
Make sure you read instructions carefully. If you have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.
Giveaway open US/CAN 18+. Giveaway open until June 1, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner’s entries WILL BE verified. Winners will be selected using rafflecopter’s random.org on June 2, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.
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