Let’s face it, I’d rather D.I.E then D.I.Y. I’ve never met a craft I liked, my kid’s birthday parties look like kid’s birthday parties – not toddlers and tiaras and if I tried to make my own jewelry I’m pretty sure someone would get stabbed. I don’t think I own glue let alone a glue gun and I dare you to find one shred of craft paper or supply in my entire house. I can run until the cows come home (and where I live, this is a literal statement) but if you give me glue, scissors and paper I will make less then nothing from it.
My SIL (sister-in-law) on the other hand? She’s what I call “PINterested.” Her whole life is a D.I.Y project and she’s freakin amazing at it. She lives in a restored 1800s farm house that looks like Shabby Chic and Martha Stewart just moved out and left all their shit there. She can whip up a centerpiece at a moment’s notice, make an extremely thoughtful hostess gift or coordinate the most unique and incredible children’s party all within a ridiculous budget. Bitch. It’s a good thing we have two other things in common – wine and running.
This is the LIFE SIZE Candy Land game she made for her daughter’s birthday. The kids actually got to be a game piece and picked up treats along the way! That’s the peppermint forrest in the background.
The kid-size table made to look like the game board, where they were served peanut butter sandwiches from Grandma Nut’s house, cut in the shape of peanuts…and strawberry milk with colored straws. WTH?
Lollipop forrest of course. Doesn’t everyone know how to fashion these from PVC pipe, balloons and saran wrap?
The cakes displayed along side the barn with a candy station. I mean, really? If this is what happens on Pinterest I give up already.
So, back to me. A year ago I didn’t have a blog, twitter, Instagram, Google +, YouTube or “active” FB account. How did I survive? Today, I have all those things and it takes Hoot Suite, my phone, laptop, naps, wine a technological village for me to try and keep up, although I do enjoy it. Between my SAHM duties, training, racing, teaching fitness classes and keeping up with the Kardashians twins, I can barely hold it together. Do I really want to venture into the unknown world of Pinterest too?
But then, a strange thing happened. I started getting comments on my workout videos like “Hey you should pin this. I bet you would get a bunch of traffic,” or “There’s a whole board dedicated to running shoes, racing, fitness trends, etc. on Pinterest,” and now I’m intrigued. Plus, it’s yet another way to connect with all my social networking friends, not to mention all the Pinterest Nightmares the Dose Girls are always finding…wait, maybe that’s a reason not to join. See how hard this is?
So, my call to the masses is:
1. What’s YOUR biggest PRO about being on Pinterest?
2. Biggest CON?
3. Is it a he pain to keep updated & “pinning?” Be honest!
4. If you could get rid of ONE social media outlet (twitter, FB, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.) which would it be?
And, if I decide to do it, do I need to be invited? I had heard (but this could have been years ago!) that you need an invite to join. If it’s like a secret handshake of the crafty and I need to make, build or decorate something then I’m OUT!
HELP!
I’m so glad you wrote this! Now I can read all the comments & save myself the time & effort of figuring Pinterest out on my own. I have absolutely no interest when it comes to Pinterest, and I think another social media platform might just kill me! I already waste enough time on Twitter…shhhh, don’t tell my boss. Or husband. And like you, I couldn’t make a decent craft to save my life. Hell, I only found out in my late teens that I’d been holding scissors wrong my whole life! Thanks Mom & half-day Kindergarten!
There’s a “right” way to hold succors?? Oh boy. I knew you would love this since you just jumped on Twitter – and have already mastered it BTW!! I really never thought twice about joining until those pesky comments about growing by blog following!! Sweet talkers.
I’ll let you know how it goes… 🙂
You should join for the reasons you mentioned. I get so much traffic from there and all I do is pin my post…when I think about it. I also pin post I want to reference from you all so I can get to them easily. Now I don’t scroll my TL, there just isn’t enough time in the day for it, but it’s worth joining.
I can do without twitter. It’s pointless to me. Just a butt load of brands following and following back. I guess there’s the engaging, but who has time for that???
‘Aint nobody got time for that Joi!! I know what you mean…
Now you’ve given me the ultimate reason to join!!! Pinning posts and not scrolling my feed? Music to my ears!
Me to, I actually hate twitter but only use it to build relationships and keep up with social media, and pinterest…I never got any traffic from it. Maybe doing something wrong lol
I like Twitter but I could do without FB. I’m out there to just “keep up with social media” like you said. It’s dumb but it’s how we play the game, right?
You would really enjoy it because It’s organization at it’s best- right up your alley. It enables you to organize the things that interest you in nicely kept ‘boards’. I have boards for crafts (you know how much I love them), Home decor, recipes, holidays, fitness, motivation, etc. Your page- your boards. No DIY or crafting necessary!
You know the way to my heart Allsion – organization!!! Oh boy, the “pros” are piling up!
You already know that fb and I are on the outs!!!
Join! It’s easy the traffic benefits are awesome. I pin at night before I got to bed sure there are plenty DIY stuff but I never ever do any of them the world of Pinterest is so much bigger! It’s a good resource for exercises tips and tricks, it’s a playground for healthy folks. Lots of stuff for the twins too!!
ooooo twin stuff too? This is getting better and better! Thanks Nellie 🙂
Dude, Pinterest is my love! JOIN NOW!
One of my bloggy friendsis still getting really good traffic from a couple of running posts she wrote and Pinned. Blog traffic aside, it’s just so much fun. I love love love it.
I am really pissed at Facebook. It’s so hard to get noticed there these days. Ugh.
If you love it so much, it’s pretty much a done deal for me since we’re almost the same person! HA!!
FB is definitely sucking these days which may be why I’m looking for an “out!” Thanks so much Alison.
I am on Pinterest but I don’t actively post stuff on there. I am still trying to work out a routine will all of the social media outlets I use for my blog, and work full time, and take care of the family. My head still spins when I stop to think about it all. I know its a good way to get traffic but I haven’t really utilized yet.
Yes – all of that!! I don’t want to join unless I’m ready to actively commit. I already have a Goggle + that I’m not utilizing to it’s fullest. Thanks Kris – you make very good points!
The pinning is SO EASY Allie!! As you were so kind to mention, you know that we are fans! 😉 Seriously, it is a great source of traffic and time suckage! 😉 And can we just talk for a minute about your sister-in-law and that birthday party??!! WOW!!! I am BLOWN AWAY by her amazing creativity! :)-Ashley
She is really something else! Birthday parties are the least of what she does and I’m always after her to start her own business.
The time suckage is something I’m worried about too!! I know you guys are big fans, and I could find amazing things like bikini jeans – oh so many pros? Cons? AHHHHHH!!!
Your post made me giggle – I’m a huge fan of Pinterest, not just for the projects, but for the recipes – oh so many fabulous ones! And for my own blog (www.jugglingactmama.com), I find that Pinterest sends more traffic my way then any other social media site (actually, more than all of them combined!!)
Good luck however you decide!
ang
OMG seriously? I had forgotten about the recipes too!!…how could I?
Thanks so much. I’ll definitely be checking out your blog…and perhaps your Pinterest boards too!
1. What’s YOUR biggest PRO about being on Pinterest?
Recipes and making a board of a “wish list” so my husband knows exactly what things I want.
2. Biggest CON?
It can be a time waster if you keep pinning crap you are honestly NEVER going to do.
3. Is it a he pain to keep updated & “pinning?” Be honest!
I don’t think so. It can be as much of a time waste as you want but I’m much better able to control it because I control who I follow, which boards I follow. So I’m not going to follow “nails” boards because I don’t paint my nails ever. The biggest pain is when I just delete everything and start over (I’ve done it twice) because I keep pinning crap I’ll NEVER do.
4. If you could get rid of ONE social media outlet (twitter, FB, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.) which would it be?
I just got rid of Facebook a week or two ago. It was a time waster. And most people only post either really crappy stuff (oh I hate so and so because they did this or my life sucks because of this and this) or the best parts (I have the best, well-behaved children who make me breakfast in bed). Seriously? So it makes us as women more likely to compare our lives to theirs – either giving us pride or deflating our self-esteem. Neither is good. My dad was always on the computer when I was growing up and I remember him being there but absent and it’s really affected me growing up. I don’t want that for my children.
So many good points!..especially about FB. Thank you for taking the time to answer each one honestly, I definitely appreciate it.
You have to get on Pinterest — if only to see my boards (okay, that was shameless…) But most of my stuff isn’t DIY, just inspirational. I love Pinterest because it is quick and easy and you can search anything you want and see great ideas. I don’t mind updating my pins, although I may not be as diligent as I could. I don’t do Instagram, so I guess I would pass on that one. I don’t think you need an invite anymore….
I love a shameless plug!! You go! Thanks for answering the invite question too. I’ll be looking for you there…
So with you on DIE before DIY! I have a Pinterest account and have never used it. I have decided that I can’t afford one more time suck in my life, even if it would benefit my blog and social media presence. I see lots of people using it really effectively and sometimes I get a little wistful that I’m not on it, but then I come to my senses. For me, no to Pinterest right now! Let us know what you do.
This is exactly what I’m thinking! I wanted to put it out here because I’m pretty clueless as to all the ways I could use it but the *real* question is WILL I use it? I’ll keep you posted… 🙂
Allie you never cease to make me laugh! That Candy Land themed party is crazy! WTH is right!? 🙂
I like Pinterest. I am not a crafty person at all but I love looking at recipes, house decor ideas and fashion stuff on pinterest. I actually find my fashion board most useful because it gives me ideas on how I can wear pieces I already have to kind of (sort of) look like the photo! Oh and I love drooling over travel photos. I am just a visual person so I love looking at pictures. I do notice some traffic from Pinterest and a few of my pins have been popular. I don’t spend that much time on it and I don’t feel like I *have* to update it all the time like I do with other forms of social media.
I would do away with FB. I hate FB. Actually Nellie recently posted about it and I went off on a rant in her comments because it is so self-serving to their own needs and I am so tired of sponsored crap. I only keep it because I need the stats for brands and personally so I can keep up with my friends that don’t live close by.
I love Instagram because it’s fun and easy!
I agree with SO much of this Britt! Thank you. You are such a fashion maven and ALWAYS look amazing in your photos that I would join just to see what you’re wearing. Seriously. I’m also a very visual person which is why I could see myself on there for hours!!
I love Pinterest! I can find inspiration in all sorts of things (and don’t worry – my kids’ parties look like kids’ parties too. But Pinterest is not just for the crafter! No no no! I’ve actually pinned a post or two from your blog. I have a Fitness Board, and a Blog Post Board. Plus, I find amazing motivational quotes there too. =0)
Biggest con…I could spend WAY too much time just surfing Pinterest.
It’s not a pain to keep updated and pinning. All I do is click the pin it button when I find something I like and BAM – it’s done. No hassle. And I know where to find it when I want to go back to it later.
If I could get rid of one social media page, it might just be my facebook. So far, fb is the most difficult for me. Probably because I was never a user before my fan page was created, so I’m not at all “used to” it. I like twitter and pinterest better.
And no, you don’t need an invite anymore. So when you do join, let me know, and I’ll follow you!
First off THANK YOU for pinning some of my stuff. I guess I’m technically already on Pinterest…I may as well go all the way! I completely agree about FB. They are making it more difficult each day for bloggers and it’s not very smart. I will absolutely let you know if I join because I want to see ALL your boards!! Thanks again.
I don’t know how it works now but you used to have to be invited. Let me know if you haven’t already received 100 from all of your friends/commenters!
If I had to give up a social media outlet, I often think Instagram which makes NO sense because it’s a great way to advertise photography, and I’m a photographer! On the other hand, it’s not often good quality photography and if you “cheat” and put real camera photos in there instead of phone ones, people complain.
You can’t win.
Honestly I think each social media outlet has its own advantages and disadvantages and they each are puzzle pieces to the greater advertising/connecting outreach.
That said, Pinterest does rock! I’m the least crafty person alive. I barely cook and clean. There is something for everyone, though. Great recipes my husband can make..and lots of photography ideas for me.
I’m laughing about you not being a big fan of Instagram!…but I totally get it.
I don’t think I need an invite anymore but I love that you offered. Maybe I’ll see you out there… 🙂
Thanks Tamara!
You know what I am going to say! YES DO IT! Pinterest is that awesome place where you can put all the things you would have cut out of a magazine and stored in a file before but there is no file and no paper! You don’t have to be “crafty” and of course you could enter TrailHeads Pinterest contest. Shameless plug for one of my favorite companies! Pinterest is actually my biggest source of traffic these days!
You are like the 10th person to say they are the biggest traffic push. That should really settle it for me! I, of course, know how you love it and obviously we need yet another way to connect with TrailHeads so…
I like pinning things but have never actually made anything from it- maybe a couple recipes.
One of the top reasons I’ve heard is about all the recipes! I think I’m possibly the last person on the planet not already on it. Geez! Thanks Kate 🙂
There are a billion boards dedicated to fitness on Pinterest. You could never pin a DIY or recipe ever, and still be all up on that shit. I’ve pinned a few workouts and have gotten a ton of traffic from it. So, I say do it!
I like what you’re saying Sara!!! And if you’re there then… 🙂
Get on Pinterest!!! It is by far my biggest traffic source. Most of my boards are fitness related. I break everything out by body part or type (Pilates, Cross fit, etc). I also have a lot of food boards.
I’d ditch FB in a minute if I thought I wouldn’t look like a blogging weirdo. I get more comments on Instagram and Pinterest.
You always give great blogging advice so I’m inclined to do as you say Carla! I agree 100% about FB. Thank you. This may have just pushed me over the edge.
I love Pinterest!!! I get recipes and workouts from there all the time!! And drink recipes!!!
I pin workouts and recipes from blogs I read almost every day.
DIY – no thank you!!!
I like the fact that you don’t have to “visit” you pinterest board every day to stay on top of things!!!
Other than posting my blog to FB, I fail at FB, twitter and instagram!!!
You had me at drink recipes! Thanks Kim 🙂
Pinterest is like everything else, what you get out of it depends on how much you put in. But honestly, it’s simple and I do get a lot of traffic from there. I say, like a new pair of running shoes, try it on for size. If it fits keep it and if not you haven’t lost anything for trying.
You’re speaking in analogies I can now understand 🙂 Thanks Karen.
Pinterest will consume parts of your life, but it can be A LOT of fun.
My biggest pro is that I use it to meal plan and organize recipes. It’s also a great place to “store” ideas for future projects, like for when I have kids later.
Biggest con is that there’s a lot of “crap” to sort through. Lots of people pin from Google searches, or from pictures that they’ve uploaded. So if I find a great recipe, but there’s no link back to the original post, I’ll have to muddle it through myself.
I don’t think you have to be invited anymore, but if you do, you can ask anyone on the internet for an invite.
If I could nix one social media service, it would be Google Plus. Just not a fan of the interface, look, etc…
This is exactly what I was looking for in terms of break-it-down advice. Thank you!! I agree about Google +. I barely use it!
The best advice I ever got about social media and blogging is to pick the three social platforms that suit you and commit to being active on those three. I tried to keep up for a while on Instagram and Pinterest as well as FB, G+ and Tiwtter and it killed me. However, with that said, I have heard that a lot of bloggers get great exposure on Pinterest! It might be worth your investment if you are willing to spend the time. Oh, and like you, I’d rather DIE than DIY! Haha!
That is GREAT advice. I think I need to try it out since I really love Twitter, feel like I’m obligated to FB and only occasionally post to Instagram so there’s an “opening.” Thanks Ilene!
It’s the least annoying and potentially least time consuming. You would probably do well there. I haven’t quite figured out how to get my posts pinned. You seem to need a tribe of pinners to get your stuff pimped out. Definitely the best place for food and craft bloggers. I could take it or leave it. G+ makes no sense to me. Those are my two cents.
Thanks Tara! I agree about Google+ for sure. I can’t seem to figure it out…in the 2 minutes I spend on it weekly 🙂
Wow, just wow! Really wish I was that crafty, DIY is totally out of my league as well. 😛 A year ago, I was rarely on social media and now I’m a teeny bit obsessed with twitter and instagram. I am on the other ones as well but I barely use them. Guess it all comes down to preference and how much time you’re willing to put into social media.
I know, right?
Yes, you’re correct about time management. I guess the only way for me to find out is to just do it! Thanks.
Pinterest makes me want to pin my head to the wall.
TOO MUCH SOCIAL MEDIAAAAA MAKES GIGI A CRAZY LOONEY BIN! Oh wait, kinda sorta maybe have always kind sorta been? I dunno, gotta ask the peeps in my life who knew me before I knew what the internet was!
Is it possible to find those people? Haven’t you shunned them if they aren’t equally obsessed? HA HA HAHA!!! Save me a seat in the looney bin please.
I felt the same way about Pinterest and even Instagram. Trust me not very crafty here, but I do bake sometimes and try new meal ideas, so I found a niche for that I suppose So, I slowly got involved in Pinterest on that guise, but then I found other areas to pin for and it just got bigger and bigger and now I literally pin everything to its own category and tag daily. As for Instagram, I guess I am a work in progress still on this, but I will hopefully get there, too. Trust me, once you start Pinterest, you will get hooked and if you need any help, you can always ask 🙂
Thanks Janine! This seems to be the general consensus. Now I just need to carve out some time to get set up out there!
I love PINTEREST but mainly I think I like it because I like to look at other people’s pins. If you are a crafter, you need to be on it, but I don’t do crafts so I am never sure. I do think I get traffic from it but I am not sure I am doing it right. How can you tell if your traffic comes from PINTEREST ? I have heard the Pick 3 for social media too, and so I do Twitter, Google + and Facebook. I would like to do Instagram consistently but right now it’s hit or miss. Do you use Instagram?
I have A jetpack with wordpress that gives me my analytics so I can see where my traffic is coming from – FB, Twitter, Bloglovin, etc. I’m on Instagram but I feel like I don’t have to invest too much time in it, plus I can tweet whatever I post there so it’s kind of killing two birds, you know?
I’m thinking of beating my kids with a stick so I’ll have to check out your latest post!! 🙂
Like you, I’m so NOT a DIY-er. I never do crafts or want to do crafts. Just not my thing, but I LOVE Pinterest. It’s definitely my go-to source to find new workouts to do or recipes to try. And maybe other kinds of dreams. 🙂 It can be a time suck, but not really any more than any other social media outlet, in my opinion. If you join, please look me up. I’m pretty sure there is no longer a need for an invitation. 🙂
Perfect! That’s exactly what I’m looking for (minus the time suck!) and I will definitely look you up. Thank you!!
I’m soooo behind on the social media tip. I don’t have an instagram account, but I do have pinterest. I mostly pin posts I like, plus my own posts and I occasionally get good ideas for teacher’s gift, kids decor and other things. I’m not on it nearly enough because I just don’t have time.
If I had to oust a SM…it would have to be instagram… but I might be joining soon, so then my next pick would be twitter. Good luck. Looking forward to pinning your posts 🙂
Thanks so much Hope! I will definitely look you up if I join. Likewise, if you take the plunge into Instagram I will absolutely follow you. I feel like there’s a lot less “pressure” on Instagram and I only go on (usually) once at the end of the day unless I’m doing something REALLY pic worthy!
I’m not a social media person AT ALL. But, on occasion I do pin things. Mainly recipes. And my kids get on there and pin things they want me to make. I find it is so helpful to be able to pin things that I may not need right now – but they are cool enough to get back to. Go for it!!
Ok, honest opinions here. I loved pinterest at first. I used it before I started blogging.
I don’t use it as much now. I agree it is a huge way to waste, I mean spend time. If you are using pinterest in conjunction with your blog, it is very easy to “pin” pins. You can install a Pin it button on your blog so when you hover over a picture on your blog, you automatically have the option to pin it. I have not had much luck getting traffic through Pinterest. In my opinion, I think the recipes and DIY pins get more traffic. Like you, I just became involved in social media this year (blogging, FB, and twitter) I have not ventured into instagram yet because I don’t see the point in it – I may need some convincing!
I love honest opinions so thank you for sharing yours! What you said is the general consensus although some say they get a ton of blogging traffic from it…maybe they more of the DIY sites? Anyway, I will def take it into consideration. As for Instagram – I don’t think of it as hardly anything to do with my blog, I just put pictures out when I feel like it and enjoy looking at others but I don’t put any energy or time into getting followers!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!