We’ve all been hearing a lot about the darling social media site known as Pinterest.  Yes ladies, you’ve got one more social networking site to add to your roster, but I promise – this one is different!  Pinterest users have been adding images to their virtual pinboards for inspiration to help plan their big day, collect ideas for their dream home, and to visualize their baby’s nursery and more.  I started my profile just a few weeks ago, and I found it interesting that some of the users pinning wedding or baby related content aren’t even engaged or pregnant yet but they are sharing, using images for future planning and having fun with it!  Pinterest users have become self-proclaimed “Pinaholics” and are obsessed with the Instagram-like search.

Pinterest is social media’s rising star, and it has over 10 million U.S. monthly unique users (as of Feb. 2012) even though it has been an “invitation only” site for the past two years.

Women have been flocking to the site because it is a hotbed for planning and chock full of beauty and inspiration!  You can find everything from wedding details to home decorating tips, fashion at its finest, yummy recipes, vacation and travel photos, or simply some quotes for inspiration.  Chances are that you’ve jumped on the bandwagon months ago or are wondering if you should take the plunge.  I say, go for it!  Here’s a peek at what I’ve “Pinned” and I’ve only just begun.

Pinterest is a young company, but its presence and impact has been felt by just about every brand and retailer nationwide and fast!  The online network lets users “pin” images to boards rather than the old method of bookmarking a single site in a browser list.  On Pinterest you can “bookmarklet” similar photos, websites or useful information into organized collections like a virtual bulletin board or scrap book for all things you love.  You can follow other lists and users, and “repin” specific items onto your boards.  The only downside I’ve found for the bride (or user) is that once your profile is public… all of it is public.  (Why can’t you hide a certain board yet?  Put “hidden board” on your list of updates Pinterest.)  So for now, if you want to hide a certain element of your wedding (like your dress design or style) that can’t be done yet so don’t put those images here.  You’ll need to leave it off of Pinterest and keep it elsewhere in your private online board, binder or similar.

Pinterest describes itself as a way to let you “share all the beautiful things you find on the web”.  When Pinterest founder Ben Silbermann was looking for an engagement ring for his girlfriend, he turned to his own product for inspiration. He found the right one on the list of a jewelry enthusiast, and pinned it to his digital board. He also used Pinterest to help plan the wedding, which is interesting too.  My initial thought (after testing out the site) was that Pinterest is perfect for wedding planning and I would definitely be interacting, sharing and getting inspired now that I figured it out.  I also love it for my dream home inspiration and as a creative and photographer, I love the visual beauty and humor that comes across my computer screen through the pins from people and brands that I follow.  Here are some of my favorite brands to follow for your wedding, home and family inspiration: Real Simple, Style Me Pretty, Etsy, The Perfect Palette, HGTV, Travel Channel, Whole Foods, ModCloth, Emmaline Bride and there are many more.

I wanted to share some simple ways for my clients and friends to get started and to get the most out of their experience.

1. Join and follow along! Here are 7 Tips for Planning a Wedding on Pinterest and email me using the contact form if you would like to join and I’ll set you up with an invite! :-)

2. Be social! When you set up your Pinterest account, you can connect your Twitter and Facebook accounts (if you’d like), along with your personal website. You can choose to share your Pins across the networks, or to embed them onto your wedding website, family or personal blog too!

3. Create boards and “like” some things! When you choose to “Like a Pin”, it will appear in a separate feed from your Boards. You can keep a like list for those random pins that are interesting, make you chuckle, or are drool worthy, but those you wouldn’t necessarily dedicate a whole board to (i.e funny animal photos, a great walk-in closet, gardening ideas, a cocktail recipe for a party, etc.).

4. Find and follow!  Another way to find interesting Pins or Pinners is to use the “Popular” category to discover trending pins.  You can also narrow down the search, by going to the “Everything” category and searching by topic (i.e. weddings, photography or fitness). When you see a pin you like, view that pinner’s other boards, who they follow, and so on.  It might lead you to some great finds!

5. Add pins by site!  Feel free to start pinning to your collection of boards from all of your favorite websites.  These could be bridal fashion sites, planning blogs or inspiration boards, registry sites for home decor, etc.  And if you haven’t already…go to the top of your Pinterest page and click on the “Add +” tab to start using the “Pin It” button while in your browser.

6. Credit the work of those you share!  It’s pretty simple, but it is often forgotten or ignored.  Please respect the livelihood of the artists or those who’s work you are sharing by asking permission for personal use and giving them credit where credit is due (i.e if you are sharing your engagement or wedding photos of any kind, wedding details and decor, whatever the creative project or work of art, please link to a website for credit and if there is ever any question of use just ask the creator first).

If it was your life’s work or research project or design, you’d want the credit too.  It is a matter of common courtesy.  Stealing ideas or works of art, promoting them as your own, or using copyrighted material without permission can leave you with more legal trouble than you ever imagined.  If a site has a “Pin It” button then it is safe to assume that they are happy to share and encourage you to pin their work for personal inspiration.

Now, there is a chance that you won’t be able to pin work from some of your favorite artist or creative sites.  There is a bit of an uproar going on right now in the creative community about copyright issues on Pinterest (see links below for more) and some of these artists or sites have chosen to add code that eliminates your ability to pin so they don’t lose ownership and copyright of their work.  I get it.  I truly do, and I understand their fears.  I fall in the category that agrees with the arguments, but believes that Pinterest (as a company) is going to change their ways and do right by the artistic community soon enough.  They will have to or they will feel the backlash much like Napster did, and no one wants to see that with something so great!  So, I will not be boycotting Pinterest like some want me to, instead I choose to embrace it.  I remember when businesses fought email and having a website initially, photographers fought going digital, others fought Facebook and social media in general, and they will fight this too.

As long as my work is being used in a personal way, for inspiration in planning a special event or similar (and as long my images are not cropped, altered or have the watermarks removed), I am fine with it.  Go ahead, use the “Pin It” button at the bottom of each and every one of my blog posts – you have my approval!  That includes clients from years past.  Search for your event or images on the blog and you’ll be able to pin as well.  Now, if there is an entirely different use for my photographs that is planned for editorial, commercial or other… talk to me.  Shoot me an email.  Kindly ask permission.  And always, always, provide credit.

Most of all, have fun!  Be inspired.  Plan away!  Oh and see that button down there that says “Pin It” in red? Go ahead, do it! You know you want to.  ;-)

PS – Here’s some background below on the photography (and creative community) copyright issues with Pinterest and the uproar surrounding it, if you are so-inclined to read.

Cheers!
Sarah

• http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/29/businessinsiderpinterest-copyright-.DTL
• http://ddkportraits.com/2012/02/why-i-tearfully-deleted-my-pinterest-inspiration-boards/
• http://www.pictage.com/blog/2012/03/01/what-every-photographer-should-know-about-pinterest
• http://www.christianothstudio.com/posts/477-Pinterest-The-Wonderful-World-of-Pinning-and-Infringement-
• http://www.livinglocurto.com/2012/02/letter-bloggers-pinterest/
• http://offthewallsocial.com/2012/02/pinterest-giving-credit-where-credit-is-due/
• http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/24/flickr-pinterest-pin/
• http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/brands-pinterest-breaking-law/233038/