On the Dot Creations

Mix & Match

Mustache Recycled Crayons from Katie's Crayons / Polka Dot Bow Tie from Sew Fairy Cute

Since yesterday was President's Day here in the U.S., and tomorrow is George Washington's actual birthday, how about some fun products for the guy in your life?

How to Optimize the Traffic You're Getting from Pinterest

Have any of your products, blog photos, or Flickr photos been pinned to Pinterest (by someone other than yourself)? Did you do a happy dance the first time you saw one of your creations pinned to a board?

If you've ever had the excitement of seeing one of your products appear on Pinterest (with appropriate credit and a link to your site, of course), I'm guessing that you'd like to see that happen more often, right?

Stay tuned to find out how to optimize the traffic that Pinterest can bring your brand.

First, let's think about the various ways your images can be pinned to Pinterest:

1. Photos can be pinned from your online shop.
2. Photos can be pinned from your website or blog (yet another reason to maintain a blog for your handmade biz).
3. Photos can be pinned from Flickr.

So, how do you know if one of your images has been pinned to Pinterest?

1. Check the link.
http://pinterest.com/source/yoursite.com/ (replace yoursite.com with the URL of your site) This formula does not appear to work with Etsy shop URLs at this time, but it will work with your own website or blog URL.

For example, here is a screenshot of the page that appears when I enter my blog URL in the place of "your site" above: (http://pinterest.com/source/onthedotcreations.com/)



2. Check your Site Stats
If you use Google Analytics to track your site's stats, follow these steps:
* Log in to your analytics account.
* Click Traffic Sources in the left sidebar.
* Click Sources.
* Click Referrals.

Directly below the graph, you will see links such as Source, Landing Page, and Other. Click Source.

In the case of my On the Dot Creations blog for the past month, Pinterest happens to be the #1 source of traffic to my blog (second only to Google)! That's amazing!



Now, click on the Pinterest link to see the individual pins that lead from Pinterest directly to your site. Each pin has its own unique number. If you're curious what images people have pinned from your website or blog, simply click the little squares with the arrow (see the figure below).




So let's assume that one or more of your images have found their way onto Pinterest. I'll bet your site is getting increased traffic, right? So how can you capitalize on that added interest in your brand?

Here's the bottom line:

You need to optimize the pages that Pinterest users are clicking on.

1. Optimize with a kind welcome.
For example, "If you've found this page via Pinterest, welcome!" This type of welcome would be particularly appropriate if Pinterest is huge traffic source for that particular page or post.

2. Optimize with the Pinterest logo.
I've tried this technique on a couple of my posts that are popular on Pinterest. My reasoning for including the Pinterest logo is that people who click on the page from Pinterest are already Pinterest fans, and they might have a stronger connection with my post/page if they see the logo.



3. Optimize with a link to your Pinterest profile.

4. Optimize with a kind request to follow you on Pinterest.
A person who ends up on your site via Pinterest might be interested in seeing what else you have pinned.

5. If you are a blogger, optimize with links to Pinterest articles you've written.
Again, if a person clicked on your site via Pinterest, he/she might be interested in tips for using the site effectively.

You can see an example of a blog post I've optimized for Pinterest here (scroll to the bottom of the post).

Have you tried optimizing your blog posts for Pinterest? What creative ideas would you suggest?



P.S. Don't forget to check out my tips for giving proper credit to the images you pin on Pinterest: How to be a Polite Pinterest Pinner

A Sweet Treat for Valentine's Day

I'm deviating from my typical polka dotted post today to share a yummy recipe that I made for Valentine's Day. And hey -- those M&Ms look a little like polka dots, right? :)

I cannot take credit for this recipe. I found it on Pinterest. Here is the original post (including the recipe).

First, I had to locate these Valentine's Day M&Ms. That was no small feat just a few days before Valentine's Day, I can assure you. I'm SO glad I found them, though. Aren't they pretty? Almost too pretty to eat . . . almost. ;)

The recipe was very easy to make, and the results were SO tasty! I highly recommend this recipe! And of course, it would be pretty with just about any color of M&Ms!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! What sweet treats did you enjoy?



P.S. If you'd like to see the ribbon dish from the top of this post in all its polka dotted glory, check out this post: I Found Polka Dots at Marshalls.

A Love-ly Day

Whether you love Valentine's Day or despise it . . .

Whether you spend this day with the one you love or by yourself . . .


Whether you splurge on candy or stick to your diet . . .


May you encounter at least one thing today that brings a smile to your face. 

Happy Valentine's Day, my friends.



P.S. The fabulous wooden pill and powder boxes in this post can be found in the darling MMIM Etsy shop. 

Mix & Match

Heart Earrings from ModCloth / Polka Dot Clutch from FA2u Designs

Such fun accessories for a night out with the one you love!

How to be a Polite Pinterest Pinner

So you're addicted to using Pinterest, are you? Isn't it fun? The site has made it so easy to find inspiration!

Since Pinterest is a relatively new site, many users are still learning its best practices and how to be effective there. One of these best practices is Pinterest courtesy. We should always strive to be courteous on any social networking site that we use. Are you a polite Pinterest pinner? Stay tuned for some quick tips.

photo from The Purl Bee

1. Polite Pinterest users pin photos from the original POST where the photo appeared.

For example, if I spot some fabulous polka dotted pillows on the Design Sponge blog and want to pin them to my weekly polka dot board, I need to find the permalink of that blog post and pin the image from that permalink.

In the polka dot pillows example, I found that post on page 2 of the Design Sponge blog. Notice the URL in the browser bar below. That URL is not the permalink of the polka dot pillows post.


HERE is the permalink for that post. It includes the date of the post (month and year) and the name of that particular post.


If you spot a pinnable image while browsing your favorite websites or blogs, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the permalink of that particular post.
2. Use the handy Pinterest bookmarklet to select the image that you want to pin.
3. Write a short description of the pin. See tip #2 below.

What happens if you don't pin images from the permalink where they first appeared?

The pin will still be "attached" to the site where it appeared, but if you pin from the main domain of the site, anyone who clicks on the pin to find out more about that image will end up on the main page of that site. If a person arrives on the site days, weeks, or months later, the post with that image will be buried, and they might never find the image!

By the way, this rule goes for re-pins, too. If you see an image that you'd like to re-pin to one of your boards, check to see if the image links back to the original permalink. If it doesn't, try to find the permalink and create a new pin.

Be kind. Pin from the permalink.

2. Polite Pinterest users write a short, meaningful description of the image.

I must admit that when I first started using Pinterest, I wrote shallow descriptions like "I love this!" or "Yummy!" Now that I've used the site a bit more, I've started to put more thought into my pin descriptions.

Take a peek at this pin description (not mine), for example:

This wording includes great keywords and makes me feel like I can actually create eggs like these myself.

Here are some tips for writing pin descriptions:
* Tell why the image is meaningful to you.
* Remember that other Pinterest users can view your description. Is it helpful? Appropriate?
* Mention the source (blog name) if you wish.

If time permits (and especially if you'd like the image to be re-pinned by others), write the description in elevator pitch style.

By the way, have you ever wondered if it's okay to keep the description of the original pinner when re-pinning an image? I've never read a hard-and-fast rule about this. In my opinion, if the original description matches your thoughts about the pin, keep it! If you want/need to tweak it to suit your taste, feel free!

3. Polite Pinterest users do not copy wording from the image source's website and paste it into the pin description.

Plagiarism is never okay. Enough said.

4. Polite Pinterest users pin their own images sparingly.

According to Pinterest etiquette, "if there is a photo or project you're proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion."

How about this idea? Why not create a Pinterest board of images that coordinate with one of your products? For example, if you sell necklaces, you could pin clothing, patterns, and accessories that would pair nicely with your product. You could share a screenshot of the board on your blog or on your Facebook fan page -- alongside a photo of your product. Now that's a fun way to use Pinterest!

............................................................

What other Pinterest etiquette tips would you add to this list? Please share in the comments. 

Mix & Match

Mohair Shawl from Elde / Watercolor Dot Umbrella

So on this Groundhog Day, what'll it be, Punxsutawney Phil? Six more weeks of winter, or is spring right around the corner?

I'm hoping for spring! How about you?