Note – A previous version of this post appeared on my other blog, Our Misadventures on August 5th, 2015. Since then I’ve decided to separate business from personal blogging and am moving this over to MegBateman.com along with some updates.
Not sure about switching to Buffer for your Pinterest scheduling? Want to see it in action before taking the dive? Or you’re confused on how to use it? This webinar covers my favorite tips and tricks for pinning with buffer!
I decided to host a webinar on pinning with Buffer because there still isn’t much information out there about this “new” tool for Pinterest – and I’ve been using it exclusively since they launched it! Plus, it was getting exhausting explaining everything to everyone individually. Until Buffer became a Pinterest API Partner, I was using a mix of schedulers for different clients – but mostly Ahalogy, the free Pinterest API Scheduler. Even with the new version of Ahalogy, I found it not at all user friendly and too time-consuming. Buffer has speed things up so much that I’m able to coach more people during the time I’ve saved – and my clients are saving money because it doesn’t take me as long to pin! I also started using Buffer to do all my scheduling for Twitter, Facebook, and G+ – saving even more time. I really like saving time 🙂
Click here to watch via the Hangouts event page.
I mentioned a few bugs in the webinar because they’re still happening at random. Yeah, Buffer itself has been around for a long time – but their Pinterest service is still pretty brand new. The development of it was somewhat last-minute (not their fault) – so if you notice a bug, report it! Their customer service people are incredibly nice and they’ll get right on it.
Ready to take the dive?
Sign up for Buffer via my referral link – this gets you some extra space for scheduling! It is my referral link, but I don’t get anything for referring you because I pay for an unlimited account. Ask your friends if they use Buffer and get their referral link, because it’ll get you both some extra space!
Update June 2016
Since this webinar first aired, other scheduling services have come out to say that they’re also API schedulers. Only Buffer, Tailwind, and Ahalogy are API Partners geared towards bloggers and small businesses. Just because a scheduling tool uses the API, that does not mean they are approved by Pinterest. There’s a risk with using other schedulers because they can easily cause your account to get flagged for spam. When that happens, Pinterest doesn’t notify you – all seems to be working as normal, except your pins will not appear in the news feed anymore. Those that this has happened to have reported that Pinterest told them it was because of their use of those other schedulers. Even though their own pinning activity wasn’t spammy, other users of those tools might be, and Pinterest’s efforts to put an end to the spam causes others to get shut down by guilt of association.
Some things have changed on Pinterest’s end to change how things work with Buffer, and Buffer has added new features like their calendar view. Some things have gotten a teeny bit harder, some things have gotten easier – but I still use Buffer to do all my pin scheduling for clients. When I have time I’ll host another webinar to update this one!
That being said, I recommend Ahalogy for bloggers who are trying to get a foothold on Pinterest and still doing their own pinning. Their network seems to be rebounding from lack of active quality users – but it varies by niche, some niches leave a lot to be desired. Their network is setup to encourage repinning between network members, so your participation helps increase the reach of your own pins. You have to apply to join their network, it isn’t open to everyone.
Need more help with Pinterest strategy?
Buffer looked at LOTS of different factors for scheduling pins at their best times and reported it all in this post on their blog. Remember this is an average of a variety of accounts – what works for one person wont work for the other, so adjust for your own following! If you need more personalized Pinterest help, I recommend the Pinning Perfectly class at Blog Clarity (purchasing through that link gives me a small commission) – they work hard to keep it up to date with all the algorithm changes. I also do one-on-one coaching that includes a strategy and tracking guide.
This post is just a recap for those who couldn’t attend my Buffer webinar live or want to watch it again. There’s two ways to watch – via YouTube, or from the event page on Google Hangouts. When you watch via the event page, you also see the Questions & Answers hangouts app – that’s where everyone was submitting their questions during the webinar. I tried to remember to read the questions before answering, but I know for me as a viewer it’s easier to read them myself as I watch.
If you have any questions after watching the recording, feel free to ask them here in the comments of this post – I’m more likely to see your questions here than on the event page. If you want to get notified first for any upcoming free marketing webinars, subscribe to my business tips newsletter. I have some free printables coming out to my newsletter subscribers soon – like a guide to optimizing blog posts for SEO and Social Media.
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