Pinterest: What it is, how to use it and why you'll be addicted!

GET PINNING!

You've been hearing about it everywhere -- Pinterest -- but what is this crazy new website that has everyone buzzing? The simple answer is that Pinterest is a virtual inspiration board and people who are already "pinning" know that it's far more than that. Let us walk you through the ins and outs of jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon.

Right now, Pintest is the hottest member of the social media family. It’s fresh, new and it’s quickly gaining traction as more than 11 million people are spending time on the site each month. People love the visual nature of the network and it’s incredibly easy for users to get hooked!

What exactly is Pinterest?

You know when you're browsing online and see something you love and don't want to forget? What do you do -- email it to yourself? Print it out and put it in a binder? Bookmark it on your computer? Now there's a simple way to compile all of the great things you find online -- from clothes to DIY home ideas to inspiration for your bathroom remodel -- on Pinterest!

People “pin” images into categories called “boards”. Think of it like an interactive, shareable scrapbook. Like any good social network, you can follow other users, share their content, make comments, and tag users. Similar to a Twitter stream, you get real-time updates of what the people you follow are pinning. You can also easily share your pins on Facebook and Twitter.

How do I get started pinning?

The first thing you'll need to do is get a Pinterest account. You can go to the Pinterest website and request an invite (yes, there's currently a waiting list) or ask a friend who is already on Pinterest to send you an invite. (If you're having trouble, simply send us an e-mail and we'll be happy to send you an invitation!)

Once you're on, the next thing you'll need is the "Pin It" button installed in your browser toolbar. This magic little button is what allows you to pin things online. Installing the button is very easy -- when you're in your Pinterest account, look to the upper right-hand corner and hover above "About," then click on "Pin It Button" and follow the directions to drag the button into your toolbar.

Or instead of using the "Pin It" button, you can also copy and paste links from sites you like, and it will search for photos from that page, which you can then pin. You can also upload photos from your computer.

What am I supposed to pin?

Here's the great thing about Pinterest -- you can pin anything you want! Everyone uses it for different things -- from saving recipes that you want to make to saving articles that you want to reference later to all of the shoes you'd love to add to your closet -- so Pinterest can easily be whatever you want it to be.

As you start pinning, create "Boards" that categorize your pins, making them easy for you to find later. Pinterest suggests some to get you started, but usually you'll want to create your own to fit what you love to pin. It takes a while to get the hang of creating boards -- they need to be the perfect combination of general and specific -- but we promise that the more you pin, the better your boards will become.

Once you've added friends to your Pinterest account -- you follow them as you follow Facebook or Twitter friends -- you will have a customized feed where you can see all of the fantastic things that they're pinning too. See an idea you love? Just hover over that pin in the feed and click on the "Repin" button to add it to one of your boards.

The Pinterest user interface is extremely intuitive — so much so that I think the quickest way to “get it” is to join and from there it’s very self-explanatory.

On Pinterest? Follow Fashion.ie to check out our latest articles, favourite hair and beauty ideas, street style images, style inspirations and everything else fashion realted! We promise you'll be addicted too!

http://pinterest.com/fashionie/