Yes, Pinterest is one of the latest success stories to hit the social media scene, and if you’re like many people out there that think it’s just another site on which single women plan their imaginary weddings, well, you’re half wrong.  Amongst the wedding gowns you’re probably never going to wear and food recipes you’ll probably never try, there are other pins floating around that just might justify using this social media site in the workplace.  That’s right.  You won’t have to swiftly close out of your Pinterest tab when the boss comes walking down your row of cubicles or pretend the site happened to appear whilst searching Google for something relevant to that report due in three days.

Pinterest can be a useful tool in inspiring your professional life, and I’m here to help walk you through it.  Below, you will find several ways to use Pinterest for work so you can surf the social media site guilt-free at the office.

Create Work Inspiration Pinterest Boards

By now, we all know that a “board” is the way you organize your pins by theme or some commonality.  Create a board titled “Work Inspiration” and pin to it things that inspire you to do great work.  Are they quotes from the greats in your field?  Are they really creative designs that you’d one day like to emulate?  Are they websites that are so well organized that you can’t help but want to revisit them from time to time?  Perfect, because by keeping these images of inspiring things all together, easily accessible and constantly in front of you, you will have that constant reminder of how to be better at your work.  Plus you have a link to the full sites at your disposal, which is way better than copying and pasting links into an email draft folder (come on, you know you’ve done that before…).

Build Workplace Organization Pinterest Boards

If your desk looks anything like the floor of the closet in my bedroom, then you will definitely benefit from this next suggestion.  Create a board filled with ways to organize your workspace.  True, there are a select few people out there who truly work better in clutter, but the vast majority of us are much more productive when we have a clean, organized desk and surrounding space.  Find clever ways to store files, hide your computer cords, arrange that junk drawer and more, and keep those ideas in an equally well-organized board on Pinterest.

Pin for Followers

Are you a designer?  A freelancer?  A marketer?  Then chances are you already know the importance social media plays in scoring that next big account.  Pinterest is no different.  In essence, Pinterest is like a big portfolio that you can use to showcase your work to other pinners.  When a pin starts circulating on Pinterest, there’s no telling how far it’ll go—meaning you will have links to your website (and real portfolio) and hits to your website from all over the place.  That only helps with SEO and visibility.  The more you pin great stuff, the more people will follow you, the more people you will get to see your portfolio.  Is there such thing as a win-win-win?  There is now.

Use Pinterest to Network

Network?  On Pinterest?  Yes!  Pinterest is just like Facebook and Twitter in that you can follow pinners you like.  As more and more businesses jump on Pinterest, start following, commenting on, liking and repinning their stuff.  Chances are they will reciprocate, anxious for some interaction.

Pin Work Party Ideas

Ok, so this one might be a stretch, but technically it’s still a work-related task.  If you and your colleagues are tired of just going to the local pub and grabbing drinks after work, create a board for new work party ideas.  Party ideas are relentlessly populating the homepages of Pinterest; all you have to do is repin a couple and you’ll be an office hero.

Post By: Molly Meyer