Understanding Pinterest and Instagram with Jenn Herman

If you’re not already on Instagram, this week’s Manly Pinterest Tips Show guest, Jenn Herman, sure will make you think about changing that.

Jenn, a much sought-after blogger and social media savant, has taken a deep-dive into the Instagram platform so we don’t have to. And what she found should go a long way toward getting you on Instagram, too. Further, because both Instagram and Pinterest are visual platforms, Jenn will outline the way the two platforms are similar, while also highlighting the ways in which the two are distinctive.

Canadian by birth, Jenn now calls San Diego home – she now says that she starts to complain when the temperature falls below 70 degrees. And while her former compatriots in Ottawa, British Columbia, and Alberta could only shake their heads at such a thought, Jenn now is a committed SoCal girl through-and-through.

Jenn’s popular blog, Jenn’s Trends, is where she spreads her social media advice, writing about trends in social media and beyond. Jenn also consults with small business on social media management.

And she’s very good at what she does. The past two years, for instance, Social Media Examiner featured Jenn as a ‘Top 10 Social Media Blog’. She also is a contributor to Neal Schaffer’s Maximize Social Business, Curatti, and The Social Solutions Collective, and was contributor of the week at BizSugar.

While she isn’t illuminating her readers and clients to the intricacies of Instagram and social media, Jenn loves to draw and bake. She also is a huge baseball fan, getting to as many (Padres?) games as possible.

So, whether you’re still in social media’s version of Single A ball, or you’ve finally made it to the big leagues, Jenn Herman will give you plenty to think about when you step into the proverbial batter’s box.

Here is a list of questions we discussed:

1. How did you get started in social media, and Instagram in particular? (1:38)
2. What was it about Instagram that attracted you to it over some of the other social media platforms? (4:23)
3. Why do you think the Instagram platform is so popular with kids and teens? (6:06)
4. Can a business really drive traffic to your site with Instagram? (7:28)
5. Should you a specific Instagram landing page? (10:07)
6. Is there a specific turn rate for Instagram photos? (12:01)
7. Are sponsored posts becoming more frequent on Instagram? Is it for big brands only? (13:51)
8. Why is it important that Instagram has no EdgeRank algorithm? (15:26)
9. Should small businesses connect their Instagram accounts to their Facebook business pages? (16:47)
10. Do you have some Instagram best practices small businesses? (19:29)
11. What are some places to find industry-specific or popular hash tags? (23:13)
12. Why is Instagram so good for networking? (24:58)
13. Do you think Instagram is the ‘selfie’ platform? (27:58)
14. Will ‘liking’ others’ photos on Instagram help with engagement? If someone follows you, should you follow them back? (29:17)
15. If someone comments on one of your Instagram photo, should you comment back? (31:51)
16. Are there certain types of images that work well on Instagram and Pinterest? (33:41)
17. Do quotes drive traffic? (37:11)
18. Is video important on Instagram? (39:40)
19. Is Instagram a good way to do market research on competitors? (41:36)
20. What advice do you have for guys just starting out on Pinterest? (43:31)

Thanks For Watching And Listening!

I really appreciate you joining me for this week’s episode.  Have questions or comments?  Leave a message in the comment section below!

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If you’d like to learn more about a certain topic or have something you’d like me to talk about during the show, feel free to contact me.

Thanks to Jenn for being such a great guest.  See you for the next episode where we’ll be adding testosterone, one pin at a time!