PINTEREST GUIDE

for GREEN SEAL

by

Kristin McGinnis, MBA

Pint

Background on Pinterest _______________________________________________________ 4

Demographics of Pinterest___________________________________________________________ 4

Benefits of Pinterest ________________________________________________________________ 4

Followers ________________________________________________________________________ 5

Pinterest Basics & Tips _________________________________________________________ 6

Basics ___________________________________________________________________________ 6

Tips on Boards ____________________________________________________________________ 6

Tips on Pinning & Images ____________________________________________________________ 7

Tips on Following & Followers ________________________________________________________ 9

Tips on Liking Images, Repining, & Comments ___________________________________________ 9

Tips on Searches ___________________________________________________________________ 9

Integrating Pinterest with Your Website ________________________________________________ 9

Syncing Pinterest Account with other Social Media Websites ______________________________ 10

Pinterest How-To ____________________________________________________________ 11

Pinning 101 ______________________________________________________________________ 11

Creating Boards __________________________________________________________________ 11

Community Boards ________________________________________________________________ 11

Adding Images to Boards Manually (without use of “Pin It” button) ________________________ 12

Green Seal on Pinterest _______________________________________________________ 13

How Pinterest will Benefit Green Seal ________________________________________________ 14

Green Seal Pinterest Goals __________________________________________________________ 14

Green Seal Pinterest Boards ________________________________________________________ 15

Additional Proposed Boards ________________________________________________________ 21

Green Seal Instructions for Pinning ______________________________________________ 22

Choosing the Best Images to Pin _____________________________________________________ 22

Linking Images to Product Website vs. Green Seal Website _______________________________ 23

Use of Hashtags __________________________________________________________________ 24

Captioning _______________________________________________________________________ 24

Instructions per Board ________________________________________________________ 25

GS Certified Cleaning Products ______________________________________________________ 25

GS Certified Paper Products _________________________________________________________ 25

GS Certified Hotels ________________________________________________________________ 26

GS Community ___________________________________________________________________ 26

Green Manufacturing Processes _____________________________________________________ 27

Green Seal Events _________________________________________________________________ 27

Recommended Next Steps (in order of importance) _________________________________ 28

Pinterest Examples ___________________________________________________________ 28

Examples of Other Non-Profits on Pinterest ____________________________________________ 28

Green Certification Companies on Pinterest ____________________________________________ 29

Inspiring Green Boards on Pinterest __________________________________________________ 29

References _________________________________________________________________ 31

Background on Pinterest

Demographics of Pinterest

Pinterest is now on the top 10 list for social media platforms (Buck , 2012). Most social media platforms

are populated by men ages 18-44 (Kaplan, 2012), however Pinterest reaches a different demographic,

with the predominant user being women ages 25-44 (Haydon, n.d.). Most of these women are product

and market-loving, being the main purchasers for their households.

Pinterest grew 4,000 percent in six months and had over 32 million visitors in November 2012 (Waters,

2012).

Benefits of Pinterest

“Pins” on Pinterest are linked directly to their website source. This can generate a lot of traffic to the

Green Seal website, if the images are pinned from the website. “For example, if you pin an image of a

product from your business’ website onto your Pinterest board and a person clicks on the image, they

will be directed back to your website (huge SEO bonus points),” as Haydon explains (n.d., para. 6).

Pinterest can also be used for creative marketing strategies. For example, Land’s End held a contest and

gave away a $250 gift certificate for the Pinner who created the most unique holiday pinboard.

More benefits from Waters (2011):

Do you have an interesting or compelling story to tell with images? Every cause does, but

believing you do is half the battle. Pinterest is a natural site for museums, historical sites and

cultural institutions. Maybe your nonprofit helps needy kids and you have a pinboard called

"happy moments" to capture all the great things you're doing for and with kids. (Waters, 2012,

para. 10).

Is your cause considered hip, trendy, or do you just want to be? Pinterest users are looking for

cool, trendy and hip things. I think organizations such as Goodwill and Shelter Scotland could pin

fashionable used clothes available in their stores. Conservation International could post images

of the beautiful and endangered frogs they are trying to save. (Waters, 2012, para. 11).

Are you engaged on other social media platforms? Despite my enthusiasm for Pinterest, it's not

a standalone platform. I wouldn't start with it unless I already had an active blog, Facebook and

Twitter. It's win-win. You'll gain traffic from visitors to Pinterest but your social media platforms

can drive traffic to it as well. (Waters, 2012, para. 12).

Are you looking to reap the rewards of local SEO? I've talked about the benefits of your

nonprofit being easily found online. Pinterest can give your SEO a big boost because the links

posted there - every image links to a real web page - are being posted by REAL PEOPLE and not

marketers and spammers trying to game the system. This won't last forever so get busy now!

(Waters, 2012, para. 13).

Followers

“Just like Twitter, Pinterest is a social community based on followship and that’s why you must be very

interested in offering users what they really want…followers. So, by following others people will notice

you and as a sign of appreciation they will follow you back in no time. Now, I’m not saying you should

start following like a freak, but try to find people with similar interest and try to build a bond with

them.” (Cosmin, n.d.).

Pinterest Basics & Tips

Basics

1. “Give the job to someone who has an eye for aesthetics. Not everyone has a good eye for

pictures -- that includes me! Just look at some of the images on Pinterest. They're beautiful.

Yours should be too.” (Waters, 2012)

2. “Learn from these 15 Pinterest superusers. I found this article on the habits of 15 superusers

very helpful on what Pinterest is for and not and how to use it wisely. This post made me laugh

as there is only one guy on the list. Yep, Pinterest is for the ladies.” (Waters, 2012)

3. According to Moth (2013) Greenpeace is running their Pinterest very well, with over 1,000

images to 46 boards and over 6,000 followers. “Most of the boards focus on a particular

campaign or initiative, such as saving the arctic or protecting rainforests, while others make use

of Greenpeace’s celebrity endorsements….As with other charities and brands most of the pins

link back to Greenpeace's own website, but the overall mix of nature, animals, fashion and

celebs is perfect for Pinterest as it’s all content that people like to share…Greenpeace has also

made use of Pinterest’s community feature by creating boards that allow other users to post

their favourite images related to environmental issues.” (Moth, 2013)

4. Food is Pinterest’s most popular topic. “Oxfam has clearly done its research on the kind of

content that tends to get shared on Pinterest and as a result eight of its 23 boards are food

related... These include boards named ‘Cook smarter’ and ‘Less meaty meals’, which tie into

Oxfam campaigns around sustainable living but also cleverly target Pinterest’ most popular

topic.” (Moth, 2013)

5. Oxfam is “one of the few charities that isn't shy about pinning content from third-party sites”

(Moth, 2013)

Tips on Boards

1. “Create Pinterest boards with a specific purpose in mind.” (Haydon, n.d.)

2. “Collaborate with co-workers or team members to help build your Pinterest board by using the

board edit feature “Me + Contributors.” Let’s say your organization has a project to build a

house. You can call the board “The House That Love Built” and invite team leaders to post

photos of tools needed, progress of the build, and volunteers.” (Haydon, n.d.)

3. “Create an online fundraising catalog. Add “$” symbol and the amount of an item in the pin

description, i.e., $7.95 or $5.00. A grey banner with the price will be displayed on the upper left

corner. Your pin will automatically go into the gifts tab located at the top of the homepage.”

(Haydon, n.d.)

4. “Use keywords to name your Pinterest boards, board descriptions, and pin descriptions for

search engine optimization (SEO).” (Haydon, n.d.)

5. “Create categories that reflect what users are looking for. If you run the Paul Revere House and

want to post pictures of the furnishings and silver work call it "Early American Decor" or "Silver

Teapots." (Waters, 2012).

6. Community boards are great way to increase traffic (Moth, 2013)

o Oxfam disclaimer on their community board: “Please add to this board pins related to

title theme. No spam, No nudity, No advertising! Do not pin more than 10 pins at a time.

If you would like to join group boards, you send me board name you want to join and

your Pinterest address at facebook message. I don't want to add your friends to this

board no longer. Happy Pinning!”

7. Moth (2013) recommends not having empty boards, ensuring each board has amply pins

8. “Amnesty UK has an excellent collection of boards, with content including its various campaigns,

celebrities, recommended reading, Christmas cheer and images of staff members.” (Moth,

2013)

9. Boards should have no less than 10 pins/images each, to show professionalism and to

engage/excite followers (McGinnis)

Tips on Pinning & Images

1. “Use eye-catching images to get people’s attention and repins. The more repins, the more

chances you’ll have people clicking to the source website.” (Haydon, n.d.)

2. “Like the other social media networks, Pinterest is not a place to blatantly promote your

organization. You will turn people away if you constantly push your cause. Instead, pin images

that capture the lifestyle and essence of your organization while building a community of

potential donors and volunteers who share the same interests.” (Haydon, n.d.)

3. “Be useful. Pinterest users are looking for ideas and inspiration. Speak to that muse. Just don't

pin a picture of the new lobby area of your school. Highlight an architectural detail that makes it

interesting, unique and inspiring.” (Waters, 2012)

4. “If you’re an environmental organization: Pin images of endangered species; Pin pics of

unique beach trash your volunteer teams clean up; Build a collection of innovative recycling in

your community” (Kaplan, 2012)

5. “If you’re a foundation: Pin images from your grantees' projects; collect images that

demonstrate the problem you are trying to solve; Community foundations can pin things they

want to celebrate in the community” (Kaplan, 2012)

6. Action Aid’s Pins contain a “huge amount of text describing what’s taking place, which can

discourage other users from sharing the image” (Moth, 2013)

7. Amnesty UK includes far too much text, according to Moth (2013), but good use of hash tags

promoting certain campaigns

8. National Trust “pins often include a massive amount of text which serves to break up the flow

of the boards and make them look a bit messy, but in most cases the images are strong enough

to hold your attention.” (Moth, 2013)

9. Unpinnable Images:

a. Problems arise when a site just isn’t optimized for pinning. You can’t pin anything

from a Flash site, which is still a favorite of many high end retailers, so that is a

completely missed opportunity.

b. More subtle problems arise with product sites that offer nifty image preview tools.

In this example on Schumacher, a provider of high end textiles and wallcoverings,

they have a javascript image tool that prevents the images from being detected by

the Pin It bookmarklet. If you are a savvy user, you can click on “switch to JPG view”

and be able to pin that image, but most people will not know to take that extra step.

(Kinney, 2012)

10. Hashtags:

a. Sanchez (2013a) states: “From my research on Pinterest, #s used in board titles or in

board descriptions seem to have no impact on making boards easier to find in Pinterest

searches. I was able to find only 1 board named #Inspirational quotes and it was way

down on the list.”

b. “Where #s really seem to show their muscle on Pinterest is in pin descriptions. The # is

clickable within the pin’s description and when clicked, it searches and pulls up the

other pins that use the the same # or words in their description. It seems to be a

shortcut for using the search box.” (Sanchez, 2013a)

c. For a short time, while Pinterest was making the big transition from the old look to the

new look, hashtags stopped functioning but now they’re back. Within Pinterest, as in

other social sites such as Twitter and Instagram, hashtags serve as a shortcut

to performing a search for other pieces of content. (Sanchez, 2013b)

d. “There are several places that I have seen hashtags used in Pinterest including, board

titles, board descriptions, account descriptions and profile names. Sorry to disappoint

Pinterest users who have used them in these places in hopes of making their accounts

or boards easier to find but, hashtags DON’T work in these areas, they are not clickable.

In Pinterest, hashtags are only clickable and searchable in pin descriptions and they

work a bit differently than they do in Twitter or Instagram. Clicking on a hashtag in a

pin’s description will not only result in pins that include that hashtag but also in pins that

include the same word or phrase in the description.” (Sanchez, 2013b)

e. “Clicking on a hashtag can also result in pins without the word or phrase in the

description at all. I came across the hashtag, #babyclothes and when clicked on, some of

the pins didn’t contain the phrase or any of the words in the description. For example,

when I clicked on #babyclothes, one of the pins that came up in the search was of a

rubber duck. Duck was the only word in the description but the reason this pin appeared

was because of the link attached to this pin. The URL tied to this pin had the phrase

babyclothes in it. This is something to keep in mind when naming your images, blog

posts and product pages. Even though Pinterest is an image based, search results are

still based on words.” (Sanchez, 2013b)

f. “To make the most of hashtags the best approach would be to make one that is

unique. This technique is often used in Pinterest contest where participants must pin

items with a specific hashtag as part of the entry process. However, it may take a while

for you hashtag to be searchable. As a test, I included #pinterestingtips in a few of my

pins and after 2 days they are not searchable. It’s unclear why. To maximize your pins’

chances for being found be sure to include more than just a hashtag in the description,

use common descriptive keywords too. For an extra boost, include key words in the link

attached to the pin.” (Sanchez, 2013b)

g. “hashtags are quite popular on Pinterest too, and like on Twitter and Google+, these are

the ones helping users to easily find your content. So use them, but try to be relevant

and don’t overdo it.” (Cosmin, n.d.)

Tips on Following & Followers

1. “Follow Pinterest users with similar interests with quality pins on their boards, like, Nonprofit

Organizations, National Wildlife Federation, Water.org, Jokolna Foundation.” (Haydon, n.d.)

2. “Follow back influential people who follow you. The trick is to click “Follow All” on the

individual’s profile, then unfollow specific boards that aren’t of interests to you.” (Haydon, n.d.)

3. “Being active is vital in every social community because that shows your followers and other

members that you are interested in doing great things. Besides that, commenting on others Pins

means feedback for others which in most cases means a lot especially if that person doesn’t

receive lots of comments.” (Cosmin, n.d.)

4. “My advice would be to start simple and grow from there. Spend some time on creating or

picking a pin that can easily go viral. This will bring you lots of attention and as a result, you will

get tons of followers.” (Cosmin, n.d.)

Tips on Liking Images, Repining, & Comments

1. “’Like’ pins or repin items that appeals to you. This action will show up on the user’s sidebar. It

will also send an email notification to the user (if turned on).” (Haydon, n.d.)

2. “Use the pin comments section to engage in conversation and leave your mark.” (Haydon, n.d.)

3. “Use the @ feature in the comment box to tag specific people (like other social networks).”

(Haydon, n.d.)

4. “Don't just pin, repin. Pinterest is just like any other social network. It's not all about you.

Search through Pinterest and find images that you can repin on your boards. As with most social

platforms, this is where the magic happens!” (Waters, 2012)

Tips on Searches

1. “Use the search box by typing in topics, people’s names, businesses, etc. Then filter search by

clicking pins, boards, or people.” (Haydon, n.d.)

Integrating Pinterest with Your Website

1. “Add a Pinterest share button to your website and URL on your business cards.” (Haydon, n.d.)

2. “Let your supporters pin for you. Add "pin it" buttons to your blog or web site so your visitors

and supporters can create their own pin boards that highlight your cause.” (Waters, 2012)

3. Optimizing Your Site for Pinnable Images:

a. The best way to test how your site “pins” is to set up a Pinterest account, grab the

bookmarklet tool, and try pinning a few of the things you would like to see pinned and

review the results. This is also an opportunity to browse around and see what type of

images are being pinned in your market sector or niche. Pinterest is an extremely visual

medium, so pinners generally are looking for the largest and most appealing images

possible. (Kinney, 2012)

b. If you are a blogger, does your post offer some type of featured or lead image? Many

list/resource posts typically use many smaller images and lack a good featured image to

pin. If you use WordPress, remember that you can create a featured image that is

available but doesn’t actually have to be used in your post. (Kinney, 2012)

Syncing Pinterest Account with other Social Media Websites

1. “This is a vital step if you want to obtain best results on Twitter, Facebook and also keep a place

open for the new Pinterest. You can easily synchronize the Pinterest account with Facebook and

Twitter by going to: Your Account -> Settings -> Simply Click on to Link Facebook or Twitter to

your account. You can also add Pinterest to your Facebook timeline as long as you don’t decide

to post the same story manually.”

2. “Once you synchronize Pinterest with Facebook and Twitter, you get access to many possibilities

including the friend messaging/following option which allows you to send as many Pinterest

invites you wish and also to follow your Facebook friends who are already on the platform. The

following process is almost instant and since they are your friends, it’s a huge possibility to

follow you back in no time.”

Pinterest How-To

Pinning 101

Instructional Guide from Pinterest site on how to Pin, Create Boards, Follow, UnFollow, & More

http://about.pinterest.com/basics/

Creating Boards

Title

Description

Category

Who can Pin? (used only for community boards)

Community Boards

Can be set up when creating the board initially, or you can edit a board to convert to community

board

Use “Who can pin?” option within edit or create

You must be “following” the person/organization before you can invite them to pin

Helpful Videos:

How to Create a Pinterest Group/Community Board:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5NRQmQU4gM

What is a Pinterest Board? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hds8J6Gtxk4

Adding Images to Boards Manually (without use of “Pin It” button)

1. If images are not pinnable from website, download the image to computer. After image has

been downloaded, go to the “Add+” button at the top on the Pinterest page. You will be

prompted to upload a the image by locating it on the computer:

2. You can then add description text.

3. The image pin will then show on your screen. Click “Edit”. It is very important to then add a

website link to the image you just added.

4. Then enter in the website link to where you want users to be directed when they click on the

image. For more information on this go to the following section in this manual: Linking Images

to Product Website vs. Green Seal Website

Green Seal on Pinterest

How Pinterest will Benefit Green Seal

Green Seal is a leading eco-label, highly recognized and identified on a global scale. The social

media of such an organization should be at the same level. Green Seal has strong social media presence

on Facebook and Twitter, but the increasing usage of the social media site Pinterest is untapped. The

main demographic of users on Pinterest is women ages 25-44 and the majority of these women are the

predominant purchasers for their households. Reaching this demographic has the potential of not only

increasing the purchases of environmentally-friendly products, but will also increase the awareness

about the “Green Seal” ecolabel and the advantages of certification.

Note: It is important to note that the Green Seal website has very few usable images. This limits the

amount of pins that can be used to direct back to the GS website. I recommend that GS increases their

amount of images so that traffic to the website can be increased through the Pinterest platform.

Green Seal Pinterest Goals

1. Establish brand leadership in the Ecolabel space

2. Increase Green Seal awareness among consumers and provide education on sustainable

engineering of products/services

3. Efficiently learn what consumers are looking for in Green Products and Eco-Labels

Green Seal Pinterest Boards

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 1: GS Certified Cleaning Products

We develop life cycle-based sustainability standards for

products, services and companies and offer third-party certification for those that meet the criteria in

the standard. Green Seal has been actively identifying and

promoting sustainability in the marketplace, and helping

organizations be greener in a real and effective way since 1989.

LIVE

Board will be used to pin GS certified products and link them directly to the producers/ manufacturers website (whenever possible). If images are not pinnable directly from their website, they will be downloaded and then uploaded. Perhaps GS can reach out to manufacturers to encourage allowing access (formatting) to images on their websites? Note: When certified products are added to or removed from GS website, these should be noted so the person responsible for maintaining Pinterest can make these changes to the pins.

Pin images of logos for certified companies. Will use current client websites and vendors who sell these products to locate and pin images, conent higlighting features of product.

http://www.simple

green.com/home.php

1. Primary household purchasers (women, mainly)

2. Primary business purchasers

3. Prospective GS clients

4. Sustainability promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 2: GS Certified Paper Products

We develop life cycle-based sustainability standards for

products, services and companies and offer third-party certification for those that meet the criteria in

the standard. Green Seal has been actively identifying and

promoting sustainability in the marketplace, and helping

organizations be greener in a real and effective way since 1989.

LIVE

Board will be used to pin GS certified products and link them directly to the producers/ manufacturers website (whenever possible). If images are not pinnable directly from their website, they will be downloaded and then uploaded. Perhaps GS can reach out to manufacturers to encourage allowing access (formatting) to images on their websites? Note: When certified products are added to or removed from GS website, these should be noted so the person responsible for maintaining Pinterest can make these changes to the pins.

Pin images of logos for certified companies. Will use current client websites and vendors who sell these products to locate and pin images, conent higlighting features of product.

http://www.americ

anpaperco.com/products/facial-tissue/facial-tissue/ef150

1. Primary household purchasers (women, mainly)

2. Primary business purchasers

3. Prospective GS clients

4. Sustainability promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 3: Green Manufacturing Processes

(verbiage TBD)

LIVE

This board will be used to post images that link to content about sustainable industrial processes in relation to the manufacturing of paper, household cleaners , paint, lighting products, etc.

Will use websites that showcase green manufacturing processes and innovations. Content will explain why process is sustainable, over conventional processes. Infographics will be very helpful in this board, requiring little caption text.

http://green-manufacturing.blogspot.com/2009/09/defining-manufacturing.html

1. Current GS clients looking to streamline processes

2. Prospective GS clients

3. Consumers 4. Business

people with positions in sustainability

5. Sustainability promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 4: GS Certified Hotels

Hotels & Lodging Properties listed

here meet the Green Seal "Environmental Standards for Lodging Properties" for waste

minimization, water and energy efficiency, hazardous substances handling, and environmentally

responsible purchasing.

LIVE

This board will highlight GS certified hotels and will link directly to their websites.

Images from hotel websites will be used to pin.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/photos/index.html?propertyID=127#photo_section_1Link

1. Prospective GS clients

2. Travelers 3. Event

Planners 4. Sustainability

promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 5: Sustainable Travel

(verbiage TBD)

IMPLEMENTING AT LATER DATE

Will be used to highlight ways to book sustainable travel as well as sustainable initiatives used within hotels, with air and car travel, etc. Content will also be provided about Green Tours, Eco-Cruises, carbon offsets, and more.

Travel booking websites that have sustainable searching features will be located and any helpful images will be pinned with text to explain picture.

http://sustainabletravelnetwork.com/

1. Travelers 2. Event Planners 3. Hotel Owners 4. Executives of

travel companies

5. Sustainability promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 6: Green Schools & Universities

(verbiage TBD)

IMPLEMENTING AT LATER DATE

This board will be used to highlight schools and universities (and their specific achievements) that have made strides in sustainability and those who have implemented strong green cleaning programs.

Using the Green Schools list from past assignment, schools with 75% or more green cleaning products will be highlighted on board. Any supportive images will be pinned with explanatory text.

CU Boulder: New Solar PV installations for Wolf Law, Coors Events Center, and Housing Maintenance Building http://www.colorado.edu/cusustainability/

1. Current GS clients

2. Business people with positions in sustainability

3. School faculty 4. High school

students & parents looking to choose university

5. Sustainability promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 7: Ecolabels Around the World

(verbiage TBD)

IMPLEMENTING AT LATER DATE

This board will share other ecolabels that are used around the world. This will help consumers to be more educated about the labels that are being used and what standards other ecolabels use, hopefully showing (without defaming other ecobales) that Green Seal’s standards are more reliable.

Using the EcoLabel Index (link below), will search existing ecolabels and pin usage images. Supportive text will briefly explain locale of ecolabel and qualifying standards.

http://leafme.ca/

http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabels/

1. Primary household purchasers

2. Primary business purchasers

3. Sustainability promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 8: GS Community

Green Seal’s staff works

cohesively towards our mission of creating a more sustainable world

by providing scientific research and standards, certification,

greening partnerships and other services to businesses and

institutions.

LIVE Like Amnesty UK Pinterest account and based on recommendations by Moth (2012), this would be a great board to highlight the talented GS staff. It will also link back to GS website. The more links directly to GS website, the better (and since the GS website has few images, this would help increase traffic).

The Green Seal website will be used to pin pictures of GS staff, interns, board of directors, and others in the GS community to this board. Caption text will be an abbreviated version of text shown on website.

http://www.greenseal.org/AboutGreenSeal/TheGreenSealTeam/GreenSealStaff.aspx

1. Current GS clients

2. Prospective GS clients

3. Consumers 4. Sustainability

promoters

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Board 8: GS Campaigns & Fundraising

(verbiage TBD)

IMPLEMENTING AT LATER DATE

Note: to be integrated at a later date, when GS updates events page on website.

(TBD)Brie, if you have links to websites that showcase GS events, pins can begin next week.

1. Current GS clients

2. Prospective GS clients

3. Sustainability promoters

4. Other non-profits

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Community Board A: Green Products We Love

Please use this board to pin Green

products you love. Who knows, some of them might qualify for

Green Seal certification!

IMPLEMENTING AT LATER DATE

Board where Pinterest followers can post or repin images of green products they love. This will give Green Seal’s team insight into what products are most popular among consumers and may even open doors to new clients

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/new-naturemill-xe-series-of-automatic-composters.html

1. Prospective GS clients

2. Consumers

3. Sustainability promoters

Additional Proposed Boards

Board Description of Board Type of Images to Pin & Websites to Use to

Pin

Audience

Community Board B: GS Products Spotted

Please use this board to pin where

you have seen GS products, whether out in the natural world

or online

TBD Board where Pinterest followers can post or repin images of GS certified products they have seen in real life or while they are shopping or browsing on the internet.

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/new-naturemill-xe-series-of-automatic-composters.html

1. Prospective GS clients

2. Consumers

3. Sustainability promoters

Green Seal Instructions for Pinning

Choosing the Best Images to Pin

1. Choose eye catching images. Think: would I repin this image?

2. If image has text, make sure it is readable (i.e. not too small, not too much text)

3. Choose image that best highlights features of product or service

4. Examples:

versus

Why? With image on left the images are clear and easy to read. With the image on the right, it is hard

to tell what the product is because you cannot see the label or logos well. Source: http://www.use-enco.com/1/1/42055-boc-1015-natures-solution-glass-cleaners.html

versus

Why? The image on the left shows the logo of the toilet tissue, and is more likely to be repined. The

image in the right has no definable characteristic or logos and will not likely be repined. It is important to note that for many products, you may only find basic pictures of toilet tissue pictures. In this case, if this is all you can find it is okay to pin these pictures, as ultimately it is more important that we have the

products pinned on the GS Pinterest page with the description and a link to a reputable website on where to purchase the item.

versus

Why? Because this resort has so many different lodges, a picture of a community amenity was chosen.

This highlights what the resort can do, rather than just showing one of the four lodges where guests can stay.

Source: http://custerresorts1.rtrk.com/?scid=1799961&kw=3352676&pub_cr_id=5886997025

versus

Why? The image on the left was chosen over the one on the right because it better highlights the features of the hotel and what amenities it may have over other hotels. It is rare to see a rooftop

lounge area, as shown in the chosen picture on the left. Source http://www.westinnorthshore.com/

Linking Images to Product Website vs. Green Seal Website

Use of GS Certified Company Logo’s to briefly highlight their product line and list their website,

however, clicking the image links back to the GS website product page:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDetail&cid

=12

Product images are to be found by searching for the products on vendor’s websites. The reason

for this is that we want to encourage the purchasing of these GS certified products. The

manufacturer’s websites do not typically have information on where to purchase the products.

If there are a variety of products from one manufacturer pin images from various vendors to

now show partiality to one vendor. If images cannot be found through vendor websites, pin

images from manufacturer’s website. A list of products not found should be compiled (and

searches tried at a later date or contacting vendor).

o A variety of different vendors should be used, rather than pinning images all from one

vendor.

o Note: perhaps a disclaimer should be put at top of page? However, we only have a few

words left before maximum characters are reached for info section.

Use of Hashtags

1. Use of approved hashtags is permitted

2. Use hash tags sparingly: no more than 4 hash tags per pin

3. Acceptable hash tags, to use at your discretion:

#green #sustainable #ecofriendly #sustainability #ecolabel

4. Use the following hash tags when pinning GS Certified Products or Services:

#gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly

Captioning

1. Captions should be kept to a maximum of four sentences or 50 words. For example:

a) Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the

environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture,

purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services. Search for

Green Seal (GS) Certified products on Pinterest by using #gscertified

Instructions per Board

GS Certified Cleaning Products

1. Pin images from vendor websites where consumers can purchase the product

2. Use the following hashtags when pinning GS certified products or services:

#gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly

3. Highlight the product name and any other identifying information provided on the website

pinning from.

a) OK to provide detailed information on one product from a particular vendor (but then

keep other product captions short and streamlined

b) For example: Green Seal Certified Boardwalk Green jumbo tissue is 100% recycled and

exceeds EPA guidelines for post-consumer waste. The jumbo roll is ideal for washrooms

with heavy traffic. #gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly

2. Pin Logos of GS Certified Companies to highlight the companies themselves, in addition to their

specific products, logos of GS certified companies will be pinned to the appropriate boards (i.e.

GS certified paper products).

a) The following caption should be used:

i. “Line of GS Certified <type of product (i.e. paper product, cleaning product)>

from <company name>, including <types of GS certified products from this

company>. <company website> #gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly”

ii. For example: “Line of GS Certified Paper Products from VonDrehle Corp.,

including bath tissue, roll towels & fold towels. www.vondrehle.com...

#gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly”

b. The image should be linked back the GS website specifically the “GS-8, GS-21” products

page:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDe

tail&cid=3 or the “GS-34, GS-37, GS-40, GS-53” products page:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDe

tail&cid=16

GS Certified Paper Products

1. Pin images from vendor websites where consumers can purchase the product

2. Use the following hashtags when pinning GS certified products or services:

#gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly

3. Highlight the product name and any other identifying information provided on the website

pinning from.

a) OK to provide detailed information on one product from a particular vendor (but then

keep other product captions short and streamlined

b) For example: Green Seal Certified Boardwalk Green jumbo tissue is 100% recycled and

exceeds EPA guidelines for post-consumer waste. The jumbo roll is ideal for washrooms

with heavy traffic. #gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly

3. Pin Logos of GS Certified Companies to highlight the companies themselves, in addition to their

specific products, logos of GS certified companies will be pinned to the appropriate boards (i.e.

GS certified paper products).

a) The following caption should be used:

i. “Line of GS Certified <type of product (i.e. paper product, cleaning product)>

from <company name>, including <types of GS certified products from this

company>. <company website> #gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly”

ii. For example: “Line of GS Certified Paper Products from VonDrehle Corp.,

including bath tissue, roll towels & fold towels. www.vondrehle.com...

#gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly”

c. The image should be linked back the GS website specifically the “GS-1, GS-9” products

page:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDe

tail&cid=12

GS Certified Hotels

1. Pin images directly from hotel websites

2. Select picture that is most fitting for that hotel, or the image that stands out the most. Use a

variety of types of pictures to bring excitement to the board, ensuring not all pictures are the

front of the hotel, or the lobby. OK to pin images of exteriors, aerial shots, interiors, lobby,

amenities, guest rooms, etc.

3. For GS Certified Hotels, ensure the following identifying words are used for maximum search-

ability within Pinterest:

a) Hotel Name

b) City and State

4. Use the following hashtags when pinning GS certified products or services:

#gscertified #green #sustainable #ecofriendly

GS Community

1. Pictures on the GS Team pages are not pinnable, so the images must be downloaded and

uploaded to pin. Make sure to link back to the specific GS website pages (i.e. Green Seal Staff,

Green Seal Board of Directors, etc.)

2. GS Community captions should be kept short and simple.

a) GS Employees should contain just their full name and positions

b) For Interns, more details are acceptable, as we want to highlight what types of

companies/positions these individuals are looking for, if prospective employers happen

to browse this board

c) For GS Board of Directors, it should be noted as such (GS Board of Directors) along with

their Board Position. It should also include their full name, company, and title

Green Manufacturing Processes

1. TBD

Green Seal Events

1. TBD

Recommended Next Steps (in order of importance)

1. Revise hashtags with #ecolabel (TBD by Brie)

2. Promote and Sync GS Pinterest page with Facebook and Twitter

3. Start following other influential organizations and individuals on Pinterest (many will end up

following you back)

4. Complete pinning of GS-34 Cleaning & Degreasing Agents:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDetail&cid

=16

5. Complete pinning of GS-40 Hand Cleaners for Industrial & Institutional Use:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDetail&cid

=17

6. Complete pinning of GS-09 Paper Towels and Napkins:

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDetail&cid

=12

7. Setup remaining approved boards (as shown above) and pin at least 10 images to each

8. Add pins to or remove original GS boards (Sustainability in Art, History of Sustainability, Around

the Home & Consuming Less)

9. Find missing certified products with usable images (listed below)

10. Repin & Comment to increase followers on Pinterest

Pinterest Examples

Examples of Other Non-Profits on Pinterest

Greenpeace: http://pinterest.com/greenpeace/

Macmillian Cancer: http://pinterest.com/macmillancancer/

Action Aid: http://pinterest.com/actionaid/

Amnesty UK: http://pinterest.com/amnestyuk/

National Trust: http://pinterest.com/nationaltrust/

Oxfam: http://pinterest.com/oxfaminternatl/

RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter: http://pinterest.com/rspcaexeter/

UNICEF: http://pinterest.com/unicef/

Wateraid: http://pinterest.com/wateraid/

BC SPCA: http://pinterest.com/bcspca/

TerraCycle: http://pinterest.com/terracycle/

Green Certification Companies on Pinterest

Rainforest Alliance: http://pinterest.com/rnfrstalliance/

Leftcoast Grassfed: http://pinterest.com/lcgrassfed/

Animal Welfare Approved: http://pinterest.com/awaapproved/

Bay Area Green Tours: http://pinterest.com/bagreentours/

B Corporation: http://pinterest.com/bcorporation/

SCS Global Services: http://pinterest.com/scscertified/

EC3 Global Earth Check : http://pinterest.com/earthcheck/

Fairtrade Intl: http://pinterest.com/fairtrade/

LFP Certified Farmers: http://pinterest.com/localfoodplus/lfp-certified-farmers/

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): http://pinterest.com/mscecolabel/

UTZ Certified: http://pinterest.com/kwattabelgium/utz-certified/

Inspiring Green Boards on Pinterest

Organic Logos: http://pinterest.com/holidayorganic/organic-logos/

Green Certified Hotels & Restaurants: http://pinterest.com/jdvhotels/green-certified-hotels-

restaurants/

Natural Cosmetics: http://pinterest.com/patandrub/natural-cosmetics/

FCS Certified Products: http://pinterest.com/scscertified/fsc-certified-products/

Leaping Bunny: http://pinterest.com/leapingbunny/

50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾ : http://pinterest.com/nationaltrust/50-things-to-do-before-you-re-

11-3-4/

NonProfit Resources: http://pinterest.com/npquarterly/nonprofit-resources/

Green Schools: http://pinterest.com/usgbc/green-schools/

Sustainability Infographics: http://pinterest.com/paolafiore/sustainability-infographics/

Sustainability Infographics: http://pinterest.com/tracyjean/sustainability-infographics/

Sustainability Infographics: http://pinterest.com/greenmediasite/sustainability-infographics/

Sustainability Infographics: http://pinterest.com/jurlaub/sustainability-infographics/

Sustainability Infographics: http://pinterest.com/sunnycrowd/sustainability-infographics/

References

Buck, S. (2012, January 8). Pinterest: 13 tips and tricks for cutting edge users. Retrieved from

http://mashable.com/2012/01/08/pinterest-13-tips-and-tricks-for-cutting-edge-users/

Cosmin. (n.d.). Increase the number of followers on pinterest. Retrieved from

http://devstand.com/marketing/pinterest-followers/

Haydon, J. (n.d.). 12 ways to use Pinterest for your nonprofit. Retrieved from

http://www.johnhaydon.com/2012/01/12-ways-use-pinterest-for-your-nonprofit/

Kaplan, A. (2012, January 13). Steal these 42 creative Pinterest ideas for nonprofits. Retrieved from

http://www.frogloop.com/care2blog/2012/1/13/steal-these-42-creative-pinterest-ideas-for-

nonprofits.html

Kinney, D. (2012, February 1). Leveraging pinterest: How “pinnable” is your content? Retrieved from

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/leveraging-pinterest-how-

%E2%80%9Cpinnable%E2%80%9D-is-your-content/39623/

Moth, D. (2013, April 10). 10 charities and how they use Pinterest. Retrieved from

http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/62498-10-charities-and-how-they-use-pinterest

Pinterest. (2013). Stories. Retrieved from http://business.pinterest.com/stories/

Sanchez, C. (2013, January 15). Tips for using hashtags on Pinterest. Retrieved from

http://www.ohsopinteresting.com/tips-for-using-hashtags-on-pinterest/

Sanchez, C. (2013, April 13).Using hashtags with pinterest’s new look. Retrieved from

http://www.ohsopinteresting.com/using-hashtags-with-pinterests-new-look/

Waters, J. (January 7, 2012). Why and how causes should use Pinterest. Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-waters/why-how-causes-should-use_b_1190956.html