Pin to Win with Pinterest Sweepstakes

Posted by Shannon Schulte | On: Mar 31 2012

Pinterest is a hot topic in social networking these days. Most recently, it has taken off as a new way to win in the sweepstakes world. We have received several requests to explain what the Pinterest sweepstakes craze is all about and how it works. I thought the best way to explain how to use Pinterest as a winning tool, would be to introduce you to how to use Pinterest and to show you how we find Pinterest giveaways!

Pinterest is like a virtual scrapbook to find recipes, things you admire, design ideas, things you find humorous all in an organized format called “boards.” Each board you create will have pictures of ideas that you find useful and makes them easily accessible for later use. Pinterest posts images can come from interesting articles, funny pictures, creative design ideas, or just something you admire and would like to remember. Other pinners that find your information useful or would like to have it on their own boards can “repin” it for their own use.

Pinterest has become so popular, brands are now hosting giveaways and sweepstakes on their Pinterest walls to gain followers and spread the word about their brand!

(P.S. Did you know that you can pin Sweepstakes Mama posts to Pinterest? Simply copy the link of this post, click add + at the top of the page, click add a pin, put in the link and click find images! Voila! You could make an entire Sweepstakes Mama board of all of your favorite sweepstakes!).

The easiest way to enter a Pinterest contest is what they call repin to win. Yep, it is that easy! To enter you will simply repin the contest pin on their wall to enter to win! It is a simple as hitting a retweet button on Twitter or a like button on Facebook! They are so incredibly easy!

Many Pinterest sweepstakes and Pinterest giveaways will have you create a board of pins for their contest. Remember, a board is just a collection of pins in one place.

Typically, they will explain to you what they would like to see on your board in their giveaway rules. Usually, they will want you to repin some of their pins and some of your own related finds when creating the board. After you complete you board (think scrapbook), you will link your board to them to enter.

Below is a recent example of a Pinterest sweepstakes I entered.

There are 4 simple ways to find Pinterest sweepstakes!

1. ”Google Alerts” you will want to set up a google alert for Pinterest sweepstakes. The Google Alert I use is “Pinterest”+”Sweepstakes”. You can set this up easily if you have a Google-based email (Gmail or Hotmail). You can create Google Alerts at google.com/alerts.

*we will explain more about how we use Google Alerts to find sweepstakes in our upcoming chat in April*

2. Pinterest has a great search engine to find whatever you are looking for, type in “Pin to Win” and you will find a page full of Pinterest Sweepstakes! Get exploring!

3. Follow other sweepstakes pals on Pinterest and you will see a lot of Pinterest Sweepstakes in your “pinners you follow feed”! You can follow us on Pinterest as well! We’re at http://pinterest.com/sweepsmama/ and http://pinterest.com/faitcamofthree/.

4. Word of mouth is another great way to find Pinterest sweepstakes! I have seen many people on both Facebook and Twitter people discussing their fun Pinterest contest finds! Follow some great sweepers on Twitter (@SweepsMama and @SweepMamaAlicia) for a heads up!

Make sure you follow the rules and read the rule thoroughly before entering a Pinterest giveaway or sweepstakes. Every company throws a unique twist to their Pinterest sweepstakes, so read the directions carefully! Last, but not least, have fun pinning! That is what Pinterest is all about!

About Shannon Schulte

Shannon Schulte is a mother, Navy wife, and blogger from Dallas, TX that has become a sweepstakes and social media brand specialist. Founder and CEO of Sweepstakes Mama, she has an extended, multi-platform reach and influence. She is a recognized expert in the worlds of sweepstakes, social media, and consumer brand promotion. Join Sweepstakes Mama on Twitter and become a fan of Sweepstakes Mama on Facebook.