For the visually minded among us, Pinterest is a source of happiness and inspiration. From humble beginnings, Pinterest has grown to a niche yet extremely popular social network in which users can share, browse, and explore a world of content, with each piece of content represented by a perfectly artistic image.
Pinterest’s large and still-growing fanatical fan base is not one that should be ignored, and clever WordPress developers have worked out how to seamlessly integrate Pinterest into their WordPress sites by using widgets and plug-ins.
Read on for our top picks of the best free WordPress plug-ins and tools to bring WordPress and Pinterest together.
Different Ways of Integrating WordPress and Pinterest
Before choosing from the below options to integrate WordPress and Pinterest, there are two important distinctions you first need to make.
First, you need to work out the purpose that you are trying to achieve. Is your aim to encourage people to share your existing WordPress content on their own Pinterest boards? If so, see our “From WordPress to Pinterest” section below. Or are you aiming to bring your existing Pinterest content into your WordPress site, allowing your website’s visitors to view your Pinterest content without leaving your site? If that’s the case, see our “From Pinterest to WordPress” section below.
Secondly, you will need to decide whether to use free WordPress plug-ins to achieve your aim, or whether to use a Pinterest widget. Widgets are lines of code generated directly via Pinterest that need to be manually inserted into your WordPress sites code. Plug-ins tend to be created by third parties and automate much of the work for you. We will explore both options below.
From WordPress to Pinterest
If you’d like Pinterest users to share your WordPress content to their Pinterest boards, this section is for you.
Widgets
- The Save Button widget allows users to pin your website content directly from your page to their Pinterest board.
- The Pin Widget is similar to the Save Button above but facilitates pinning directly from an image on your side, rather than the content itself.
- The Follow Button allows Pinterest users browsing your site to follow your related Pinterest profile with one click, without having to leave your website.
Plug-ins
- The Pinterest Pin It Button is a plug-in version of the Save Button widget, allowing Pinterest users to save your content directly from your site. When clicked, users will have the choice of any image on your page to pin, which will link to your content.
- The Pinterest Pin It Button for Images is similar to the Pin Widget above, allowing for a particular image on your site to be saved to Pinterest.
- The Pinterest Follow Button is a plug-in version of the Follow Button widget, allowing Pinterest users to follow your Pinterest account without leaving your website.
From Pinterest to WordPress
If you already have existing Pinterest content and you want to integrate this content into your WordPress site, read on for the widgets and plug-ins that can help.
Widgets
- The Board Widget allows users to browse your most recent pins and your entire Pinterest boards without having to leave your website. This is an excellent way of keeping users on your site for longer, by giving them access to your Pinterest content but without directing them away from your site.
- The Profile widget displays your Pinterest profile directly on your WordPress site.
Plug-ins
- The Pinterest Pinboard plug-in displays a gallery of images from your entire Pinterest account on your WordPress site. This plug-in works best when configured to show three images wide.
- Pretty Pinterest Pins is a similar plug-in but one that allows the contents of a particular board to be chosen, rather than choosing all boards in your account together. This is a good solution if you have different niche boards collecting different content, and you want to limit the content displayed on your site to one topic.
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Despite its raging popularity, Pinterest remains a largely unexplored source of referrals and new website fans. By integrating Pinterest into your WordPress site using free WordPress plug-ins and tools, you can make a seamless transition from WordPress to Pinterest, enticing your visitors to share your content on their own Pinterest boards and to explore your existing Pinterest content without leaving your site.
For more information on incorporating Pinterest and other social media sites into your WordPress site, contact us today.