Like every female who has internet access, I’ve recently become addicted to Pinterest. Pinterest is a social-based sharing website where you create your own “pin boards,” and pin anything to them, from recipes to hairstyles, DIY projects to cute monkeys. Users can upload their own images, or pin things from their favorite blogs, retailers, or other resources.

There have been a few posts lately about how Pinterest is beneficial to SEO, because things on Pinterest spread like wildfire. It’s a great place to stick your content, especially if it’s image-heavy. I’ve recently started using these pins for guest post prospecting. Since it’s terribly easy to find something specific on Pinterest, it’s just as easy to find your targets.

Say you want to write a guest post on what to cook for a holiday party. You have an amazing recipe for peppermint cupcakes (I’m peppermint obsessed, can’t get enough), and you want to share it with someone (like me). You can prospect using site operators, by searching Twitter, or by spending an hour hunting through the blogging directories and forums. Or, you can run a few simple Pinterest searches and find a blogger right away.

We’re going to send our cupcakes post to a blog in the holiday niche. So, search for “holidays.”

Right away, we see something that looks promising. Actually, all of them do, but the one on the right catches my eye. It has crafty looking things that would be awesome for parties, and some dessert-inspired pictures, so it has to be perfect. Click on that pin.

Above the image, you’ll see a link to where it came from. That’s a direct link to a blog that writes about cupcakes and party things. Click through, check out the blog, and if it’s a good fit, send them an email about guest posting. So, so easy.

But what if you’re not in the niche to be writing about cupcakes and pretty things? Pinterest is so awesome that you can find something related to almost anything. I’ll prove it.

Plumbing:

Landscaping:

Car insurance:

Yeah, Pinterest has everything, and it’s awesome. Use it to it’s full ability too; pin great content or infographics from your own website. If you’re e-commerce, pin some of your products. I’ve seen some good referral traffic and conversions come over from Pinterest.

Some things to keep in mind though…

Even though something from a person’s blog may have been recently pinned, the blog itself may not be fresh. Check out the date of their latest post to see if the blog is still current. You don’t want to waste your time contacting someone who hasn’t posted in six months.

Also, just because someone has a blog doesn’t necessarily mean they accept guest posts. Send a short, friendly email raving about their blog, and mention that you want to get into blogging and think guest posting is a good way to start. They probably won’t say no, as most bloggers love getting good (free!!) content. Watch out for the mommy bloggers though, they might rip your head off.

And happy pinning!