The New Way to Create Pins with Your Apple Pencil

The New Way to Create Pins with Your Apple Pencil

I don’t know if you are an Apple fan like me but this right here is a huge game changer for me! I feel like there is so much that can be done with this amazing app I am going to share with you. For sure it is the new way to create pins with your apple pencil and you’re going to love it!

The New Way to Create Pins with Your Apple Pencil - Mom Blog From Home

The New Way to Create Pins with Your Apple Pencil

The New Way to Create Pins with Your Apple Pencil

Why Apple

If you aren’t an Apple user then let me just break down quickly why I love Apple so much! I wasn’t an Apple fan at all until I won my first iPad back in 2013 and then I was hooked! Before the iPad, I was one of those “I hate Apple products I don’t know how to use them so they are dump” type of people.

Then again I won that free iPad and realize just how “undumb” Apple products really are!

User-Friendly

They are extremely user-friendly and that is probably my absolute favorite part about all my Apple products.

Right now in May 2019, I currently have that same iPad, MacBook Pro, Apple mouse, two iPhone 6s’s (that we keep for back up phones and for my daughter to play with), a series one Apple Watch, two Phone Xr’s, two Apple Air Pod sets, the Apple TV and I just bought last week the new iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil and keyboard.

You could say we love Apple Products for sure.

Yes, as new updates come out the older Apple Products slow down a little but for example that first iPad I won still works great and it is 6 years old which is old in technology years!

My daughter uses it to watch her videos or she can FaceTime and play Roblox at the same time with my niece. So that’s impressive to me to be able to handle all that while being one of the first iPads that came out.

Hold Value

Surprising they hold their value really well. You wouldn’t think that anything older than a year or two would still be worth as much as you can get out of them. At one point I looked into upgrading my Apple Watch to a newer version only because I do feel like with the new updates it doesn’t hold it’s charge as long and I was surprised at what it was still worth.

I could sell this watch and only pay maybe $100 out of pocket and get the newest watch. I assumed it would be worth maybe $50 but it’s not!

When I looked into selling my daughters barely (and I mean barely) used Nintendo 2DS and with the DS, the case, the chargers, and all the games it was worth $50. That doesn’t seem worth it to sell it all for only that. But we spent almost 4 times that amount when we bought it a few years back.

It isn’t that old and didn’t hold it’s value at all!

They All Connect

This is the main part I wanted to get to about how awesome Apple products are, everything connects!

It is all connected to your Apple ID so if you sign into each one with the same ID it is like being on the same device.

My iPhone XR (which is just flat out awesome), my MacBook Pro, my Apple Watch, my Air Pods, and my new iPad all connect together. If I want to put my Air Pods in then it will connect to the most recent one or whichever one is right next to me. There is no trying to connect and trying to pair. It just connects and pairs.

A window pops up for you to verify and that’s it. So as soon as I open the case my phone will alert me they are connected. If I am listening to music I just take one out to pause the music. Crazy cool.

I love how I can receive messages, phones calls, and FaceTime from any device as well! The Watch doesn’t FaceTime but other than that they all do.

It just works so well for me to not have to adjust when switching devices. They all worked seamlessly together!

The New Way to Create Pins with Your Apple Pencil

I could go on and on but let’s get to why you came here. To find out the new way to create pins with your Apple Pencil. If you are reading this then I am sure you already love Apple products so let’s talk about the new Apple Pencil on the new iPad Pro!

Creating Pins

Bloggers are always creating new pins for Pinterest to drive traffic back to their blogs. We are always looking for creative ways to make pins that are eye-catching and don’t blend in with the crowd. Well, I have some good news for you! I came across this app that is a game changer!

You want to create pins that make pinners on Pinterest save your pin and to do that you have to create beautiful useful pins. I created a free course on how to create Pinterest Images that you can learn more about the different programs bloggers use.

My goal has been to find a better way to streamline my work. I feel like I am tied to a computer when I work on my blog and summer is literally right around the corner and I can’t be stuck inside all day. My daughter is going to beg to go to the pool or be out and about.

I don’t want to sacrifice time with her or working on my blog. So I decided to look into a way to be more mobile. My husband’s job just gave him a Microsoft Surface Pro with a keyboard and pencil. I watch how easy it is for him to just work all off of that.

I did research on the new iPad Pro and thought about it for a couple weeks and then decided to run it by my husband. He is beyond supportive so he didn’t blink an eye and said let’s get you one!

I ended up getting the keyboard so I can type a blog post easily while at the pool and the pencil too for all it’s amazing functions.

iPad Pro

This is the exact ipad that I bought. I did go with the lower storage because I need to get a hardrive anyways so this way I can just get one of those and save money on buying the extra storage. We looked into purchasing it through our phone carrier to add data to it but that costs more also. Plus we found out that our T.V. provider has hotspots I can use when I am away from home.

Just some things to think about!

I wanted the bigger screen so that was my main priority. I wasn’t as worried about storage because I have a bigger icloud storage plan and then again I plan to get an external hardrive to save all pictures and important documents on it.

Now I don’t pretend to be all tech savvy, I know just enough to get by. I know that I am a busy mom and this all makes my life easier and more portable.

I do want to say that it comes with a completely new charger. Supposedly it is to be able to connect to your computer better or other techy stuff I don’t understand but my point is no more USB and no more other end. The cord has the same end of each end. So either way it connects to your converter to plug into the wall and then into the ipad to charge. Just a heads up.

Keyboard


Then since I got the bigger screen I had to get this keyboard that fits it. They are both 12.9 inches so that gives plenty of room for using your screen and typing on a good sized keyboard not a tiny one.

The ipad connects magnetically to the keyboard and there are three dots on the back of the ipad that connects it to the keyboard. Then you can have it in different positions to adjust it to your liking while typing.

Then you can fold it over and closed and you will hear the ipad lock. Also you can flip it around and under the ipad to quickly use the ipad only.

 

 

Apple Pencil

Then of course I got the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation that is compatiable with the iPad Pro. It is very sleek and easy to use. There are no buttoms it looks and feels just like a regular pencil.

It doesn’t erase like one although I think it should. I keep wanting to flip it around and erase with the pencil eraser like you normally would. But just a heads up it doesn’t work like that.

Another fun feature of the Apple pencil is that it connects to the side of your ipad magnetically to charge. This is great to keep track of the pencil and know that it is always charged up.

No plugging it in or cords involved! Once you connect it to the ipad it will tell you what charge the pencil is at as well.

Pin Creating App

After I got home and started playing with it and watching tutorials on what all it could do I came across this app. I became very interested and spent the next 3 days just learning more and more. After much research, I finally decided I wanted it and purchased it for $9.99.

I know what you are thinking…you just spend a lot of money on an iPad Pro, keyboard, and pencil and you hesitate about a $10 app? Yes, to me $10 is an expensive app! I expected the others to be expensive but I don’t buy apps without a lot of research!

So what is this amazing app?

It is called Procreate.

Maybe you have heard of it or maybe you are like me and you have never heard of it.

All the amazing possibilities with this app are just mind-blowing. If you are an artist you are going to be in heaven!

If you aren’t then no worries NEITHER AM I! It is very user-friendly and not overwhelming at all! I will add that I am not affiliated with this app either I just love it this much! Just check out some of these examples from their website!

Amateur

Don’t worry if you aren’t a professional. Again, I am not an artist in any way shape or form. But I think this app is perfect for on the go designing from anything to logos, freebies, pins, printables, graphics designs, you name it!

But let’s talk about creating pins for Pinterest.

Pinterest

There is an option to create the image as a custom size. You can then create it as a pin size and add pictures, import fonts, make amazing edits, layer it for quick changes, and so much more! It does take a bit to learn all the features it offers but this is perfect on the go pin creation with your Apple Pencil.

There are so many videos on YouTube that walk you through how to use the app but if you are looking for a way to use your creative side and give your pins a leading edge I think this app is perfect!

Again, I don’t have any affiliation with the app besides that I downloaded it, love it, and had to share!

All the Same

If you have been blogging for long you can see that many pins look the same. It is hard to not look the same some what but there are certain stock images that are way over used. I read an ebook that was full of case studies that shared how the author feels free stock images can arm your pins reach.

Pinterest also recently went public on the Stock Market. Things are about to get alitte harder for bloggers. There are going to be more people that are willing to pay for space on Pinterest. Because of that you need to really show Pinterest you are a creator worth sharing.

Many bloggers are saying you should be adding a new pin everday. Well, I don’t know about you but I don’t have time to sit at my computer and create pins all day. I do use a program called RelayThat that creates multiple images for you with just a few clicks so that saves a bunch of time.

However, they also seem to only have the same layouts. It can be customized a hundred different ways but it is still the same layouts so you can’t solely rely on that.

With this app and my new iPad Pro and Apple Pencil I can be mobile and creating pins on the go all the time!

Accessories

Because I will be on the go I did get myself a case and as I said I also have the keyboard too. I have seen some creators have these cool pencil gripper sleeves. I don’t know if I will do that or not because with the new pencil it senses when you double tap to erase when using the Notes App. Also I don’t know how that affects it charging magnetically or staying safely on the side of the ipad.

I worry that it might come off and I would lose it.

Another reason I love Apple Products…all their amazing apps! I use the Notes app all the time. My whole life is in that thing. All categories and accessible on any of my Apple Devices.

If I am sitting at the computer working and I make changes on in my Notes App then later when I only have my phone I can see see those changes. It is like the perfect Notebook that I never forget at home!

Free Pinterest Image Course

Well there you have it! I hope you check out the Procreate App and enjoy it as much as I am! There are so many possibilies I can’t wait to see what all I can create! The best part is this is a way to be artist (or try) without the mess!

Pinterest Image Course - mom blog from home

Don’t forget to check out my Free Pinterest Image Course for other tips and programs to use to create Pinterest images! I will be adding this information with this app to it soon!

Happy blogging!

Vanessa

P.S. Comment below with some of your beautiful pins you create using Procreate! I would love to see them and share them!

A Full Walkthrough on How to Use Tailwind

A Full Walkthrough on How to Use Tailwind

If you are a new blogger I am sure you have heard over and over again how important Pinterest is. You may have also heard how many bloggers use Tailwind to help them automatically pin their pins on Pinterest. This blog post is a full walkthrough of how to use Tailwind so you can decide for yourself!

A Full Walkthrough on How to Use Tailwind - Mom Blog From Home

How to Use Tailwind - A full walkthrough on how to use Tailwind by mom blog from home

Pinterest

First, let’s back up for one second and talk about Pinterest. If you have not heard that Pinterest is the best way to get traffic to your new blog then I am here to tell you it is.

Here is how I was able to get traffic to my new blog from Pinterest.

If you are like most then you probably thought Pinterest was just for looking up your next DIY project or recipes. Each of those images (pins) on Pinterest was actually created by bloggers and website owners.

Bloggers write blog posts and then create pin images (like I did above for this blog post) and then they pin that image to Pinterest linking it back to their blog post.

It is like free advertisement space for your blog. The more you advertise the more traffic you can drive to your blog.

It takes a little bit to wrap your head around the business angle of Pinterest if you are only used to the consumer side. Don’t worry I have plenty of resources to help you with all of that though.

Resources to Get Started

In this post, I am including several resources to help guide you through using Tailwind. Instead of writing a 3,000+ word blog post I broke it up so you can choose the area of Tailwind you need help with! Let’s start with these resources below.

Pinterest Primer

The Pinterest Primer course is a free course by McKinzie Bean. She walks you through how to set up your Pinterest Business account for success. There is more to it than just signing up to Pinterest, so check out her free course to get started off on the right foot!

Pinterest Primer

Pin to Profits

Then if you are ready to up your game you can move on to her paid course that goes more in-depth on using Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog.

Pins to Profits Foundations

Free Pinterest Image Course

A major part of succeeding on Pinterest is creating beautiful Pinterest images that entice people to share and click through. I created a free course to help you create beautiful Pinterest images!

Pinterest Image Course - mom blog from home

Why Tailwind

If Pinterest is free why would someone want to pay for a service like Tailwind?

Well, like I said, the more that you advertise or pin the more traffic you can drive back to your blog. So, unless you are willing to be on Pinterest constantly pinning and repinning all day, a scheduler quickly becomes a necessity.

It is very difficult to manually pin all of your pins. You most certainly can at the beginning but it becomes overwhelming fast. However, that said, if you are leaning more towards manually pinning then this is an awesome ebook to help you with that!

If you are wondering about comparing Tailwind with other schedulers out there to get the best deal then let me help you real quick with that. There are currently no others that are partnered with Pinterest. Tailwind is the only authorized user that works with Pinterest.

There was another called Boardbooster and Pinterest recently made it clear they didn’t authorize them and Boardbooster was forced to shut down.

I’m sure that was a sad day for those that used Boardbooster but a very happy day for Tailwind when all of those users switched to join them.

I was already using Tailwind and right after I started using it I gained over 600 page views in one day on my small blog!

I ended up getting over 7,000 page views in 30 days after I started using Tailwind so I am definitely a believer in using it!

Set Up Tailwind

If you are interested in giving Tailwind a try then you can grab your first month free right here. After you set that up let’s walk through setting up and using Tailwind.

Tailwind is great about supporting its users. There is also a demo video walking you through how to use their features. Like this video.

Plus all of the other videos they have on their site and YouTube Channel. They are also very good about getting back to you right away in the chat box inside your Tailwind account.

Now that you have an idea of how to use Tailwind let’s talk about some of the features.

Tailwind Tribes

Tailwind Tribes is just like it sounds. It is a tribe of users that are grouped together. Inside each tribe, that you can join for free, there is a page full of pins fellow Tribe members have shared.

The purpose of Tailwind Tribes is to narrow down users into groups that are within the same niche. This gives you access to a bunch of pins to repin that are within your niche.

You want to make sure you are pinning other bloggers pins as well as your own. This is a quick way to find pins to repin. This is also a great way to get your pins repinned too.

Within the Tribe, there is a place where you can chat with other members and it shows you the analytics of how your pins are doing within each Tribe.

Tailwind lets you join 5 Tribes for free and if you want to join more you can upgrade.

You are welcome to join my new Tailwind Tribe – First Time Blogger to get started!

Tailwind Smart Loop

The newest feature Tailwind just rolled out is the Smart Loop.

Tailwind gives you 250 loops for free and again if you want to add more then you can upgrade your plan. The Smart Loop feature is designed to loop your pins for you so you don’t have to keep repinning them.

This may sound confusing at first and you may be thinking isn’t that what Tailwind is already doing?

Smart Loop is for your evergreen pins and for your seasonal pins.

There are two different types of loops you can create. If you have pins that are doing great and you want to continue to drip those throughout all of your boards and groups boards you can set up a loop for those.

Or if you have seasonal posts that you want to start pinning a certain time of the year automatically then you can set those up also.

Let’s say you are a food blogger and you want to start your Halloween recipes to start pinning in the summer (yes in the summer at least) then instead of trying to remember on your own, you can set it up to loop for you.

Same for DIY Christmas projects for craft bloggers and so on!

Tailwind Strategy

Each blogger has their own Tailwind strategy so you can start with the basic and tweak it as you go and see what is working and what isn’t working.

Here is the basic run down that I keep reading from other bloggers. So I have personally done this and I have personally read many blog posts and taken courses that outline a very similar strategy.

This is after you have your Pinterest business account all set up and all your boards are full.

  1. Pin 20-50 times a day
  2. Use the 80/20 rule – 80% your pins and 20% other bloggers pins
  3. Pin your pins to your own boards and to group boards
  4. Pin other bloggers pins to just your boards. (The group boards are for advertising your pins)

Tailwind Extension

Tailwind has a browser extension (<–scroll to the very bottom of that page) that you can add to make filling your Tailwind queue much easier. After you install the extension just go to your Pinterest account and once on the main feed click the Tailwind extension (feather icon) on your browser toolbar.

All of the visual pins will now be available to click on to add to your queue. After you click on the ones that you want to add click “go schedule” where you can then select which boards you would like each pin to go to.

This extension can also be used while on a blog or site that you wish to pin something from as well.

Here is a video walking you through how to use the Tailwind extension.

Where to Find Pins

  • Pinterest Group Boards
  • Home Feed
  • Search For Pins in Your Niche
  • “Following” Tab in Pinterest
  • Tailwind Tribes
  • Visit Profiles of Bloggers in Your Niche

Do’s and Dont’s of Pinterest and Tailwind

Do

  • Share other bloggers pins
  • Use keywords everywhere you can
  • Creative beautiful pin images
  • Create multiple pins per blog post (just hide them – learn how here)
  • Connect and chat with Tribe members and comment on pins
  • Check your analytics to see what is and isn’t working. There is analytics for Pinterest, Tailwind and Tailwind Tribes.
  • Have fun! It is actually fun to do!

Don’t

  • Spam. Read the Pinterest rules or you can get banned.
  • Steal other people’s pins
  • Copy other blogger’s pins (use can use designs as inspiration but don’t copy that’s not cool)
  • Pin a bunch one day and then go days without pinning. Stay consistent daily!
  • Break group board or Tailwind Tribe rules. They will kick you out.

More Resources

Now that you have a walkthrough of how to use Tailwind, here are some more resources for you!

Get Pinning

Well, there you have it! Using Pinterest and Tailwind for the first time can feel intimidating but don’t worry it soon becomes second nature! And it makes it all worth it when you see that traffic come pouring in! Good luck to you, now go get pinning!

Vanessa

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