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I may have the manliest Pinterest account in existence.

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Like jumbo shrimp, artificial reality or Microsoft Works, “manly” and “Pinterest” aren’t usually associated with each other. According to data from the Google Ad Planner, 79% of Pinterest users are female. While a variety of male-oriented competitors have emerged, including Gentlemint and WhereIsTheCool, Pinterest is growing faster than almost any other content distribution network in the history of the web and is finally capturing the interest of both genders.

So don’t worry guys, Pinterest isn’t only about wedding dresses and strappy sandals. When customized in the right manner, Pinterest can be a valuable resource for any guy. Here’s how to do it!

Be Picky with your Follows

The biggest mistake guys (including myself) make when they join Pinterest is to link up their account with Facebook and auto-follow their friends. This typically leads to a feed filled with female-focused pins. Remember that, while Pinterest has social features like Comments and Likes, it is NOT a social network. Pinterest is a content delivery network at its core and is much more focused about content discovery than social engagement. Keep your friendships focused on Facebook, otherwise your feed will be filled with useless clutter… unless you have a genuine interest in innovative hair-braiding techniques. I don’t, and that is why I’m so picky about whom I follow on Pinterest.

Follow Boards, not People

When you follow someone, you follow all their boards. This includes the boards that have yet to create. Do your due diligence when considering whether or not to follow someone and check out all their boards. If you like some of their shared pins and not others; only follow the boards which you find interesting. Enjoy food and travel? Follow your friends’ boards that relate to these subjects and ignore the wedding boards.

What are you looking for on Pinterest?

It’s easy to get caught up in the sheer volume of content on Pinterest. If you have an idea going in though on what type of content you want to discover, it is much easier to pick and choose the right boards to follow. I personally want to discover pinned content focused on humor, men’s style, branding/design, infographics, food and cool getaways. If it doesn’t fit those categories, it better really peak my interest to get a follow. Set the guidelines for your social discovery adventure and Pinterest will provide you with a wealth of interesting content.

Top Male Boards and Users on Pinterest

My personal favorite Pinterest board is #BroPin, created by social media strategist Mike Street and managed by a variety of male Pinterest users. The board features pins across a variety of masculine subjects, like muscle cars, science fiction, and suits.

Looking for crude humor? Follow the Pinterest board of TastefullyOffensive.com. Curated by Christian Baker, TO’s pins tend to cross the gender gap and make fun of everyone and everything. TastefullyOffensive’s board is also a great example of how content creators can use Pinterest as a means of distributing their content to an additional audience.

Here are eight men to follow on Pinterest:

Evan Sharp – Pinterest cofounder with boards for anything from Crazy Star Trek Shit to Nuclear Beauty

Scott Monty – Global head of social media for Ford Motor Company curates for #BroPin and shares a variety of very classy boards, including Dress to Impress and Royal Warrant Holders

Tristan Walker – BizDev at Foursquare with great boards for books and technology

Ben Golder – Fullbright Fellow in Spain with a penchant for architecture and robotics

Justin Blumer – Wisconsin student with an eye for masculine design

Adam Walker – FlyCanvas founder and SoCal surfer

Warren Quirk – Vancouverite with cool automotive boards

Rich Rogerson – Newcastle graphic designer with boards for comics and World War II posters

Pinterest can be a valuable tool if used carefully and with purpose in mind. Be picky with your follows, focus on following individual boards over users, and have a strategy in mind from the beginning and you’ll discover a wealth of valuable content!

Oh, and shameless plug… if you like innovative ideas and gadgets, tasty food or social media infographics, be sure to follow my boards.

Tags: BroPin, Gentlemint, pinterest, Pinterest for Guys, Pinterest for Men, TastefullyOffensive, WhereIstheCool