Blogger's Guide to Flipboard

Learn how to increase blog traffic and reach a new audience with Flipboard! This guide will walk you through setting up your account, applying to creator programs, and tips to add this platform into your workflow.

My first experience with Flipboard was as a user when it first came out. Fast forward to almost exactly one year ago, I was reintroduced to the app as a blogger in May 2023. I came across a Niche Pursuits article about how they got 61,934 visitors from Flipboard in 30 days. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement.

I set up my profile, made my magazines, and applied to their publisher and creator programs. Within a week I started to see traffic from Flipboard trickle in! For an extremely low-effort task, it was clear that Flipboard had potential.

I've always made sure to diversify my traffic sources. While organic, Pinterest, and direct are my top 3 drivers – I don't want to miss out on reaching a new audience via Flipboard, blogger roundups, and other sources.

If you're wanting to learn more about Flipboard, this guide is for you! Before we get started, be sure to follow me here and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

What is Flipboard?

Flipboard launched in January 2010 as a free social news app and magazine platform. It gathers content from news publications, blogs, and social networks and displays content in a magazine-like format. Your experience on the app is based on the topics you interact and engage with.

Why should bloggers care?

Flipboard currently has over 100+ million active users seeking new content and directs traffic straight to your website. Think Google Discover meets Pinterest!

If the thought of adding yet another social media platform to your workflow stresses you out, hear me out… Flipboard isn’t like other social platforms! It’s designed to showcase your content via links, photos, videos, and more.

When a user clicks on the article, they are taken straight to your website. No extra clicks or clunky interface!

Here are 3 reasons why bloggers should use Flipboard:

Easy to navigate: Flipboard is simple to use. Just get set up and start sharing! Here's a handy guide from Inside Flipboard over getting started.
Diversify traffic: You don't want all your [traffic] eggs in one basket. Don't get me wrong, your newsletter and other platforms are important. Since Flipboard is still rolling out new features, it pays to be an early adopter.
Build community: Being part of a community is one of the greatest parts of blogging. Discover a new audience that has a proven interest in your exact niche. Plus you can create group magazines and collaborate with other bloggers.

Getting started

Here's how to get started using Flipboard, tips for creating your profile, optimizing your magazines, and growing your community.

Step 1: Create a profile

To start, sign up for an account. Your username can be your blog name or your actual name. Add a profile picture and include a short bio about what type of content you share.

Navigate to your profile settings and apply to become a publisher. This enables you to connect your RSS feed. As of mid-2024, Flipboard has paused accepting new applications to its publisher program.

Before you back out, it's okay! You can still apply to the creator program. The publisher program was originally made for large media brands who publish more frequently than typical creators and bloggers.

The benefit was automatically connecting RSS feeds to automatically share to Flipboard. You can still add to Flipboard by sharing links, photos, videos, etc. It’s just not automatic without being a “publisher”. If you have the option to apply to have a publisher account, I would still request it knowing it may take a while to get accepted – or you may not get access.

Step 2: Curate your magazines

Flipboard magazines are similar to Pinterest boards. Give each board a catchy, click-worthy title! Create magazines for different categories and topics and be sure to fill out the magazine descriptions with keywords.

Flip new content immediately after publishing as the Flipboard algorithm favors new content. Add captions, ask questions, and genuinely try to start a conversation or connect with others.

Once you have shared a piece of content into a magazine, you can flip it into other magazines! Use the + button on the bottom of every story or the Create icon within Flipboard to flip stories into a magazine.

Invite other bloggers to your magazines and turn them into group magazines. They will become a contributor and be able to flip content.

A quick note from Jenna: Group magazines worked great during my maternity leave, as I wasn’t publishing new content. Since other people were flipping and engaging in the magazine, it continued to grow and stay active!

Message me to get the links to join my group magazines: Food Blogger Recipes, Cocktail and Mocktail Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Dairy Free Recipes. Note that contributor invites are only valid for 7 days, so join as soon as you receive the link!

Step 3: Apply to the creator programs

For additional opportunties, check out Flipboard's Creator Collective! Once accepted, you'll have access to storyboards, newsletter curation, joining as a paid contributor, being eligible for their red check verification, and more.

Creator programs

To be eligible to apply, you need a minimum of 1,000 followers on at least 1 social network. You’ll also need to set up your account, add a profile picture, bio, and have at least 25 items in at least 1 magazine.

Everyone who submits the form will be added to a mailing list for program updates, opportunities, and tips to grow their presence on Flipboard. Learn more and apply here!

It can take at least 3 months to hear back on your application. Keep posting and remain active while you wait.

Flipboard Storyboards

Storyboards are Flipboard's newest way to share content! This is where I think you should spend a majority of your time, as the Flipboard team looks for Storyboards to feature in the Explore tab, Today's Picks, and email newsletters.

Flipboard says that Storyboards "provide [a] narrative structure to round up articles, videos, and even podcasts... Storyboards are meant to be shared on and off Flipbaord to reach new audiences, drive traffic, and gain new followers."

So for food bloggers: Think blog post roundups centering around a type of food, featuring a certain ingredient, or promoting an upcoming holiday.

Here are 6 key takeaways from their Storyboard Best Practices and Guidelines:

Share coverage around a current event.
Fill out the title and description to tell the reader what is in the collection.
Pick a minimum of 5 items in a Storyboard.
Use keywords to increase discoverability.
Choose a main image that is related to the content and visually appealing.
Select all 5 topic tags to increase relevancy and distribution.

Tips for success

Get the FlipIt browser extension so you're able to quickly share new content into magazines.
Add Flipboard to your social sharing plugin to encourage your audience to flip onto their accounts.
Flip into your most active magazine first, then into other relevant magazines and group magazines.
The Flipboard team has stated they prefer new content vs old content. Prioritize flipping new content ASAP and save older content for Storyboards.
Don't worry about follower count, it's all about getting your content seen and shared.
Flip around 5 new flips a day, this can be your new content and others.
Keep an eye on Flipboard analytics both on the platform and in Google Analytics! On Flipboard, a good sign is a high number of page flips. You can also see impressions, opens, clicks, and more insights. In GA4, navigate to reports > acquisition > traffic acquisition, and view session source/medium.

Final thoughts

If you’re a blogger wanting to diversify your traffic sources, give Flipboard a try! I recommend experimenting for at least 3-4 months on a consistent schedule to see how it works for you and your blog. After that, evaluate!

A month ago, I was among a small group of creators to get my Flipboard account federated! Learn more about the fediverse and what it represents for the future of social media. In short, it’s a growing ecosystem of open-source networks. Once you are federated, stories you curate on Flipboard can be viewed and engaged with by people on federated networks. This is still new to me but I'm eager to see what the next few months hold.

More resources

This interview highlighting a creator who gets 1 million views a month from Flipboard is what sparked this new wave of Flipboard enthusiasts.
Learn more about Flipboard for Creators! You can syndicate posts, distribute Substack newsletters, share videos, show off original images, and even share your podcast.
Become a contributor to a Flipboard Exchange! As an approved contributor, you can share in group magazines that are promoted to people on Flipboard. Communities include cooking, travel, photography, and climate awareness.