Conversation with Kate Ahl
So you’re curious about Pinterest...
Maybe you’ve heard people say “Pinterest will help more people find your website” or maybe you use Pinterest but aren’t sure how to use it for your business.
This episode has all the answers!
Kate Ahl, owner of Simple Pin Media is here to share lots of information with you! Kate walks through the questions to ask yourself to figure out if Pinterest is the best place for you to invest your energy as well as a very specific plan on how to implement if it’s a good fit for you.
She even shares how much time to invest each week and when you will likely see a return on your investment!
Grab a pen and paper and get ready to take some notes!
What is Pinterest and how can it help your business?
It's important to understand what Pinterest is exactly so you can know if it's a good place to spend your energy.
Pinterest is a search and discovery engine which means it's very much like Google or YouTube.
Pinterest is where people go to find IDEAS.
Instagram and Facebook are where people to go to follow PEOPLE.
When people go to Pinterest, they don't care about you. Instead, they are intent on finding a solution to their problem.
With Instagram and Facebook, people don't tend to move off the platform to go to your website. Those platforms are built to keep people there as long as possible. But Pinterest is built to send people OFF the platform. Therefore, if you want more traffic to your website so people sign up for your offerings, that's when we would look to Pinterest.
How Pinterest uses video
Pinterest has just started gaining steam with video. People on Pinterest are now watching about one billion video views a day.
A lot of teachers use YouTube. YouTube is a search engine specifically for video, so people are ready to watch something that's longer form.
With Pinterest, videos are more of a teaser. It's short form video (less than two minutes). Then if people click to learn more, they can click through to your YouTube channel or website.
**This was also a podcast episode (episode #107). Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message.
How to get started on Pinterest with your business
Set up a Pinterest account for your yoga business by following these steps.
If you want to create a business profile from scratch:
Make sure the account talks all about who you are what you do. What type of yoga, where you're located, etc.
Create boards (see below for more details)
If you have a personal profile and want to convert it to a business profile:
Go to business.pinterest.com and it will walk you through the process of converting your account.
Go through your profile and make sure it matches your business.
Edit the boards that are for personal use and move them to "Secret." You don't want to delete anything from your account because you'll lose content and you'll lose followers.
Create new boards.
What are Pinterest boards?
Pinterest boards are collections of pins. Boards tell the Pinterest algorithm what you are pinning and where they can show people your content.
Every time someone takes an action on a certain pin, this sends Pinterest algorithm clues that they are interested in that thing.
So if someone saves a pin from one of your boards called "Morning Yoga Routines," then the algorithm is going to show that person more pins from that board.
Pinterest board tips:
Be specific. You want to name each board something very specific, niched, and clear, because people will search for specific things and you want pins from your board to pop up.
You just need a few boards. Keep focused on what you provide and how your boards can reflect that.
Quick Pinterest plan for your business
After you've set up your Pinterest business account, follow these basic guidelines to get started.
Profile - Declare your niche on your profile so people see what you're all about right away.
Boards - Make sure your boards are all specific to your niche and have very clear, searchable titles.
Pins - This is your billboard! You want it to be eye-catching with images and text.
Description - Like you're sending a text to a friend. Just two or three sentences. For example: "Check out this great exercise for lower back pain using a yoga practice. It's super effective, super simple, and it will help relieve back pain." It's natural sounding, but you still want to use keywords.
Frequency - Pin 1 to 5 pins per day. Use the same content (for example, a blog post about back pain) but different pins (different pin designs, different videos). You can pin a pin to multiple boards.
Use a scheduler (like Tailwind). A scheduler will keep you consistent.
Give yourself a time limit. Limit your Pinterest usage to 3 hours per week for creating and scheduling. You can batch in two days (1 1/2 each day) creating a plan, creating your pins, and scheduling the pins.
Check analytics. After the first of the month, go into your Pinterest analytics. What worked? What didn't work? What are the numbers telling you? If something worked really well, create something along those lines again. Make adjustments like this each month.
Pinterest and mindset in your business
"We all start our businesses in these places of unknowns, and stepping out into that place to say 'I don't know if this is going to work or not.' I hate failure. But you have to take that risk. When you are up against a rock and a hard place, you really have no other options." - Kate Ahl
With Pinterest, it's the long game. You probably won't see immediate results. You have to stick with it for awhile. Commit to at least 6 months before giving up.
Know that there will be hard days, but it’s worth it in the long run.
"There are going to be times in the first couple of months of using Pinterest that you are so frustrated. Push past that to get to the 6-8 months. mark. Continue to remember the "why" that you are using it so you don't get derailed." - Kate Ahl
Your next step
It’s all about carving out the time to give it focus, so if this is calling your attention right now - I would encourage you to give it a try for the next 6 months.
Remember what Kate said - you’re going to hit a point where you feel frustrated but keep going. Stick to your plan and keep going so you can see the benefits of this work after 6 to 8 months.
Just like your yoga practice, marketing takes time too.
So until next time, give yourself permission to take it slow with Pinterest and grace along the way.
"If you want more traffic to your website, people potentially signing up for your online classes, or getting to know your local studio and taking the next steps, that's when we look to Pinterest."
-Kate Ahl
About Kate
Kate Ahl is the owner and founder of Simple Pin Media, a Pinterest management company. They help their clients focus back on their business by taking over all aspects of Pinterest marketing. After working with over 600 Pinterest accounts they have learned how to pin for all types of companies and niches. Kate has taught tens of thousands about Pinterest marketing through various speaking engagements and her podcast, the Simple Pin Podcast. She aims to teach simple, actionable tips to help you create forward movement in your business instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Kate's Links
***I love Kate’s work and so I’m an affiliate for her programs. If you purchase something from her based on these links, the price for you doesn’t change, but I will receive a small commission as a ‘thank you’.