354 – Achieving Pinterest Success is Very Different from Facebook or Instagram with Cali Waege

Listen to the full episode here:
http://giftbizunwrapped.com/pinterest-success

I know you’ve been looking forward to more on this topic – Pinterest success!

Today, you’re going to hear why Pinterest is still so valuable and how to get the most out of your pins. Including ways to attract the right people - your ideal customer.

One thing I’m really enjoying about Pinterest is how very different it is from Facebook or Instagram. It didn’t start out that way, so if you haven’t had an update recently, you’ll find this really interesting. And honestly, it's so refreshing.

Plus, how would you answer this question: “Are hashtags appropriate these days for my pins?” Yes or no? Are you sure?Let’s get into the show and find out if you’re right.Cali is the gal behind The Halcyon Hive and is a pin-tastic marketing guru. She helps service providers and product sellers increase traffic, client leads, and sales using Pinterest.

It's time you stop crossing your fingers hoping that one of those many pins you posted will go viral and get you the traffic that everyone is talking about.

Cali’s going to be our guide today to teach us the strategy and tactics to get those results.
How To Achieve Pinterest Success

Why bother with Pinterest for your small business?

• Pinterest helps you get more eyes on your website, grow your email list, increase brand awareness, and even make more sales.

Understand how Pinterest is different from Facebook and Instagram.

• Pinterest is a visual search engine , so it's more like Google than social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. People go to Pinterest to search, be inspired, and plan, not to socialize with others.
• Don't worry about your follower count - it's much less important than getting your Pinterest SEO right.
• Pinterest engagement is different from social platforms - it's about clicking, savings, and clicking through to the associated URL. Engagement is important because it tells Pinterest what your pin is about and who to show it to.

What to pin for Pinterest success?

• Use Pinterest Trends to find currently trending search terms. -- Listen to the convo for details about using Pinterest Trends!
• Check your Pinterest Analytics to see which of your pins were most successful. Use them as inspiration for new pins.
• Create 5-7 pins per destination post (e.g., blog post, product sales pages, etc.). Then check back in a few months to see which ones got the most activity for design and keyword inspiration.
• Include subtle branding on your pins so they stand out from other people.
• No need to repin other peoples' pins anymore. Focus on creating your own fresh content. If you don't have a lot of content to promote, then you can repin pins from other people to flesh out your boards until you have enough of your own.
• Don't bother with hashtags anywhere in your Pinterest activity. They are no longer relevant.-- PRO TIP - tune in for more detail!
• It's okay to pin the same pin to different boards, but schedule some space between them. For example, pin it to the most relevant board first. Then a week or two later, pin it to another board.
• Know what’s trending to help you plan out content and when to pin things. Look at pins high on these trends searches for design inspiration.

What to do if you change the focus of your Pinterest account?

• Unless the link no longer works, just keep old pins. No need to delete anything as long as the destination is still valid.  -- Tune in for details on this!
• Create new boards that fit your new focus with appropriate keywords. Put the vast majority of your pin creation focus on your new boards rather than old boards.
• Convert personal boards to Secret to keep your account focused on your business.

How to start a new Pinterest account (or convert a personal one) for your business?• Create (or switch to) a business account in order to get Analytics and other benefits for your business. Audience insights will tell what level of interest your audience has in certain topics and categories.
• Know who your ideal customer is.Is the audience you acquired on your personal Pinterest the target audience you want for your business? If it is, just convert your personal to a business account.  But if it's not, create a new business account.
• Start with 5-10 boards. Activity is more important than the number of boards. So only make boards you can consistently create content for.
• Add content to your new boards as soon as possible. You want to fill your board with super relevant content so Pinterest knows what it's about.
• Create content that will attract your ideal customers. Use search terms your ideal customers would use when creating your Board titles. -- Listen in for examples!
• Use Pinterest Trends to find keywords and phrases people are actually searching for. Then use them for your Board titles and Pin titles and descriptions.
• It's good to have semi-overlapping boards and you can pin the same