Thursday Press #115: real or not real?
[18 JAN 2024] 2024 Pinterest ins & outs
Do you know what's real and not real?
Or are you like Peeta post-Capitol torture?
So sorry to anyone who didn't go through a Hunger Games phase... just stick with me.
Some pet peeves have a way of GETTING UNDER YOUR SKIN.
For me it's:
chewing loudly with your mouth open
slow walkers/drivers who don't leave space to pass
and any time I see quotation marks being used to add emphasis to a public sign
(or any other minute grammar mistake honestly, but I'm trying to cool my jets on those)
One thing bothers me more than all of those combined, though…
So-called experts spreading WACK information just because they heard one little rumor.
Shannon McKinstrie has been fighting against one particular rumor lately — the allegation that Instagram can tell if you copy and paste your caption from your Notes app and that this will somehow limit your distribution... 🙄
Lemme tell you, it's BONKERS out here!!!
And it's not just the Insta-girlies, it happens with Pinterest, too.
Last November, I got an email from another well-regarded Pinterest expert that absolutely blew my mind.
Set aside the fact that it was obviously written by ChatGPT — the alliterative title: subtitle formula is a dead giveaway — it contained some advice that I just cannot stand by.
To sum up the email, this Pinterest expert claimed that "they were right" for telling their community to keep using hashtags on Pinterest because they're "officially back."
Bestie, I really just CAN'T.
In the spirit of debunking some of this truly yikes-inducing advice, I wanted to add my own spin to the Ins & Outs trend currently making its way across social media.
(And if you, like me, are frequently on the backend of social trends, this one is basically just people sharing what's "in" and what's "out" for them in 2024! It is what it sounds like!)
BELOW THE FOLD
My 2024 Pinterest Ins & Outs
In:
Turning your content into blogs to get more use out of your content
Using a scheduler to plan your Pinterest content ahead of time
Creating multiple pins for every piece of content
Setting up your Pinterest foundations
Out:
Keyword or hashtag stuffing
Spending all your time repinning other's content
Worrying about perfection
Following Pinterest advice or strategies that don't fit your business
One of my personal outs for 2024 is "other people's rules".
It encompasses a lot, but what I particularly want to get rid of this year is feeling like I have to force my life or my business to fit someone else's way of working.
What works for one person might not work for you.
And I know that seems like simple, self-explanatory advice, but somehow we keep getting caught in this cycle of bouncing from coach to coach, program to program, template to template... desperate to find someone to tell us what to do so we can succeed.
I freakin' get it. But you know what happens every time I try that? It doesn't stick, because it isn't right.
It is absolutely crucial that you surround yourself with the right support people and systems and strategies that work for you.
Often, I find that's why some of these unfounded Pinterest rumors get so much traction. One piece of anecdotal advice or a single influencer's success story then becomes the foundation of a "strategy" that isn't right for every business.
The way affiliate marketers use Pinterest is going to be different from the way service providers use Pinterest is going to be different from the way e-commerce shops use Pinterest.
And that's okay!!!! But what's not okay is trying to make the wrong kind of advice fit for your business.
That's why I am so "niched down" to service-based businesses. That's what I know and love, and my expertise is going to be best suited for those types of businesses.
If that's you, and you feel like you need a solid game plan to expand your business on Pinterest this year, then the Pinterest strategy audit is perfect for you.
Over the course of a week, I deep-dive into every aspect of your Pinterest marketing funnel, from your on-Pinterest activity to your website, email list, and blogs.
From there, I create a custom content strategy to help you reach your goals from Pinterest marketing, including best practices and specific recommendations to improve your current Pinterest account.
Not sure if it's for you? Here's some recent feedback that warmed my heart to the freakin' core 🥹
“If you want to start marketing on Pinterest, but want to make sure that you're doing it in a way that's right for your business specifically, don't hesitate to work with Sarah!”
“She created a strategy that makes so much sense for my business, provided me with a keyword bank that was worth the investment alone, and gave so many tangible tips that I can easily implement, while also encouraging me on what I'm already doing well. Overall, a 10/10 experience!”
– Natalie, Natty Writes
The Full Tea on Hashtags on Pinterest in 2024
If you're ever in doubt as to whether the latest Pinterest hack or rumor is real or not real, just ask me! I'll always give you the best answer I can, or direct you to someone who knows even better than I do.
I'm all about increasing our collective knowledge, and whether that's by learning from me or from someone else, it's worth taking the time to sort the facts from the fiction.
Or if you want to vent about some ridiculous advice you're tired of seeing in your industry, I'm all ears!
Being #delulu is fun when you're setting big goals, but not when it comes to actually achieving them… 🤜🎤
ALWAYS YOUR PINTEREST BESTIE, & THAT'S FOR REAL —
Sarah