Thursday Press #127: stop hiding your best content
[11 APR 2024] Pinterest content ideas you might be missing
What if I said you'd already created your best Pinterest content?
That the most valuable parts of your marketing strategy were already done and ready.
(and no, this isn't a sales pitch. I'm being 100% serious.)
If you're a brand/web designer, photographer, or any kind of visual creative entrepreneur, you're already creating bushels of top-tier Pinterest content just by doing your job.
If that doesn't fit you or what you do, don't archive this email yet, I've got tips for you below the fold.
But let's get back to that whole designer thing...
Every time you wrap up a client project, how many assets have you created for them?
You designed their brand? That means you probably created a color palette, mood board, primary logo, submarks, patterns, other logo variations, branded packaging, etc.
You designed their website? How many pages was it?
Each of those individual assets can be repurposed and posted on Pinterest practically as is.
While most content repurposing for Pinterest requires some tweaks, a lot of the design assets and mockups you're already creating can work overtime on Pinterest.
What's more is that it's not just content for the sake of content.
Pinning your design work is one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise as a designer and attract more like-minded clients who are in the research and inspiration gathering phases.
Just because Pinterest is a new-to-you platform doesn't mean you need to reinvent the wheel.
In fact, you probably need to do even less than you think...
How to Repurpose Your Content for Pinterest
Everyone's tired of content creation.
Whether it's because "social media is fake" or because we have these societal expectations of what content "should" look like on one platform or another, it's exhausting
And as an online business owner, you are, in fact, a content creator — like it or not.
So today I'm giving you permission to stop creating content for at least one platform.
Pinterest isn't a content creation platform, it's a content repurposing platform.
The sooner you realize that and adapt the way you approach it, the sooner you can be driving traffic, sales, and leads from Pinterest with the content you already have. Here's how:
1.(a) Create multiple different pin images for each piece of content
Wrote a blog? Great. Create 5+ pin images for it.
If you're in a super visual niche, those images might just be photos.
But I'd recommend designing some that have text overlay to give users more context and Pinterest more keyword data
1.(b) Your different graphics don't have to be wildly different from each other
In fact, they probably shouldn't. Your pins should have a sense of brand cohesion both with each other and with your website (or wherever the pins link to).
Using the designer example from earlier, this could be as simple as switching the background color for a logo design.
Swapping colors, photos, or orientations can be easy ways to switch up the look of your pins without creating a whole new design.
2. Reframe the content
Feel like you've exhausted all the potential ways to market your blog post? Try again.
>> Can you zoom in on just one section of the post and make a batch of pins focused on that topic?
>> Can you pivot it to be focused towards one industry of your target audience?
>> Can you spin a "how to" post into a "what NOT to do" post? Hint: Negativity bias means our brains tend to respond more to negative content.
3. Link your Instagram content to a relevant page/post on your website
If IG is your content creation bestie, this is your permission slip to reuse what you post there on Pinterest.
BUT! I want you to do it the right way:
Download videos/reels without the watermark
Resize feed posts/carousels to 1000 x 1500 px
Add a descriptive title and description (NOT just your caption from IG)
Link to a relevant post or page on your website, not back to the same post on Instagram
When it comes down to it, repurposing content for Pinterest looks like spending more time in Canva (or Illustrator, if that's your software of choice) than anything else
If that's your jam, fab! If not, I've got some resources launching soon to help you with that. 👀
In the meantime, if there's a type of content I haven't covered here that you want to know how to repurpose for Pinterest, let me know & I'll share my tips!
My Best Pin Creation Tips for Click-Worthy Pins
The content you post on Pinterest will depend on (1) what you have available and (2) what your goals from Pinterest marketing are
While you could post every single piece of content you have on Pinterest, not all of them are going to be aligned with your desired outcome.
>> If you don't want to book more photography websites, you probably don't want to pin more of those portfolio projects.
>> If you primarily want to generate interest in your brand strategy service, it probably won't benefit you to post a bunch of pins about social media marketing.
Having the content to post is just one part of the equation.
The other parts are knowing what to post, why you're posting it, and how to optimize it for your goals.