Thursday Press #155: I never even considered this...
[24 OCT 2024] + a message from my new hero
I always knew wedding planning was a capital B, capital D Big Deal™
It’s one of the many reasons my fiancée and I chose to elope instead of throwing a “traditional” wedding ceremony & reception
What I didn’t realize was that really only eliminates the guest list and long list of vendor coordination
It turns out that when you’re DIYing 90% of your wedding, you should… uh… really leave more time to do all of that DIYing…
Ask me how I know. 🤪
Now, I’ve been given a very important mission by my new favorite person — Olga, my alterations hero
Olga, who welcomed me into her home studio with a personality rundown of her 4 very friendly cats, said, and I quote:
“I’m telling you this so you can tell everyone else you know:
BOOK IN WITH A SEAMSTRESS AS SOON AS YOU GET ENGAGED.”
Here I was, thinking I needed to have my dress picked out (which I also procrastinated) before I brought it to a tailor… but no! I should have been prioritizing a seamstress the way “traditional” couples prioritize venues.
It genuinely never crossed my mind, which is why I’m taking this mission to heart and telling YOU in case it can help at least one other person.
If I’ve learned one thing through this process, it’s that you should start sooner than you think.
Easier said than done, I know.
The squirrels that control my brain apparently only know how to function in dire, stressful, last-minute situations, but I’m working on it.
Narrator: She’s not working on it.
Because damn if it isn’t true for nearly every situation in life…
Remember when I launched my new website a few months ago?
Yeah, okay, so that was in AUGUST.
My original “website in a week” project with Sarah Kleist was at the beginning of APRIL.
And I first inquired & booked in FEBRUARY.
The lesson learned here is that things almost always take longer than you expect. So even if you think you’ve left yourself enough time, you probably haven’t.
START. EARLIER.
And yes, that applies to Pinterest, too.
If you think that Pinterest might be in the cards for you in 2025, it’s time to get started earlier rather than later.
But how early? Is there a right time? A wrong time?
It might surprise you to hear coming from me, but I don’t think Pinterest should be the first thing you prioritize when you start a business.
Unlike wedding dress alterations, you actually do need a few things done before you start that process…
3 things you need to have before starting Pinterest
There’s more to Pinterest than just deciding to do it — you need to have all the other things in place to make it truly successful.
And what are those things??? So glad you asked…
1. You need to have a website
Sorry not sorry! This is a non-negotiable.
You’ll hear people say you can use Pinterest without a website, and while you can, that doesn’t mean you should.
It’s my job as a Pinterest marketer focused on sustainable, ethical, and effective marketing strategies to help you do work that actually works.
You’ll see much better results when you have a website to send users to, both in terms of performance on the platform and in actual conversions.
2. You need to be consistently publishing long-form content
I don’t care if it’s blog posts, podcast episode transcripts, or repurposed YouTube videos, but that educational, long-form content posted on your website is another Pinterest must-have!
(I mean I guess I do kinda care, because I personally think blogging consistently is the best. Here’s why.)
3. Develop a lead magnet to call in your target audience
Having an optimized email marketing strategy is an important step to convert Pinterest users to your customers and clients.
Ideally, you’ll have a lead magnet that:
Calls in the right audience,
At the right stage in their journey,
And leads seamlessly into your primary offer
If you want to learn exactly how to do all that, I’d highly suggest taking Between the Lines Copy’s Email Chapter!
This evergreen email marketing course is the perfect primer to a successful lead magnet + newsletter strategy.
BTW, you can save 10% if you use the code “BURK”. Or you can pay full price if you want, but like… why?
Once you have your website, long-form content, and email marketing set up, then you’ll be ready to take full advantage of Pinterest for your business.
But naturally, nothing can be as simple as setting it and forgetting it.
That’s why I’ve included two more steps to prepare for Pinterest as well as a whole slew of resources to check out before making Pinterest your b*tch in 2025 (respectfully, of course).
01. EDITOR'S PICK
How to Prepare Your Business for Pinterest Marketing
Pinterest is one of those marketing strategies that can’t stand on its own if you want to get the most out of it.
And if you’re planning on DIYing it, I promise you it’s a lot easier to start with the foundations in place rather than trying to do it all at the same time.
If you’re not sure, feel free to hop in my DMs on Instagram!
I genuinely care that the time and effort (and money) you spend is worth it, and I’m more than happy to tell you what I think & help you get prepared.
Just consider me the Olga to your Pinterest account 😘
Chat soon,
Sarah