How to Use Pinterest to Increase Traffic and Income

GUEST-STARRING KATE AHL

Whatever you do, please don’t sleep on Pinterest as an influencer! By staying active on this website you can easily drive traffic, reach more eyeballs, and make passive income.

As a digital content creator who is more heavily reliant on social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, you might have thought about expanding your content to Pinterest, only to quickly abandon the idea because it seemed impossible to comprehend and decipher. Kate Ahl, the grandmaster of all things Pinterest, would be the first to tell you that this is a huge mistake and you are quite literally leaving money on the table! 

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Kate is a Pinterest pioneer and spearheads her company, Simple Pin Media, as a way to help businesses tap into this website to help serve their end goals without feeling overwhelmed. Kate and her team of Pinterest-savvy gurus continually trend watch and monitor the landscape of this platform to better serve their clients. This is exactly why I wanted to bring Kate on the podcast to tap into her extensive knowledge of Pinterest and influencers like myself can take advantage of it to grow a personal brand. Let’s jump into Kate’s recommended strategies. 

1. Think of Pinterest as a Search Engine.

Rather than social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Pinterest is considered to be in the search engine bucket alongside Google and YouTube which means that it requires a different change of lens. Pinterest users are cold and will most likely know nothing about you. Instead, they seek out information that will benefit themselves. They utilize the search bar for long tail inquiries such as how-to’s and broad questions. 

2. Pinterset is Great for Evergreen Niches.

This platform is a way to reach the top of the funnel or the broad space where you get people who are not familiar with your brand. Instead, the content you push on Pinterest should be for the greater good of people. Evergreen niches that can offer up value is the type of content that explodes in reach.

3. Rethink the Timeline.

On Instagram, we often look at how a post performs immediately or within the next couple of days or so. On Pinterest, users take a long time to make a decision and often pin items 3 to 6 months in advance of any event. For static pins (traditional Pinterest posts), it is often recommended to post 45 days before an event. By rethinking this timeline and looking at Pinterest as a long game, not a short game you will better be able to master this platform. 

4. Approach Pinterest with an Open Mind.

As an influencer, you definitely want to create a Pinterest account with an open mind. Kate suggests always utilizing a business profile and to treat the website as your digital library. Create boards specific to the subjects you are going to be pinning about. This acts as the jumping off point for users to get an idea of what info they can expect to find upon a quick glimpse at your curated library.

5. Diversity Your Content on Pinterest.

Kate stresses the idea that it is important to create a variety of pins. For instance, if you are a travel influencer, one approach you can take is to create a static pin to talk about 7 Tips When You Visit Ireland. From there, repurpose the content in a short-form video on Pinterest, as well as creating an Idea Pin and share 4 Tips When You Visit Ireland with a CTA (Call to Action) to check out your website to see the rest of the tips.  

6. Monetize Pinterest to Create a Passive Revenue Stream.

When applicable, incorporate your affiliate shopping links within your Pinterest posts in the form of links on static pins, boards dedicated to specific products, and idea pins. Kate recommends using a Pinterest-approved scheduling tool such as Tailwind to recycle content and drip it out every few weeks to reach a new audience.

7. Consider Adding Pinterest to Your Brand Pitches.

If you find Pinterset is working for your personal brand, this is a great way to expand your service offerings within your creator content package for brands. After all, Kate reminds us that 97% of Pinterest searches are unbranded so using influencers as the scapegoat to drive traffic to their own website is a huge advantage. Kate also recommends reminding these brands that it could take awhile for results to blossom based on the nature of the platform so you can suggest reporting to them at 30-60-90 days since impressions will look way different. 

As you can see, Kate is one of the most knowledgeable consultants when it comes to Pinterest! You can definitely implement these tips to build your own following as an influencer. If you are a business who could use the boost in traffic and engagement or would just like to take advantage of her team’s Pinterest consultation, check out Kate’s business, Simple Pin Media. 

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THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE

and coming along on this journey with me.

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