The most important things I've learned about Pinterest

I've been listening to some podcasts on my way to and from work lately - Simple Pin, Go-Getters, and Monica Froese - and I've learned some things that have surprised and challenged me.  I've changed some of my work as a result.  Hopefully, there'll be some tips you can use, too.

First, let's start with the basics.

What Pinterest is and isn't

Most teacherpreneurs use Pinterest to grow their TPT business.  But, if you're like me, you feel like you need to have a presence on every form of social media.  Right?!

And you end up chasing a lot of "shiny objects" trying to find the one that will help with your TpT sales.  Only they take so much time that product creation ends up taking a back seat.

Not good!

It’s apples and oranges to compare Pinterest to other social media sites.  Although Pinterest doesn’t have the allure of Instagram’s or Facebook’s immediate likes, it is a better medium to get readers off the platform to make purchase decisions.

Really!

Why? Think about it?  It's easy to click "like" on an Instagram or Facebook post and then move on.  Pinterest users are trained to click on your image and then make a decision.  Go offsite to get additional information?  Save for a later read?  Pinterest requires a little more commitment than the other sites.  And, you never lose your pins.  So if someone doesn't look at a pin until next month or sixth months from now, it's still there.

How many of you are already pinning Christmas ideas?  

Pinterest is definitely a long game or “slow burn” kind of marketing. It takes awhile to build traction, and consistency is key.   That means posting products 6 to 8 weeks ahead of your sales.  Teachers are busy, and as they're scrolling through their feeds, they'll see something that looks good for a future lesson or season, and save it.  You'll want to have your pins out there as they're looking. 

Pinterest's Algorithm

There's been a lot of talk on social media about Pinterest's algorithm, with people questioning if it's been changed recently.  Pinterest is constantly tweaking its algorithm to better serve its customers, but remember, it's customers are its readers not those of us who are using it as a marketing tool.

Remember, views are not the measure of success on Pinterest.
They only mean that when a person was scrolling on their feed, your pin showed up.  It doesn't mean that they did anything with it.  They just saw it.  Maybe.

If they were paying attention.

Next time, I'll explore SEO, AI, and other tips to more strategically post your pins to get attention.  Until then, have a great week!