How To Grow Your Podcast
I was on Pinterest recently and I was like where have I been, under a rock? It’s come a long way – video, Pinterest TV, idea pins, and wondered – can podcasters use this to attract new listeners and drive business? So I asked Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media (and host of Simple Pin Podcast) to the show. She shared sooo many actionable tips and insights and has inspired me to look at Pinterest in a whole new way.
What Has Happened in the Pinterest World Over the Last Few Years
- Pinterest went public in 2019
- In 2020 the platform had an exposition in its user base due to the pandemic
- After some of the effects of the pandemic lessened, the platform lost some users but it managed to push a lot of initiatives through before that happened
What Pinterest Is All About
- Pinterest is a search and discovery platform. It’s different from other social media platforms as people have a different approach: they go look for ideas on Pinterest and then they leave – this is something that isn’t appealing to advertisers
- Pinterest has this problem: massive flood of users who, however, don’t stick around
- Pinterest is in the same category as Google and YouTube
- Idea pins are one of the latest features and can be used to walk people through an idea. They can watch the pins
How to Approach (and Use) Pinterest
- People go on Pinterest thinking ‘I want to find something that serves me’, where as on platforms like Instagram and TikTok is easier to get lost in someone else’s stories
- When it comes to Pinterest marketing, it’s important to approach the platform remembering that you enter into someone’s searches. These people are looking for features, benefits and tools, they aren’t looking for you nor your business.
- A big mistake some Pinterest users make is taking their Instagram content, repurposing on Pinterest and approaching the platform as they would approach Instagram. This strategy falls flat every time
- Idea Pins are similar to Instagram stories but aren’t time based. These are slides that can be used for sharing processes such as how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest or how to make the best Moscow Mule – each slide features one step or tip.
Tools for Enhancing Your Pinterest Marketing
- In-app features such as idea pins, tagging a product in your idea pin and attach an affiliate link to it – the last two features are mobile-app based features
- Canva
- Pinterest Trends – at the moment, you can search for trends in the U.S., Canada and the UK
Using Video on Pinterest
- Video can be uploaded to Pinterest at any time (Kate recommends uploading video that’s 60 or 90 seconds). Unlike idea pins, videos are clickable
- Pinterest TV is a highly curated TV channel platform that only a few hand-picked users have access to as producers. The goal of Pinterest TV is to teach you how to do something and, if you want, give you the chance to interact with and ask questions to the content creator
Pinterest for Podcasters
- Kate believes that is worth using Pinterest as a podcaster if the content of your show is evergreen
- Her advice is to play around with Pinterest, do your keyword research to see what pops up. The best marketers on a platform know the platform well because they are a consumer first. So, do keyword research, use features and see what the platform has to offer
- At the moment, the app-to-app integrations are so clunky that Kate doesn’t recommend pinning something from places like Instagram or YouTube. And if you share an Apple Podcasts link connected to a Pinterest image, you should ask users to click the actual link in the image not the one in the description
- One of the things to think about is whatever you share an episode, you should remember that Pinterest users don’t really watch with sound, so they’re always reading captions
- Plus, users are in the billboard advertising mode, so think about someone driving on a freeway – you only have one second to frame up exactly what it is to pull them in
- When it comes to promoting your show on Pinterest, Kate recommends a multi-step approach: 1. standard pinned image (this could be the podcast artwork or a photo of a guest – the important thing is to have a catchy headline); 2. Putting the image in an idea pin;
- The main goal of Pinterest marketing is sharing content that inspires action
How the Pinterest Algorithm Works
- Let’s say you have a board about Pinterest for podcasters, which, in turn, has pins on the same topic. Pinterest will crawl the board and its description, as well as each pin and its description in order to find the keyword.
- If someone clicks on a pin from that board, the Pinterest algorithm will notice the user’s interest and will present him/her with additional content from that very same Pinterest board. The user’s home feed will begin to feature that content
- Some people are confused about how Pinterest works but, as Kate puts it, the platform has always run on the search of keywords and the search of images
- You have to make sure that your keyword structure is lined up with the keywords you want to focus on
- Pinterest for us is our #2 traffic-driver behind Google.
What Works on Pinterest (and What Doesn’t)
- Quotes don’t work well on Pinterest for the fact that people may get inspired by them and decide to save them for later but with everything happening on the platform they may lose track of it
- Infographics typically have too much information so the same thing as with quotes might happen
- Audiograms could be effective but the issue is that Pinterest users don’t typically watch or listen with the sound off
- This means that captions are something to think about and for you to consider actually posting something with captions
What to Keep in Mind When Using Pinterest
- What your content should do is inspire action
- Kate really stresses that those who would like to leverage organic Pinterest marketing need to give themselves 6-8 months for the snowball effect to kick in. Kate, for example, still gets traffic to her website from something she pinned in 2017
Big Pinterest Mistakes
- Some users simply repurpose content from other platforms without thinking that Pinterest users aren’t typically interested in your story. What you should share on Pinterest is what users will walk away with if they were to listen to your podcast episode
- Not giving the platform enough time – it isn’t about doing it for just a couple of months (Kate has been using Pinterest for 8 years)
- Lacking a clear why for using Pinterest
Unpacking Pinterest Analytics
- Kate thinks that the analytics of a Pinterest business account are great
- You can see things like clicks, saves, and engagements
About Kate
Kate Ahl is the owner and founder of Simple Pin Media, a Pinterest management and marketing company. Through their work with over 700 Pinterest accounts, they take a data driven approach to crafting a Pinterest strategy that aims to help their clients and students find their perfect person on Pinterest. Kate teaches thousands of people about Pinterest marketing through various speaking engagements and her podcast, the Simple Pin Podcast.
Resources mentioned:
(@SimplePinMedia) Kate on Pinterest
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