Thursday Press #110: I said the "S" word 🫢
[14 DEC 2023] 3 fave shares you might have missed
I said the “S” word… 🫢
No, not sh💩t, not shoot, not even “stupid” (yes, that was a “bad word” in my house growing up)
I said SHUT. UP.
Yeah okay, I know, not that big of a deal.
But tell that to 8 year old Sarah!! She would've gotten her books taken away for at LEAST a day for that kind of language!
The worst part? I was telling myself to shut up.
To be quite frank, bestie, I'm TIRED of hearing myself talk.
I've been on back-to-back calls and I do not want to even think another word, let alone type or speak one.
I'll persevere for you though. Our weekly inbox dates are too important for me to skip ❤️
Because I'm tired of hearing myself talk, and Lord knows I talk allllll the damn time, I'm gonna let past-me take over for the rest of this newsletter.
As 2023 draws to a close, I've been reflecting back on some of the posts I shared this year and they're honestly bangers.
So here are 3 of the most beloved posts from 2023 (which, coincidentally, will help you plan and create great Pinterest content)
BELOW THE FOLD
There are 3 components of your Pinterest content:
The content you're actually sharing (like a blog post or lead magnet)
The design of the pin
The title and description of the pin
First up, the content…
There's a fine balance when it comes to what type of content you share on Pinterest.
Since your Pinterest audience is usually looking for education and DIY help, we want to make sure we provide value, not just sales.
As an online service provider, you (probably) don't make money just because someone reads your 10 ways to do XYZ blog post.
And the most likely reader of those posts might not be ready to book a project with you YET.
The easy, clickable stuff is what gets people in your circle. It's essential!
But if that's all you're creating, you're not giving your audience the information necessary to move from that DIY stage to the “I need to hire them NOW” stage.
Enter: ✨purchasing decision content✨
This is what I call the kind of content that educates your audience about the value of your services, what to expect from the services, and how to prepare for the service/project.
The key to creating good purchasing decision content that will also do well on Pinterest is that it should NOT be straight-up sales content.
The info you share should still be valuable information that your audience will benefit from even if they don't hire you.
While these blogs might not be as likely to go viral and get thousands of clicks, they might be the thing that convinces a reader to work with you.
As a bonus, it's also a great opportunity to filter out 🚩 red-flag clients, speak directly to dream clients, and even "train" future clients so that you both have the best experience possible.
Here are some examples:
When is the right time to hire a website copywriter?
5 Questions you should ask your brand designer
What should you have before hiring a social media manager
How to prepare for your Dubsado setup service
Now that you know what you're going to be posting on Pinterest, it's time to design the graphics…
IDK if it's just me, but I can spot a Canva pin template from a MILE away.
And with 400+ million users on Pinterest, saving 250+ billion pins, and 80% of them using the mobile app… your pin designs are more important than ever before!
“Perfect” pin graphics should stop a user's scroll in their tracks AND convince them to click on over to your website, because that's where the conversion magic happens.
What do you need to have in your pin designs to make that happen?
Glad you asked, bestie! Here's a checklist 😘
Relevant, appealing imagery (can be stock photo or brand photography)
A click-worthy pin title that's big enough to read in the mobile feed
Any additional context or keywords in a pre-header or subtitle
A call to action (more than just ‘click here’ please!)
Your branding — colors, fonts, overall ~vibe~, and your brand name, logo, or website URL
One more thing before we move onto the copy side of things — Pinterest's visual algorithm can scan and “read” text overlays in your images, so be sure to include keywords there, too!
Get ready to celebrate because……..
You don't have to be a good writer to write good pin copy.
🎉🎉🎉
No, seriously. As an English major, I'm giving you full permission to write as many run-on sentences as you like as long as they've got keywords in 'em.
Good pin copy is copy that:
Accurately describes the content you're linking to
Is keyword-rich, so people can actually find your content
Entices users to click from the pin to your website
Grammar, storytelling, or flowery language isn't anywhere on that list.
Even so, I know the idea of writing dozens of keyword-rich pin title and descriptions can be daunting. That's why I'm sharing these little building blocks of pin descriptions to help speed up and simplify your Pinterest content creation workflow!
1. Repurpose your meta descriptions
If you're already writing optimized meta descriptions for your blog posts, copy and paste those babies over!
Pin descriptions can be longer than meta descriptions, so you can bulk it up with a few extra keywords.
2. Question + Solution
Introduce the subject by asking a question that calls out your target audience's problem/pain point. Then explain how your content will provide the solution.
Try these:
Looking for…?
Not sure how to…?
Trying to…?
Want to…?
3. Here's What's Up
Skip straight to the good stuff and tell your audience exactly what you're covering in your post or what they can get from the product/freebie.
In this post, you'll learn…
Here are the best tips to…
Check out this…
Get the best…
4. Ideal Client Call-Out
This is a great phrase to add in order to specifically reach your target audience. Start or end with one of these phrases:
Calling all [target audience]!
This one's for you, [target audience]!
Hey [target audience]!
Are you a [target audience]…?
5. Calls to Action
Don't forget to tell your audience what to do next! Use these calls-to-action in your pin description to encourage them to click over to your website!
Grab your [freebie/product] to [desired benefit]
Read the post to learn…
Swipe these [tips/formulas/lead magnet]
Head to the [blog/portfolio/shop] for more…
If you're looking for even more of the best Pinterest tips & tricks, I've got THREE YEARS worth of content for you to binge over on IG if you haven't already!
Bite-Sized Pinterest Marketing Tips
*says she's tired of hearing herself talk*
*writes one of her longest emails ever*
What can I say, bestie, old habits die hard!
Hope you liked these pulls from the archive. Stay safe out there & I'll catch ya next week for a PRE-CHRISTMAS THURSDAY PRESS!!!!! (nothing's different, I'm just more festive!)