Benefits of Pinterest Marketing for Teacherpreneurs
When you start an education business, it can be overwhelming to feel like you need to be everywhere. Posting on all social media channels and creating endless content is exhausting.
But the good news is, you don’t have to be everywhere (please don’t try!). Today, let’s explore the benefits of Pinterest marketing for teacherpreneurs, one of the best channels to focus on when growing an education business.
It can be tempting to be everywhere online. But instead, strategically think about focusing on one to two social media channels or content marketing efforts that you can use to grow your business. If you want to reach teachers or parents, definitely consider leveraging the power of Pinterest for business.
I recently sat down with Emilee Vales, an elementary school teacher turned Pinterest marketing strategist, to talk about how Pinterest is a must-use tool for teachers with education businesses.
Exploring The Benefits of Pinterest Marketing for Teacherpreneurs
There are many uses of Pinterest for teachers, from finding and sharing lesson plans to getting ideas for your classroom. And if you’re starting an education business, the benefits of Pinterest marketing for teacherpreneurs are almost endless.
Keep reading for answers to some common Pinterest marketing questions from Emilee Vales.
What is Pinterest?
The interesting thing about Pinterest is that it’s not a social media network, but a visual search engine. When on Pinterest, you don’t have to worry about monitoring comments or going too deep into the “social” part of social media. Instead, Pinterest marketing strategies are all about creating valuable content.
Pinterest is there to help you get your content in front of people who will like it. Sounds great, right? By creating pins, you’re creating visual representations of your content. These pins can then link back to your site, taking potential customers to your blogs, products, services, etc.
When you understand how Pinterest works, you can see why it is truly one of the best tech tools for teachers running businesses.
People come to Pinterest looking for answers to specific problems. If your ideal customers find your content there, they will be coming directly to you for help. Because you’re already providing them with solutions to their problems, your relationship will likely start off on a positive note. This is one of the many benefits of Pinterest marketing for teacherpreneurs.
“Pinterest is such a positive platform. They actually discourage marketers from approaching marketing their business in any negative way” said Emilee. “Sometimes social media can feel really heavy and negative. It can feel laborious to be liking and commenting, trying to engage. But with Pinterest, you are in your own little world, looking for inspiration.”
Why Use Pinterest for Business?
Simply put, teachers and parents are on Pinterest. So if you want to reach these people, using Pinterest for business will help you connect with them. As Emilee said, “If your ideal customer is a teacher, the answer to ‘Should you be on Pinterest?’ is a resounding YES.”
When you create pins, they last far longer than a social media post. When you post a tweet, it lasts for an average of 15 minutes. When you post on Facebook, the lifespan of a post is about six hours. But on Pinterest, the lifespan of a pin is four months! And even after those four months are up, your pins don’t go away. Popular pins end up getting reposted again and again.
The way that your content can continue to work for you for months to come is one of the biggest benefits of Pinterest marketing for teacherpreneurs.
“As you continue to use Pinterest, your content is being indexed. Over time, it has a snowball effect because your content lives so much longer on a search engine,” said Emilee.
Emilee’s Journey from Elementary School Teacher to Pinterest Marketing Strategist
Before becoming immersed in the world of Pinterest marketing strategies, Emilee taught kindergarten and second grade in Indianapolis, IN. When she had her daughter, she wanted to stay home with her.
At first, Emilee thought she would go back to teaching part-time, but after running the numbers on childcare costs, realized that financially it didn’t make sense to spend nearly all her part-time teaching income paying for childcare.
After deciding to stay home with her daughter, Emilee started working as a freelancer. She started helping business owners with social media, then landed her first teacher client, a TeachersPayTeachers seller, in 2019.
Over time, Emilee said she’s seen the benefits of Pinterest marketing for teacherpreneurs and has realized that Pinterest is the place to be for anyone running an education business. Because there are so many educators and parents on the platform already, it’s the perfect place to connect with people who need what you offer.
Pinterest Best Practices for Teacherpreneurs
There are many different tips for Pinterest marketing out there. But when it comes to being successful on Pinterest for teacher business owners, Emilee stressed the importance of having a diversified strategy.
Like with any social media channel, it’s valuable to post a variety of different types of content. Both algorithms and humans like a diverse range of pins. Emilee advocated for posting both traditional pins, static video, and Pinterest idea pins.
“Lately I’ve been more intentional with my own Pinterest account,” said Emilee. “In the past two weeks, I focused on sharing idea pins. I repurposed content I already had and I went from around 500 monthly views to 10,000.”
When it comes to creating content, Emilee recommends that teacherpreneurs share blog posts and focus on using Pinterest to build their email list. While Pinterest can also lead directly to sales, one of the biggest benefits of Pinterest marketing for teacherpreneurs is the ability to share free, valuable content to build brand awareness and get people familiar with your offerings.
Grow Your Education Business on Pinterest (and Beyond)
If you’re interested in learning more about using Pinterest in your business, be sure to check out Emilee’s website and Instagram account. She has great blogs and resources about using Pinterest for business, with many focused on helping teacherpreneurs to build their businesses.
Want more support to grow your education business? Get on the waitlist for the next round of the Grow Your Education Business Accelerator, set to run in January 2022.