Maximizing Your Growth with Tailwind Communities

Maximizing Traffic with Tailwind Communities a guide for Pinterest users by Jen Vazquez Media

Maximizing Your Reach with Tailwind Communities: A Guide for Pinterest Users

Tailwind Communities (formerly known as Tailwind Tribes) are online groups that allow Pinterest users to share their pins and collaborate with others who have similar interests. These communities are a great way for service providers to reach a wider audience and get more visibility for their pins.

One of the benefits of using Tailwind communities is that they provide a targeted, engaged audience for your content. When you join a community, you’ll be able to share your pins with people who have expressed an interest in your niche. This can help you to reach more potential followers and drive traffic to your website or blog.

To get the most out of Tailwind communities, it’s important to follow the community guidelines and contribute valuable content. This means sharing high-quality pins that are relevant to the community and engaging with other members by liking, commenting, and repining their content.

You get 5 Tailwind Communities with the free Tailwind plan.  You can get that free plan here.

Should You Share Other People’s Content on Pinterest?

There is a lot of information on the internet about this topic and a lot of it may be old.  Years ago you would hear advice about sharing 80 other people’s content and 20% of your own.  I’m also hearing that you should only share your content.  Those aren’t exactly right in my opinion.  I’ll share below why, but first…

Why should you consider my opinion? I have a ton of experience marketing on Pinterest.  I not only market on Pinterest for my two businesses (starting in 2010 when Pinterest was by invitation only), but my agency manages Pinterest accounts for other businesses owners as well as a large community of businesses owners that I help on Facebook and in my paid group coaching Pinterest Strategy Academy.  

In 2022, I was selected by Pinterest to be a Pinterest Pioneer in their Ambassador Program launched in February 2022.  Pioneers bring a community spirit to the Pinterest Business Community (PBC) by engaging in the forums and chats to help fellow Pinners by sharing product knowledge, tips & tricks, and best practices. 

Every business is different but in general, it is generally a good idea to share a mix of your own content and other people’s content on Pinterest. The focus is YOUR CONTENT, but sharing other peoples content in specific situations helps to build relationships with other users, increase your visibility on the platform, and provide value to your followers.

Here are a few reasons why in specific situations it’s a good idea to share other people’s content on Pinterest:

  • Build relationships: Sharing other people’s content is a great way to show your support and build relationships with other users. When you share someone else’s content, they are likely to see your repin and may return the favor by sharing your content. This can help to build a sense of community and collaboration on Pinterest.
  • Increase your visibility: Sharing other people’s content can also help to increase your visibility on Pinterest. When you repin someone else’s content, their followers will see your repin and may decide to follow you as well. This can help to expose your content to a new audience and potentially increase your reach on the platform.
  • Provide value to your followers: Finally, sharing other people’s content can be a great way to provide value to your followers. By sharing content from a variety of sources, you can offer a wider range of information and resources to your followers. This can help to keep your followers engaged and coming back for more.
Pinterest Pioneer Jen Vazquez Media

When To Share Other People’s Content

When should you share other people’s content?  There are only two reasons I share other peoples content and I do it sparingly.  It’s very small percentage of the pins on my account.

  1. If I see good content that my followers would get benefit from and I value and trust the person who created it.  An example is in my wedding + branding photography business, I will share wedding planning content from wedding planners I trust because it will add value to my wedding clients and also my Pinterest followers.  Or I’ll pin hair and makeup artist information that would be valuable to my branding clients or Pinterest followers.
  2. I also re-share pins from my Tailwind Communities that aren’t direct competitors and the information would be valuable to my Pinterest followers.  This enables me to follow the rules for my Tailwind Communities but also provide much better reach on my Pinterest account sharing value content that is already doing well.  

Tailwind Communities Do’s and Don’ts

Tailwind communities are a great way to get more reach and mileage from the content you’ve already created and get your content in front of a larger audience. However, it’s important to follow some best practices in order to get the most out of your participation in these communities. Here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

DO:

  • Follow the community guidelines: Each community will have its own set of rules for participation. Be sure to familiarize yourself with these guidelines and follow them to avoid getting kicked out or having your content removed. 
  • Share high-quality content: Tailwind communities are a great place to share your best work. Make sure you’re sharing pins that are 2:3 ratio, visually appealing, well-written, have a call to action, and relevant to the community.
  • Repin content:  When you repin other people’s pins from the community, take a second to see who has repinned your content and if it fits one of your boards, repin their pin. It’s thoughtful and that person will likely repin more of your pins.
  • Be respectful: Remember that these communities are full of real people with their own opinions and experiences. Be respectful of others and avoid being argumentative or rude.
  • Check the Weekly Highlights:  This tab in Tailwind Communities will show you the pins that are most shared and since they are proven to be popular.  
  • Check the Already Shared checkbox:  This way you aren’t resharing content you have previously shared. 

DON’T:

  • Spam the community: No one likes a spammer. Don’t share too many pins in a short period of time, and make sure you’re sharing content that is relevant to the community.
  • Self-promote excessively: It’s okay to share your own content, but make sure you’re also sharing content from other people and engaging with their pins. If all you do is self-promote, people are likely to tune you out. I see time and time again Pinterest creators that submit a ton of pins but aren’t pinning from the community.  It’s not a good look, it’s likely you’ll get kicked out, and most people won’t repin your pins.
  • Break the rules: As mentioned above, each community will have its own set of rules. Don’t break these rules or you risk getting banned from the community.
  • Repin pins that aren’t good:  Definitely don’t pin other people’s content that isn’t something you’re community will like, that’s not a good fit, or isn’t content that you agree with.

By following these do’s and don’ts, you can get the most out of your participation in Tailwind communities and build relationships with other Pinterest users.

Tailwind Communities assessing the virality of the community by Jen Vazquez Media

How to Find the Best Communities

There is an art and science to finding the best Tailwind Communities for your business.

Research

Start by navigating to the ‘Communities’ section of your Tailwind dashboard. Select ‘Find a Community’ and type in a keyword related to your business niche.

You should see a list of related Tailwind Communities pop up. You may need to go more broad or more granular with your topic, depending on the options that appear.

Pinterest Strategy Club

A community membership that helps you to learn Pinterest live.  There’s a mini course to optimize your Pinterest to have it help you grow your business.  There are two live calls a month, a Pinning Session for accountability and a Q+A session. Also, Pin templates each month to download.

Virality Score

It’s important to evaluate a Community’s stats before you join. Click the ‘preview Community’ button, and you’ll be able to see its detailed stats on the left hand side of the screen. A virality score for Tailwind communities is a measure of how effectively a community’s content is being shared and spread across Pinterest. A high virality score indicates that the community’s pins are being repinned and shared by a large number of users, while a low score suggests that the content is not getting much traction.

There are a few different factors that can influence a community’s virality score. One of the most important is the quality of the content being shared. Pins that are visually appealing, well-written, and relevant to the community are more likely to be repinned and shared by other users.

Another factor that can impact a community’s virality score is the engagement level of its members. Communities with active members who are regularly liking, commenting, and repinning each other’s content are more likely to have a higher virality score.

It’s good to find out the virality by figuring out the score instead of looking at the graph and how many people are in the community. You do this by jumping into the Community and having a look at how many posts are shared in total to the group and then look at how many re-shares the posts got overall.

If you take the re-shares and divide these by the total number of posts you’ll get a virality score. Divide re-shares by # of people to get the virality score – more than 50 is good

Overall, a high virality score is a good sign that a Tailwind community is producing high-quality content that is resonating with its members and being shared widely on Pinterest.

Blue Flame Number BFN by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Manager

Blue Flame Number (BFN)

The Blue Flame Number (also known as the BFN) is a metric used by Tailwind to measure the potential reach of a pin on Pinterest. It is based on the number of repins and shares that a pin has received, as well as the engagement level of the users who have shared it.

The Blue Flame Number is represented by a blue flame icon, with the number of flames indicating the potential reach of the pin. For example, a pin with a BFN of 50 has a higher potential reach than a pin with a BFN of 1.

The Blue Flame Number is meant to give users an idea of which pins are performing well and have the potential to go viral on Pinterest. It is important to note that the BFN is just one factor to consider when evaluating the success of a pin, and it is not the only measure of a pin’s reach or engagement.

To view the Blue Flame Number for a pin, you will need to be a member of a Tailwind community. The BFN is displayed on the pin’s thumbnail in the community feed, as well as on the pin’s detail page. You can also see the BFN for your own pins by going to your “My Pins” page and sorting the pins by BFN.

When you share a pin from a Tailwind Community, I recommend you share one that has a high BFN as it’s already popular so it should be popular on your account also!  You can read how often does the Blue Flame popularity number is updated by reading this blog on Tailwind 

Pin Inspector in Tailwind by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Manager

Which Pins Should You Share to Communities?

When sharing pins to Tailwind communities, it’s important to consider the interests and preferences of the community members. Here are a few tips for choosing which pins to share:

  • Share high-quality content: Make sure you’re sharing pins that are visually appealing, well-written, and relevant to the community. This will increase the chances that your pins will be repinned and shared by other members.
  • Follow the community guidelines: Each community will have its own set of guidelines for what is acceptable to share. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these guidelines and only share content that is in line with them.
  • Pay attention to the community’s interests: Take the time to look at the types of content that are being shared in the community and try to share content that aligns with those interests. This will increase the chances that your pins will be well-received by the community.
  • Share Pins already published:  By sharing pins that are already doing well on your account, it will look more valuable and most likely have a blue flame which will be more attractive to the community members.
  • Share Pins from Pin Inspector in Tailwind:  This is a great way to share pins that are already successful and will be more likely to get re-shared.  Go to Insights in Tailwind and then Pin Inspector.  You can pick the ones with good analytics and select Add To Communities to the right of the pins.

Summary

In summary, Tailwind communities are a great way for Pinterest users to connect with like-minded individuals and increase the reach of their content. It is generally a good idea to share a mix of your own content and other people’s content on Pinterest, as this can help to build relationships, increase your visibility, and provide value to your followers.

When participating in Tailwind communities, it’s important to follow the community guidelines, share high-quality content, and engage with other members. To find the best communities for your content, it’s helpful to look for communities with a high virality score and a large number of active members.

Additionally, the Blue Flame Number can be a useful metric for identifying which pins have the potential to go viral on Pinterest. By considering these factors, you can maximize your reach and get the most out of your participation in Tailwind communities.

Don’t forget to pin it!

Maximizing Traffic with Tailwind Communities a guide for Pinterest users by Jen Vazquez Media
Maximizing Traffic with Tailwind Communities a guide for Pinterest users by Jen Vazquez Media
Maximizing Traffic with Tailwind Communities a guide for Pinterest users by Jen Vazquez Media
Maximizing Traffic with Tailwind Communities a guide for Pinterest users by Jen Vazquez Media
Maximizing Traffic with Tailwind Communities a guide for Pinterest users by Jen Vazquez Media

Here is more information that may be helpful!

Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023: A Beginner’s Guide to Success on the Platform

Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023 A Beginner's Guide to Success on the Platform by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist

Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023: A Beginner’s Guide to Success on the Platform

Today I’m gonna cover WHY you should use Pinterest for Marketing your business and how to optimize your Pinterest profile so you are effective!

Hi there! I’m Jen Vazquez and I guide hyper-busy female service providers to create one streamlined marketing workflow that increases efficiency, produces greater returns, and honors their energy through my proven Pinterest Marketing Method.

As a service provider, it’s essential to find the right marketing channels and strategies to reach your target audience and grow your business. And with its unique mix of visual content and discovery features, Pinterest is an incredible platform for marketing your business and reaching potential customers.

Whether you’re just getting started on Pinterest or you’re looking to improve your existing strategy, this blog post will explore the many reasons why Pinterest is amazing at marketing your business, and provide actionable tips and advice for how to use the platform to achieve your goals. From driving traffic and engagement to building trust and credibility, Pinterest has a lot to offer for service-based businesses.

So let’s dive in and discover why Pinterest is the perfect platform for marketing your business!

The Details

Think of Pinterest as the top of a sales funnel. As of the second quarter of 2022, Pinterest had 433 million monthly active users worldwide.

In case you were wondering if you’re going to find your target audience on Pinterest— ** Spoiler Alert** YOU ARE!!

Pinterest is an amazing place for you to get started and to grow your traffic as well as your income:

  • Half of Pinterest users make $50,000 or more a year, which means they have a high disposable income paying for your products or services.  
  • 87% of Pinterest users who are active on Pinterest every single week have bought a product because of interest, meaning they chose to purchase something because they saw it on Pinterest. 
  • 97% of searches on Pinterest are unbranded now unbranded means that they are coming from accounts that aren’t really big brands or companies. This means smaller companies and entrepreneurs can get discovered and don’t have to compete with big brands like on Instagram. Google and YouTube are harder to get discovered. 

The bottom line is this Pinterest is EASIER to get found than any other social media platform, so using me as an example, I spend about 65% of my time on Instagram but in my google analytics, the top performer of traffic to my website is Pinterest. Between 68-82% of all traffic is consistently coming from Pinterest. 

Also, consider the average lifespan of a pin is right up there with blogs. Some of my top pins are from 6+ years ago. Instagram is 24-72 hours. Enough said. So let’s jump into my 8 tips to optimize your Pinterest account:

1 | Keywords

The first step in optimizing your Pinterest profile for maximum impact is to identify and use relevant keywords. These keywords are the “secret sauce” that can help your business get found on Pinterest to serve the information up to your ideal clients. 

Consider using keywords in your profile and content.  This way, you can make it more likely that your business will be discovered by potential customers who are searching for information on topics that are relevant to your products or services. Also, by investing the time and effort to research and incorporate the right keywords into your profile and your whole Pinterest strategy, you can help improve the visibility and relevance of your business on the platform, and potentially attract more traffic and customers.

What are Keywords?

Keywords are the words or phrases that your ideal client uses to search for information on topics that are relevant to your business. By identifying and using the right keywords in your Pinterest profile and content, you can make it more likely that your business will be discovered by potential customers who are searching for solutions to their problems or needs. To maximize the effectiveness of your keywords, it’s important to focus on those that are popular and commonly used on Pinterest, and that are directly related to the content and solutions that you offer. By using the right keywords, you can help improve the visibility and relevance of your business on the platform, and potentially attract more traffic and customers.

Multiple Ways To Find Keywords

There are multiple ways to find keywords, but I’ll share two of the most popular ways.

The first way to find keywords that will be relevant to your audience and content on Pinterest, you can use the search bar on the platform. Start by typing in a few keywords or phrases that are related to your business and its products or services. As you type, pay attention to the drop-down menu that appears, as this will show you the most popular and commonly used keywords on Pinterest that are related to your search. Write down any keywords or keyword phrases that are relevant to your audience and content, as these can be used in your Pinterest profile and content to help improve its visibility and relevance on the platform. By investing the time and effort to research and incorporate the right keywords into your Pinterest strategy, you can help attract more traffic and potential customers to your business.

The second way to find relevant keywords is to use the Pinterest Trends Tool. This tool allows you to see how your keywords are currently trending on the platform, and if there are any other relevant trending keywords that you can use to improve the visibility and relevance of your business.

The Pinterest Trends Tool has recently been updated, and now offers a range of filters that you can use to customize your search and see the most relevant keywords for your business and its audience. By using the Pinterest Trends Tool, you can gain valuable insights into the keywords that are currently popular on the platform, and incorporate them into your Pinterest strategy to help attract more traffic and potential customers to your business.

 

2 | Business Account

If you want to use Pinterest to market your business, it is essential to have a business account on the platform. There are two ways to create a business account on Pinterest: you can convert your existing personal account, or you can create a new business account from scratch. 

To convert your personal account, follow these steps: 

  1. log in to your personal account
  2. click on the three dots in the top right corner and select “Settings,” 
  3. click on the “Account” tab, 
  4. scroll down to the “Account Type” section and select “Business,” 
  5. follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. 

To create a new business account, follow these steps: 

  1. visit the Pinterest website
  2. click on the “Sign Up” button in the top right corner
  3. select “Business” from the options
  4. enter your business information
  5. follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. 

By creating a business account on Pinterest, you can gain access to a range of tools and features that are specifically designed to help businesses grow and succeed on the platform.

JEN TIP: Choose a username that reflects your business name or brand.  It will become part of the url for your Pinterest account. This will help users find and recognize your account when they’re searching for related content on Pinterest.

FREE Optimize Your Pinterest Challenge

Learn how to optimize your Pinterest profile and learn an easy strategy and workflow to market your business with Pinterest in about an hour a week!

3 | Profile Image

To help your business stand out on Pinterest and attract more traffic and potential customers, it’s important to include an engaging and high-quality image on your profile. 

If you are a solo entrepreneur or small business with fewer than four people, it’s recommended to use an image of yourself on your profile, as this can help create a personal connection with your audience and build trust and credibility. 

If you are a larger company with multiple employees, you may consider using a logo on your profile, but in most cases, it’s still recommended to use an image of yourself or your team to create a more personal and human connection with your audience. 

By choosing the right image for your profile, you can help improve the visibility and relevance of your business on Pinterest, and potentially attract more traffic and potential customers to your profile and content.

You can upload or change your profile image in the settings area. 

JEN TIP:  Use the same image that you have on other social media accounts like Instagram and TikTok.  You will have more success on Pinterest booking clients if your profile image matches.  It is typically part of the client journey that they will check you out on Instagram to confirm you’re a “real person” and/or look at your content to get a better feel for who you are.

Where to find settings byJen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist

4 | Name

When setting up your business account on Pinterest, it’s important to choose a name that is optimized for searchability and visibility. This is the name that will appear on your profile, and it’s not the same as your username, which is part of the URL of your profile page. 

To optimize your name, you should use a combination of keywords that reflect what your business does, and also include your name or first name. This way, if someone searches for your name or your business name on Pinterest, they will be able to find your profile and learn more about your products or services. 

By choosing a well-optimized name, you can help improve the visibility and relevance of your business on the platform, and potentially attract more traffic and potential customers to your profile.

JEN TIP:  Pinterest reads all these areas to understand who you are and to learn who to push your content out to.  Be Specific and consider keywords EVERYWHERE.

Create a Name in the Settings area Pinterest Cover Image by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist

5 | Pinterest Profile Description

Go to the “Settings” and under “public profile” you’ll find the “About” section.  This is known as your Pinterest profile description. In that area, include a brief description of your business. Be specific so that you attract your ideal client.  

This is where you will describe who you help and how you help them. Consider what transformation you provide for your clients. This will give visitors to your account a clear understanding of what you do and how you can help them.  

JEN TIP: At the end of the paragraph, offer a free lead magnet (something that you offer for free in exchange for getting their email address.

Business Type Pinterest Cover Image by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist

6 | Personal Information in Profile

Choose your business type (the one that best reflects you). There’s no wrong answer and you can always go back in and update this.

Choose 3 of your business account goals.  If you are exactly sure, you can choose three and after working on Pinterest for awhile go back in and make changes.

Don’t forget to add your email address because it’s an easy way for your potential client to connect with you. 

Business Goals Pinterest Cover Image by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist

7 | Claim Your Website

After setting up your business account on Pinterest, the next critical step is to claim your website. This is an important step for several reasons. 

First, it allows you to track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts on Pinterest and second, it enables you to see analytics for your account through tools like Tailwind. 

So, claiming your website on Pinterest is a crucial step for any business looking to make the most of their presence on the platform.

You can find out information on claiming your account on Pinterest or by watching this video I made to help people claim their website.

JEN TIP: Claim your website for any course pages or url’s that you may use.

Pinterest Cover Image of Jen Vazquez Photography by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Expert

8 | Upload a Cover Photo

Finally, upload a cover photo by clicking the white pencil above your profile. You want to choose a photo that tells someone what you do in two seconds. 

Example 1: if you’re a wedding photographer, you should have an image of you photographing a couple on their big day. 

Example 2: If you are a podcaster use an image of you in front of your computer with a microphone and hands wide as if you are talking.

This will immediately show visitors to your account who you are and what you do, making it easy for them to understand the focus of your business.

It can be challenging for some businesses or industries to select the right cover photo, but you can ask your friends or favorite client for their opinion on which picture best represents what you do. This can help you choose a cover photo that accurately reflects your business and makes it easy for visitors to understand the focus of your account.

JEN TIP:  If you work with a brand photographer, consult with them on ways they can capture you to help you share via images what you do.  Brand photographers specialize in just that.

Summary

By now I’m sure you’re convinced that Pinterest should be part of your marketing strategy. With its unique mix of visual content and discovery features, Pinterest offers a range of benefits for service-based businesses looking to reach and engage with potential customers. Below are some additional tips and best practices for setting up and optimizing your Pinterest account to maximize its impact and drive traffic to your business. So let’s dive in and discover how to make the most of Pinterest for your business!

  • Make a board for each content bucket or pillar of your business.
  • Ensure you have a board with your business name.
  • Create a board that says FREE resources.  I have FREE Pinterest Marketing Resources. (Pin blogs and other free content like lead magnets). 
  • You can pin other people’s pins if it alines with your brand or is helpful for your client, but ultimately you want the bulk of pins to be yours.
  • You should be using text overlay on pins explaining what will be found and a call to action. You can get 80 free calls to action in my Pinterest Marketing Resources vault for free here. Text Overlay are the words you see on a pin that entices you to click.  You can sign up for my challenge that I created which shares in details what should be on your standard pins.
  • When you create a blog, create 3-5 pins with 3 different points of view (using different keywords) so the blog content gets found by a ton of different searches. 
  • You can use your brand colors for most of the pins, but create some pins with colors that would stand out in the feeds when you search for that content.  
  • Location-based businesses will find more success when you use multiple location-based keywords. City, area, town, state, etc. 
  • Pin consistently. even if it’s only once every day.  Pinning then doing nothing will not get the reach you hope for with Pinterest. 
  • Look at analytics monthly and while impressions followers and engagement is important, pin clicks and outbound clicks are a sign of what’s resonating when it comes to marketing your business. 
  • It’s a long game. You may not see a lot of progress for the first 3-8 months, but keep going as those pins will live a long time on Pinterest (some of mine are six years old and still driving traffic). 

If you need help with Pinterest, schedule a free consultation below!

 

More Pinterest Marketing Help!

Don’t Forget to Save the Pin!

Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023 A Beginner's Guide to Success on the Platform by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist
Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023 A Beginner's Guide to Success on the Platform by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist
Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023 A Beginner's Guide to Success on the Platform by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist
Maximizing Your Pinterest Presence in 2023 A Beginner's Guide to Success on the Platform by Jen Vazquez Media Pinterest Marketing Strategist