Beyond the Launch: Evergreen Marketing with Pinterest

Book launches are festive celebrations of a book’s journey into the hands of its readers. Oftentimes authors dedicate launches to express gratitude to those who have supported them along their publishing journey. The best book launches involve considerable planning and coordination. Venues are secured. Bookmarks and giveaways are purchased. Cakes are frosted, PowerPoint presentations are perfected. The experience can be exhilarating, invigorating, demanding, and – sadly – short lived. Keeping the momentum moving requires diligence, planning, and strategy. 

 Pinterest can help. Here’s how.

 At Pin Lit, we rely heavily on the Trends Tool, which tracks trending content on Pinterest. This tool guides our strategy to align client content with broad-based, current interests. The Trends Tool informs the general messaging gleaned from resources like educator guides, coloring sheets, and promotional materials, create book lists on related topics, and analyze themes in their book's storyline.

Another critical function of the Pinterest interface is the Search Bar, found in the upper right corner of a Pinterest platform. While the Search Bar functions much like a Google search, the information it generates is much more specific than that of the Trends Tool. With it, we can discover the exact terms a client’s potential audience is searching for. This broad and narrow approach to discovering marketing opportunities to enhance a book’s visibility way beyond its launch date.

 Meet Claire Noland, whose charming picture book RAVEN’S GIFT: A FEATHERED FLIGHT OF FAITH launched in early October. The story is inspired by a legend demonstrating determination, perseverance, hope, and faith. In it, a group of biblical birds come together to honor the birth of Jesus. Typically, Christmas stories have a short shelf life. However, RAVEN’S GIFT is more than your average Christmas story, one that can live beyond its launch window. The Pinterest Trends Tool and Search Bar will guide us along the way.

 First of all, let’s see what the Trends Tool tells us about the sales window for Christmas stories. Notice, on the right side of the graph above, that Pinterest users have begun searching the terms “a Christmas Story” and “Christmas Story” in October, about the same time that RAVEN’S GIFT was launched. Moving to the left, we can see that these terms peak on December 27th, and then crash hard after that. Bah! Hum bug! Not to worry, though. The good news is that, due to the evergreen nature of Pinterest marketing, RAVEN’S GIFT will begin ranking in search again by next October. That’s nice, but we want RAVEN’S GIFT to get attention beyond December 27, 2023. Right? Back to the Trends Tool we go.

 In analyzing another layer of the RAVEN’S GIFT, we discover that Claire explores the important roles that birds hold in the Bible. Not only do birds have a lot of symbolic and metaphorical importance to the story, but this feathery subplot is also just what we need to make RAVEN’S GIFT’S marketing message fly all year long. Returning to the Trends Tool, we notice above that the term “birds” pulls up a trend line that remains between 60 and 100 over the span of the entire year. Yes! The keyword “birds” is a hot topic, one that we can incorporate in all of our campaigns. 

 Then, to take this further, let’s go to the Search Bar to get even more specific information about RAVEN’S GIFT messaging. Remember Claire's birds are part of a biblical theme. Notice above that the term “bible birds” in the Search Bar unveils a juicy list of topic ideas and keywords, providing us with great guidance in establishing an evergreen presence on Pinterest throughout the year. We now have the information we need to breathe life into RAVEN’S GIFT long after the holiday season has passed. You might say that Pinterest is the gift that keeps on giving!

Keywords gleaned by accessing the Search Bar are terms actual Pinterest users have searched for. This means that Claire has an audience looking for information, inspiration, education, and ideas to create projects centered around birds in the bible. Claire, being the creative marketer that she is, can create book lists, clever downloads, and nifty blog posts about the bible birds she’s showcased in RAVEN’S GIFT. And you’d better believe that we at Pin Lit will do all that we can to elevate her message with graphics, context, and gusto!

 This type of strategic analysis can be repeated with about any topic under the sun. By allowing the Trends Tool and the Search Bar to guide our exploration of a book’s themes, characters, plots, and subplots, we can collaborate with clients to discover keyword strategies to highlight their books, programs, and services for as long as they’d like. 

How about you? What themes and topics would you like to explore? We encourage you to pull up the Trends Tool and the Search Bar and see what delights await.

To learn more about ways that we at Pin Lit Marketing might help you develop an evergreen presence on Pinterest, schedule a Fit Call with Deb today. 

Short Tail vs. Long Tail Keywords: Nailing the Specifics of Content Marketing

If I had to select a single feature that sets Pinterest apart in the realm of social media marketing, it would undoubtedly be its knack for targeting specific niches with enduring content. For we book sellers and creators, a niche refers to a distinct group of customers (readers) characterized by specific needs, preferences, or interests. These niches are precise and clearly defined. While it may require some effort to craft a strategy that appeals to our desired audience, the time invested in doing so is unquestionably worthwhile. Without a doubt, it truly is. 

Beyond crafting eye-catching graphics, the essential elements required for niching-nailing are relevant, applicable, and relatable keywords - terms that users type into the search bar in hopes of finding that one special niche-like thing they are looking for. 

Keywords come in a variety of forms. The best known are short tail keywords and long tail keywords. Short tail keywords are general and broad, making them competitive on the digital marketing scene. Long tails are short, yet concise. They are specific, descriptive, niche-centric phrases that cast a wider net in efforts to attract one’s intended audience. Savvy Pinterest marketers create lists of both short tail and long tail keywords to feature everywhere possible – on pin graphic, titles, descriptions, on in board descriptions (I’ve also heard that they make for some swell looking tattoos, too.). 

You ask, “Where can we find these treasures known as short tail and long tail keywords?” They are hiding in plain sight! Analyze your books, programs, and services from every angle. Identify the genres, categories, themes, premises, educational value, social impact, age-level, academic standards coding … of whatever you can think. Therein lies niche-finding gold, pal. For sure. 

For example, let’s have a look at the keyword coding potential for AT THE EDGE OF ICE, written by Carolyn Armstrong, the first installment in the Eco Warriors series for middle school readers. (Here is looking at you, Carolyn. Wink. Wink.). 

Not only is AT THE EDGE OF ICE a delightful middle grade novel about rivaling twin sisters and their quest to save the threatened Arctic ecosystem, but the author is also offering loads of educator resources that would make any classroom teacher or homeschooling parent jump for joy! With a little bit of research, Carolyn can discover a nice extensive list of short tail and long tail keywords to use that will serve to narrow her niche. This type of creative keywording allows Pinterest users in search of the topics she addresses in AT THE EDGE OF ICE to find just what they are looking for. Here is how to do it. 

To start off, Carolyn must first pinpoint her genre, classification, and target age range. Incorporating phrases like eco-fiction, middle grade, ages 10 to 14, grade 6, grade 7, and grade 8 into her long-tail keywords will accomplish this task effectively. Following that, to further refine her focus, she could consider including some of the following elements in all aspects of her efforts in creating pins: 

• MG books about climate change

• MG books about global warming

• MG books about polar bears

• Next Gen Science: K-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity

• Ecology for Middle Schoolers

• Arctic habitat project for kids

• Animal food chain pyramid

• Sibling jealousy parenting tips

• Parenting sibling jealousy

• Middle grade geography lessons

• Longitude & latitude lessons

• Engaging map skills activities

You get the picture, right? By highlighting aspects of information about the book's foundation, themes, and storyline, Carolyn can leverage the timeless effectiveness of Pinterest marketing to reach a broad online audience, aiming to pique the curiosity of her target demographic on the platform. Who is to say she will not also contribute to the preservation of some precious marine life along the way, as well! 

How about you? Do you need help nailing your niche(s)? Sign up for a Fit Call today. Let’s see what the power of Pinterest can do for you. 

Planning A Pre-Launch Campaign on Pinterest

Have you ever heard of a woman named Else Bostelmann? I hadn’t, not until one of our long-time clients Jeanne Walker Harvey let us know that she’s launching a biography about this fascinating woman next summer. Yippee, skippy! It’s time to sharpen our Pinterest pre-launch tools. Want a little peek into how it’s done?

First of all, Jeanne is an accomplished, multi-published, award-winning author, a book review blogger, and a committed Pinterest marketer. We’ve been working together for over two years now and it’s been an absolute delight to do so. We know each other well. Jeanne pens remarkable nonfiction picture book biographies, three of which we’ve partnered in pre-launch campaigns. The time to implement the tactics and strategies required to connect her upcoming book with her people starts NOW!

Else Bostelmann? Now that’s another story. We don’t know her. But there are readers living on Pinterest who do and will, eventually, want to buy ELSE B. IN THE SEA: THE WOMAN WHO PAINTED THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP. Much like Dorothy’s Yellow Brick Road, our job is to establish a path leading them to Jeanne’s version of the Emerald City – her website. Instead of using gleaming bricks of canary yellow, we’ll be using SEO, keywords, groovy graphics, and a whole lot of savvy to get the job done. Oh, yeah!

We use a two-pronged approach for book launches or any campaign, starting with building solid Pinterest boards. We focus on specific details of Jeanne's new book and as well as the broader themes explored in all her work. This helps Pinterest sort and show off her content. Bit by bit, we're paving a glittering road to Jeanne's homepage for educators, librarians, history buffs, and even fish-lovers to follow. No ruby slippers required.

You might be thinking, “That’s very nice for Jeanne, but I don’t have a mature platform like she does.” Not to worry, my pretty. Whether you’re a good witch or a bad witch, there are ways to meet your marketing needs on Pinterest. Schedule a Fit Call today. Together we can figure out a plan that is just right for you.

Using Pinterest as Market Research: ANYONE Can Do It!

I have strong feelings about a whole lot of things. For example, I believe that all kids need to learn how to play a musical instrument (Even badly). Also, in my view, no one should earn a college diploma until they have worked in the public sector as wait staff (This would convince diners to become better tippers!). Lastly, I am certain that all authors and illustrators – pre-published to the experts – should be dabbling in Pinterest to enhance literary perspectives as well as to become acquainted with their audiences. This process is free. No pin creation required. You in?

By now we all know that Pinterest is a crazy powerful visual discovery engine. In this newsletter, we usually focus on optimizing our Pins in efforts to wow our intended audience. This time let’s examine the power of the Board as a sleuth-like tool to probe around the platform. The good news is that everyone can do so without having to make a single Pin!

We often describe Boards as little pouches where we tuck away related Pins. See them as handpicked showcases of images, ideas, and inspirations, all grouped under a distinct theme. The catchiest Board Titles stem from straightforward phrases Pinterest users pop into the Search bar. Whether you cast a wide net or zoom in closely in your market research, your title's scope can vary accordingly.

For example, say you are a pre-published author writing a young adult historical fiction fantasy novel set in Detroit. Talk about distinct themes to explore! Some Board Title examples might be…

• Detroit Historical Fiction

• Young Adult Fantasy

• YA Historical Fantasy Novels

• Detroit-based YA Fantasy

• Detroit Magic and Myth

• YA Fantasy Characters

• Detroit Historical Fantasy Reads

Although these titles may seem repetitive, there is a logic behind the madness. Such repetition helps establish your specific niche on the platform, signaling the algorithms about your identity, content, and the target audience you aim to engage. After setting up a Board on Pinterest, the system will recommend related Pins that its algorithms deem appropriate for your board. Check them out. Some of the pins will align perfectly, while others might miss the mark. That is okay. This procedure provides insights for when your moment to shine arrives.

This type of market research not only demonstrates who is marketing similar content on the platform, but what they are displaying. And, as a bonus, you are establishing your own digital footprint in your niche. All of this without making a single pin!

In short, there is a place for all book creators and sellers on Pinterest. With a little bit of planning and a whole lot of fun, anyone can use the platform for their benefit.

Are you interested in knowing how this process might benefit your marketing platform? Why not reach out and schedule a call today? Together we can see how Pinterest can benefit you!

Keywords – Here. There. EVERYWHERE!

Crafting effective copy for Pinterest content goes against any creative writing practices that we writers have come to know. We’re encouraged to avoid the repetition of words or phrases. We’re also taught to constantly strive to engage the reader on an emotional level with vivid verbs, metaphors, similes, assonance, alliteration, and/or onomatopoeia (my favorite). 
 
Friends, that kind of blather just doesn’t cut it with Pinterest. You won’t get any traction on the platform if you insist on writing like a poet. Nope. If you want to get your goods and services seen on the platform, you’d best toss out the thesaurus and start again. 
 
Building a solid presence on Pinterest requires an understanding of what your products and services are, who they are intended to serve, then translating that information into searchable key terms that the Bots can categorize. We must be willing to set that lofty literary language aside to get the job done.
 
The secret to the process is to break your offerings down into categories, no more than three to begin with. Some examples for starter categories might be Books, Audience, and Genre. Then jump on the Pinterest search bar and drop in terms and phrases that describe your categories. Make a list of the words that keep showing up. Those are the keywords that your audience is using when they’re searching for treasures on Pinterest. Those words are their pathway to finding YOU!
 
Say you are a published poet who teaches writing. Here are a handful of phrases you might want to explore:

• Creative writing

• Creative writing tips

• Creative writing prompts

• Figurative writing

• Literary activities

• Poetry book

• Poetry book for children

• Nature poems (You can get genre-specific here)

• Poetry prompts

• Language arts

 
The next step is to use, use, and reuse those keywords in your Pinterest profile, on your graphics, in your pin titles and descriptions over and over and over again. Take care to use a conversational tone when doing so. Light, lively, and to the point. You can add a touch of cool, if you want to. Have fun with this. 
 
Happy keywording!

Unbranded Searches Make Pinterest Anybody’s Game

Last week, while attending a Pinterest managers round-up meeting, the speaker commented that 97% of the searches on Pinterest are “unbranded.” Dang! That’s an impressive percentage of users, but what does that mean for authors, illustrators, and book creators everywhere? 
 
An “unbranded search” is a detailed description of a Pinterest user’s desire for exploration. These searches reflect how Pinterest users behave on the platform. Here’s what Pinterest has to say about this:
 

Such a high percentage of unbranded searches is a strong indication that Pinterest users are on the platform to seek inspiration and discover new ideas.

 
Anticipating unbranded search trends does require a bit of finesse, but the effort is well worth it. For example, some topics are seasonal, such as “Earth Day”, “Hanukkah”, and “Back-to-school”. Other topics like “middle grade nonfiction books about space”, “early literacy for toddlers”, or “gift books for baby showers” are on-going topics, searched as the Pinterest user sees fit. 
 
The ultimate challenge for us all is to anticipate the needs and desires of our intended audience. All we must do is discover ways that our books, programs, and products might inspire, educate, or encourage them. And then creatively create graphics and concise context that will help them find us on the platform. Build it and they will come, right?
 
The fun never, ever ends! For sure.
 
Need help with your presence on Pinterest? Like an unbranded search, we’re here whenever you need us.
 

The Taxonomy of You: How to Rank in Keyword Searches.

You might know that I began my teaching career as a Montessori teacher. For well over twenty years, I immersed myself in Maria's remarkable methodologies and materials. I particularly enjoyed working with the elaborate taxonomy materials, known as “The Tree of Life”.  The students and I would spend hours sorting and organizing cards representing phylum, classes, orders, and families for the plant and animal kingdoms. Geeky good times, for certain.
 
Did you know that there is a taxonomy for search engines? One that can be used to optimize marketing efforts to the max? Here’s what wise and wonderful Wikipedia has to say:
 

Taxonomy for search engines refers to classification methods that improve relevance in vertical search. Taxonomies of entities are tree structures whose nodes are labeled with entities likely to occur in a web search query. Searches use these trees to match keywords from a search query to keywords from answers (or snippets).

 
Well, that sounds like a bunch of gobbly-goop, doesn’t it? In short, Wiki is explaining that there is a search engine hierarchy taxonomy. Much like Montessori’s Tree of Life, this type of taxonomy is broken down into nodes, categories, and sublevels. Easy peasy, right?
 
Say that you have an adorable picture book highlighting ways to make friends. While aspects of relationship building can be complicated, promoting your message on Pinterest doesn’t need to be. With consistency, clarity, and strategy you’ll find a way for your friendship content to be discovered with a vertical hierarchical search pattern like this.
 

Education > Education Level > Early Elementary > Social Skills

 
Following this sequence, break down your hospitable picture book message into itty bitty informative pieces, much like those Tree of Life cards the kids and I sorted. Then address each of these levels by tastefully piling on keywords in all your graphics, boards, pin titles and descriptions. Remember to be clear. Not cute. We don’t want to confuse the bots. 

Pinterest is the Library. Instagram is the Bar.

I discovered an audio/video Idea pin by Simple Pin Media (One of my industry go-to gurus.) I want to share with you. Not only are the graphics compelling and the audio elements super cool, I love the message. Pinterest is the library. Instagram is the bar. That says it all.

Think about the purpose of each of these social settings. A great bar is noisy by design. It’s loaded with laughter and libations. Flat screen TV’s blaring. Glasses clinking. The gang’s all here! It’s the place where everybody knows your name, right?

The library is more focused, quiet, and deliberate. I go to the library when I have a specific need. Something I want to learn about. I’m on the hunt for an answer when I step through those doors. I’m in slow-mo research mode and no one better get in my way.

Books, videos, and programming offers in the library have all been carefully curated. Every item is intentionally categorized for easy access, many of which have been living on the shelves for ages! Whether I’m searching for a title, a topic of interest, an author, illustrator, or publisher, all I must do is type in a few keywords into the reference computer. And…BOOM! Question answered. Now I’m ready to take some action.

Pinterest users are researchers . They’re browzers, planners, and collectors. They take their sweet time when deciding to purchase. That’s all right. We know that, with each pin we create, we’re investing in carefully curated compelling content. Like those dusty shelves in the library, our books, videos, and programming opportunities live as evergreen content on the platform forever!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Pinterest is a long game. But with consistency, strategy, and quality content, we'll come out winners.

I’ll drink to that. How about you?

Catching the Valentine's Day Trend with Pin Lit Marketing & Guides by Deb Client Books

Those of us who market our wares on Pinterest reference the term “Trends” on a regular basis. We use Trends to anticipate when our intended audience will access the platform to search for our content. This type of marketing requires consistency, intentionality, and laser focus on offering quality content, the type that our readers are compelled to connect with. 

This blog post is being written at the end of November. Believe it or not, we’re now beginning to anticipate how we’ll use the Valentine’s Day trend to our benefit. Because this trend begins to rise on December 22 and peaks on February 16, now is the time to begin exploring how we might use the climb to our advantage. We’ll begin dropping this content by December 15. 

We here at Pin Lit Marketing and at Guides by Deb are privileged to work with some of the finest books in the business, many of which celebrate love. Below you’ll find examples of books that we’ll be featuring in efforts to catch that Valentine’s Day trend. Stop by the Pin Lit Marketing Pinterest platform to see just how we showcase these amazing stories. 

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Book Information:

Title: When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community

Author: Gayle Pitman

Illustrator: Christopher Lyles

Publisher: Magination Press

ISBN-13: 978-1433827365

Educator Guide

Synopsis: When You Look Out the Window tells the story of Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, one of San Francisco's most well-known and politically active lesbian couples. Describing the view from Phyllis and Del's window, this book shows how one couple's activism transformed their community — and had ripple effects throughout the world.

Includes a Reading Guide that provides helpful historical context, and a Note to Parents, Caregivers, and Educators about the importance of teaching LGBTQ history and culture to children.

This is a unique way to introduce children to untold stories in history while also being a clever tribute to two notable women.

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Title: Daddy Speaks Love

Author: Leah Henderson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

ISBN-13: 978-0593354360

Educator Guide

Synopsis: A moving tribute to the joy and grounding that fathers bring to their children's lives.

What does a daddy do? From day one, this daddy speaks love to his little one. And along with that love, his words and actions speak many other things, too: like truth, joy, comfort, and pride. Like many dads, he answers a million questions and tries to make sure that days are full of fun adventures, giggles, and hugs. Dads are good at scaring away imaginary monsters, and honest about how to confront the real ones too. They set an example for the future, speaking out for equality and justice, while sharing lessons from the past. But most of all, daddies encourage their young ones to fight for a better world, with the comfort of knowing their dads are right beside them. Daddy Speaks Love speaks to that everlasting bond between children and their fathers and is a perfect gift for special occasions including Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more!

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Title: The Best Kind of Gift

Author: Kathi Appelt

Illustrator: Paul Brett Johnson

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN-13: 978-0688153939

Kathi on Pinterest

Synopsis:The folks in Dogwood are abuzz with excitement when a new parson comes to lead their congregation. The whole town gets busy preparing a pounding -- where everyone brings "a pound o' this and a pound o' that" to make Brother Harper feel more at home.

Jory Timmons wants so badly to give the perfect gift to Brother Harper. But it seems that he is too small to do anything right! He can't light a stove to bake a pie like Mama, and he isn't strong enough to carry a sack of corn like his older brother, Thomas.

But in this lively tale, loaded with country charm, Jory Timmons learns that the best gifts are given when he is simply being himself.

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Title: Until the Blueberries Grow

Author: Jennifer Wolf Kam

Illustrator: Sally Walker

Publisher: PJ LIbrary

ISBN-13: 978-1736557334

Jen on Pinterest

Synopsis: Until the blueberries grow . . . until the grapes are ripe . . . until the snow falls . . . until the flowers bloom . . . Ben tries to convince his great-grandfather to stay in his house just a little longer as the two celebrate a yearly cycle of Jewish holidays together.

"This sweet story of family abounds with food, flowers, and quality time with loved ones." - Kirkus review, 2022

“The book opens with Ben and his great-grandfather, Zayde, enjoying blueberries right off the bushes, and the two continue to share different foods together throughout the seasons of the year... But Zayde is growing older, and Ben must learn to accommodate change…Every picture shows their sensitivity and awareness of one another’s needs, echoing the Jewish traditions of caring for children and the elderly…The love between generations, the observance of holidays that give meaning to the Jewish year, and the sacred proportions of both the natural world and the homes where we live — all are presented as tangibly as the blueberries that a boy and his great-grandfather share." - Emily Schneider for The Jewish Book Council, 2022

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Title: Under an Indigo Moon

Author: JL Crosswhite

Publisher: Tandem Services Press

ISBN-13: 9781954986053

Part of the Holcomb Springs Small Town Romantic Suspense Series

Jennifer on Pinterest

Synopsis: Former big-city architect and single mom Carissa Carver is starting over in Holcomb Springs with her two boys. She has dropped all of her savings into vacant Victorian she bought at an online auction, hoping to flipping and build a better life.

But the house is nothing like what it was represented in the photos, and the neighbors are just plain weird. Figuring she has once again made a bad choice, she’s re-thinking her whole plan. But the chocolate lab that comes with the house, Charlie, has adopted them, particularly Alex, her son with Asperger’s. Not having the heart to tear him away from something that brings him joy, she digs into making this money pit work.

But when things go missing, her house is vandalized, and she finds human bones in the basement, she wonders what she’s really gotten them into. Is this one more bad decision or something truly dangerous?

Deputy Sheriff Jonas McCann relocated to Holcomb Springs four years ago after the death of his wife and daughter in a car accident. He’s visiting the town’s library when he inadvertently stumbles upon a singles’ meetup the librarian has arranged: Find your soul mate by their taste in books. He tries to duck out, gets roped in. Spotting Carissa and assuming she's a tourist, he figures she’s a safe bet and strikes up a conversation with her, pretending to know her from somewhere, to get away from an overly interested woman. She’s a good sport and plays along.

Later when he responds to a burglary call, he’s surprised to discover it’s her house. As more strange things happen around the house, Jonas is drawn further into his desire to protect her and to be a positive influence on the boys he’s come to have a heart for. Can he solve the mystery before she and her boys get hurt? Does it have anything to do with the missing teenager? Or are those just ghost stories and small-town rumors? Especially the ones about the indigo moon.

Tips for Launching a Tender Picture Book on Pinterest

In January, my dear friend Nancy Bo Flood is launching one of the sweetest, most heartfelt picture books I’ve seen in a very long time. WALKING GRANDMA HOME: A STORY OF GRIEF, HOPE AND HEALING, illustrated by Ellen Shi, tenderly explores the process of dying and finality of death from a young boy’s point of view. The story chronicles Little Lee’s emotional journey of understanding as he experiences the stages of grief due to his beloved grandmother’s passing.

In the story, because Grandma knows that her time is drawing near, she attempts to prepare Lee for her passing. Throughout the story, Lee’s questions such as this are addressed with tenderness, honesty, and candor. For example, one lovely day while in the flower garden together, Grandma explains, “Little Lee, I’m going away soon, I’m going home.” Her words confuse Lee. “Home?” he wonders. “Grandma is already home.” As the story progresses, his broken heart is healed as he symbolically walks with Grandma to her eternal resting place in Heaven.

WALKING GRANDMA HOME: A STORY OF GRIEF, HOPE AND HEALING is a timeless story, an important book, one that should live on the shelves of every school library, guidance counselor’s office, and early childhood teacher’s classroom.  It’s a book that, after following a few simple steps, would find a lasting home on Pinterest. 

The first step to consider when establishing an evergreen Pinterest campaign for a book like WALKING GRANDMA HOME: A STORY OF GRIEF, HOPE AND HEALING, is to think of who might be searching for a book like this and why do they need it? How can a story such as this be helpful to them? Furthermore, how would they articulate their request? What words or phrases would they type into the Pinterest search bar to find a solution to their problem? 

In efforts to support a grieving child, a caring parent, librarian, or teacher might drop phrases like picture books about grief, kids’ books about sadness or death and dying for kids into the Pinterest search bar. With a click, their feed would populate with a screen full of graphics known as collage pins, visual representations of topics or themes that share a common bond. In this case, the collage pins would represent collections of books dealing with topics of grief, death, and dying. To learn more about the books featured on the collage pin, the Pinterest user typically clicks-through to access a blog post listing references about each book. Eureka!

WALKING GRANDMA HOME: A STORY OF GRIEF, HOPE AND HEALING deserves to be featured – front and center – on every collage pin and list of picture books published with the intent to help a child learn to cope with the loss of a loved one. Its compassionate message of hope and healing is transformative.  If you know of a child who shares a similar situation as Little Lee’s, pre-order a copy of WALKING GRANDMA HOME: A STORY OF GRIEF, HOPE AND HEALING today. It’s a story that live on throughout eternity.

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Book Information:

Title: WALKING GRANDMA HOME: A STORY OF GRIEF, HOPE AND HEALING

Publisher: Zonderkidz

ISBN-10: 0310771242

ISBN-13: 978-0310771241

Reading age: 4 - 8 years

Grade Level: 1 - 2

Synopsis: This picture book from a child psychologist and counselor uses a touching and relatable story about a young boy’s grief to help children 4-8 understand what it means to lose a loved one and how to process their own emotions of fear, grief, and joyful remembrance. 

When Grandma tells Lee she will soon be “going home,” Lee is confused. Isn’t Grandma already home? But as Grandma’s health gets worse and her death approaches, Lee learns what it means to “walk Grandma home” to heaven, while also reflecting on his good memories and dealing with his grief alongside his extended family.

Creative Dismantling: Genres, Themes & Pain Points

I recently finished creating a teacher guide for Melanie Conklin’s amazing new middle grade novel, A PERFECT MISTAKE. Melanie is a master of crafting relatable, yet highly complex characters, multi-layered plots that are rich with theme and premise – a Pinterest marketer’s dream!
 
There is so much more to Pinterest than surface-level, eye-catching graphics. With books and content like A PERFECT MISTAKE, we can go considerably deeper than that.  To do so we need to dismantle the constructs of her intricate plot and her reader’s interests into itty-bitty pieces called keywords. We will then use these keywords on the graphics, board titles and descriptions, and in the pin titles and descriptions. Here’s a sample of keywords one might use to communicate what this book is about:

• Mystery novel for middle grade readers

• A compelling middle grade mystery novel about ADHD

• Time Blindness & ADHD

• Overcoming conflicts with friends & family

• A moving mystery 5th - 8th graders will love!

• A middle grade novel about honesty & truthfulness

• A gripping middle grade mystery about friendship & responsibility

• CCSS-aligned educator resources available

• Free educational resource for teachers & librarians 

The goal is to anticipate her readers’ “pain points” — problems that reading her book might solve — and then offer the solution. By reviewing the list of intriguing keywords, you can easily see how A PERFECT MISTAKE could be the ideal middle grade novel caring teachers or librarians are searching for. 
 
Isn’t this process fun? I just love it!

List Love: Creating a Collage Pin Campaign.

It’s been a big month for GIRLS WITH GUTS. Being that June 23rd marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, that powerhouse of a picture book has been popping up on prestigious booklists, high-profile book blogs, and placed front-faced in libraries and bookstores all over the place! I mention this because, as book marketers (Face it, pal. If you’re a published author, you’re a marketer.), our first impulse is to slap together a one-and-done social post showcasing our accolades.  I want to show you another way to celebrate accomplishments that will bring about evergreen laurels – the List Endorsement Campaign. 
 
My future intention is to compile an in-depth-Guides-by-Deb-like resource detailing the steps required to establish a List Endorsement campaign on Pinterest with your book as the Hero image leading the charge. (I’ll make sure that you have first dibbs on these downloads.) For now, let’s look at how a smart client is promoting her adorable, faith-based, family-centered picture book using this effective technique.
 
On the surface, Jennifer Wolf Kam’s debut picture book UNTIL THE BLUEBERRIES GROW is a sweet story about a loving relationship between a young boy and his grandfather. However, careful readers soon discover that the plot is skillfully layered with themes of compassion, aging, familial devotion, transitions, and Jewish traditions. Jen is actively engaged in promoting her book by crafting insightful blog posts complete with free resources featuring lists of books that share similar themes. Educators and librarians find these lists to be EXCEEDINGLY helpful!
 
Have a look at how Jen’s promoting her collection of book lists on Pinterest. She’s using Idea Pins, Static Pins, and Video Pins to get the job done. Note that, though the cover for UNTIL THE BLUEBERRIES GROW is prominently featured in the foreground of the graphics, the overall messaging is selfless, creative, and heroically helpful.  The best part is that by implementing this List Endorsement campaign, she is investing in visibility longevity on Pinterest. Good on you, Jen. Good on you.
 

Lessons From a Tommy Bahama Shopper

Recently, I did a bit of Von Maur shopping, my go-to shop whenever I need to purchase something nice to wear for a wedding. Because I loathe shopping for clothes, I consider Von Maur to be an oasis. It’s always well-organized, tidy, a bit up-scale, and yet reasonably priced. I shop, buy, and high-tail-it out of there as quickly as I can. I’m rarely disappointed, which is why I return, time and time again. 
 
As I was descending the escalator to leave the store, I observed a casually dressed man wearing beach-like huaraches searching through a rack of Tommy Bahama tee shirts. Allow me to describe the scene through the analytics lens of a Pinterest Marketing Specialist, won’t you? Mr. Huarache can teach us all a thing or two about Cold and Warm Audiences, Engagements, and Out-bound Clicks. 
 

• Cold and Warm Audiences: A Cold Audience is defined as customers who have never heard of your product. Conversely, Mr. Huarache and I are examples of Warm Audiences in that we both were familiar with the products we’re searching for. I sought and found something wedding-appropriate in a place I have developed a customer relationship with (That’s about as warm of an audience as you can ever get.). He appeared to be looking for something to compliment his groovy sandals.

• Engagements: With Pinterest, Engagement rates are calculated by any time your audience interacts with your pins by either clicking on them, saving them, or viewing the sequencing of a carousel or Idea Pin. Mr. Huarache dramatized this concept by actively engaging with the appealing merchandise, sorting through the tee shirts hanging on the rack, lingering over a few that seemed to catch his eye.

• Out-bound Clicks: The term Out-bound Clicks refers to the number of times your audience clicks-through a pin to land on a destination off of the Pinterest platform. Be it an author’s website, YouTube channel, or some kind of email-collecting opt-in, an Out-bound Click is interpreted as a message that your audience wants to know more. If Mr. Huarache removed a shirt from that well-organized rack for further inspection, Von Maur had done all it could to sell the item. The store, like one’s Pinterest platform, did its job to attract a potential buyer. In the end it’s up to Tommy Bahama, or one’s website, to bring the sale home.

Lasting Reflections Of Self Expression: The Idea Pin

We’re so excited to announce the Second Annual Pinterest Pals Summer Reading Book Club is off and running! The Landing Page is launched. Clients’ video and static organic pins are scheduled on my platform and Tailwind. We’re even making our mark over on Instagram. Now, we have one more aspect of the campaign to create – The Idea Pins. The Idea Pins I made for last year’s campaign have brought in over 7K impressions, thus far (Which means that over 7,000 sets of eyes landed on them! Yay!). I’d like to double that number this year.

With Idea Pins, we discover ways to inspire, educate, and inform our audience with videos, stills, animation, text overlays, and audio. Once known as the Story Pin, the intent of Idea Pins is to tell the story of you. They’re evergreen flickers of color and movement revealing who you are, what your stories are about, and ways your audience can build a relationship with you. Imagine constructing something original, genuine, lasting, and wildly creative that doubles as a marketing tool. Cool, right?

Please be our guest and tour the Pinterest platforms linked to the Second Annual Pinterest Pals Summer Reading Book Club Landing Page. There you will discover how a poet, a historian, a writing coach, a yogi, a literary activist, and others are telling their stories with Idea Pins.

Contact me if you want to know more about building a Pinterest platform founded on you and your authentic messaging. Let’s explore creative ways to enhance your reach with Pinterest.

Also, you conference planners, consider adding Pinterest to your marketing panel discussions. Your attendees will be very glad that you did.

Passengers (And Authors), Prepare For Landing

I have travel plans. 

On Friday, John and I are returning to the Lone Star State and I’m plenty excited about the trip. We’re flying into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Despite recent renovations, I am very familiar with the airport layout. I’ve flown in and out of that place countless times. I know my way around the joint. I feel secure there.

In June, I’m taking a trip to Salt Lake City. This will be the first time I've landed at the Salt Lake City International Airport. You can bet, once the plane has landed and I make my way down the jet bridge, I’ll be thinking, “Where should I go?” I anticipate that there will be plenty of well-placed, easy to-understand signs available to help me find my way.  Well-crafted website landing pages need to serve your audience in a similar fashion.

Think about your audience’s travel experience prior to discovering your website. Who knows where their flight may have originated from – a conference, a social media post, a Zoom webinar? Whatever it may be, something interesting compelled them to scour the internet to find your website. If you and your website are familiar, they might be tolerant of some confusion while searching for the information they need. If they don’t know you and cannot easily find the information they desire, they’ll bounce. Bummer, man.

This week we’re crafting the pins for the Second Annual Pinterest Pals Summer Reading Book Club. I cannot wait for you to see these gorgeous treasures. Collage pins. Video pins. Idea pins. Genre-specific collections. Book-jacket standalones. We have also prepared a campaign web page to assure a smooth-landing after they have clicked-through to our website. For them, much like for me in Salt Lake City, orientation will be required. They need to easily understand where to go to get what they need.

The purpose for the Summer Reading Book Club is to showcase (and sell) selected books written by our 2022 clients, and to highlight their Pinterest platforms. This messaging will be creatively communicated through graphics and pin descriptions. By clearly doing so, our click-through audience (All thousands of them!) will know the purpose of their landing and what to do next. As you can see, we’ve made it very easy for them to either view the authors’ Pinterest platforms and/or purchase their books.

ETA for the Summer Reading Book Club takeoff is Monday, April 18. Buckle up and join us as we fly the friendly skies of Pinterest.

Visibility Hang Time From A Goalie’s Perspective

Believe it not, I was once a fierce and widely feared (Feared? That be stretching it, a little bit.) goalie for a women’s league team called The Sugar Cubes. Most of our games were played in the East Dallas area. Our greatest rival was a team called The Charlie’s Angels and, oh…did they ever play dirty. I still recall defeating their best player in a shootout. How can I ever forget? My messed-up left knee reminds me of that triumphal moment every day.

My favorite part of the game was punting. I had a knack for keeping that ball in the air.  I knew I had done well when Sissy, our most ferocious fullback, would cut me a side glance and say, “Nice hang time.” Oh, yeah.

You’re wondering what this trip down Memory Lane has to do with Pinterest, right? Everything.

I learned something the other day that shocked me. I came across a video featuring my friend and mentor Amber Peterson discussing the benefits of adding Pinterest to one’s marketing strategies. During her presentation, which was filmed in 2020, she compared the visibility longevity of Pinterest pins with social media platforms. Using stats from 2019, she reported:

• Facebook posts have a visibility hangtime of 5 hours.

• Twitter tweets are seen for 24 minutes.

• Instagram posts have a 48-hour viewing window.

• Pins are evergreen. They remain searchable as long as the content is viable and one’s platform is live.

Isn’t that amazing? And those numbers are old! Those viewing windows are probably even shorter today. Amber also stated that, next to Google and YouTube, Pinterest is the third largest search engine in the world. And, that Pinterest boards show up in Google searches! Facts such as these fuel my passion for pinning. We need to get our books, programs, and on this powerful platform – Now! (Three exclamation points in seven lines. You get my drift?)

Thanks for reading about my hang-time glory days on the soccer field. Score!!!!

Surfing Trends: How To Catch A Wave With Pinterest

Yesterday, I made a discovery while working on a client’s monthly analytic report. For months, she and I have had our sights set on showcasing her Black History Month content in a big way and we rocked it! However, now that that campaign has passed, her numbers have dipped a bit, telling me that we must always anticipate when the next best trend will swell. No slacking. Here’s how we’re going to do it.

Say, you’ve got a YA about a surfer girl with a passion for dogs who came from Detroit. We’ve got three broad keywords here – surfer girl, dogs, and Detroit. Our job is to analyze and amplify these terms in efforts to clamp onto algorithms in time to, which can be useful to Pinterest paddlepusses, too!

According to Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media, the Trends Tool is a "keyword tool that helps you see what people are looking for and when they are looking for it." With this tool, we marketers anticipate what and when their intended audience will be searching for their content. I wonder when readers might be searching for our dog-loving surfer girl novel. Let’s find out.

Let’s drop ‘surfer girl’ in the search bar and see what comes up. Wow. We have two crests to ride, the highest being May 22. We’d better get some well-optimized pins going now to catch that first big kahuna.

Our girl is from Detroit. Let’s see what happens when we drop ‘Detroit’ in the search bar. Okay. That's a steady one. We’ll be sure to include that keyword often.

Who doesn’t love dogs, right? Let’s see how her puppy helps our algorithms. Yeow! That one hangs ten at 100 in December! Let’s be sure to post loads of pins showcasing that keyword in the fall, just in time to crest in the holidays. Pretty amazing right?

See why we Pinterest Pals geek out about the Trends Tool? Try it. You will, too.

Contact me if you’d like to know more about how Pinterest can help your marketing efforts. I love to do workshops and presentations for groups - large and small. A captive audience interested in Pinterest? Are you kidding me? Let us know how we can be of help to you. Until then…hang loose.

Content…shmontent. What’s the big deal anyway?

Creating content is a breeze once you nail your message. The discovery process is easier than you think. Here’s how. 

I had the best time with SCBWI-Houston last week. My heart did a little jump when I saw familiar faces on the Zoom screen, folks I hadn’t laid eyes on for years. Together we explored how to establish a publicity plan for the reluctant marketer. Instead of focusing on pin clicks and pixels, we followed a simple three-step process to establish content messaging founded on originality, authenticity, and credibility. Here’s how we did it. 

• Step One - Data Dump: Set a time for 15 to 20 minutes to simply list everything of interest on a sheet of paper. What are your strengths? Interests? What do you want to know more about? These topics don’t necessarily have to be writing or illustration related. Focus on you here. Let it rip.

• Step Two - Pillars: Consider the topics you listed. Choose three that share some sort of commonality. These three topics are known as pillars in the digital marketing world, useful structures to support your content marketing platform. Using page 2 of the worksheet, write your pillars in the upper portions of the grid. Set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes, then dig into the topics. List details that clarify your expertise in the topic. Think of ways that your know-how might become helpful to others. 

• Step Three - Crafting Content: Review the topics listed beneath your pillars. Examine your topics on a macro level - baby steps - then build out from there. Imagine that someone is asking for your advice. Instead of confusing them by overloading them with facts, share useful gem by useful gem. Then, after you’ve addressed your reader’s requests, make the connection with how the topic serves to inspire your craft. Create catchy titles for those that you feel will be most interesting to your audience. (You’ll find some title suggestions on page three.)

The ultimate goal of this process is to establish a genuinely authentic relationship with your intended audience through your consistently posted content. (Remember the So What Factor?). Pinterest has an uncanny way of assessing the effectiveness of our messaging. We’ve discovered that pins highlighting the benefits the user will glean from the linked content rank higher than those that showcase the book creators. This happens time and time again. It’s phenomenal.  

The Mother Of All Questions → "So What?”

Last week, my Pinterest guru hosted a Pin Clinic during which we examined the pinning strategies of some of the most effective Pinterest marketers on the platform. Not only did we scour through pin selections, we also combed through their linked landing pages to discover how they are making it happen. We clicked through platforms produced by high-end food bloggers, cosmetic companies, woo-commerce sites (Did you even know there was such a thing?), interior designers, and yoga masters with an eagle eye to how they addressed the “So What?” Factor.

The “So What?” Factor typifies the what’s-in-it-for-me mindset of the Pinterest user. They come to the platform with their questions, problems, and desires at the forefront of their mind. Then, when intrigued by a well-crafted pin, they click through to discover how the blog post, giveaway invitation, school visit programming, book offers, and/or supplemental educational content might meet their needs. If it resonates, it meets the “So What?” Factor. If not, we have some work to do.

The “So What?” Factor is all about the quality content we offer. Any copy, image, video, or offer we create needs to be created with the intention of establishing a connection with our audience in mind. It’s easy to do, once you get the hang of it. When crafting a post, make sure you address the benefits they will gain by reading it. When promoting a presentation, list the highlights of the event. And, when creating opt-ins, make sure these freebies are something that will make their lives a little bit easier. The “So What” Factor is what makes marketing on Pinterest a slow burn. But, man-oh-man, is it ever worth the effort.

A Case Study Of A Reluctant Marketer: Establishing A Platform For A Platform

Bibbity, bobbity, boo to YOU!

I have a friend whose publishing dream has come true! Like me (and maybe, you), she’s soldiered through the submission, rejection, submission, rejection process like a champ in efforts to achieve her goal. Now it the time to deeply consider establishing marketing strategies that are authentic, helpful, manageable, and fun. 

Candy has an active personal, professional, and writing life, leaving little time to master the nuances of Canva or Google Analytics. Yet, she understands that she’ll need to do some work to assure that her picture book biography will gain the visibility it will need to survive. In efforts to get her pre-pub marketing campaign, my wise friend has built a bare-bones, professional marketing account on Pinterest for free! I have plans to chronicle the steps of her process in a series of blog posts for your reference. For now, let’s hit the highlights in three broad steps.

1. Talk to the bots: Optimized board descriptions using language that Pinterest and Google algorithms understand. This language is called SEO. Each one of Candy’s boards include a descriptive paragraph explaining what type of pins will live in that board. Eventually, her audience will delight in these well-crafted paragraphs. For now, she’s telling the Pinterest and Google algorithms about her debut. And...if they know what is good for them, they’d better sit up and recognize. 

2. Clarify your message: Candy has a rich life surrounded by friends and family. She’s generous to a fault. While these are all noble attributes, Candy has resisted showcasing her favorite recipes and decor ideas on her business account. Her boards reflect her writing life. For example, her passion for history is communicated in her Civil War board. There she can boost visibility for her middle grade novel by surrounding it with like-content pins. Bots love this.

3. Less is more: Observe that Candy has just nine boards on her platform. She’s off to a grand start. Note that each board is relevant to her Kidlit and nonfiction messaging and are optimized to a tee. She can keep those Pinterest algorithms happy for years by consistently searching for and adding relevant content to her platform. For instance, she might like to add this pin to her Strong Girls board.  That would work, right? 

   That’s enough for now, I'd say. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll blog about this process. It’s not really as heady as it sounds. Not to worry.

   I’m also available for one-off webinars and weekend workshops, if you’d like to schedule an event. I love teaching and I love Pinterest. As far as I’m concerned, the two go hand-in-hand!