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.
 

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.