Pin Talk - Pinterest Tips and Updates for Creators
Episode: S1E4 In a “Bad” Pinterest Niche? This Is for You
Release Date: October 31, 2024
In this insightful episode of Pin Talk, hosts Tony Hill and Carly Campbell delve deep into the challenging topic of identifying and navigating "bad" niches on Pinterest. Designed specifically for bloggers and content creators aiming to optimize their Pinterest strategies, this episode offers a blend of practical advice, strategic considerations, and real-world examples to help listeners determine whether their chosen niche is viable on the platform and, if not, how to pivot effectively.
Introduction: Setting the Stage
The episode kicks off with Tony and Carly revisiting the cliffhanger from their previous discussion on good and bad Pinterest niches.
- Tony (00:02): “Welcome to Pin Talk... We have hashed this out between the two of us a little bit, and it is a really hard question to answer.”
They acknowledge the complexity of the subject and set expectations for providing thought-provoking insights rather than definitive answers.
Defining a "Bad" Pinterest Niche
Carly outlines the foundational questions to assess whether a niche is suitable for Pinterest success.
- Carly (02:12): “Is this an image-friendly niche? Is this a niche that Pinterest smiles on?... If you say yes to most of them, then they're probably good Pinterest niches.”
They emphasize the importance of visual appeal, adherence to Pinterest's community guidelines, and the relevance of the niche to the platform's primary user base.
Utilizing Tools for Niche Assessment
Tony introduces several tools and strategies to evaluate the potential of a niche.
- Tony (03:00): “Start punching in some of your keywords [in Pinterest Trends]... If not, use the free interest explorer tool I built...”
Carly adds the significance of analyzing competitors' monthly views to gauge niche viability.
- Carly (04:38): “If you are in a great Pinterest niche, your account should be over a million monthly views.”
Analyzing Data and Analytics
The conversation shifts to the challenges of using personal analytics to determine niche performance.
- Carly (06:58): “I don't really think that's dependable information because there's no context, there's no comparison.”
Tony humorously admits the elusive nature of understanding Pinterest's internal metrics.
- Tony (08:22): “We'll never know.”
The Impact of AI on Content Creation
A pivotal segment explores how artificial intelligence influences content strategy within niches.
- Tony (11:03): “How easily can you create your content using AI?”
They discuss the dual-edged sword of AI usage: while it democratizes content creation, it also saturates niches, making differentiation crucial.
- Carly (13:07): “You can't ignore this question now when you're choosing a niche on Pinterest.”
Visual vs. Non-Visual Niches
Tony and Carly examine the significance of visual content in determining niche success on Pinterest.
- Tony (14:29): “People will come into the platform with the visual intention...”
Carly reinforces that even traditionally non-visual niches like finances or relationships can thrive if approached with the right strategy.
- Carly (16:31): “There are three primary human-centric topics... health, wealth, and love or relationships.”
Unique Angles and Content Strategy
The hosts emphasize the necessity of unique angles within a niche to maintain engagement and avoid content stagnation.
- Carly (17:07): “Are there always unique ideas, angles, and products for the niche?”
They caution against niches with limited scope for innovation, using dirt bike repair and gardening as examples where creativity can make or break Pinterest performance.
Evaluating Pinterest's Role in Your Niche
Tony points out the importance of understanding how Pinterest ranks in relation to Google for specific niches.
- Tony (20:48): “Pinterest is ranking really high for a lot of those topics. That's a good sign...”
Carly adds that ease of visibility on Pinterest can signal good niche potential.
Case Studies: Travel and Stock Trading Niches
Through real-life examples, Tony and Carly illustrate how certain niches can be challenging despite their inherent popularity.
- Carly (31:27): “Stock trading is a great example of a niche that doesn't satisfactorily answer any of our questions.”
They highlight that timely content niches like stock trading may struggle due to the platform's preference for evergreen and visually engaging topics.
Strategies for Moving Forward in a "Bad" Niche
The conversation transitions to actionable steps for creators who identify themselves in a less-than-ideal niche.
1. Giving Up
Carly shares her personal threshold for persistence before considering giving up.
- Carly (42:14): “I'm not a big giver upper until I am very confident that this is something worth giving up on.”
2. Pivoting
They discuss pivoting strategies, whether it involves refining content strategies, niching out further, or altering the content approach to better align with Pinterest's strengths.
- Tony (43:59): “Pivoting could mean pivoting to a new site... develop your content strategy in a Pinterest-friendly manner.”
3. Starting a New Account
A significant portion is dedicated to debating whether to maintain an existing account or start fresh.
- Carly (46:35): “I lean towards starting a new account... if you have a lot of dead weight.”
They conclude that while both options have merit, starting a new account may often be the more effective route, especially when existing pins dilute overall account performance.
Managing Old Pins and Boards
Carly introduces the concept of "diluting your account" through underperforming pins and boards.
- Carly (25:43): “Diluting your account with the weight of all these pins that don't get engagement...”
Tony shares his theory on Pinterest's potential account scoring system, suggesting that inactive or irrelevant content may negatively impact overall account visibility.
- Tony (26:40): “Low in your score and it's going to be hurting your best performing pins...”
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
In closing, Tony and Carly summarize their discussions, encouraging listeners to thoughtfully assess their niches using the outlined questions and tools. They advocate for patience, strategic pivots, and the utilization of unique content angles to enhance Pinterest performance.
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Tony (60:15): “If it comes back with a lot of things that Pinterest might not like... I would not think twice about starting a new account.”
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Carly (61:03): “You can't make a wrong choice, except maybe if you are talking about content where Pinterest has said no...”
They offer listeners additional resources in the show notes and invite them to reach out for personalized advice, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making in Pinterest strategy.
Key Takeaways:
- Assess Niche Viability: Use tools like Pinterest Trends and the Interest Explorer to evaluate whether your niche aligns with Pinterest’s strengths and user interests.
- Embrace Visuality: Ensure your niche has a strong visual component or can be adapted to emphasize visual content.
- Leverage AI Wisely: Utilize AI for content creation but strive to maintain unique angles to stand out in saturated niches.
- Strategic Content Planning: Focus on evergreen and broad-interest topics within human-centric categories like health, wealth, and love.
- Decide When to Pivot or Start Fresh: Be prepared to either refine your existing strategy or consider starting a new Pinterest account if your current approach dilutes your effectiveness.
- Monitor and Adapt: Continuously analyze your account’s performance and be ready to adapt to Pinterest’s evolving algorithms and best practices.
For a comprehensive list of questions, tools, and resources mentioned in this episode, visit pintalkpodcast.com.
Notable Quotes:
- Tony (00:35): “We are going to give you some things to think about so that you don't make a rash decision, but more of an informed one.”
- Carly (02:12): “If you say yes to most of them, then they're probably good Pinterest niches.”
- Tony (11:03): “How easily can you create your content using AI?”
- Carly (13:07): “You can't ignore this question now when you're choosing a niche on Pinterest.”
- Carly (42:41): “I wasn't going to give up easily.”
- Carly (46:35): “I lean towards starting a new account... if you have a lot of dead weight.”
- Tony (26:40): “Low in your score and it's going to be hurting your best performing pins...”
Connect with Pin Talk:
Visit pintalkpodcast.com for more episodes, show notes, and resources. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us reach more creators looking to elevate their Pinterest game!