Kate's Take: Quick thoughts on Pinterest marketing #4 - Blinders - Simple Pin Podcast: Simple ways to boost your business using Pinterest

Simple Pin Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Kate's Take: Quick thoughts on Pinterest marketing #4 – "Blinders"
Host: Kate Ahl
Date: February 25, 2026
Theme: Why putting on "blinders"—focusing on your own Pinterest data and strategy rather than external noise—is the key to success for Pinterest marketing in 2026.

Overview

In this solo "Kate's Take" episode, Kate Ahl shares candid reflections on how to approach your Pinterest marketing strategy for 2026. She emphasizes the critical importance of putting on "blinders"—focusing on your own analytics, insights, and business goals—instead of getting swept up in what others are doing on social media, in Facebook groups, or general online chatter. Kate offers practical advice for how she—and the Simple Pin team—develop strategies rooted in individualized data analysis, supplementing this with AI tools where helpful, but always prioritizing firsthand account trends over industry hearsay.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of "Blinders" (00:30–02:20)

Definition:
Kate uses the metaphor of horses wearing blinders to explain the importance of tuning out distractions. The idea is to avoid being influenced by what others are doing and to remain focused on your own Pinterest account and data.
- “Put your blinders on. … It prevents them from getting distracted.” (Kate Ahl, 00:35)
Why This Matters:
In a landscape full of advice, trends, and groupthink, Kate suggests that copying others or seeking validation outside can lead to confusion and overwhelm.

2. Relying on Your Own Data First (02:20–04:00)

Reflection-Based Analytics:
- Kate explains her process: before turning to AI tools, she looks at her own Pinterest metrics and Google Analytics to understand what's working and what’s not.
  - “What can I learn from my data, my clicks, my saves, my images, my keywords?” (Kate Ahl, 01:20)
- She stresses the need to step back and analyze, looking for patterns in your own account instead of chasing trends.
AI as a Support Tool:
- Kate mentions using the AI tool Claude for reporting and idea generation, but only after hands-on review of her own analytics.
  - “I love to use Claude, by the way. Claude is my favorite AI tool, both for reporting and for writing right now.” (Kate Ahl, 02:58)

3. Strategy Building for 2026 (04:00–06:30)

Custom Strategy, Every Time:
- For her own business and clients, Kate recommends a personalized approach rooted in data, willingness to try old tactics if they fit the current account goals, and not being afraid to change strategy.
  - “Being willing to utilize or leverage things that maybe we haven’t for years, but to look at the goals, look at where we’re going, and to really just get dialed in on my account. And honestly, it sounds fun.” (Kate Ahl, 04:47)
Keep It Simple:
- Instead of dozens of action items, Kate recommends picking one or two high-impact things to focus on.
  - “You don’t need 10, you don’t even need five. Maybe you just need two things you’re going to do this year on Pinterest.” (Kate Ahl, 06:16)

4. Practical Steps: The One-Hour Review (05:20–06:10)

Kate's Actionable Advice:
- Set aside one hour to:
  - Open up your Pinterest analytics
  - Open up Google Analytics (or Microsoft Clarity Analytics, which Kate personally prefers)
  - Download and review CSV files if necessary
  - Upload them to an AI tool like Claude for deeper analysis
  - Brainstorm prompts and trust your own instincts and questions

5. Community & Support (06:30–End)

SPM Insiders:
- Kate invites listeners to join the SPM Insiders group, which embraces the “blinders” approach but also creates a safe space to discuss Pinterest changes, strategies, and insider insights.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the False Comfort of Groupthink:
“We have kind of this group think; we're looking for validation. I do this all the time. This is exactly what my brain has trained me to do.” (Kate Ahl, 01:52)
On Building Strategies for Change:
“I’m going to come up with a strategy that works for Simple Pin Media in 2026. But also our team is doing that for each one of our clients, stepping back and saying, what is it that’s working here and not working here and being willing to utilize or leverage things that maybe we haven’t for years.” (Kate Ahl, 03:20)
On Focused Action:
“Maybe you just need two things you’re going to do this year on Pinterest.” (Kate Ahl, 06:16)

Timestamps – Important Segments

00:30: The "blinders" metaphor explained
01:20: The importance of looking at your own data
02:58: The role of AI tools like Claude in Pinterest strategy
04:00: How to build a custom strategy for 2026 (and why it should be unique to you)
05:20: Kate’s recommended one-hour analytics deep-dive
06:16: Less is more—pick one or two actions, not many
06:30: Invitation to SPM Insiders group and closing remarks

Takeaways for Listeners

Put your "blinders" on—focus first and foremost on your algorithm, not others'.
Use your unique analytics as the foundation for strategy, then supplement with tools like AI.
Less is more: find the two or even one actions that will make the biggest difference for your Pinterest growth this year.
Consider joining communities that promote thoughtful, data-driven Pinterest discussions, but keep your focus on what works for YOU.

For more Pinterest marketing insights, visit simplepinmedia.com.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Foreign welcome to another episode of Kate's Take. This is where I share with you the things that I am thinking about processing through as it relates to Pinterest marketing. I want to start this off by saying, put your blinders on. I've been thinking through the best strategy for 2026. In fact, somebody in our SPM Insiders group in January had asked, what what is the best 2026 strategy for Pinterest? And honestly, I responded with, we don't know yet. But then as I processed it throughout the day and had a couple follow up interviews on podcasts that week, I realized that the number one component to creating a great Pinterest strategy for you is to put your blinders on. So what I mean by that is you see these horses and they're usually pulling like a carriage or something like that, and they have these leather blinders that go right beside their eyes. And what it does is it prevents them from getting distracted. So if I put my Pinterest blinders on and I begin to ask myself, what can I learn from my data, my clicks, my saves, my images, my keywords? And if I really sat with that for a while, I realize it goes counter to what the online world has trained me to do. Look into Facebook groups, look at what other people are doing, who has the right answer, how can I follow their rules? And I understand that that's normal. We have kind of this group think we're looking for validation. I do this all the time. This is exactly what my brain has TR me to do. But actually today, right after I'm done recording this episode, I'm going to open up Pinterest. I'm going to open up my Google Analytics, I'm going to look at what my team has compiled for me when it comes to 2025, and I'm going to stand back and say, what can I learn from all of this? This is before I put my data into AI. I love to use Claude, by the way. Claude is my favorite AI tool, both for reporting and for writing right now. And I'm going to give it some really good prompts, some ways that we can see around the angles or help me to see something that I haven't seen before. And I'm going to come up with a strategy that works for simple pin Media in 2026. But also our team is doing that for each one of our clients, stepping back and saying, what is it that's working here and not working here and being willing to utilize or leverage things that maybe we haven't for years, but to look at the goals, look at where we're going, and to really just get dialed in on my account. And honestly, it sounds fun. Again, I started this business in 2014, but previous to that I was working on other people's accounts in 2013 and even 2012. And I was trying to figure out what is the pattern here, where can I look for information, where can I follow the breadcrumbs? And so that's what I encourage you today with is if you're still spinning out in 2026 and wondering what is my Pinterest strategy supposed to be? What am I supposed to be doing? Set aside one hour of time, open up Pinterest, open up Google Analytics. Or honestly, I like to use Microsoft Clarity Analytics. It just works better with my brain. I. And maybe you need to even download some CSV files from that. I upload those to Claude and say, tell me what this means. I also approach AI and the prompts. I don't look at what other people are doing. Sometimes I'll get, you know, inspiration from them. But I also want to ask what's in my brain? Like what am I actually thinking? And just put that in there and see what it spits out and then come up with some really good action items. You don't need 10, you don't even need five. Maybe you just need two things you're going to do this year on Pinterest. So I hope that helps inspire you. If you are looking to join a community of people who are having great discussions around Pinterest strategy in 2026, I highly encourage you to join our SPM Insiders group. It's Inside School, which is the best platform. It's one of my favorites. I'm sharing all the behind the scenes, all my thoughts, all of the new updates that are coming out with Pinterest, new reports that are coming out from them, even changes in their C suite that happened in Worry. Like I want to talk about it all. So if that's what you're looking for, we would love to have you. This is definitely a place where we encourage blinders to be on, but we have a great community chat about it. All right, thanks so much for listening.