Simple Pin Podcast: Pivoting an Audience Episode Released: November 20, 2024
Hosts:
- Kate Ahl: Host of the Simple Pin Podcast
- Jenny Melrose: Guest and Pinterest marketing expert
Introduction to Pivots in Business
In this insightful episode of the Simple Pin Podcast, host Kate Ahl engages in a deep conversation with Jenny Melrose about the critical importance of pivoting business strategies in the ever-evolving online landscape. Released on November 20, 2024, the episode titled "Pivoting an Audience" delves into how business owners can adapt to changes, especially in the context of Pinterest marketing.
Key Highlights:
- Understanding Pivots: Kate introduces the topic by highlighting the increasing conversations around business pivots, especially during the holiday season when many are reassessing their strategies.
- Guest Introduction: Jenny Melrose joins as a seasoned expert who has successfully navigated multiple pivots in her career, offering listeners a wealth of experience and actionable insights.
Jenny Melrose's Journey: From Teaching to Blogging to Consulting
Early Beginnings and First Pivot: Jenny shares her entrepreneurial journey, starting in 2010 as a full-time inner-city school district teacher. Balancing motherhood and career, she launched a lifestyle blog, leveraging her creative writing background.
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Monetization through Blogging: Jenny quickly monetized her blog through ads and sponsorships, turning her passion into a viable income stream. “I knew I didn't want to be an inner city school district teacher for the rest of my life,” she reflects (02:48).
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Content Evolution: Initially, her content was broad and lifestyle-oriented, but she soon realized the need to focus on specific niches, leading her to specialize in easy, simple recipes for new moms.
Transition to Full-Time Blogging: By 2015, Jenny had successfully replaced her teaching salary with her blogging income, prompting a family move from New York to North Carolina and the eventual retirement from teaching.
- Creating Educational Products: Jenny expanded her offerings by creating courses to help other bloggers monetize their blogs, emphasizing the importance of pitching and audience building.
Further Pivot to Consulting and Courses: In 2019, Jenny sold her lifestyle blog, "The Melrose Family," to focus entirely on her personal brand, Jenny Melrose. She now runs a podcast, works with one-on-one clients, and offers self-paced courses and workshops.
The Imperative to Pivot: Recognizing Changing Landscapes
Identifying the Need to Pivot: Kate and Jenny discuss how the online business landscape has changed, making it essential for entrepreneurs to adapt. Jenny underscores the importance of building a sustainable business model beyond ad revenue and sponsorships.
- Industry Resistance: Jenny notes, “I knew that this was happening and they weren't wanting to listen,” referring to food bloggers hesitant to shift their strategies (08:04).
Challenges Faced:
- Resistance to Change: Many content creators were stuck chasing keywords and page views without building a loyal audience or email list.
- Emotional and Professional Struggles: Jenny expresses the emotional difficulty of pivoting away from serving content creators who were her community, highlighting the personal toll of such transitions.
Shifting Focus to Service-Based Businesses: Jenny transitioned her focus to helping service-based businesses, such as therapists, create digital products and grow their email lists, aligning her services with sustainable business models.
- Emphasizing Expertise: She advises business owners to position themselves as experts by clearly defining their unique value propositions, moving away from generic content (15:48).
Strategies for Successful Pivots
Building a Strong Foundation: Jenny outlines a step-by-step approach to pivoting, starting with assessing the current business foundation.
- Evaluating Current Offerings: “What are you offering them in order to get onto your list?” she asks, emphasizing the need for effective lead magnets (14:11).
- Crafting a Positioning Statement: She stresses the importance of a clear positioning statement that differentiates a business from others in the niche.
Leveraging Data-Driven Decisions: Jenny advocates for using analytics to guide pivot decisions.
- Facing the Numbers: She advises, “Look at your emails, what are people opening, what are they clicking on?” encouraging business owners to base their pivots on concrete data rather than gut feelings (24:18).
Engaging with Support Networks: Jenny recommends seeking feedback from friends and family to identify one's strengths and areas of expertise, which can inform the pivot direction.
- Identifying Strengths: “Ask your friends and family, what am I good at?” she suggests, highlighting the value of external perspectives in defining one's expertise.
Emotional and Practical Considerations in Pivoting
Managing Emotional Challenges: Jenny acknowledges the emotional complexities involved in pivoting, such as feeling like abandoning longstanding communities or doubting one's authority to advise others on new strategies.
- Personal Loyalty vs. Business Needs: “I feel like I was almost turning my back on some of them,” she admits, revealing the internal conflict between loyalty and business evolution (11:32).
Overcoming Fear and Uncertainty: Both Kate and Jenny discuss the fears associated with pivoting, including the uncertainty of future trends and the emotional investment in existing business models.
- Commitment to Change: Jenny emphasizes the necessity of committing to new business models to gain control over one's income and audience, rather than relying on fluctuating ad revenues or platform algorithms (17:31).
Future Outlook and Continued Evolution
Setting Short-Term Goals: Jenny shares her approach to navigating the uncertain future by setting 90-day goals, allowing for flexibility and adaptability.
- Example of Adaptation: She recounts the abrupt shift from an in-person conference to a virtual summit in 2020 due to unforeseen circumstances, illustrating her ability to pivot quickly and effectively (19:13).
Embracing In-Person Connections: Despite the effectiveness of virtual summits, Jenny expresses a desire to return to in-person events, valuing the deeper connections and accountability they foster.
- Upcoming Retreat: She is hosting her first in-person retreat in November, focusing on 90-day goal setting to help business owners create actionable plans and stay accountable (19:13).
Tailoring Approaches to Different Business Models: Jenny highlights the importance of personalized strategies, recognizing that businesses are not one-size-fits-all and require tailored approaches based on the owner's personality and strengths.
- Differentiated Instruction: “I can differentiate my instruction for pretty much anyone out there,” Jenny notes, leveraging her teaching background to cater to diverse business needs (22:31).
Practical Advice for Business Owners Considering a Pivot
Analyzing Performance Metrics: Jenny advises business owners to meticulously analyze their performance data to identify what is and isn't working, using insights to guide strategic shifts.
- Data-Driven Decisions: “Use those numbers to your advantage and understand what people are already starting to associate you with as that expert,” she recommends (24:18).
Leveraging Personal Strengths: She encourages entrepreneurs to harness their unique strengths and the perceptions others have of them to redefine their business focus.
- Expert Positioning: Jenny emphasizes the need to position oneself as an expert in a specific area, making content creation more targeted and effective (24:18).
Developing a Sustainable Business Model: Transitioning to offering digital products, courses, or services can provide a more reliable and controlled income stream compared to ad-dependent models.
- Ownership and Control: “You own this, I have a product. This is how I'm growing my list,” Jenny explains, underscoring the importance of owning one’s business infrastructure (17:31).
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In closing, both hosts reiterate the importance of strategic pivoting and building resilient business models that can withstand external changes, such as platform algorithm shifts and technological advancements like AI. Jenny Melrose’s journey serves as an inspiring roadmap for business owners looking to adapt and thrive in the dynamic online marketplace.
Final Insights:
- Embrace Change with Data: Ground decisions in data to navigate uncertainties confidently.
- Focus on Expertise: Define and leverage your unique strengths to stand out in your niche.
- Build a Supportive Community: Engage in smaller, more intimate settings like retreats to foster deeper connections and accountability.
Notable Quotes:
- “I knew I didn't want to be an inner city school district teacher for the rest of my life.” – Jenny Melrose (02:48)
- “You have to be that expert.” – Jenny Melrose (15:48)
- “Face the numbers. They're just numbers.” – Jenny Melrose (25:55)
- “AI is killing my business. It's not that AI is killing your business, it's your business model that has killed you.” – Jenny Melrose (13:48)
Connect with Jenny Melrose:
- Podcast: Search "Influencer Entrepreneurs" or "Jenny Melrose" in your podcast app.
- Website: jennymelrose.com
For more weekly Pinterest marketing tips, updates, and success stories, visit simplepinmedia.com.
This summary encapsulates the essence of the "Pivoting an Audience" episode, providing actionable insights and inspirational narratives for entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of online business.