Visual Marketing with Tailwind: Pinterest and Instagram Made Easy

If you want to know how to use authenticity to connect with your audience and leverage your personality and strengths, there's no better teacher than Lesa Banks of The Pajama Marketer! Previously a Fortune 500 marketer, Lesa re-examined her life and career when she became a stay-at-home mom. She realized that marketing didn't have to be hard and require the long workaholic hours she was used to, and she set out to teach women how to simplify marketing for a better work-life balance!  If that balance is what you're after, or just to learn how to connect with your audience using yourself, you won't want to miss this powerhouse interview! 

Youtubers Christine and Kevin Skelton began Never Stop Adventuring after a six-month RV trip inspired the husband-and-wife duo to quit their jobs and take their lives (and their kids!) on the road full time. In this inventive tale of a family that packed up into an RV and began a journey of a lifetime, you'll find out how the couple balances monetizing their content with raising their family, along with useful tips for managing a digital presence from remote places in the US. Enjoy!

*Just a note - this episode touches on topics that may be troubling to some, including drug use and addiction.* Soap Addiction, Jennifer Turner's handcrafted goat milk business did not start out as a business venture. It was a hobby, one to escape the pain and stress of being a mother of three children caught in the throes of drug addiction. But when Jennifer found the courage to tell her story, and place a powerful mission behind her soaps, she not only found sales - she found relationships and community. Now Soap Addiction is a beacon of hope for loved ones to get clean, and Jennifer is a proud business owner and mentor to families all over walking in her shoes. You won't want to miss this tale of a small business owner with a powerful mission, and how it affected a community around her. From Jennifer, you can learn just how important the why is behind your business, hear a success story that will probably make you weep (We're not crying, you're crying!), and learn practical things along the way like letting people help, and crafting an exit plan. Enjoy!  

In our latest edition of Tailwind Talks, we sat down with Tailwind member and artistic jeweler Kenna McCall to talk about her business TerrAdore Art Jewelry. In this interview, we talk about all things ethical mining, designing with heart, and how the pandemic spurred Kenna to take her business to the next level with digital marketing. You'll want to hear Kenna's unique tale and passion for eco-friendly gem retrieval that shows in every area of her small business. Enjoy!

Jane Caldwell prides herself on a business built around children's imaginations. The Rowdy Ladybug sells versatile kids dress-up clothes that allow for several fantastic outfits from the same costume! Not only do her unique products allow children to be as innovative and changeable as they like, but it also makes storage and cleanup for caretakers easier than ever! Today we're talking about Jane's unique career path, and the pivotal shift from college professor to stay-at-home mom, and how sewing opened the door to an unforgettable business venture. Find out more about Jane at https://rowdyladybug.com/

We sat down with the mother-daughter duo behind the successful food blog Savor the Flavour to talk about all things growth, starting a business with loved ones, and most importantly - what's for dinner. Listen in as we talk about how Brooke and Emma got their start, how they divvy up business tasks and some must-know food photography tips and tricks that will level up your game like no other!

When it comes to marketing a small business, there is no limit to the money-making ideas you'll encounter and no shortage of gurus who want to tell you how to grow your sales.   So, what's really critical to your success? What are the non-negotiables?   We'll be talking with Courtney Petersen and Abbey Oslin of Duo Collective. The pair's marketing superpower is small business growth, and they run their OWN small business both teaching and doing marketing for small businesses. How absolutely meta is that!  

When Tonya Bush took the leap to quit her steady 9-5 job and pursue her dream of crocheting full-time, she wondered if she was making the right decision. And so did her former employer, who half-jokingly told her, "we'll see you in a year." But Tonya and the newly-minted Nana's Crafty Home DID see something in one year, and that was her income being fully replaced - four years ahead of her five-year plan. Listen in as Tonya talks crochet, Pinterest, following your dreams, and building communities that matter in this amazing tale. She's honest about what was hard, what was easy, and what kept her going, as well as all the things she had to learn along the way! Learn more about Tonya Bush: https://bit.ly/nanascraftyhome

In this episode of Marketing Unleashed, we sit down with Sandy Dedeian, the fiery self-starter behind Rectified Co, a boutique marketing consulting firm. Sandy's story is inspiring - instead of seeking an entry-level job and building her career, she started a journey of serial entrepreneurship and paved new paths everywhere she went. You'll hear Sandy's thoughts on avoiding burnout, growing a business, and having patience in order to reap rewards. You won't want to miss her helpful tips and tricks for making it as an entrepreneur!  Learn More!

Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen give a new meaning to the term dynamic duo. The ace marketing strategist and the visionary designer originally met working together at an agency, and that's where their friendship - and dreams - flourished.   On the heels of poignant milestones in their lives (Abbey had a baby, and Courtney purchased and home and began renovating) the pair made the leap and formed Duo Collective, a boutique marketing agency for creative entrepreneurs.   If you're thinking of starting a business or going into partnership with your nearest and dearest, you won't want to miss this fascinating interview. We're getting the inside scoop on what it's like to go into business with your best friend, the right time to make the jump (hint: there isn't one!), and the biggest challenges the duo faced.   You'll also hear about the number one thing that keeps their working relationship smooth, and how they work best together to create their dreams (and the dreams of their clients!)   Don't miss it!  

Content creators love to think about getting and keeping the attention of an audience. We live for stopping thumbs and driving traffic.  BUT, audience alone is NOT the key to business success.  The key to a thriving bottom line is sales.  Join us as we talk with Toni Herrbach about 4 different ways to make money from an engaged audience! Toni is an amazing communicator with a ton of experience running campaigns for major companies -- Kraft, ConAgra, Safety 1st and more.  You won't want to miss this episode!

Looking to broaden your reach into the wild, wild west of social media (AKA TikTok)?   We're with you! TikTok has gained an amazing presence -- it's the 7th most popular social media site in the world, based on active users!   And, 52% of those users are finding new brands to buy from. Join us Thursday. Sept. 15 on the Tailwind Show as we talk with Kristin Larsen of Pinterest VA.   Kristin has built her business on Pinterest, and now, she's growing her audience with TikTok!  

The end of August is not only back-to-school season, it's also Black Friday Cyber Monday planning season.   Need help getting started? Head on over to the blog! We've also got templates from Tailwind's own BFCM planning to share, as well as tips for sequencing and organizing multiple workstreams.   Not doing BFCM? No problem. We've got some Pinterest trends you can use in your marketing RIGHT NOW. All that got you overwhelmed? We hear you!   We've asked Andres Barbaro to jump in to talk about leading a happy team!   You won't want to miss this jam-packed session!

Laura and Lance know a lot about how life gets in the way. The avid travelers share a passion for exploration, one that had to be sidelined for many years as work, school, buying a home, and obligations took center stage. When this couple had a chance for adventure and travel again, however, they didn't look back, instead combining forces to make their passion for travel a priority in home, work, and life in general. Now the Longwells are the award-winning team behind successful travel blogs Travel Addicts and Guide to Philly. In this episode, Laura sits down with us to tell it all with refreshing, honest realness and unique perspective. From talking about the meaning of life to adapting in the ever-changing world of marketing, we discuss how to not only survive but to thrive as an individual growing a business.  Laura shares tons of helpful travel tips along with the ways she's learned to adapt and not attach to the highs in her business, so it doesn't feel like the lows define her either.  As a full-time travel blogger with a unique and introspective look at the world, this interview with Tailwind Member Laura is sure to keep on surprising you in all the best ways. Learn More at https://bit.ly/traveladdicts!  

Ever daydream about the perfect customers -- how much they love you; how often they refer you; how they come back time after time to buy from you? We all do!   If you could create a path to your business that ATTRACTS and RETAINS ideal customers while eliminating stress and bother with prospects who never actually buy something?   We're guessing that's a yes, too!   Join us on the Tailwind Show for a special session with best-selling author, marketing consultant, and business guru John Jantsch, of Duct Tape Marketing fame! John will walk us through his framework for profitable customer journey mapping! Even better -- John will answer your questions about small business marketing.  

Back in the golden days of Polyvore, when Pinterest was still invite-only, Alexa Webb found herself searching for plus-sized fashion inspo - and coming up short. The lack of inclusion in the fashion space for people who looked like her was troubling - and Alexa decided to do something about it. Nowadays, Alexa is the frontrunner for everyday plus-sized fashion inspiration, with a hugely successful blog, 10m+ views on Pinterest, and an audience of nearly 30,000 on Instagram. Tune in to hear about how Alexa got her start, priceless advice on how to pick your passion, pitfalls to avoid when building success as an influencer online, and how Tailwind actually changed her life. Alexa's journey from fun side hustle to full-time blogging is inspiring, and her thoughts on life, passion, boundaries, and chasing dreams are sure to make you want to be BFFs with this amazing woman! Links: Tailwind Blog: How Alexa Webb Trailblazed a Path for Plus-Sized Fashion Alexa Webb - A Plus-Sized Fashion Blog Alexa Webb on Pinterest Alexa Webb on Instagram

Ever feel like real Pinterest success is reserved only for those posting recipes and home decor?   Finding it a struggle to effectively promote your service, digital product, or coaching consultancy on Pinterest?   Join us as we talk with Jana Osofky, creator of Pinterest with Purpose. We're going deep on inspiring Pinners to action even if your service or product covers a less-than-Pinterest-obvious topic.

Did the head of Instagram really say that it's no longer a photo-sharing app? Are we not supposed to use all 30 hashtags? What's the deal with captions on Stories? It's been a minute since we caught up on Instagram - and we have just the person to get us there. Jenn Herman is a speaker, consultant, and blogger on all things Instagram - and she's super fun and spicy.

Does it ever feel like the only one you're talking to on social media is yourself? Want to get your ideas and products in front of the RIGHT people across all your social networks? Well, then this week's show is for you. We talk with Jillian Tohber Leslie, founder of the Blogger Genius podcast and founder of MiloTree - a tool that helps (you guessed it) build your social media following!

Just starting a YouTube account? Wondering why your account isn't growing? Have questions about YouTube SEO or #shorts?  Join us as we talk with Nick Nimmin. His YouTube channel has over 790K subscribers and he LOVES to help YouTubers and marketing pros leverage the power of online video.    

What does content planning look like for YOU?   How can you start creating content consistently even if you think you can't?   Join us as we talk with Jillian Bowen of The Content Fix podcast.   She shows us how to create the content we need in half the time - with batching and repurposing. Don't miss it!!  

Yeah, I know, it's almost summer, but that's an even better reason to get your spring cleaning done.  Tell me if this sounds familiar… You spend your time creating great content (good), Pinning great content (better), but it's been a hot minute since you took a look at your Pinterest account or habits as a whole (sad)? We get it - really! That's why we're devoting this week's show to those things we know we should do, but rarely get around to doing. We can do it together! Join us this week when we'll talk with Gabby Pinkerton about a few simple, meaningful things we can do to make all of our Pinterest marketing work better. AND, we'll talk about some age-old Pinterest practices we can just sweep out of the way for good.

Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Facebook Soundbites and Live Audio Rooms. The sheer number of options may be enough to make you want to put on your noise-cancelling headphones and tune out! But, wait! There's a world of opportunity waiting for YOU on social audio platforms - we promise.   Join us this week when we'll talk with Ramon Ray of Smarthustle.com about what every one of us can gain from social audio - and exactly how to get started. One of the values of Ramon's company is “HAVE FUN!” so you know you don't want to miss this high-energy conversation.

Gaining 41x more shares than a static Pin, Idea Pins are where the action is on Pinterest! But, where do you get your ideas? What if you're NOT a food blogger? What tools can make Idea Pin creation easier? Join us this week at 2 pm ET when we'll talk with Laura Rike about tools and tips for making impactful Idea Pins as well as how to turn less obvious ideas into great Idea Pins. We'll also talk about what Pinterest has told Tailwind about Idea Pins and how to make them. Don't miss it!

There’s nothing like live video to connect with your audience as your most authentic self. And maybe that’s why it can feel so scary! What if I mess up? What if I look stupid? The truth is, we all mess up, and we all look stupid sometimes (or think we do). You’ve seen our show, right?  But the potential benefits are too great to ignore. More community, more loyal customers, more awareness, more sales, and on and on. So, where do you start? Which platform(s) do you choose? What kind of technology do you NEED? And HOW do you get over the nerves? We’ve invited a personal friend, Ian Anderson Gray, to help. He has a podcast called the “Confident Live Marketing Show,” which just aired its 100th episode! He knows a thing or two about overcoming live video jitters. And we MAY even get him to sing for us (he’s a professional singer, too!).

Artists, makers, and creators of all kinds - Pinterest is the place for you!   But, how do you get from creating to selling with Pinterest? What are other creatives finding works right now? How do you get from hobby to full-time income doing what you love? Well, that’s just what we’ll be discussing with this week’s guest, Sally How. If you’re a long-time fan of the show, you’ll recognize her from the audience! Sally is a jewelry designer who also hosts a popular Facebook group that helps people grow their creative businesses using Pinterest - just as she’s done!

Hint: It’s all about T.I.M.E. No, not that thing we don’t have enough of - it’s Peg’s formula for unlocking Instagram Engagement.  This week’s guest has appeared on National Public Radio, Bloomberg Business, the Huffington Post, and is co-author of the book, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users. Peg has an almost uncanny ability to keep a conversation moving on Instagram, and we want to know - HOW DOES SHE DO IT?!

If Pinterest is a visual search and discovery network and Google is a search engine, it stands to reason that ranking well on one should help you get discovered on the other, right?   Well, that’s just what we’ll be discussing with Trona Freeman, long-time audience member (you’ve heard Jeff mispronounce her name many times). Trona helps small businesses get visible & grow with Pinterest, SEO & more. And this is our chance to learn how to tap into this powerful combination.   We’ll also ask Trona how we can turn our hobbies into a career - a special passion of hers.

Buying more things online this year than usual?  If so, you are far from alone! In the US, e-commerce grew 32% in 2020 to reach $790 billion, up from $598 billion the year before. (link) If you’ve been on the fence about starting an online store, you do NOT want to miss this episode (and you might want to share with a friend, too!).   We’ve managed to get Steve Chou to join us live this week! If you don’t yet know Steve, he’s the host of the My Wife Quit Her Job podcast, he’s been a guest on Smart Passive Income, and has been featured on MSNBC, in The New York Times, etc. etc. We’re feeling fancy! Steve has his own businesses, but he also spends a tremendous amount of time helping other people be successful with their online stores, so we’re going to ask him all about getting started! - How much money do you need? - What are the absolute must haves? - What mistakes do beginners often make? - Which tools and platforms do you recommend? - And lots more!

The average reach of an organic Facebook page post is around 5.2%. That means about one in every 19 fans sees the page’s non-promoted content (Hootsuite). And the average engagement rate in 2020 for an organic Facebook post was 0.25%

Would you like to know what other Pinners like you are doing on Pinterest? How about a glimpse into what kinds of content are working across the board and for accounts of different sizes? What about a look into what the big, established accounts are doing and what’s working for them?   If you love a good exposé (and you know you do!), tune in for an exclusive look at what we can learn from over 20m (!?) Pins shared last month.

You know your products and services and how they can make a difference in the lives of your ideal customers - but sometimes being SO close to your business leads to the dreaded “marketing think.”

We’ve been teasing, hinting, tempting you all for ages, and this week we’re delivering - big time! Our very own (amazing) Pinterest ad rep, Shawnee Platero, is joining us to talk about Pinterest ads!!!   We’re going to talk about ad formats, targeting, and creatives. More importantly, we’re going to talk about which options are best for YOUR goals, and get your Pinterest ad questions answered!!

Finding what works on Pinterest can feel like chasing a moving target. What we need more than anything else right now is data – and oh, do we have data! More than that, we’ll talk about action items to make this data work for YOU. And we’re betting you’ll have some great ideas to share.

Looking for a new revenue stream - or maybe a way to profit from a hobby on a platform with a built-in customer base? You do not want to miss this one! This week’s guest is Jami King of Handmade Journey. Jami made over 50 thousand dollars in her first 8 months with her Etsy store. Now, she helps other Etsy sellers succeed with her Handmade Journey Academy. We’re going to cover the fundamentals of creating a successful Etsy store, as well as how to succeed with Etsy SEO, and of course - how to use Pinterest to grow your Etsy sales!    

Is THIS the year you make Pinterest work for you? It can be if you follow these smart Pinterest resolutions. We’ll look at 3 meaningful changes you can make today to seriously improve your Pinterest marketing AND your business. And as always, we look forward to your ideas and questions.  

What’s new in Pinterest land? So much, we needed an entire episode for it! We’ll cover product updates for eCommerce, as well as new features for everyone. AND we’ll be joined by Meagan Williamson to talk about what’s working for her students now.

Want to make more out of less on Pinterest?   You’re sitting on a gold mine of content for Pinterest. Don’t believe me? It’s true!! Join Alisa Meredith and Jeff Sieh to uncover the treasures on your hard drive.   We’ll also review a few points from our last show about what makes a fresh Pin and what the new definition does and doesn’t mean for Pinterest marketers.

What’s a person to do when what you’ve been doing doesn’t work anymore? Do more and more of the same? Give up completely? There’s another option! Change can be uncomfortable, but the potential for success makes it worth it. We believe in you and you can do it!   We’ll be joined by fan-favorite Jennifer Priest of Smart Creative Social and Smart Pin Pro for a lively discussion of the current state of Pinterest marketing, and what truly works today.  

The growth in online retail is staggering - with a 20% increase forecast for 2020. How can you get your share of the action? What part could Pinterest play? Special guest Vanessa Kynes visits to give you the inside scoop on: - What kinds of products can Pinterest help me sell? - Is there a good price range for what sells on Pinterest? - How to get people to take action on your site. - How to turn readers and subscribers into customers.

We love Pinterest traffic! But what happens when someone visits your site? Nothing? Well, that ends today! Special guest Kim Garst visits to talk about monetizing ALL of your website traffic with a smart, simple marketing funnel. We’ll cover: - How to generate more traffic from your Pinterest designs. - How to get people to take action on your site. - How to turn readers and subscribers into customers.

What you can measure, you can improve! But what should you be tracking when it comes to Pinterest, and where can you find what really matters?   On this week’s live show, we talk to Kristie Hill, super smart blogger and Pinterest numbers geek. I use her Google Analytics dashboard all the time! Get that plus the tips she shares with her students to help grow your blog by concentrating on what counts. We’ll cover:   - How to tap into YOUR numbers even if you’re “not an analytics person.” - How to compare Pin designs for A/B testing. - The easiest change you can make based on your analytics.

Ever wished you had access to a huge number of Pin designs, formats, and styles, so you could see what really works? Wish you had the data to back up your hunches?   On this week’s live show, we talk to Tina Gammon, Simple Pin Media’s Creative Director. She oversees hundreds of Pin designs each week and digs into what works and what doesn’t. AND she’s going to share that with us!   We’ll cover: - The easiest upgrades you can make to your Pin designs for maximum impact in no time flat. - What she wishes every new Pin designer knew. - What Simple Pin Media learned about Pinterest video from an intensive 6-week test.    

Sign up for early access to Tailwind Create here: bit.ly/fblive-create (plus get our new webinar and the formula for reaching new audiences)!   Regularly creating new blog posts, products, and pages with great images may be the best way to grow your account on Pinterest, but your time is valuable! And every minute spent promoting your content is a minute you're not developing your next new product or blog post, serving your customers, or enjoying some downtime at home.   On this week’s live show, we’ll share ideas on how you can spend your time wisely to get the most out of each new piece of content without going overboard. Please bring your content titles and if there’s time, we’ll do some live brainstorming together!   We’ll cover: - A handy formula to find a brand new audience for your content (we love a formula!) - How to help Pinterest AND Google get your content in front of new readers - An exciting new tool that will save you time and (as our first users say) is incredibly fun and inspiring! Here’s your chance to sign up to be among the first to try it.

Want to tap into the power of video on Pinterest but don’t have the time or desire to learn something new? No problem! If you’re already creating video for Tiktok or Instagram Reels, you likely already have what you need. If you’re not, trust us, it’s fun, it’s easy - and it can work!   We’ll be joined by Amy Locurto from LivingLocurto.com, a DIY lifestyle blog featuring easy recipes and fun party ideas! Amy is also founder of Amy’s Circle, a private Pinterest mastermind group where she shares her best secrets for getting the most traffic from Pinterest.   Amy has been featured on national websites, morning talk shows and magazines such as Woman’s Day, Better Homes & Gardens, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, and more!   We’ll cover: - Simple techniques that get Amy millions of views on her videos How to turn your content into traffic-driving videos - Should you be using your TikTok and Reels videos on Pinterest?

Laura Rike, Pinterest and marketing strategist, joins us to talk about some very exciting new or improved Pinterest features that we should be using to improve our success. Have an e-commerce store? There are an outsized number of features you NEED to know about! We’ll cover: -The Today Tab -Lens -Visual Search -And EVERYTHING new for online sellers - there’s a lot!    

Lucy Matthews, Partnership Manager at Pinterest, is joining us again to talk about some of the most-commonly-asked questions we get about what works on Pinterest today. Including: What’s the best way to get more traffic on Pinterest now? How can I make MY Pins more engaging and successful today? How can I make truly unique Pins if I’m starting with just ONE image? We’ll have examples and a special treat to help you NEVER run out of ideas again.

-Looking for a way to monetize your website? -Feeling the pinch from decreased Amazon affiliate payouts? -Wondering how people make a living from just affiliate marketing and wish you could do the same? Join in as Alisa Meredith and Jeff Sieh talk with Melissa Megginson, Tailwind’s own Community manager about all this, plus what she’s found makes for the most successful affiliates.

- Scrolling through Instagram and wondering how others live that so-called "laptop-lifestyle"? - Looking to generate income without having to sell your soul? -Do you love social media, doing something new every day, and helping people succeed? Join in as Alisa Meredith and Jeff Sieh talk with Nadine Rohner of the Social Shells where she teaches women how to work as a freelance social media manager. BossBabe recently named her one of the top 5 female entrepreneurs to watch in 2020. She’s joining us all the way from Bali!

  Would you like to become a sought-after consultant, speaker, or writer?  Want to sell products online, become a paid “influencer,” or get a promotion?  Or maybe you’d like to attract donations for a charity or simply share your passions to make the world a better place.   No matter which sounds like you, we’ve got you covered! It’s not who you know - it’s who knows YOU!  Join in as Jeff Sieh and Alisa Meredith talk with Mark Schaefer, one of the world’s leading marketing experts and keynote speakers, and best-selling author of six books including KNOWN - The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age.

Instagram Has One BILLION Active Users with about a quarter of those visiting daily and they’re looking to research and buy!   But, are they looking to buy what YOU have?  Is there a “right” and “wrong” way to sell in the time of COVID-19? What are the top ways to increase sales via Instagram and how do you know which will work for you?   No matter which sounds like you, we’ve got you covered! Join in as Jeff Sieh and Alisa Meredith talk to Helene Sula of Heleneinbetween.com - a travel/lifestyle/business blog. With over 150K Instagram followers, Helene knows a thing or two about turning Instagram into relationships and income!