Starting a Business with Your Bestie

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I sat down with the co-owners of Duo Collective and real-life besties Abbey Oslin and Courtney Peterson to talk about starting a business together, and what that journey looked like.

Spoiler alert: It’s FASCINATING. 

Courtney and Abbey are absolutely magnetic, and a big part of that is due to them being experts in the marketing field and having several years of related experience. 

But I believe they’re even more magnetic and capable because they didn’t start Duo Collective alone, they each did it with their best friend. And not just any best friend, but a person whose strengths balance out the other’s weaknesses! 

Abbey is a left-brained individual who loves SEO, strategy, and writing. While Courtney is a right-brained creative, who is a design guru. And together, they not only have two big pieces of the puzzle required for successfully running a business, but they also have a close relationship based on love and respect. 

Their story of co-workers turned best friends, turned co-owners of a growing and thriving business shows that the most sustainable way of following your passion is by delegating and creating a sustainable business from the very beginning. 

And that sometimes the right person comes along to help put the pieces together. ❤️ 

While not everyone would be down to start a business with their bestie, Abbey and Courtney show that it is not only possible, but it makes the process more fun and much easier! 

When starting a business with someone else, there may be some uncomfortable moments of growth and difficult conversations. But having someone to do business with can make the process and experience much more doable.

Read on to find out what that looked like for this dynamic duo!

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What external events brought you two into business together?

Abbey: We worked separately and together at an agency full-time for eight-plus years on many different clients. Courtney has always run the creative side, and I’ve always been on the account side. 

So naturally, we just worked day in and out together and realized we could do what we were doing on our own for different types of clients that we felt more passionate about.

 So it started as a working relationship, turned into a friendship, turned into a friendship work relationship.

Had you been planning on one day starting a business together or was the opportunity a pleasant surprise?

Courtney: It was never our plan to work together. It just fell into place. 

We would go on coffee walks all the time while we were at work. And we would ideate, ‘hey, we have these skills. We are craving something bigger, better for ourselves. What does that look like?’ 

And Abbey, one day was like, well, you can do this, and I can do this. You’ve got the creative side. I’ve got the analytical strategy side. 

Why don’t we just combine what we do here, but for our own business? And I looked at her, and I was like, wow, that’s genius.

Abbey: We were like, let’s start a coffee shop. Let’s create a shirt company. There were a billion ideas, and we actually had a client come to us that turned out to be the perfect opportunity where we were like, ‘Hey, let’s try it and see how it goes.’ And then there was no going back.

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What have been some benefits of going into business with your best friend?

Abbey: A lot. It’s so natural to have that separation of work and personal life, and then when they blend, sometimes it can be confusing and tricky. 

But for us, it’s just a natural blend of work in our lives and doing the things we love, and we don’t need to switch it on and off. 

One of the best things is that we can ebb and flow with what’s happening in our lives right now.

Courtney: Right. It’s very flexible. We can work when we want, turn it off when we want. We talk every day. We’re basically married, I would say at this point. 

So it was nice to have that flexibility and know that if you’re riding and getting going on a project, you don’t need to stop. You can keep going, or you can take a break whenever you want. You’re not restricted to the nine to five.

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How do you preserve and maintain your friendship while also co-owning a business?

Courtney: I would say that the main thing comes down to the communication part of it. And sometimes the communication can get hard or a little weird and you need to have those hard conversations. 

At the beginning of our business, I think it was hard for us to get to that point where we’re like, “ooh, I don’t necessarily feel comfortable with this.” Or “I don’t necessarily want to focus on that.”

In the beginning, it was a little rough, but then we ended up getting a business coach and she helped us talk through that and how to manage it. And we’ve had tough conversations since, but they’re not awkward anymore

Abbey: I think it’s essential to over-communicate everything. We tell each other when we’re going grocery shopping, which might seem silly, but at the same time, you might be like, I don’t know what they’re working on right now, or I don’t know what they’re doing.

And then maybe you go into a spiral of, well are they going to do this thing that I think they’re going to do? 

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And it’s like, just ask and keep the lines of communication open. And as long as you do that, then you know what’s going on and you don’t have those thoughts constantly going in your head. 

So I think that’s been our thing. We over-communicate everything and it works great.

How do you navigate challenges whether in your business or between you both and come out stronger?

Abbey: Communicate. We talk through them. It’s the theme of the story, but I feel like every time we hit a roadblock, we’ll figure out how to navigate the roadblock at that time, but then we’ll go back and figure out what we can do better next time.

Say we had a new project, and the timeline didn’t go how we wanted it to. Afterward, we’ll figure out how to fix it rather than dwell on the moment. 

We just talk to each other before, during, and after at all points. Just to make sure we’re both on the same page.

Courtney: And it’s funny because our communication line is open from text messaging to calling, Snapchatting, and voice messaging. 

If there’s any form of communication out there, we’ve probably done it.

Abbey: Yeah. And it’s back and forth. We might start a conversation on Snapchat, and then we’ll finish in Google chat or Hangout.

We use a lot of systems that help us with that. Anything important that’s happening, we know we’re going to put it in Asana, or we’re going to use Tailwind to help us plan social. 

If we have an idea, we’ll put it in there. And we’ll use different tools to make that come to life.

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What are some of your favorite platforms you use to communicate and plan content?

Courtney: Well, obviously Tailwind. We use that every single day for Instagram and Pinterest.

Abbey: That’s how we navigate everything when it comes to social between the two of us. I’ll do the copy and the captions, and she’ll do the visually aesthetic feed and dropping things in. It’s a perfect collaboration. 

We also use Asana. It’s our favorite project management platform. We can assign things to each other, so we both know what each other is doing.  

We have priority boards that will be like, “Here are our priorities for the week.” And we both have a line of sight to the stuff happening, which makes it really easy. And everything else we use is pretty much Google.

From launching to managing, do you think starting a business with someone else makes it easier or more difficult?

Courtney: I would 1000% say easier. Abbey and I both individually freelanced before we came together and started Duo. 

When I was doing freelance design, that was always my goal to get out, have my own business, and do it myself. 

And I found that was really hard. It’s a little lonely because it’s just you, and you don’t have somebody sitting there motivating you or constantly pushing you, setting goals together, moving your business forward. 

So I would say going into business with a partner is a whole lot easier than doing it solo.

Abbey: Yeah. I feel like, naturally, everyone goes through it. When you’re running your own business, you have these perfect high weeks where you’re like, “I can conquer the world, and this is going to be amazing.” 

And then you have those low weeks where you’re like, “What am I doing? Why am I even doing this.” 

And we balance each other out because very rarely are we ever both in a low phase. One of us can help pull each other out. So it really helps, especially in those early days of running a business, when you are questioning a lot more often, “Why am I doing this?” 

You have someone else to keep pushing, challenging you, and getting you to do that one step further.

Courtney: I think it also helped a lot because I’ve got more of the creative side, and she’s got more of that analytical side. Some of the things that she wouldn’t necessarily want to work on are what I get excited about and want to work on and vice versa. So that helped a lot.
Abbey: And I feel us already being a partnership naturally creates more partnerships in connection with other businesses and opportunities to work together. So it’s just kind of fun.

What tips do you have for successfully starting a business with someone else?

Abbey: I think assigning roles, even if it might seem so silly to be like, “Your job is to do this.” 

I think just the clarity in defining the roles of who owns what is so important because there are so many hats to wear.

Even though there are two of us, it still feels there are double the duties we have to do. So clearly assigned roles helps with that. 

And I think also breaking it down into tiny steps. It can feel so overwhelming just to start a business because you’re like, “Oh, we need all of this stuff, and we can’t go live until all this stuff is done.” 

But we just took it one step at a time. Today let’s buy the LLC. Tomorrow, we’ll secure the domain. The next day we’ll start an Instagram. 

Just do things step by step, and then naturally you’ll get there rather than just being like, “I have to do this all, but I have to wait until I’m ready.”

Courtney: It makes it a lot less overwhelming at the beginning. And then taking those baby steps with all of those little things was fun because you’re like, “Oh my gosh, we have the LLC. Now let’s secure that domain.” So then, the next day, you secure the domain. 

Every day it’s just this added addition of fun, and you can slowly see your business grow. And it makes it, like Abbey said, a lot less overwhelming.

Abbey: And I’d say we started our business without anything. We took on a client at the very beginning, and I don’t even know what we did for our contract. I’m sure we just did something in a word document, but we just st

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With what you know now, would you go back and do it all over again? If so, what would you do differently?

Abbey: We see this a lot with our clients too, a lot of people are new moms, or their family dynamics are changing, or there’s some significant life shift. They’re getting married, or something’s happening. 

But there’s a big shift in their life where they want to reprioritize things that are happening. And they realize their work isn’t what they loved anymore. 

That naturally happened for me too. I had just come back from maternity leave, and I was like, “I don’t love this. If I’m leaving my baby at home, I want to be doing something I love.” 

I think we’d both say that we would do it a billion times over again. Yeah. We wish we would’ve done it sooner. I feel like everyone says that when they start a business, you wish you would’ve done it sooner.

What’s your process individually and as a team for your course creation and coaching? Do you guys collaborate or is it pretty individualized?

Courtney: So it goes both ways, I would say. And it depends on what course or what project we’re working on. But like we said before, I’m on the creative side; she’s on the strategy side. 

When it comes to the actual services we provide, Abbey is the SEO genius nerd. And I dabble in it, but I don’t know nearly as much as her. 

And then, I am the branding nerd, and I create all the visuals, the brand assets, and the style guides. Then when it comes to social, we are; actually, I would say 50-50 s far as the strategy and creativity for our packages.

Abbey: I’ll do a lot of the initial research. The SEO research and the analytical stuff in advance. Courtney will then build the creative that reads into all of that. And then we come together to deliver the final product. 

So yeah, it is like a collaboration of sorts, depending on some of our client projects, like the really SEO-heavy ones are way more on my side. And then some of the really heavy branding ones are way more on Courtney’s side.

 So it kind of balances each other out, which is pretty nice.

Courtney: And the funny thing is we never send anything off to a client without getting the eyes of the other person on it. So she’ll send me SEO stuff, I’ll send her branding stuff, and we’ll make sure that we’re both aligned to everything before we present it to the clients.

What is each of your favorite things to do in the business? 

Courtney: I would say mine is social. I love the social world. And when reels came around, I was like, oh my gosh, we have to start doing these and figure it out. 

Being in Tailwind every week and making sure the grid looks quote unquote as perfect as I can make it. I would say, yeah, social is my baby and the thing I like to focus on the most.

Abbey: I truly love to create SEO-focused content for our business. I’d say blogging, finding partnerships, and finding those opportunities. That’s one of my favorite things. 

I love our clients to death, but if we can sit down and work on our brand, it brings us so much joy to ensure we’ve slotted time in our calendar to focus on ourselves.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to venture into business ownership but feels like life is too busy?

Courtney: I would say that life is always going to be too busy. There’s never going to be a time where you slow down. I think we’re all guilty of being like, oh, well, next week I’m going to start that workout routine. And next week I’m going to do this and that.

The next week comes and goes, and you’re like, well, shoot, I didn’t do it. You’re going to do that with starting a business too. 

I would say just start, you have to, and baby steps. You have to take these tiny steps to get there, so you don’t overwhelm yourself or scare yourself out of doing it. 

And do it. Just jump on the opportunity and do it.

Abbey: I think setting dates and deadlines for yourself, we do that for our business. We have to set deadlines for when we’re going to do something because you can constantly push stuff off. 

So you set a date, and even before you do it, tell someone else you’re doing this because then it gives you accountability to follow through. 

Whether that’s a post on your social page or you say, hey, I’m going to do this. Sometimes, that gives you the nudge you need, the reminder, and the accountability to follow through.

Courtney: And I would say don’t let anybody scare you. Don’t let people sit there and tell you that you can’t do it or that starting your own business is way too hard or you’ll never succeed. 

Because that’s not true, like we said earlier, we both wish we would’ve done this years ago and quit our full-time gigs. You just have to trust in yourself and that you can do it and just go forward with it.

Abbey: Yeah. I think a lot of times we’re too worried about what other people will think of us. Like, what if I fail, or will my old coworkers think I’m a fraud. You worry too much about what other people think, rather than just taking the leap and being like, who cares? 

What we should worry about more is what we think of ourselves. If in the future you are going to regret not taking that opportunity, that feeling is more important than what so-and-so from five years ago thinks of what you’re doing now.

From a business perspective, what made you decide to use Tailwind?

Courtney: Efficiency. I would say that’s number one. We started off manually posting every day, and that got to be so hard, especially with me doing the creative visual side of it, coming up with the ideas, and then having her write the content for it. 

We would be bothering each other every day about one Instagram post, which got to be a little ridiculous. And then it’s hard to plan ahead. 

So, I would say it’s the efficiency and the planning. I’m a freak about what our feed looks like, and with Tailwind, I can see what it looks like a month in advance. 

For me, those are the big things that Tailwind has offered that we have loved—and just setting and forgetting it

We know when it’s going to go live and when it’s going to post from an Instagram perspective, so we jump on our phone, engage, comment, and chat. But Tailwind did all the hard work for us.

Abbey: In addition to that, Pinterest being a search engine in and of itself, was a huge priority for us from a business perspective. Pinterest is the one platform where you don’t need to be present every day; you can literally go in and schedule a month in advance and then forget about it. It’s magical. 

Even looking from an analytical perspective, it drives 60 – 80% of the traffic to our website

As a small business owner, you need that time to take the pressure off of all the day-to-day activities, and that’s the one platform where you’re allowed to do that.

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What’s your favorite Tailwind feature and why?

Abbey: Pinterest overall. It’s just a set and forget it thing. It’s amazing. And I’d probably say from a feed layout perspective, being able to view your full Instagram of what your feed’s going to look like is kind of beautiful.

Courtney: I would say that’s what it is for me, seeing what the feed looks like in the future. And then I love that they give you hashtag recommendations, too. And that you can flip through and look at the different hashtags. Because sometimes hashtag research in and of itself can get heavy, and it’s a lot, so it’s nice that they have that in there, as well.

What’s next for the Duo Collective?

 Courtney: So many things. We are getting close to a new website, and it’s going to look so much better once we launch. 

And then we have hopes to start a podcast. I’m not sure if that will happen this year, but if not, definitely the beginning of next.

Abbey: We need to follow our own advice and put it on the calendar, and then that’ll happen. 

We also just launched a beta round of an SEO group coaching program. It’s focused on copywriters and web designers, helping them include SEO in the packages they’re offering to clients because it’s starting to be a non-negotiable when it comes to that work. 

We just started week one, and we’re super excited. And hopefully, in 2022, we’ll be opening that up to everyone.

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Where You Can Find the Duo Collective

They have lots of amazing free content on their blog if you’d like to follow Courtney and Abbey on their entrepreneurial journey. They also offer coaching services for social, strategy, and design. Along with an SEO Beginners course that dives into what SEO is and how to best use it. 

They are a wealth of information in the marketing industry for anyone who wants to start ranking above their competitors!

You can also follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

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Making Your Passion a Priority with Travel Addicts

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Laura Longwell, co-owner of the blog Travel Addicts, left her ambitious 10-year career in marketing and PR to become a full-time blogger and travel the world with her husband, Lance. 

Before Laura started their blog, she fell in love with travel and experiencing other cultures during a study abroad in high school. As she got into her career, married Lance, and became bogged down with adult responsibilities traveling slid onto the back burner. 

However, when something is meant to be it’ll come back around, and that’s what happened when Lance got accepted to a study abroad in Italy for his master’s program. The trip awakened that fire within both of them, and they decided to make exploring new places a priority again. 

Since then, Laura and Lance have created a whole system to support their passion. From researching travel cards and hotel chain memberships to making vacations as stress-free as possible. They’ve found many ways to make pursuing their passions as attainable as possible. 

Laura is as well versed as she is well-traveled, and her desire to help others get out of their comfort zone and experience other cultures is evident in their blog. 

Laura’s ability to evolve her blog during COVID and continually create space for the things that make her life worth living is inspiring. 

This interview is packed with useful information for anyone wanting to get out and explore or pursue something they’re passionate about. 

Enjoy!

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What was the catalyst for your love of travel?

Laura: When I was between my junior and senior years of high school, I had a chance to go to Oxford, England, and study abroad for a month. It was this cool opportunity where you had an opportunity to live in the dorms, be by yourself for the first time, and explore another country. 

Going into it, I had thought, “Oh, England is not going to be all that different from the U.S., right? We speak the same language.” And, while there are similarities, there are so many things that are different too.

It was just mind-blowing for me to be in a place that, on the surface, seems not to have many differences but to realize that even their English words mean different things than our English words. Stuff as simple as they don’t have zucchini, they have courgettes. 

When you’re 17, everything is so formative. So it really just imprinted on me that love of learning about other people and other cultures.

 “Even when you think they might not be all that different from you, there’s still so much to learn.”

It had an even greater impact on me because of how old I was, and it was my first time away from home. It had a significant effect on what I wanted to do and how I wanted to approach the world, as far as being curious about other people and other places.

During your husband’s study abroad in Europe, what place or city changed the game and made you rediscover that passion within you?

Laura: The passion was always there, but life kind of takes over. It’s certainly easy to get caught up emotionally, but also for obligations. You have to go to work, and you get deep into what you’re doing there. You have obligations at home. There’s always something else to do, there’s always more work, there’s always something to clean. All that daily stuff takes over. 

And if you don’t make things like travel, or whatever it is that happens to make you happy and light your fire a priority, it’s easy for the mundane daily stuff to take over. 

At that point, we had been married for a couple of years, we were deep into our careers, and the focus was elsewhere. It was just the way life went. The stuff you would like to be doing takes a backseat. And it was sort of ironic that grad school, which is a huge time suck and obligation, was the door that allowed us to get back into travel. 

Rome turned out to be the place that we just absolutely fell in love with. It was just an incredible trip. And it made us realize we had to put it on the calendar and commit to it. Otherwise, life would keep going, time would pass, and we still wouldn’t be doing the things we wanted to do.

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What has been your all-time favorite place you’ve visited and why?

Laura: That’s such a hard question. And it’s always the number one question we get. One is Rome. It was the first place that I really had a chance after Oxford to fall in love with from a travel perspective. There’s just so much there with the history, the culture, and the food. And it’s also such a lovely and vibrant city that always has something new to explore. 

But the place that I would say probably had the greatest impact on me was Egypt. We had the chance to go shortly after the Arab Spring and the revolution. So it was an unusual time, and there were not a lot of tourists.

We had planned the trip before the revolution. We purchased the trip in December for the following summer. And the revolution was in January. So for a long time, we didn’t know whether we were going to be able to go. We didn’t know what the situation was going to be on the ground. It was the most significant thing that had happened there in decades from the government’s fall and all kinds of things. 

But getting to go felt like such a privilege and a unique opportunity given the timing. 

To stand at the base of the Great Pyramid, to see these temples with these massive soaring columns, hieroglyphics, and all these different things.

And to think about how it all came to be without any of the advances we have in the modern world. The ingenuity, the history, and the culture, and to just be dwarfed by the sheer size and accomplishment was unbelievable. Things that are 5000 years old still have the original color on them. And then, culturally, it was the place that was the most different from my regular experience. 

Having the opportunity to get to know our tour guide, a Muslim woman with a master’s degree. She was the only woman who worked for the tour company that we were with. And she was fully covered. 

To talk to her about her experiences as a single traditional Muslim woman with a master’s degree and to be the only woman employed for this company. So just getting to know the people and seeing all this stuff was remarkable.

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Travel is inherently political. You’re choosing where you feel safe going. You’re choosing where you feel comfortable spending your money.

And that has to do with, to what degree you’re supporting regular people, but also, supporting governments. A lot of tourism entities are government-run. And then for me thinking about coming back and how I’m going to interpret that on my blog and how to speak about the people. And the way that women, minorities, and LGBTQ individuals are treated. It’s all inherently political. And I think that’s an important thing to consider as well.

What do you and Lance do in order to mentally prepare for a vacation and make the most out of your trip?

Laura: That’s such a hard thing. Right? I think there’s practical things that we try to do. We try to leave the house as clean as possible so that it’s not a disaster when we come home. We try to make sure that we’re not returning to something that’s in a terrible state of disarray.

I think the main thing is trying, if you’re able, to minimize the number of times that you have to check in with work. Trying to make sure that whoever is around to cover for you that you have a good plan in place while you’re gone. 

In the past, most of the stresses have revolved around needing to be available for work. And so, you have your mind in both places. And when that’s the case, it’s tough to relax, which is the point of vacation, and people have to recharge to some degree.

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What are some travel splurges you both find are worth the upgrade so someone is more likely to keep traveling?

Laura: I think, if you’re a frequent traveler, and it justifies it, we value having lounge access. It’s really nice just to have a place where you can put your stuff down for a few minutes and not have to worry about always having an eye on it, grab a bite to eat, and have internet access. 

It’s particularly helpful in instances where you might have flight delays or other travel difficulties. The lounge isn’t practical or necessary for everybody. But if you are somebody who travels frequently, it’s helpful.

Another thing on similar lines is to develop loyalty with a hotel chain and get club access. It’s particularly helpful if you’re staying somewhere for four or five days because they often have complimentary breakfast. And if you’re at a hotel where, say if it’s my husband and me, and we are staying for five days, breakfast at the hotel might run you $25 a day. $50 a day for breakfast is absurd. 

And so, to have access to a club or something like that saves a lot of money in the long run. Along with trips to the hot springs, or an occasional spa visit depending on where we are, little things like that make the overall experience more enjoyable.

What advice would you give to someone who may love to travel but hasn’t gone anywhere in a while and would like to start back up again?

 Laura: I think if you have the funds for it, pick a date, put something on the calendar, and commit to it. It’s both simple and complicated at the same time because I know that it’s certainly not that easy for many people. 

But that was what we discovered was the secret for us. Make it a priority. And once you put it on the calendar and request the time off, you’re locked into it. And if you’re a person who has trouble breaking away, I think the best thing is to make it a non-negotiable as well. You don’t have to go to South Africa on a safari for two weeks. 

You can take a long weekend and go to the beach that’s nearest you, or the mountains, or that town that you have always wanted to explore. It doesn’t have to be this grand, massive thing that costs thousands of dollars.

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If you don’t have the funds for it, putting a plan in place is equally important. 

Starting to figure out where you want to go, how much it’s going to cost, and chipping away at it as you’re able. One thing that we’ve done in the past, not as much now, but I have many friends who still do it quite a bit, is travel hacking stuff. 

So whether it’s as simple as getting a credit card for a hotel chain, or an airline and racking up points that way. Or if you want to get much more elaborate into it, there’s a lot of folks who turn through different offers, promotions, and stuff like that. And you would be surprised how quickly you can get a free night or work your way to a free ticket or things like that. Again, it doesn’t have to be thousands and thousands of dollars. 

You can come up with fun things to do that don’t cost an arm and a leg and don’t take you away from your life for weeks at a time, and still feel you had a break.

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What led to you pursuing Travel Addicts full-time?

 Laura: I had over a 10-year career in marketing and PR and was very deep into that as the vice president at my job. And as jobs sometimes do, I had been there for about five or six years, and it had f run its course. I knew that it was time to move on. 

And at that time, I would say we had the blog for, probably, about eight years. So this was a long, long-time passion project. But it was just clear to me that it was time to move on from my job. So my options were to go to a different company.

And the most likely one that I probably would have tried to move to was a place where many of my co-workers were also going. So it was kind of, go to this other company with many of the same people I’ve worked with for the last six years. And do more or less the same thing that I had been doing.

 Or to take a crazy leap, and see if investing the additional time and funds, would allow us to turn this thing that we had started into something that made us money and that we could work out long term.

COVID has changed so many things negatively for people, but I think it’s also opened up so many other opportunities. It has opened up, if not direct, opportunities, at least people’s minds, to the fact that they might be able to do something different. 

And I think so many people now have the opportunity to be more location independent. It’s forced companies to see that having workers not in the office doesn’t necessarily impact productivity. And so whether people are maintaining the job that they’ve always had, or a more typical career, or are taking a huge leap.

I think that there’s this window in time, where people have been able to reflect on the practicalities of where they work, and what kind of work they do.

As well as getting a little bit more philosophical about dealing with the challenges of lockdown. And reflecting on the more negative things that have happened in the last year and a half and deciding how they want to design their life differently.

Do you have any mental health tips for other individuals whose career revolves around social media?

Laura: It’s hard. Dealing in the travel space with the pandemic has been a challenge to know what to say, how to say it, and feel you’re doing things responsibly. It’s not always easy, and it’s not easy when you’re feeling down and uncertain about something. It’s hard to put a happy spin on it publicly. 

But I think that there’s a couple of things when it comes to social media. I try to limit my time when I can and try to focus and get the things that I need to do for work done. And then, I catch up with my friends. It’s better for me not to end up endlessly scrolling and going down that rabbit hole, which is so easy to do. But I think you also have to try as best you can to keep it in perspective.

Take everything with a grain of salt, both the positive and the negative, because if you get too into, “Oh, I had a post go viral, or this thing went well.” Being successful and getting that engagement is essential from a business perspective.

 But if you get too wrapped up in the highs, it’s also really easy to get wrapped up in the lows and start chasing the likes.

 It’s easy to get negative quickly if you’re not having the success you want to have, both in terms of the metrics. But then also there’s the aspect of looking at what everybody else is doing. 
You have to keep in mind that social media is curated. Whether it’s an individual, a business, a travel blogger, whoever it may be, you almost always see the rosy side of things.

And for people who have their blog as a platform in addition to social media, it’s the same thing with Google. The Google algorithm is always changing, just like Instagram, just like Facebook. And the moment that you find something that works, something gets changed. 

So you have to get really comfortable with riding the waves on all of those channels because there’s always going to be something new, there’s always going to be a change. There’s always the push for something new. So you might have spent the last seven or eight years curating a great Instagram feed, and now you need to become a TikTok star too. And now Instagram wants to be TikTok, and you also need to share something.

 I think that’s why, if you can try to keep perspective about the success, or the harder things, because it’s always going to be a wave, and it’s always going to change.

With your background in marketing, do you feel that helped prepare you to be a blogger and give you the skills that you needed to succeed?

Laura: It was helpful. I think the bloggers in general who’ve had more success have experience with marketing. It gives you a little bit of a leg up, or at least in the short term when you get started. Or, in the blog world, people who are adept at coding and website-oriented stuff can do well because there’s a lot of technical things that go into just hosting a website and making it run, and making it be something that Google is happy with. So it’s been beneficial.

You have to be adaptable for sure. And you have to be in it for the long term like I said because one day something will work and it’ll take off, and it’ll go well, and the next day, the powers that be, whether in social media or search, will decide, “Oop, we need to tweak this thing.” And the thing that has been working for X number of years, all of a sudden, doesn’t work. 

Early on, there was, and I guess, there’s still sort of, is this idea of passive income, all you have to do is put it out there, and it will just go forever. And that’s not the way that things are. You have to be willing to find those trusted sources of information because everybody has an ebook to sell you, or a class, or something. 

Half the time, the people trying to sell you something are making money because they’re able to sell you something. Not because they had some special sauce that made them successful. So you have to find the sources that you trust when those changes happen, know how to adapt and reverse and move from Instagram is a photo-sharing app, need to do reels and stories, and all the different things you have to do these days.

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What advice would you give to someone starting a blog today?

Laura: I would say learn SEO. That’s the biggest thing. And then think carefully about your topic. Ideally, you would pick a niche in which you can develop some authority and develop a lot of content.

 To do well in search and build up that authority, you need to become a trusted source. So you have to have a certain amount of information to share around a singular topic. I think it is harder and harder these days for people to start more general lifestyle blogs, even general travel blogs. Those kinds of things can be difficult. But if you can focus down, it often is a quicker path to success.

As I said, finding those trusted sources of information is also important because everybody has something to sell you, and everybody has an opinion. And just because something worked for this famous successful blogger doesn’t mean it’s going to work that well for you. 

Many people are successful because they’ve been at it a long time, and they’ve done a few of the right things, and the wrong things they have done are outweighed.

 But you may unknowingly follow the bad thing just because you think, “Oh, this person is successful, and they’re doing this. So, therefore, I should do that.” It doesn’t always work that way. You got to find the trusted sources.

Travel Addicts Instagram screenshot

How has Tailwind helped your blog?

Laura: We have been active Pinterest users for probably, I don’t even know, seven, eight, nine years, I mean, a long time. 

So having a tool like Tailwind makes the scheduling easy, makes us able to work it around our schedule, and helps us target the right times to post

And gives reminders for when you’ve shared something too many times or not shared something enough. Having those reminders and that ease has made things a lot easier because I don’t have to try to be on at 9:30 on Saturday morning because that’s the time that it says most of my audience is on, those kinds of things. So I can work it in as part of my day and part of my schedule when I can, instead of letting those algorithms make the decisions for me.

Travel Addicts Instagram screenshot

Which Tailwind feature is your favorite and why?

Laura: I like the Communities because it helps surface a lot of content that I might not otherwise find just in my regular Pinterest feed. It’s also a great way to share stuff with more people because you’re in a targeted community or with a specific topic, and you know that what’s being shared is good information. And so it’s easy to go through and schedule those things. It’s definitely helped us reach more people.

And lastly, what’s next for Travel Addicts?

Laura: We hoped we would be in a position to be traveling a little bit more right now. But I think we’ve got a little bit more time before getting out on the road. Lately, we’ve had many trips that we haven’t had the time to write about in the past. So we’ve been catching up, of course, in the last year or so. But we took the opportunity to start a new website that’s focused on our general area. It’s called Guide to Philly. And it’s literally a guide to Philadelphia and the metro area.

That’s given us a place to focus, and as I said, it’s a little more focused topic so we can build some authority because we’ve lived here for more than 15 years. But it’s been nice to have something to focus on and somewhere to put our energy, and it’s given us a reason to explore our area a little more. It’s been exciting, and necessary to just be close to home, but also an exciting project to be working on at the same time.

Travel Addicts Instagram screenshot

Where you can find Travel Addicts

If you’d like to follow Laura and Lance along their world travels, you can read their blog, Travel Addicts. It has detail-packed travel itineraries to take the anxiety out of travel!

You can also follow them on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

And don’t forget to check out their new blog, Guide to Philly!

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After two study abroad programs in Europe awoke her passion, Laura eventually left her 10 year career in marketing and PR to follow her dream and become a full-time travel blogger. Click to discover how she did it, and also, how Tailwind helped her get here.

How Selena Taylor Curated a Career by Traveling Abroad

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Selena Taylor, owner of the wildly popular and beautifully created blog Find Us Lost, has monetized her place in the travel blogger industry in an impactful and highly ambitious way. 

Selena Is an excellent example of having an inner passion and using it to create a career that supports and exalts her dream. From teaching herself photography and photo editing to leaving her life behind and moving to another country, Selena leads by example, showing that whatever is calling out to you is attainable. 

And when you’re passionate enough about something, you can figure it out as you go and still succeed. 

The California native has built an Instagram following of 168k followers by sharing gorgeously curated travel content to inspire fellow adventure seekers to get out there and explore. 

Selena also creates free travel guides on her blog that are meticulously done and extremely helpful for anyone who finds traveling somewhere new daunting. 

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This entrepreneur nomad additionally sells her own preset filters and prints on her website. Selena not only built a business from the ground up but gave it the proper foundation for it to thrive well into the future. 

Selena has impacted the wanderlust blog industry by learning as she went, fueled by a passion for travel and exploration that she wanted to share. Her mission oozes out of her words and photos in a way that immediately causes you to catch the travel bug, making her extraordinarily influential and naturally good at what she does.

The way Selena talks about the cities she’s been to and how she captures the magic of the locations in her photos allows her to do precisely what she set out to do: to inspire others to get out and explore new places. 

When I looked at her blog and saw the raw talent and passion behind it, I not only wanted to book a trip to Iceland immediately, but I also knew if I could interview her for Tailwind’s blog, then she’d be able to touch and inspire each of you too. 

Selena’s interview is enlivening and entertaining. And she also gives great insight into why she started Find Us Lost and how it became so successful, which is an inspiring story all around.

Enjoy!

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Question: What made you decide to move to Europe?

Selena: It was always a dream of mine to live in Europe. My father is Dutch and my mother is Cypriot, so I grew up visiting family in The Netherlands and Cyprus most summers. When I finally moved in 2016, my husband and I packed our belongings in a rental car and road-tripped 8,000km through Europe before settling in Amsterdam.

Question: What was so special about Amsterdam that made you want to settle there?

Selena: It’s the perfect city: beautiful buildings, picturesque canals, green parks. You can bike everywhere. I fell in love with the lifestyle as the Dutch have a really good grasp of what’s important and strive to maintain a work-life balance. It doesn’t hurt that most everyone speaks English, as it’s one of the most international cities in the world.

What has been your favorite destination so far?

Selena: It’s impossible to choose a favorite as there are so many different reasons I want to return somewhere! For landscapes, cities, and incredible cuisine, Norway is high up on my list. On the other hand, a destination that is still relatively undiscovered and filled with beauty is Slovenia. Lake Bled and the city of Ljubljana are filled with charm and character. But if I had to choose one destination, I’d say the Greek Islands. I’m always planning a trip back as there are so many different islands to discover, each with a unique vibe (but all filled with friendly people and delicious Greek food!).

Question: Do you have any tips on jet lag and trying to get the most out of a vacation when there’s a big-time difference?

Selena: Lean into it. One of my best memories is when my husband and I were up at 2am jetlagged in Kyoto, Japan. We had been trying to fight it for a couple nights and I finally looked over at him and said, “Should we get ramen?”. We ended up at a hole-in-the-wall place an hour later, slurping a bowl of ramen with a few locals who were getting up for their work shift. It was hilarious — and the ramen was delicious.

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Question: Your photos are breathtaking and your presets are so beautiful. Do you have a background in photography or have you been self-taught? If so, how have you gotten so good at taking and editing photos?

Selena: I
took photography classes in high school, but they were all film photography classes. I didn’t really pursue photography in college because I didn’t know how to make a career out of it, and I wasn’t sure I could. On that road trip through Europe, I brought a camera and just started taking photos of everything because I was so excited to be traveling again. It re-ignited my passion and I started teaching myself everything I could in order to get better. My husband also loves photography, so we spent tons of time experimenting and learning new programs. I love the creative process so I was the one planning shots, coloring, and editing. It was challenging and rewarding, so I stuck with it.

Selena Taylor Case Study screenshot of Instagram feed

Question: What events lead up to you making the leap and becoming a full-time photographer and blogger?

Selena: When I left in 2016 my current job in Los Angeles offered me a part-time, remote position. I took it and kept working while living in Amsterdam, but my schedule kept getting crazier. For a year or so I was waking up around 8am to work on my photography and blog, taking a break around 4pm, then starting my other job at 5pm when people were waking up in California and working until midnight. Plus, I was traveling for photography jobs on the weekends. I knew I had to give up one or the other, so I finally went for it full time.

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Question: What’s your favorite part about your job?

Selena: I love the thrill of exploring a new city and culture. It still amazes me how a new destination can be so different from the next, yet I can always find a common ground with the people and way of life there.

Question: You’ve done a great job at monetizing your brand and being a reliable and trustworthy source for traveling. What advice would you give to someone starting out in the blogging industry today?

Selena:
One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to stay true to what motivates you. Focus on how your content can serve others, but also the driving force behind why you started. There is a lot of noise out there, and it’s easy to get caught up in what others are doing — so trust in the process and don’t give in to distractions.

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Question: How has Tailwind helped your business?

Selena: Tailwind has been key to helping me grow my audience on Pinterest. It’s helped me reach new people and cut back my time spent manually pinning.

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Question: Which Tailwind features are your favorite and why?

Selena:
I love the batch scheduler for a website page. I use it for every post that goes up on my site.

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Question: Last but not least, what’s next for you and Find Us Lost?

Selena:
I hope to keep using my platform to inspire others to get out there and explore the world. But I’m also taking it slow, focusing on a few projects I haven’t set aside time for in the past. Prints is one of them — I have so many photos from places around the world and I only recently started selling them. I’m donating a percentage of all print sales back to the destination featured, so depending on which print is purchased, you can directly support a cause in the local community. It’s something new for me, and a project that’s close to my heart.

Rapid Fire This or That

  • Pinterest or Instagram
  • Coffee or Tea
  • LA or San Francisco (this one’s particularly tough, but I was born in Northern California so I have to go with SF!)
  • East Coast or West Coast
  • City or Country
  • Beach Vacation or Mountain Vacation
  • Sweet or Savory
  • Pasta in Italy or Crepes in Paris
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Where you can find Selena

If you’d like to follow Selena’s captivating journey abroad, you can read her blog here. And don’t forget to check her travel guides before your next trip! I know I’ll be following along and getting bit by the travel bug over and over again.

You can also buy her gorgeous prints (part of those proceeds go to a local charity in that city ) and purchase her beautiful image preset filters so your photos can look just as stunning as hers. You can also follow her on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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Selena Taylor Case Study Pinterest Pin

How Alexa Webb Trailblazed a Path for Plus-Size Fashion

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I had the opportunity to sit down with Alexa Webb and discuss her story of building a fashion empire after she saw a lack of inclusion in the industry for plus-size individuals. Alexa is a sharp, articulate, and kind-hearted individual who bravely followed her passion and allowed it to take her into new and exciting terrain. 

From her family of entrepreneurs to a lifelong passion and interest in fashion, her life seemed to align and lead her to leaping and becoming a full-time plus-size fashion blogger.

Even more impressively, Alexa is now using her platform to advocate against the discrimination plus-size individuals experience every day, especially regarding healthcare inequality. 

Alexa’s story will motivate and inspire you to follow your passions and give you some takeaways for your potential side hustles or business from a trusted pro in the industry.

Listen to Alexa’s interview on the go with our Marketing Unleashed podcast!

Plus-Size Discrimination Happens Every Day

Question: Can you speak on the plus-size discrimination individuals experience and why you feel called to advocate for equal representation in fashion and clothing?

Alexa: There’s a lot of discrimination, and I think many people aren’t necessarily aware of that. When you look at statistics – there is a lot of actual discrimination that they face in terms of equal rights and just to be treated with respect. 

My most recent cause is discrimination in the medical field. That’s something I have experienced firsthand. I shared some things with my followers and was shocked at the number of people saying, “Oh my gosh, I’ve had either the same experience or something very similar!” Or telling me these horrible stories that they went to the doctor, complained about symptoms, were told to lose weight and that’ll take care of it. No tests, no nothing. And then later, they found out they had a tumor or a significant thing that was completely overlooked because of their size. 

Plus-size individuals aren’t even getting basic screenings for health problems. And that’s just terrible. So yeah, it impacts us in very real ways.

Obviously, I have a fashion blog, so that’s not as serious, but I also think being able to dress well and feel like you are dressing well makes a huge difference in how you feel about yourself and how you present yourself to the world. I think people experience negative interactions when they don’t feel confident in their skin. And I think to style your clothing and wear stylish clothing period is really helpful to boost your confidence. Then you step out into the world feeling comfortable with yourself, and then when you interact with other people, they sense that as well. 

It doesn’t feel good when you can’t find anything that fits you correctly or that’s stylish in your size. So I think it’s really important to take the time to style your clothing and try to find what works for you. And sadly, as plus-size individuals, it’s always going to be more challenging. At least that’s been my experience my whole life so far. 

It’s getting easier, I will say, but it was really about trying to figure it out with what was available in the market for a very long time. And how to make it look more stylish than it was because so many frumpy, terrible, crappy garments are being designed for plus-size women. There were blogs, thankfully, but there weren’t a lot. And there wasn’t a lot of representation on social media at the time. I came to that, and I just wanted to show people that it is possible. It’s a little messed up; we have to go through the extra effort to dress or be fashion-forward, but it is possible, and that’s why I started doing what I was doing to show people it was possible. And that was my goal. 

The Beginning of Alexa’s Blog

Question: What cross roads lead to you taking matters into your own hands by beginning to post plus-size fashion inspiration? 

Alexa: I didn’t see a lot of representation. I discovered Polyvore randomly. I don’t even remember how. I was trying to make some collage or something. It was nothing to do with anything I do now. I found Polyvore and I thought it was cool because it was. I should say – Polyvore no longer exists. But these people were making gorgeous collages, and some of them were very fashion-focused, and they were just fascinating to me. Like pieces of artwork almost. And I was like, wow, this is amazing. 

And so, of course, I started looking through and searching for plus-size, and there was nothing there. At that time Pinterest was first getting started. And when I got to Pinterest, oh my gosh. That was amazing. I had never seen anything quite like it before. I’m a very visual person. So for me, it was just so my platform. I was inspired by it. And then, of course, I started looking for plus-size fashion. And at that time, there was just nothing. 

I thought it was so sad because I had found this platform, and it was a great resource with all of these inspiring images and amazing fashion things and, I was like, where are my people? Where are my sizes? I’m looking at beautiful outfits and thinking, well, none of this will be available to me. And I knew this was a problem. 

At the time, I was following many different blogs, and I started Pinning everything I was coming across in my search and then Pinning the things that I created on Polyvore. Then I started to have this audience, and it was just completely unexpected. Of course, I hoped that other people would see what I was Pinning, but I didn’t expect it to happen, you know?

Alexa Webb interview screenshot of her website
Alexa’ Website

Alexa’s Career Background

Question: Do you have a background in business, fashion, or anything related? 

Alexa: No, I don’t. I mean, I do, but not a formal education. I have a degree in Psychology, which has absolutely nothing to do with either of those things. But my grandparents had a business, and my parents had a business. I’m actually a fourth-generation business owner. There’s this kind of no escaping it. I grew up in those businesses, working in them and I naturally absorbed some things. 

And also, my mother is really into fashion. That’s always been her thing, and she’s very passionate about it. I grew up in a house where there was Vogue and other fashion magazines around. I was always flipping through those. My parents owned a fabric store, and there was a lot of fashion when they were making clothing. Just being exposed to all of that, I think, gave me the interest and passion that I have.

And then, being that I have been larger, my whole life, even, as a kid or a teenager, trying to find things to wear that were stylish or on-trend, or even expressing myself, was so challenging. Especially back then. It’s a little easier now, but I think that drove me to figure things out. I didn’t find it acceptable that there wasn’t much being marketed to me. Even just in my age group, there wasn’t plus-size clothing available. I would basically look at clothing designed for frumpy older women and then try to make it into something interesting. And so I think in a sad sort of way, that led me to learn how to put things together and see things differently.

Lauren: It’s in your blood with your parents’ business, the fashion industry, fabrics, and all the entrepreneurial energy in your family. It’s kind of like you were destined to do this.  

Alexa: I KNOW, and it’s so funny because I just never really put it together. People would ask me things like this, and I’d go, “I don’t know. I have a degree in Psychology, and I used to do clinical research for a living. I don’t know how I ended up here.” But then when I really started to think about it, I was like, whoa, it kind of does make sense. Just not what I expected, you know? Not at all what I expected. 

Deciding to Become a Full-Time Blogger

Question: Was there a moment when you knew it was time to pivot from side hustle to a full-time career? 

Alexa: I was going to say I was really lucky in some ways, but that’s a weird way of looking at it. But it’s true. I was working full-time while creating my little sets on the weekends when I had free time. Working a very busy full-time job that was sometimes very stressful. I didn’t have a lot of time. 

But I ended up having an injury, and I had to leave my job, which was devastating to me at the time. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Or how I would make a living. It was horrible. It was devastating. But I consider myself lucky in a sense because it pushed me to throw all my energy into my blog.

I’d been talking about starting a blog for a long time because, at the time, I already had like 70,000 followers, maybe more. And they had asked me, do you have a blog? Where’s your blog? And I’m like, I don’t have one of those. So I had been talking about doing it for a while. In fact, I had even posted years before, “If I get 20,000 followers, I’ll start a blog.” Well, I never actually did. So that’s the funny part, but I had even bought a domain, I just never pulled the trigger.

So when this happened, I decided to throw all my time into it. Just for my sanity, because I didn’t know what to do with myself. At the time, I had already started monetizing a bit on social media. So I was a little bit more familiar with affiliate marketing and things like that. 

Then I started monetizing my blog, and I was shocked. I was shocked because I was getting all these clicks. I was getting so much traffic right off the bat. And in turn, of course, I was making money, and I was like, wow, maybe this is a thing that I can do.

So I look back at that moment as horrible in so many ways, but I was so lucky because I don’t think I would have been pushed into that position. Or it would have taken longer but, it was just almost like the universe pushing me into something, you know? It was a weird turn of events, but it was a good thing.

Alexa Webb interview screenshot of her Pinterest
Alexa’s Current Pinterest Account where she received over 10 MILLION views!

The Best Advice Alexa Has Received and Advice She’d Give 

Question: What was some of the best advice you received regarding growing your business and following? And what advice would you give to someone starting their own business or blog right now?

Alexa: It’s so important to be passionate about it. I always say choose something that you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be sick of. You need to be able to talk about it, research it, learn about it, and write about it. It has to be something you’re so passionate about, and that never gets old. You have to have that drive and that passion because, without it, you get burnt out. Even I get burnt out sometimes, it happens. But then new fall collections come out, and I’ll be like, oh, I’m excited. It’s just constantly about being inspired. 

The other thing is, I don’t think people will be very successful if they’re in this for the money. There are a lot of different, much easier and better ways to make money. This is hard. There’s going to be a struggle and success doesn’t happen overnight. It took me years to build up the following that I have. And I had no expectations. If I had any expectation for making money early on, it would have been very different. I probably would have been making very different content. And I don’t think things would have happened the way they did. 

Over the years, I have listened to and seen many interviews with other influencers and bloggers. And they kind of all say the same thing I’ve noticed. Saying they didn’t get in it to be famous or to make money. It was because they were passionate about sharing something. 

So, I think. Yeah, it’s important that you’re really passionate, and that’s what you’re in it for. And I think if you do that, the money doesn’t matter. And then, ironically, that’s when the money does come to you. There are times when I put out content, and it doesn’t do well. Sometimes I know it’s not going to do well, but I do it anyway because it’s my content, and I love it. I know it’s gonna kill the algorithm, but I don’t care, you know? I feel a certain way about things, and I want to share things. So I think that’s my number one piece of advice. If you’re looking to make some money quickly, that’s not going to be enough.  

What Outside Factors Helped Alexa Take Her Business to the Next Level

Question: What outside factors and support helped you take your business to the next level?

Alexa: One of the things I didn’t do initially was I didn’t join the plus-size blogger community. I don’t want to say I felt like an outsider because that’s not really true. I just didn’t really know them and it was a very, very isolating experience. I went from having coworkers and working in busy environments. And now I’m in my house by myself on my laptop. 

I started making an effort to reach out, not just to people, but to also join groups and different blogging groups. And now I actually have a couple of communities I belong to that are really, really helpful. Not just as far as, let’s give each other tips on how to increase our traffic or whatever, but an actual like, “Hey, yeah, this is lonely. This is hard at times. Are you having trouble with this?” It has been really helpful to have that support, and I wish I had sought that out a little bit earlier. I would also recommend finding a group, a community, people that you can bond with and relate to because it’s really important.

I also have to give credit to my mom. She is very supportive, and I’m always sending her stuff asking what she thinks, and she’s always giving me feedback. I don’t have an office with coworkers across the way that I can be like, “Hey, check this out. What do you think?” It’s just me. And honestly, after hours of looking at stuff, I have no idea. I don’t even know anymore. I’m just in my head, and it’s not a good thing, so it’s helpful to have my mom there. 

Alexa on the Pressure of Being an Influencer

Question: Is it hard putting yourself and your vulnerability out there and subjecting yourself to criticism? 

Alexa: Yes, and it gets harder. I didn’t realize that it gets harder as you get more popular, but it does. Suddenly it goes from I’m sharing this cute thing with a few people to eventually thousands of people. And some people are sending me messages saying they’re disappointed or upset or don’t like this.

I don’t share as much of my personal life. Part of that is, I’m a private person. The other piece is that I want to protect myself. I do share, but it’s a fine line for me. It’s a balance, a constant balance. I do try to share some things and open up a bit, but even that can be hard. So yeah. It gets harder. 

And the algorithms are brutal. Sometimes I’ll be putting things out there. And even though my core audience is still with me, on Instagram, for example, something will just tank, and I’ll be like, “Okay. People don’t like this. It’s not good.” But honestly, I don’t even know if that’s true because I look at how many people are still visiting the website, and they’re still clicking. So it’s hard to gauge, you know? 

Alexa Webb interview screenshot of her Instagram account
Alexa’s Instagram Account

Alexa’s Ode to Tailwind

Question: What has saving time with Tailwind allowed you to do in your business that you would otherwise not have had the time to do? 

Alexa: Tailwind changed my life. I know that sounds so profound. But I truly mean that because back when I had a full-time job and was doing this as a passion project, Tailwind helped it become a side hustle where I could monetize and make some income.   

I didn’t have time to do anything. I mean, I was working like Monday through Friday. I was putting in time on the weekends, but that doesn’t really work in the long run. You can’t disappear from social media five days a week and then expect things to go somewhere. So, getting Tailwind for me was huge because it would be Pinning while I was at work and helped bring in an income while I was doing another job. 

It also proved to me in a sense that this was something I could make money doing. And I don’t think that would have been possible. or at least not to the extent of success that I’ve had, without Tailwind. 

Tailwind has also made my life a lot easier. Pinterest has changed dramatically – especially recently. But for a long time, it was all about pinning your content plus other people’s content.  It was all about having a variety of sources and a variety of things. And Pinterest wanted you to switch it all up. 

So for me, Tailwind was crucial because of the limited time that I would have to find things to Pin. It allowed me to do it in such a way that it was automatically shuffled up. Tailwind allowed me to be methodical about finding sources and then sharing them in a more pleasing way to the audience and, of course, the algorithm. I wouldn’t have been able to do that otherwise. My account would have sucked because it would have been the same thing all in a row. It was really important at the time, and it’s still really important. But for growing back then, it was crucial.

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Alexa’s Favorite Tailwind Feature

Question: Which Tailwind feature or perk of the app is your favorite?

Alexa: First of all, I think that the analytics are great. That’s been really quite helpful. And the Pin Inspector is fantastic. Not only is it telling you what’s doing well and what’s performing well, but then it allows you to – right there – repin it and to repin it wherever you want it to go. And that’s just so helpful. 

Even today, the analytics on Pinterest are just not that helpful. Even if you find something that is performing well, and you’re like, I want to repeat that, and it’s not that simple. So it’s amazing that with Tailwind, it’s just like click, click, done. It’s one of my favorite things, honestly.

What’s Next for Alexa Webb?

Question: Last but not least, what’s next for you and your business?

Alexa: I have lots of ideas. It’s more like if only I had more of me to go around, and that’s always the challenge, right? I want to work on having a newsletter and having closer conversations with my audience. I think email is a free way to do that. An email newsletter is something that you own, and I think that’s so important. 

Then, of course, we have a real push toward video with social media, and I’m creating static images and collages. So my challenge now is to figure out how to make it a bit more interactive and engaging, and video seems to be the way to do that.  

I started working on some things and I’m learning new skills constantly. Like, I don’t know anything about video. I did one makeup tutorial, and the editing was probably horrific. I posted it, and I was like, do I really want to put this in the world? It’s so bad. But that is one of my other pieces of advice is that sometimes you just have to do it even though it’s going to be bad. 

If you look at what I posted at the beginning of working on Polyvore. Oh my gosh. Sometimes I will go back and look at my work from like ten plus years ago. And oh, wow. It’s bad. I mean it’s really bad. 

So the point is, had I not pushed myself to go ahead and get it out there, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am. So you have to let it go and just be like, yeah, it sucks. It’s not good. And that’s kind of where I think I’m headed with video. So it might be a little rocky for a bit!

Alexa Webb interview old Poyvore design

One of Alexa’s first designs on Polyvore from over a decade ago verses a recent outfit she designed.

Alexa Webb interview recent outfit she designed

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Where You Can Find Alexa Webb

Alexa is a prime example of how someone can begin monetizing and growing an audience even with a full-time job. And her advice of creating from passion, choosing something you’ll never get sick of, and being driven based on interest/passion and not money is some of the best advice, if not the best. 

I have no doubt she’ll keep excelling as she evolves and develops new skill sets to help her reach new goals, including venturing into video and email marketing. 

If you’d like to follow Alexa, which I highly recommend you do, you can go to her plus-size fashion blog. Her Pinterest account, which has over 241K followers. Her growing, evolving, and tastefully styled Instagram account. Or her fun and interactive Facebook account.   

Watch the Interview:

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Alexa Webb sat down with us and talked about how her blog was created, how it became so successful, and what advice she'd give to someone just starting out.

Building a DIY Wedding Planning Space with Bobette Kyle

A picture of a bride and groom smiling as they walk hand in hand

Bobette Kyle is no stranger to the stress of wedding planning. In fact, her experience trying to plan an elopement online was so stressful, she decided to do something about it.

And thankfully, she knew how. This former Brand Manager and VP of Marketing started My Online Wedding Help in 2006 the same year she eloped to Vegas with her husband, and has been going strong ever since!

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Bobette to dive into her strategies of success on Pinterest, how Tailwind played a role, and what it was like to be one of the first people on the scene for DIY wedding planning help – and for Pinterest!

Tell us about yourself and how you ended up in your role at My Online Wedding Help.

“In 2006, my husband and I eloped to Las Vegas. My family got a chat room and watched the ceremony streamed online.

And that got me thinking how people didn’t yet know what kind of resources were available online to help plan a wedding. In fact, just that one piece had been a challenge for me!

So My Online Wedding Help was born.

The specifics have changed over the years as technology develops. But it’s always been focused on helping people through the logistics of using digital technology to plan a wedding.”

What led you to choose Pinterest as your main marketing channel for your site?

“Because I was around when Pinterest was born, there were the same reservations as with any new platform. Would it make it, or would it be a flash in the pan?” 

Wedding planning and dreaming were moving from cutting out magazine pictures for a binder onto Pinterest. It was a natural fit.”

How did you use Pinterest when you first started?

“At first my process was to Pin periodically throughout the day, using Pins I’d made in Photoshop. 

Now I have a more consolidated process of research, analysis, and creation.”

What led you to choose a Pinterest tool, and why was Tailwind your choice?

“I needed to be more time-efficient. It’s overwhelming to have to publish Pins in real-time, and it takes away from other activities.

I looked at all the other tools as soon as they hit my radar… Viraltag, Ahalogy, Boardbooster, and probably others. In the end, Tailwind was the best value for me. The interval and scheduling features really stood out.”

What has your Pinterest strategy been?

“When I think strategy, it’s about the big picture. So I take a “3 legged stool” approach to Pinterest strategy. All three legs come together to create success.

One leg is my overall website strategy, like the business model, strategic plan, SEO, site content, etc… all the things that lay a solid foundation. That drives my Pin content.

Tailwind and Tailwind’s Pinterest Toolkit is another leg. But having the tools and knowing how to use them isn’t enough, because Pinterest changes so often. The way I use Tailwind needs to also adapt.

So I believe ongoing, real-time training beyond Tailwind’s scope is crucial. That’s the third leg. For me, it’s Kate Ahl’s Simple Pin Collective. She has a very active community of knowledgeable website publishers and Pinterest managers.”

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What is your content strategy?

“I’m kind of freeform about it. I try to balance a combination of wedding planning help articles & tools, DIY tutorials, and new affiliate products. I Pin about 5-10 new Pins a day.

I don’t run Pinterest ads – my revenue model makes that challenging. 

What’s one thing you suggest people stop doing on Pinterest? Start doing on Pinterest?

“Stop publishing the same Pins over and over again in a short time. In 2020 and now in 2021, repetition is out. Fewer, better quality Pins are better.

Start thinking in terms of “Content is King.” (And yes, Queen too!) On the Google SEO side, that has been the mantra for at least two decades and gets more critical each year. Google ranks content that users respond well to higher.

As Pinterest matures, so do its systems. I see the same patterns on Pinterest that happened with Google. They are getting better at paying attention to what the users engage with and want. The answer right now is a steady flow of new, quality content.”

What kind of results have you seen since choosing Pinterest and Tailwind?

“I started getting serious about consistently marketing through Pinterest in late 2018 after being accepted as a Mediavine publisher. (Because my revenue went up). As with most things on Pinterest, it’s a slow burn. January 2020 is when I started to see consistent results. Then, come March, you know what happened. ( Covid + Weddings = )

After a few rough months and a lot of , traffic began to turn around. For June-December 2020, I had 20% year-over-year growth in traffic from Pinterest.

Also, my exposure to the platform continues to increase. My top two standard Pins have 2.1 and 1.8 million impressions in the last 180 days.

Have you adjusted your strategy over time, especially over the past year?

Yes. In the olden days, when Pinterest was a baby, it was about quantity. Throw as many Pins out there as possible. Quality started to matter more over time as more brands and users found the platform—especially this last year. 

I now initially put each Pin out to exactly one board. Then, after 2-3 months, I check the Pin’s stats to see if it had reasonable users’ engagement. If so, I put it into a Smart Loop. I have those set to send out with at least 60 days between each instance. Now, I’m slowly lengthening that to 70+ days.

To do the analysis, I use a combination of paused Smart Loops, Pin Inspector, and P stats on the individual Pins. 

  • At the same time as I publish a Pin, I also put it into a paused SL dated 2-3 months from that time. I can easily tell which Pins are in need of analysis by the dates on my paused loops. 
  • When it’s time, I go through the Pins in the paused loop and find the live Pin using Pin Inspector. 
  • Then, depending on the results, I delete from the paused loop or move it to another, live loop dedicated to that landing page. 

What are you focused on moving forward?

Wedding ceremonies are expected to increase in probably the back half of 2021 when more people are vaccinated, which is great for the industry. And I’ve noticed more affiliate sales of products this month, which is another good sign that people are actively planning again!

How to Inspire Pinners to Try Something New

Photo Courtesy of Jana O.

Do you feel like you’re in a Pinterest rut, and banging the same old drum with your Pinterest content?

There are tons of new niches, educational content, and tips and tricks catching eyes on Pinterest right now, and the biggest question many Pinners are asking themselves is how to translate their knowledge into new forms of content to ride the wave?

Never fear, Pinterest super guru Jana O. is here to help you unlock your creativity, power, and purpose to approach your Pinterest content with fresh ideas and experiment with new approaches on Pinterest!

The Pinterest with Purpose course creator, Pinterest professional, and Clubhouse star is here to share her thoughts and advice for putting a new spin on the same way of doing things on this episode of Marketing Unleashed!

Jana works with coaches, course creators, service providers, and consultants to monetize their unique knowledge on Pinterest. 

“They still think of Pinterest as a place for recipes and crafts and things like that. Of course, we love it for those topics, but most people probably know there are so many topics, especially in health and wellness, self-care, style, and relationships as well.

These are all niches that have really exploded on Pinterest, and there are a lot of people in my audience who are trying to figure out how to translate those ideas they have and that they teach and coach around to the platform.”

Jana O.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • How to use your industry knowledge to speak to new audiences
  • The correct way to think about Pinterest as part of your marketing
  • The best Idea Pin ideas to try
  • What kind of content to make for Pinterest to continue the conversation with your audience

And so much more!

Watch the full episode here!

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On reaching your audience on Pinterest…

“I think we have to remember that people are on Pinterest looking for ideas, inspiration and things to make their lives and their businesses better. They’re looking for things to do and try and buy, and we have to figure out how to capture their attention with things like that.”

On using your content to nurture a continued relationship…

“A lot of people when they first get started, they don’t realize that people aren’t necessarily gonna like, see their thing and buy it immediately. There has to be some of this nurture going on between when someone finds you and when someone actually pulls out their wallet and that’s even more true on Pinterest – we call it very top of funnel.

And that’s because people are new to us in a lot of situations when they find us because it’s a search engine. So we need to remember to take what we’re teaching and what we know, these things that we’re monetizing and breaking it down into little things, little tidbits or micro ideas that are going to give people ideas, inspiration, solutions, and things to try.”

On why Idea Pins are great for sharing knowledge…

“Idea Pins are a really great tool for people who are infopreneurs, who are teaching what they know and monetizing that and who are leveraging personal brands. And that’s really what coaches are doing in most cases.”

On the type of Idea Pin she encourages her clients to try…

“One of the types of Idea Pins I’ve been encouraging people to think about when they think about different approaches to creating Pins is a comparison. Like, taking two different things and comparing them.”

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Does it feel like your Pinterest content is stuck in a rut? Jana O. of Pinterest with Purpose is sharing her outlook on how to freshen up your approach to Pins that your audience will love!

Essential Pinterest Spring Cleaning

Photo Courtesy of Gabby Pinkerton

When it comes to growing a wildly successful business with Pinterest, Gabby Pinkerton has been there, done that. In fact, there’s really not much that Gabby hasn’t done!

Not only did Gabby start her wedding business – Cause We Can Events – in 2012, she grew it into a six-figure international destination wedding company from a boat. You read that right – Gabby, her husband, and their two dogs spent three years living and officing from a boat in a California marina. If you’re a fan of Tiny House Hunters, the “Surf or Turf” episode is all about them!

But, back to business. Gabby grew her international business using zero marketing dollars and two tools – blogging and Pinterest.

“Blogging and Pinterest combined were kind of our ticket to success before we even knowing what we were doing.

And honestly, now that I have an idea of how Pinterest works, how to use it as a business tool, it’s really just helped us kind of skyrocket and get the attention of people outside of our little geographic area. As a destination wedding planner, that’s really what we want to do – target people outside of our own city. And Pinterest is the best way to do that in my opinion.

Gabby Pinkerton

You might be asking yourself whether the experience of a wedding professional might speak to your niche, but never fear. Gabby and her team regularly work with clients who are creatives, business coaches, networking groups, and from any industry you can imagine!

And today, she’s talking to us about one of the most important things you can do with your Pinterest content – regular tuneups.

Maybe you started your Pinterest years ago and keep throwing stuff on top, or maybe you’re new to Pinterest and need a strategy to keep up with best practices and new features. That’s what we’re talking about today!

In this episode, we discuss:

  • How to optimize your Pinterest profile
  • Whether you should be using a logo or a portrait as your Pinterest profile picture
  • Tweaks, tips and tricks you can use to make your Pinterest profile stand out
  • Using Idea Pins and Videos to breathe life into your Pinterest
  • How to clean up your Pinterest Boards and Pins

And so much more!

Watch the full episode here!

Never miss a show!

Get show announcements and reminders.

On The Purpose of Your Pinterest Profile…

“The profile is really kind of that quick glimpse or snapshot of who you are, what you do, and who you do it for.”

On Using Your Pinterest Name to Build a Local Presence…

“Personally, I like to use a lot of geographic keywords, and we just relocated to Nashville. So, I am trying to get a little bit more of a presence here in Nashville, and I wanted to keyword myself for this location. Basically, I’m telling people who I am – I am a part of Cause We Can Events, what I do – I’m a wedding planner, and where I am – I’m located in the Nashville area, but we also do destination.”

On Changing Keywords on Pinterest…

“I don’t know specifically what the exact timeframe should be, but I would give it at least six months before you start re key-wording yourself. So for example, with Pinterest being a search engine, it does take it’s like SEO, right?

It takes a lot of time for it to get to know your profile and the keywords you’re using and what kind of category your Pins are in before it starts saying, oh, I know what this is. This account is about, I’m going to start showing this to that specific industry. So in my case, I always believe if I can at least go six months with using very similar search keywords.

I can at least categorize myself well in six months, sometimes it could take up to a year. It really depends on how active you are on your profile. So I would say no less than six months.”

On Why You Should Claim Your Social Media Profiles on Pinterest…

“You can start tracking in analytics a lot more when you’re claiming your website and other platforms, what content is coming from those other platforms to your Pinterest.”

On Whether You Should Have a Picture or a Logo As Your Pinterest Profile Picture

“I will say there are probably different camps of ideas here and that’s fine. Right? There’s never really a truly right answer, but here’s my thought behind it. I am in the camp of believing that it’s important to show your face and have that be a photo of your face if you are a small business. Now, if you are a larger brand and you have brand recognition with a logo, so, you know, Apple, for example, right? That would make sense.

There’s not a lot of opportunities to personalize your account. So obviously, you have some keywords. We have our name in there, but there’s very little imagery about us. And whereas, on Instagram, we tend to show our face a little bit more with behind the scenes or photos or Pins or posts, but on Pinterest, I really think it’s a great opportunity to kind of show your audience, hey, it’s me. I’m not a robot. I’m a real person behind the brand.”

On Whether Editing Old Pins is a Good Use of Time…

“You know, I’m a move forward type of person instead of spending a lot of time editing in the back. Don’t go and spend all your time trying to edit those broken links, because I think Pinterest probably already forgot about them, to be honest, they stopped distribution. So instead, focus on creating really good quality Pins moving forward with correct links. Don’t worry about the past, it’s done.”

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Wondering if it's time to give your Pinterest profile a tune-up? Gabby Pinkerton joins us to talk about the right moves to make to freshen things up!

How to Use Social Media to Promote a Local Business

Pinterest and Instagram are marketing gold mines for local travel and hospitality brands. Using these social media platforms, it is easier than ever to reach and engage future guests. 

But sometimes small businesses with limited marketing budgets overlook the importance of social media marketing beyond Facebook. Sadly, they miss out on opportunities to connect with potential guests early in their vacation planning process.

The good news is with a little planning and creativity, you can draw people to your brand and eventually to your local attraction!

The highly visual and aspirational culture makes these social media platforms ideal for brands offering that rely on travelers or offer unique experiences.

Why? People use Instagram and Pinterest when planning their next vacation. The aspirational nature makes Pinterest and Instagram vital parts of your promotion strategy, whether you run a small B&B inn, an independent hotel, or a local tourist attraction. 

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Looking Ahead From 2020 (for Local Businesses!)

It’s no secret that 2020 was a difficult year for the travel industry. However, people are craving new experiences, travel, and adventure as vaccines become more widely available.

According to Think With Google, 57% of consumers are looking forward to traveling once “the pandemic is over.” Search trends indicate that Millenial and Gen Z consumers, in particular, are most eager to travel, showing in their Google searches.

These consumers seek authentic experiences, are internet savvy, and are open to new experiences. 

This interest extends beyond Google to their social media channels like Instagram and Pinterest!

“There’s pent-up demand, and people can’t wait to get out again. It’s clear that when people feel ready to travel again, they’ll make it a priority.

On Pinterest, travel engagement is at an all-time high—even when you look at the year before COVID.”

Pinterest

Why Use Pinterest and Instagram?

Both Pinterest and Instagram are highly visual social media platforms. If you are in the travel and hospitality field or own a brick-and-mortar business, you already know the value of stunning photographs and images. You may already invest in professional photography, video production, and design. 

Visual media like Instagram and Pinterest offer the opportunity to repurpose your visual assets in fresh and engaging ways. Active users share ideas, dreams, aspirations, and inspiration. 

Harness the Positivity of Pinterest 

If you think Pinterest is only for brides and DIY crafters, think again. While most active “Pinners” are affluent females with creative interests, the platform increasingly attracts people of all walks of life who are making plans and saving inspiring content. 

Pinterest is both a social media platform and a content discovery tool. In some ways, it is similar to a visual Google and has the potential to drive traffic to your website or direct booking platform. 

Nine out of ten users said Pinterest is “filled with positivity” The overall culture is aspirational and inspirational. Many use it as a combination of a vision board, search engine, and planning tool.

Pinterest users also happen to be shoppers. Omnicore digital marketing agency found that 87% admitted to trying a new product or brand after seeing Pinterest. Around 64% of active users indicated they use Pinterest to find ideas, inspiration, products, or services.

Pinterest identified a 2021 trend they refer to as “hypothetical sabbatical.” Users search for and Pin content covering topics relating to their dream vacation, camping or adventure destinations, and niche experiences specific to their hobbies and interests. 

Engage With Travelers on Instagram

Instagram also attracts consumers, in fact, 81% of Instagram users said they use it to research services and products, according to Instagram. This may be one reason influencers shine on Instagram. 

Users share moments and experiences with friends in a way that is candid and often carefully curated.

Images and video engage users especially when supported by compelling copy.

Since Instagram is part of the Facebook family, it shares its advertising interface while offering platform-specific options like story ads. 

Start With the Fundamentals

It all starts with your profile. Optimize all your social media profiles in order to a) appear in relevant searches on platforms and b) showcase who you are, what you do, and why visitors should visit your local business. Strategically use your social media bio to reference local landmarks or quickly describe what you offer. 

If you haven’t already, convert your Instagram profile to a business profile. You should convert your Pinterest profile to a business profile, too! Doing this gives you access to analytics, new publishing options, and the ability to advertise.  

When optimizing your Instagram profile, consider the following:

Camber Brewing Instagram profile
  • You need to associate your Instagram Business account with a Facebook Business page. The two share an advertising platform, Creator Studio, and other resources. 
  • Your Instagram bio link is precious real estate. Some brands and Creators refer to a special landing page like Tailwind’s Smart.bio or LinkTree to help followers access their best content, subscribe to their newsletter, or find them on other platforms like Pinterest.
  • Remember to tag your location in both your profile and in your posts.

Optimizing your Pinterest profile is a little more involved; check out this guide to Pinterest for Business for more details on setting up and optimizing your Pinterest profile. 

As much as possible, plan for a consistent theme and visual branding to make it easy for your followers to recognize you. Also, develop a consistent publishing schedule to keep your presence fresh and engaging.

Social Media Marketing with Pinterest and Instagram 

Each social media platform has a unique culture and purpose. While you want to coordinate your branding, you may tailor the content for each audience as much as possible. For example, Pinterest offers the opportunity to drive traffic to your website, so you may want to pin your most compelling content and any local media features.

On the other hand, Instagram is a high-engagement visual platform to showcase your most compelling images and share special moments.  

Content Ideas for Pinterest

Curate a mix of compelling photographs, videos, infographics, and links to your other online content on Pinterest. Pins typically have a longer shelf-life than more ephemeral social media content such as tweets or Instagram stories. 

Use Pinterest boards to share themed collections of Pins, including your own content and other content that may interest your ideal customer. For example, a Board can feature helpful resources like local hiking trails, the best vintage shopping, or unique attractions in your community.

Keep the following ideas in mind while planning your Pinterest content:

  • Offer fresh ideas catering to creating a unique experience.
  • Create helpful content and share practical tips.
  • Curate recommendations for other activities, re-pin content featuring other local activities, recommendations, and attractions.
  • Be creative with your board themes. This is the ideal opportunity to create resources for travelers with particular niche interests. For example, you may create a guide for vegetarians visiting  your city or a board featuring the ideal “Sunday Funday.” 
  • Consider creating high-value lifestyle content exclusively for your Pinterest audience. For example, a B&B may share easy brunch recipes or packing tips in the form of an infographic. 
  • Check out Pinterest’s business resources, including “Pinterest Trends” for ideas and inspiration you can adapt to create engaging content promoting your own brand.

Content Ideas for Instagram

Instagram is a great platform to share photographs, infographics, memes, and videos. While the platform is visually oriented, don’t overlook the value of engaging copy to offer context. 

Consider making use of content options beyond a post. For example, Instagram Guides offer the opportunity to feature places, products, or existing Instagram posts in a curated guide. The guides are an attractive way to share local recommendations, itineraries, tips, fun facts, and ideas.

Other content options include Stories and IGTV for longer-form videos. Have fun while experimenting with the content that best engages your clientele.

Finally, remember to use hashtags and location tags to make it easier for users to find your posts. When you mention local influencers, brands, restaurants, or attractions, be sure to tag them as well. Tagging other accounts may help increase your reach, engagement, and following.

Take a moment to brainstorm ideas for your Instagram content. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Attractive photos of your hotel or venue along with a witty or upbeat description. You may use one image or multiple images.
  • Photos of yourself or your team members along with a mini-feature of each person.
  • Fun photos of your guests enjoying their time with you, along with a short story about their experience. 
  • Videos and demonstrations. For example, if you run a B&B, your chef may demonstrate how to poach an egg, or a member of your housekeeping team may demonstrate how to fluff a pillow. 
  • Share positive reviews from prior guests. 
  • Recipes, tips, trivia, and life hacks in the form of a video, infographic, or “photo slide show.” 
  • Anything else that may entertain, inspire, inform or attract your future guests. 

Creating an Efficient Workflow

This may sound overwhelming since you are busy running your business. Keep in mind that you don’t need to incorporate every idea or rock every platform. You may also recruit help from your team, your guests, local influencers or hire a freelance social media manager. 

Use a social media scheduling tool like Tailwind to bulk schedule your posts. You or your social media manager can create and schedule a week or even a month’s worth of content in a single afternoon. These tools also offer their own analytics to help optimize your publishing schedule and to help efficiently repurpose content. 

Finally, don’t forget to be social! Many influencers and thought leaders build their Instagram following through a combination of publishing great content and engaging with other users. 

Follow complementary accounts and take a few minutes a day to scroll your feed and like or make meaningful comments on other people or brand’s posts. Avoid spamming, simply engage. This may attract new followers who are interested in what you have to offer. 

Finally, take a moment to respond when a follower sends you a message, asks a question, or makes a comment. You never know when that follower will turn into a prospect and eventually a guest.

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Curious if you can use social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook to promote a local business? Absolutely! Find out how in this guide.

How Does Pinterest Work? The Complete Guide

How does Pinterest work? So glad you asked! Pinterest is a giant Pinboard (think old-timey cork board with push pins) for all the ideas and products people like to save.

Oh, and it is a LOT of fun. Pinners spend hours looking for ideas! But, they’re not JUST hoarding those ideas. The people who use Pinterest are doers and buyers. They try new recipes, experiment with DIY projects, collect money-saving tips, and plan everything from remodels to purchases and parties.

Read on to learn all the basics of how Pinterest works. Here’s what we’ll cover:

How Does Pinterest Work for Users (Pinners)?

People use Pinterest to save ideas, products, to collaborate with friends, and to bookmark things to read later. Pinning is typically a solitary activity where Pinners browse and save ideas and products that will help them improve the quality of their lives, their work, health, and even their wardrobe or hairstyle!

It’s different from truly “social” networks where people share information and images about themselves and their personal or professional lives.

Facebook and Instagram are about presenting the best version of you to the world.

Pinterest is for inspiration to transform yourself into the best version of you.

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How Does Pinterest Work for Marketers, Businesses, E-commerce, and Bloggers?

People save and click on Pins up to 90 days before they are ready to act. What all this early planning means for marketers is that their products and services can become an option for consideration very early on in the buying process.

With 75% of all the content on Pinterest coming from brands, people are very open to branded content as long as it is useful and attractive.

Product Pins allow Pinners to see your updated product inventory right on Pinterest. Connect a Pinterest catalog that pulls from your product feed and apply for Verified Merchant Status for even better exposure for your products.

Pinterest is the number two driver of social traffic to websites. When you and others share Pins that link to your website content, you’re adding more and more opportunities for people to find you and come to your website.

There’s no reason to feel like you’re too late to the game, either. While some well-known brands are having great success with their Pinterest marketing, 97% of all searches are unbranded – meaning even a relative unknown can be discovered by new customers who are ready to buy!

What is a Pin on Pinterest?

A Pin is a visual representation of a product or idea which someone saves for later use on a Pinterest Board. Each Pin is composed of four elements:

  1. An image
  2. A link
  3. A title
  4. A description

When someone clicks on a Pin, it will enlarge to show the full image and description. If they click again, they will be taken to the link associated with the Pin – usually a blog post or product page with more information than can be included on the Pin. Your Pins can be saved to other Boards owned by other Pinners.

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What is a Pinterest Board?

A Pinterest Board is a collection of individual Pins. Pinterest Boards give you a way to organize ideas.

For example, you might create Boards to organize ideas about a bathroom remodeling project, a vacation or trip you are planning, books you want to read, or recipes you want to try.

Pinterest Boards are always owned by one Pinner, but they can be shared. A shared or “group” Board allows other Pinterest users to add Pins to the Board.

How do Group Boards work on Pinterest?

Shared boards are commonly called “group” Boards. They’re useful for collaborating and getting feedback from friends, business partners, clients, and family. Not sure which outfit is best for your high school reunion? Your BFF can chime in and even add her own Pins as suggestions.

Secret Boards and the Pins on them are visible only to you and anyone with whom you share the Board. They’re perfect for planning surprise parties, sharing research, or for any other “just between us” purpose!

A Pinterest Profile can hold up to 500 Boards – though it’s hard to imagine how anyone would keep track of that many Boards!

The difference between Boards and Pins on Pinterest

What is a Pinterest Profile?

Your Pinterest Profile holds all your Boards, your Pins, and all your settings. Some of the information that appears publicly include:

  • Your username: appears as the words after https://pinterest.com when you go to your profile.
  • Your first and last (optional) name or business name: appears in bold letters at the top of your profile.
  • The profile description and website URL also appear prominently on your profile.
  • Follower and Following counts.
  • Monthly views
  • Your picture.
  • Saved Pins (Pins from other people’s sites)

How Does Pinterest Work When I Follow People or Boards on Pinterest?

When you follow a Profile or a Board on Pinterest, you’re telling Pinterest you want to see more of that. So, their Pins will start to appear in your home feed. These signals you give to Pinterest also allow it to show you “picked for you” Pins it thinks you may like.

If I “Follow” Airbnb, I will see some of their Pins in my home feed, and Pinterest will know I’m interested in travel and will show more travel Pins in my feed.

What Does it Mean When Someone Follows Me on Pinterest?

See above. 🙂 It’s great to have followers on Pinterest – your Pins will likely get more exposure and the social proof can be powerful, but Pinterest doesn’t serve up everything that is Pinned by the people and Boards you follow in the order it was Pinned. Not anymore.

Also, your Pins may be seen by people searching – whether or not they follow you.

Followers are good – but traffic from Pinterest is better. Try not to worry too much about your follower count and make sure your Pins are optimized for search instead.

Pinterest Feed
How does Pinterest work when you follow people? In the Pinterest home feed, you should see a mix of Pins from people you follow, Pins picked for you, Pins chosen for particular Boards, and Pinterest ads.

How do Pinterest Saves or Repins Work?

You can Pin an image from around the web, or you can “Save” an image that’s already on Pinterest to your own Boards.

Pinterest Save button
Click the big red “Save” button to add the Pin to one of your Boards.

How Does Pinterest Work If I Have a Business Account?

If you’re using Pinterest for your business, you should have a business account. You can convert a personal profile into a Pinterest business account to get detailed analytics on the performance of your account. and to advertise on Pinterest. It’s free to have a business account and aside from enabling analytics and the ability to advertise, it functions the same as a personal account.

How to Promote on Pinterest?

There are a lot of organic ways to promote your pins, like using Pinterest SEO, linking to your website, and featuring it in your email sends.

The only other way to promote your pins on Pinterest is to participate in their ad program. Here is a great guide from Pinterest itself on starting out their ad program. It can be a great option as well, considering the great metrics Pinterest is showing for conversions.

How Can I Make Pinterest Work for My Business?

So many things! Pin regularly, have a strategy, utilize group Boards, and sign up for Tailwind Communities for greater reach! Also you’ll want to keep an eye on your analytics.  If you’re a blogger, here’s how 8 successful bloggers get traffic from Pinterest.

A free trial of Tailwind for Pinterest is also a good start. [sc name=”Pinterest Signup – Text Link”]

More Pinterest 101 Articles:

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Which Social Media Platform is Best for My Business?

The same image of a woman in sunglasses smiling in the sun on a rooftop in a Facebook post, Pinterest post and Instagram post

In today’s super-connected world, social media is a necessary part of any good marketing plan. However, trying to maintain a presence on all of the available platforms is a recipe for failure. Not only is this sure to leave you feeling overwhelmed, but if you spread yourself too thin, you’ll miss the opportunity to make true connections with your followers.

Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, it pays to be strategic with your social media strategy. To get the best results, it’s important to understand where your target audience spends their time and make sure you have a presence there.

Ideally, you’ll want to choose one or two platforms and commit to going all-in on them. The right social media platforms for your business will depend on a number of factors, including the type of content you produce and the demographics of your ideal audience. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of some of the most popular social media platforms!


Facebook

As the largest and most popular social media platform in the world, Facebook currently has more than 2.85 billion monthly active users. Not only does this platform have a huge following, but their audience is also very active. In fact, 66% of users log in at least once a day.

Due to the amount of traffic alone, being active on Facebook is a good idea for most businesses. It will allow you to connect with a diverse audience and interact with your followers in a way that builds trust.

Even if you choose to spend the bulk of your time on another platform, you’ll want to ensure you have a fully completed Facebook profile.

The About Me section of Create & Cultivate's Facebook Page

When vetting companies, users often turn to Facebook after Google, so it’s important to make sure your “about” section is completed and your contact information and business hours are accurate.

Also be sure to respond to reviews (both positive and negative), as this is an indication of how your company interacts with its customers.

Facebook is also an excellent platform for paid advertising. The ability to target a super-specific audience allows you to optimize your advertising dollars. Many companies also take advantage of Facebook Messenger, as this allows for easy, private communication with followers and potential customers.

Despite the many benefits, however, there are some potential drawbacks. For example, Facebook has strict advertising rules and uses algorithms to flag posts and ads that may be in violation. This can result in you having your account temporarily suspended or shut down – even if you haven’t done anything wrong.  

In addition, Facebook’s algorithm changes have made it very difficult to reach new followers organically. This means you’ll need to be willing to commit at least a portion of your budget to paid ads if you want to grow your audience here.

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Instagram

With over 1.2 billion active users, Instagram is another popular social media platform for business owners.

This platform is a great option for those looking to reach a younger demographic. More than half of Instagram users around the globe are age 34 or younger.

It’s also the third most popular platform among teens – after Snapchat and TikTok.

Instagram users are quite active, with 62% logging on daily. Commercial posts are common on this platform and users often use Instagram to follow companies they love or find new products and services.

a screenshot of Create and Cultivate's Instagram profile

Instagram is an excellent option for businesses that are comfortable telling their stories on a visual platform and those who want to appeal to a young, “hip” crowd. If your target audience is older, this might not be the right platform for you. Only 14% of Instagram’s users are over the age of 45, and 14% of U.S. adults say they have never heard of it.

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Pinterest

Part social media platform and part search engine, Pinterest has over 478 million actively monthly users.

This platform is often used by those who are looking for ideas and inspiration.

Pinterest users used to be predominately female. However, today, it’s about a 60/40 split. User demographics are also getting younger.

Currently, 35% of users are millennials while 40% fall into the Gen Z age range. In addition, 45% of people in the United States with a household income of over $100k are Pinterest users.

A screenshot of Create & Cultivate's Pinterest profile

If this fits your target demographic, creating a presence on this platform may be well worth your time. A third of users on Pinterest say they follow companies on the platform and 77% of users have used the platform to discover new products.

To be successful on Pinterest, you’ll need to consistently create content that is both visually appealing and highly sharable. Some of the most popular things to pin include how-to tutorials, inspirational quotes, recipes, and similar content. If you’re in an industry like fitness, travel, design, or photography, you’ll want to consider including Pinterest in your marketing strategy.


Twitter

Known for content that’s short and to the point, Twitter is popular among younger adults.

Approximately 38% of users are between the ages of 18 and 29 and another 26% are in the 30 to 49 age range. This platform has 340 million users worldwide and 186 million daily active users.

Affluent individuals tend to be attracted to this platform – 77% of Americans who earn $75k or more per year are active Twitter users.  

Some business owners prefer this platform because they don’t have to spend a lot of time creating visually appealing graphics.

Instead, you can focus on crafting sharp, concise messages that get your point across in an interesting way. However, studies also show that Twitter users get 10-times more engagement on Tweets that include video.

In addition, Tweets with GIFs get 55% more engagement than those without.  

A screenshot of Create & Cultivate's Twitter profile

If you’re going to have a presence on Twitter, it’s critical to remain active and respond quickly. Since 85% of small and medium-sized businesses use Twitter to provide customer service, it’s common for users to take to the platform to vent about poor user experiences. Statistics also show that Twitter users are 38% more likely to share their opinions about products and brands than other social media users.


LinkedIn

Long known as the platform for professionals, LinkedIn has 310 million monthly active users and over 171 million users in the United States. While this is a significantly smaller platform, some businesses find that this is an advantage. Since there’s not as much competition, it’s easier to have your content show up in newsfeeds without having to invest in paid ads.

Most of the users on this platform are focused on business and employment. This makes LinkedIn a good option for users who want to connect with decision-makers in the B2B space. While it’s rarely used for online shopping or entertainment, if you’re looking for a platform to network or connect with potential business partners, then LinkedIn could be a good option for you.


YouTube

YouTube has 2 billion monthly active users and 30 million daily active users. A whopping 73% of adults in the United States use this platform and 62% of businesses have a presence here. It’s also the second-most visited site, behind Google, and is the world’s second-largest search engine.

Maintaining a YouTube presence will allow you to reach a large and broad audience. Since video is the preferred format for most online users, you may feel like this platform is a necessity for your business.

However, it’s important to note that while being on YouTube can bring many benefits, consistently creating high-quality videos requires both financial and time commitments.

A screenshot of Create & Cultivate's Youtube video

Snapchat

Popular among the younger crowd, Snapchat reaches 75% of the millennial and Gen Z population in the United States. It’s also the second most popular mobile app, and users typically open it 30 times or more each day.

Businesses can advertise on Snapchat in several ways, including traditional ads, geotags, and branded lenses or filters. Before you invest any time or money into this platform, though, you’ll want to make sure it’s right for your target audience. Approximately 48% of users are between the ages of 15 and 25, 30% are between 26 and 35, and only 18% are between 36 and 45. If you’re focusing on an older demographic, this likely won’t be the right platform for you. 


TikTok

One of the newest players in the field, TikTok has approximately 80 million monthly active users in the United States. Of them, 60% are between the ages of 16 and 24 and 26% are between 25 and 44.

If this is your target demographic and you’re interested in creating fun and unique video content, you may want to experiment with this platform. For the right business, TikTok can be an excellent way to increase engagement, grow your audience, and drive traffic to your site.

Creating videos on TikTok allows you to represent your brand in an authentic, hip, and creative way. However, it’s easy to go too far. Remember that it only takes one small misstep to damage your brand’s reputation, so keep this in mind as you brainstorm your content.


Simplify Your Social Media

Using the information above, you should be able to choose one or two primary platforms for your business. Once you’ve made your decision, spend some time getting to know your audience and crafting a message that truly speaks to them.

Then, begin planning and scheduling your posts in blocks, so you’re always at least a few days ahead. Not only will this help ensure you’re posting consistently, but it will also save you time so you can focus on engaging with your followers.

Are you ready to simplify your social media marketing? Let us show you all the ways  Tailwind can help! 

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