Hosting a podcast is an incredibly effective way to develop the know, like, and trust factors that earn you clients and sales. Because there’s just something special about tuning in weekly and hearing that familiar voice… It’s like spending time with a friend who gives the best advice, and introduces us to the best people, too.
I know this first-hand because I’m a podcast junkie. I listen to about 20 (!) regularly – usually while working out, and usually on 2x speed… (only so I have time to binge, and don’t miss a thing!)
And, I’m living proof that podcasts work to convert people to buyers. I’ve invested in more than a few programs, services, and products – because I felt connected to the person on the other side of that Yeti mic – whether it be the host or the guest. (And I’m not the only one!)
More and more, my favorite podcast hosts are promoting on Pinterest – which makes me wildly happy, of course. (I’m especially tickled when they reach out to me for Pinterest advice! Major #FanGirl moments abound… 🤣)
So in this article, I’m outlining my top seven ways to make your show notes work reeeeeallllly well to attract and convert listeners that find you on Pinterest.
First, to give you some context I’ll cover… (Click to jump to any of these sections.)
- Why Pinterest marketing is such a huge opportunity for podcasters!
- A quick overview of the steps to set Pinterest up to promote your show.
And then, I’ll deliver the goods on show notes…
Ready? Great.
Oh, but one more thing, before we dive in…
After reading this post, you miiiiggghhhht be excited about Pinterest – but also a little overwhelmed with the idea of learning a new platform. So, I want to reassure you right up front that… There is a FAST way to learn Pinterest – and get things set up correctly. 😅
My FREE Pinterest Marketing Masterclass will shorten your Pinterest learning curve – big time! In it, I’m pulling back the curtain on how to use Pinterest the right way. If you add your name and a good email address below, and I’ll send you exclusive access.
Okay, *now* let’s get to the rest of the blog…
First, why Pinterest for Podcasters?
So, why would a podcast host want to invest in Pinterest marketing as a strategy?
In basic terms, Pinterest can help you expand your audience – and increase your number of listeners, subscribers, and downloads. But there are so many ways to do that, right? What would put Pinterest marketing toward the top of your podcast promotion priorities?
One of the things that makes Pinterest special is this: It’s a search and discovery engine.
And this means a few really cool things…
Pinterest pinners are a more targeted audience.
So, this isn’t just a way to get more eyes (and ears!) on your show… It’s a way to get discovered by more targeted listeners… by a more ideal audience.
Pinterest pinners are action-takers.
She’s interested in discovering new ideas. That’s the nature and the culture on Pinterest.
And we love that as marketers, because pinners are on Pinterest with open minds. They are thirsty for something new to try or do… which puts them in an action-taking mindset.
In fact… 98% of pinners reported that they have tried something that they saw on Pinterest; and 83% say they’ve bought something because they saw it on Pinterest. (Source: Omnicore)
Pretty powerful, right?
Pinterest traffic is free (or low-cost) – and can then be re-targeted.
As the popularity and effectiveness of ads (like Facebook ads, for example) increases… the cost of those ads tend to go up.
But… one of the coolest things I’ve been seeing podcasters (and other content creators) doing to mitigate that? They’re using Pinterest to drive free, targeted traffic to their show notes and blogs – and then pixeling and re-targeting those visitors with ads.
So… let’s briefly look at this from the perspective of your audience. Imagine this…
Sally finds your pin called “5 Steps to Prep Weight Loss Freezer Meals for a Month.”
- She clicks on over and reads through your show notes.
- Your Facebook ads pixel is triggered.
- (She hits the “subscribe” link while she’s there.)
- Next time she’s on the treadmill, she listens to the episode – plus two of your other episodes, too.
- Meanwhile, your Facebook ads for your meal planning course start showing up in her feed. ( ←– The retargeting part, right?)
- About a week later, you’ve become known, liked, and trusted to her – and she purchases. (#Yay!)
Okay, one more bit of background info… (and then we’ll jump into the 9 tips for your show notes.)
(Pssssst…. You can 📌 pin this article for reference to your “Pinterest marketing” or “Podcast marketing board:)
How to grow your podcast audience with Pinterest – a quick review
This article will give you a more comprehensive look at the steps needed to set Pinterest up strategically – so you can use it to get your show discovered by those action-takers!
But, just to prep you for the next section… here’s the executive summary of those steps:
STEP 1: Start or convert to a Pinterest for Business account.
STEP 2: Plan your keyword strategy and keyword optimize your account.
STEP 3: Create Pinterest boards based on your keywords and your episode topics.
STEP 4: Add pins that point to your show notes, episode pages, landing pages, etc.
STEP 5: Develop an easy monthly pinning workflow – so you can be consistent with pinning and re-pinning your episodes.
Okay, now that you have some background, let’s get to the main reason you’re here…
7 Ways to Make Your Podcast Show Notes More Pinterest-friendly.
✔️ Compelling to Pinterest pinners who land on them – so they’ll stay and read them.
✔️ Optimized to get those “micro-conversions”… to get visitors to take the next steps with you, and begin (or continue) the relationship with your show and your business.
1. Focus immediately on what’s in it for your pinner.
Some people say that Pinterest traffic is “bouncy.” I personally believe that’s because many people don’t optimize their content for pinners – those naturally curious, action-takers looking for inspiration and ideas that will make their lives and businesses better.
Notice I put “their lives and businesses better” in bold and italics. Heck… I’m going to go back and underline that phrase, too. It’s that important. 🤣
Because that’s the crux of this #1 tip. If you want pinners (and really anyone) to stay and read, be sure you quickly demonstrate why they would want to.
What will they learn? What problems will this episode solve? What specifically will they takeaway and be able to implement?
Someone who’s doing this really well is Tasha Booth, host of the “How She Did That” podcast. In one of her recent set of show notes (for her episode called ), she immediately makes it aaaaalllll about the listener… Here’s how her show notes begin:
“Today we are diving into one of the most intimidating factors about finding success as an entrepreneur… sales! How do you convince someone to spend their hard-earned money on your services? How do you ensure that what you have to offer is really worth your asking price? How do you make a sales pitch without coming across as too “sales-y”? Maybe you feel like there are so many superstars out there already and you just don’t know how to stand out….”
The show notes go on… and at one point, she provides bullets that outline exactly what a listener will learn if she tunes in.
Brilliant! (I’m going to suggest her next episode be “How She Wrote Compelling Show Notes That Convert!”…. I know, super-meta. 😉 )
Now, obviously this is just good copywriting in action… And while the lesson here applies to a lot of platforms, it’s even more important to engage Pinterest pinners this way.
Remember, pinners are looking for inspiration and ideas. This is “me time” for them…. So if you want them to stay, you must jump straight to the “what’s in it for you” part.
2. Offer pinners something exciting to do or try.
Remember how 98% of pinners reported that they have tried something that they saw on Pinterest? Let’s capitalize on that, shall we?
When you create your show notes – or better yet, when you’re planning your episode content! – always consider what you will want your listener to do next. And, ideally, offer an opportunity for her to try, do, or buy something – right in the show notes.
So, if your show is about dating in your 40’s and 50’s, you might help a pinner to *do* something – like update her online dating profile by taking new photos.
If your show is about branding, maybe you help a pinner *try* something – like a new moodboard template you’ve created for your listeners to download and use. (Psssst… set this up as bonus content – a content upgrade to capture her email!)
Which brings me to my next tip for optimizing your show notes for Pinterest pinners…
3. Feature one “easy yes!” call to action – in two places in your show notes.
But, to be sure you get to capture the email address of your new visitor from Pinterest (or to get the micro-conversion that is a high priority for you), be sure to make one CTA really stand out.
(Ideally, this would be to snag the free bonus content! That’s the “easy yes!” for the action-taking Pinterest crowd.)
And a pro tip here… Don’t wait until the end of the show notes to present that call to action. To optimize your show notes for the Pinterest pinner, it’s best to place the main “easy yes” CTA in two places:
- toward the top (after you’ve demonstrated what’s in it for her);
- and then again at the end of the show notes – as a reminder that this is the logical “next step” to learn more and/or implement.
This one tip (to not wait until the end for the main CTA) has the potential to double (even triple) your percentage of micro-conversions from Pinterest traffic!
4. Include a description of you and your podcast.
Pinterest-driven traffic is usually colder traffic.
When someone finds your show in search, it’s often the first time she’s heard of you. (Not always, but often.) For that reason, Pinterest marketing is really about getting discovered by NEW audiences (which we love!).
So, while you don’t want to “open” with a bio (Remember, this is mostly about her!), it is a good idea to have some info about you in the sidebar or in the “fat footer” at the bottom of your show notes page. This will:
- Remind the visitor that she’s found a resource that’s from an expert, so it’s credible.
- Establish you as that expert in her mind
- Begin (and over time solidify) the “know, like, trust” factors that must precede sales
While you’re at it, definitely include a photo of you. This is a proven shortcut to accelerate the “know. like, trust.” Which brings me to #5…
5. Use visuals: Images are worth 1,000 words.
To optimize for Pinterest pinners, this is especially important though…
Pinners love visuals… it’s one of the reasons the platform is their “go-to” for ideas and information. If they land on a stark page without visuals and with little to break up text, that would be quite jarring – coming from the rich visual landscape that is Pinterest.
For podcast episodes, there are a lot of options for visuals you could include:
- Photos of you – brand photos and / or behind-the-scenes shots
- Photos of / from your guest, if applicable
- The graphics you’ve created for social media (repurpose those, Lovely!)
- Charts or images you referenced during the show itself
- Mockups of free bonus content upgrades (see #2!)
- Quotes or soundbites from you or guests that you’d like to emphasize…
(This is a non-exhaustive list. There are so many possibilities!)
And… one last pro tip about images…
It’s a little bit of an “advanced” tactic, but at some point you’ll want to embed a “pinnable Pinterest image” in each ep’s show notes, too.
This allows listeners (including those who land there from other places) to pin the episode to their boards. This is great for the health of your Pinterest profile because it shows your content is high-quality and interesting to pinnes. The algorithm will eat it right up (in a good way…!).
To learn more about the best practices for designing Pinterest pins, you can check out this article.
And, to see some additional examples of pins I’ve designed for podcasts, head over to this article (and scroll to step 4.)
6. Be sure the Pin graphic you use clearly previews the content.
This may almost seem obvious… but it’s worth mentioning. It’s really important that – when your pinner hits your show notes – she finds what she expects to find! (If not, she’ll just bounce.)
The variety of media that content creators are promoting on Pinterest? It’s growing all the time. And, more and more, podcast show notes are being pinned. BUT, it’s still a fairly untapped avenue for promoting podcasts (which we love, because we’re tapping into it and there’s not as much competition on there at this juncture – especially compared with Google or social media channels!)
As a result, though, most pinners are just starting to get used to landing on podcast episodes – as opposed to traditional blog posts.
In my experience, there are two approaches you can take – to be sure you meet your Pinterest-driven visitor’s expectations.
Approach 1: Write detailed show notes.
You don’t need to go crazy (500+ words is most definitely enough in my book!). But make your show notes meaty enough to make it “worth her trip.” Since she’s used to blog posts, she’ll love this format.
You can either:
- a) Write a blog-post style show notes summary; or
- b) Have your episode transcribed* and copy-edit it for readability.
(Or both.)
*Note: This is an affiliate link! I use Rev to generate transcripts of audio and video to re-purpose into blogs. I love, love, love it. If you use this link, you can get a free $10 credit to use to give it a try. And I get a credit if you use the coupon – so thank you!
Approach 2: Design pins that clearly preview the podcast format.
If you decide to point pins to show notes that are primarily audio – and don’t include much summary or a transcript – that’s cool! Just create pin graphics that indicate that – so your pinner isn’t surprised. Make it obvious that the pinner will be clicking to a podcast ep – not a blog.
If you take Approach 2, then your pins can say things like “Listen in” and “Podcast Episode 67.” Microphone or headphone icons are also a great way to set the expectations. (See pin graphic examples below.)
With Approach 1, you have more flexibility in terms of designing pins. You can design pins that just preview the content – without screaming “Podcast!” 😉 … (In this case, I actually recommend you pin both types, as different pins will appeal to different pinners.)Here are three different pin designs – all for the same podcast episode’s show notes. Since these point to very detailed show notes, we pin both “types.” The middle one clearly indicates it’s a podcast ep, while the others are more traditional pin designs.
7. Put your show notes on your website.
- You’ll be able to claim your website on Pinterest – and your show notes pins will be from your claimed domain. Now you’ll be able to track your Pinterest stats for your individual pins. You’ll know what’s working and what’s not, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly over time.
- Having your show notes on your own website also allows you to enable the corresponding pins to be “rich pins.” Rich pins carry over some meta-descriptions from your site, so they provide a more “rich” experience for the user. Pinterest favors them in the algorithm, and they lend credibility to your pins.
- You’ll have more control over the content, the future validity of the links you use – in general, not just for purposes of marketing on Pinterest.
Oh… and one more thing here… Remember that magical thing I mentioned above about pixeling your Pinterest visitors and re-targeting them with ads? If you want to do that now – or have the option to do it in the future – you’ll want to be sending traffic to your own website!
Okay… So, those are they … My 7 best tips to optimize your podcast show notes for Pinterest pinners (and Pinterest-driven conversions!)
Maybe you’re already using Pinterest to promote your show, and now you have some new ideas for making your show notes more Pinterest-friendly. (Yay! I’m aaaaallll about optimizing what we have!)
…Or perhaps your show notes are already in pretty good shape, but you’re NOT on Pinterest yet. 😲
(What are you waiting for??? Right at this very moment, there are people searching eagerly on Pinterest for a solution that your show and your offers provide! Pinterest has 430+ million monthly users – all looking for inspiration and ideas to improve their lives and businesses. We’ve got to get you on there…)
If you’re in the second category, remember…
I have the perfect place for you to get started with Pinterest… A short-cut, really!
My FREE Pinterest Marketing Masterclass will shorten your Pinterest learning curve – big time! In it, I’m pulling back the curtain on how to use Pinterest the right way.
You’ll learn how to…
- Ditch the overwhelm that comes from aaaaaallll the Pinterest advice you’re hearing.
- Know what to focus on – and what not to waste your time on – so you can generate a steady stream of quality, targeted leads for your offers.
- Set yourself up for long-term, consistent sales – and even for success with those passive income offers you’re planning!
- Figure out what your ideal clients are really searching for – and get them to pay attention to you – on Pinterest!
Ready? Sign up here – for FREE! Add your name and a good email address below, and I’ll send you exclusive access!
