Boy, do I have a firecracker of a topic for you today! I recently had the pleasure of interviewing social media expert Kim Ward, who’s about to speak some serious social media blasphemy. Kim makes a compelling case that Pinterest is actually easier than Instagram when it comes to making long-term sales. How dare she attack the holy grail of Instagram, right?
Kim is a rock star in the online marketing world – recently voted one of the top 10 influencing entrepreneurs in the nation. She’s helped thousands of entrepreneurs take their existing content, repurpose it for Pinterest, and start driving daily sales 24/7. You might also recognize her from our reality show “Play to Win,” where she showcased her competitive spirit.
Pinterest: The Misunderstood Powerhouse
Did you know there are 537 million monthly active users on Pinterest? That’s not a typo – 537 MILLION people actively using this platform every month. Yet as Kim points out, most people still think Pinterest is just for “recipes and hair, skin, and nails.”
KEY TAKEAWAY #1: Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform – which means your content has a much longer shelf life.
Kim explains that while most of us are grinding away on Instagram, huge corporations like Amazon, Bank of America, Fidelity, and Keebler are quietly investing their time and advertising dollars on Pinterest. “What if they know that you don’t?” she asks.
The Life-Changing Question
Kim’s Pinterest journey began with a powerful question from her financial coach: “What would you do if you were unable to physically work your business for four consecutive months?”
This question rattled her. Despite retiring her husband and building a successful business, Kim realized she had created a full-time job for herself with no leverage. “I’ve created a full-time job for myself at home. There was no leverage,” she admits.
KEY TAKEAWAY #2: You need ZERO followers on Pinterest to generate leads and sales – the platform shows your content to people actively searching for what you offer.
Pinterest Proved Its Power During a Crisis
In a stroke of perfect timing, Kim had set up her Pinterest ecosystem right before getting hit by a virus that left her bedridden for 25 days. But unlike most online entrepreneurs who would see their income plummet during such an illness, something amazing happened.
“While I was down and my husband was doing the grocery shopping and everything, he didn’t have to check our checking account. The leads were still coming in. My digital products were still selling, the cash register was ringing daily, Ray, daily,” Kim explains.
KEY TAKEAWAY #3: Pinterest creates a true passive income system that continues working even when you can’t.
Longevity That No Other Platform Offers
One of the most shocking revelations Kim shared was about content longevity. On Pinterest, every single pin lives for an average of four months – regardless of quality. Compare that to Instagram or Facebook posts that disappear from feeds within hours.
Kim shared the story of a friend who pinned something 15 years ago. That single pin still drives 300-500 people to her website EVERY MONTH, resulting in consistent sales 15 years later. “That’s pretty good,” I had to admit.
KEY TAKEAWAY #4: Pinterest and Google are “best friends” – your pins also get indexed in Google search results, amplifying your reach.
The Hemp Oil for Dogs Success Story
Kim told me about a friend in Australia who sells hemp oil for dogs. After Facebook shut down both her 6,000-member group and personal profile without warning, she turned to Pinterest in desperation.
Despite the typical 90-day indexing period for new pins, within just four weeks, she had her first $1,000 day – something she had never achieved with her Facebook group. By the end of the first month, she had generated $4,003 in sales. The second month brought in nearly $6,000.
Then she got wildly sick during a trip to the UK. Bedridden and unable to create content, she still made $4,000 in revenue that month. By her fifth month, she had generated nearly $25,000 selling hemp oil for dogs through Pinterest.
KEY TAKEAWAY #5: You DON’T need a blog or podcast for Pinterest success, and you can integrate your existing Instagram content with a few clicks.
Getting Started Is Surprisingly Simple
Kim emphasizes that creating a Pinterest business account takes minutes at business.pinterest.com, and you can repurpose content you’ve already created:
“If you’re here on Instagram and you are cranking out those reels and you’re putting a lot of effort into the Instagram channel, why not create and establish your Pinterest presence? And in just a few clicks of a button, you can integrate your Instagram channel and all of your content will immediately pull into Pinterest for you.”
You can also easily share YouTube videos and TikTok content. Kim revealed that millions of Pinterest users actually search for “TikTok videos” on Pinterest because they’re loyal to the platform and don’t want to leave.
KEY TAKEAWAY #6: Pinterest requires just minutes a day to maintain, making it perfect for busy entrepreneurs.
The Mindset Shift
The biggest difference between Pinterest and other platforms is the timeline. On Instagram, we’re looking for immediate results. On Pinterest, Kim teaches us to think quarterly:
“What am I marketing now? January 27th, February, March, April, we’re pinning for things that are going to pop rank and index right now in April. So it does take 90 days for the algorithm and for the Pinterest platform to really understand who do you want to be in front of.”
This isn’t for those with what Kim calls “IgM” (Instant Gratification Mentality) – it’s for entrepreneurs who understand the value of building assets that pay dividends over time.
Your Pinterest Action Plan
- Create a free Pinterest business account at business.pinterest.com
- Connect your existing social media accounts to automatically import content
- Think about your ideal customer’s pain points and search behaviors
- Be patient during the initial 90-day indexing period
- Use Canva’s pre-made Pinterest templates for quick, professional-looking pins
Time to Build Your Pinterest Legacy Asset
Kim’s Pinterest business is so valuable that she and her husband have written it into their will as a legacy asset for their child. That’s how powerful a well-built Pinterest presence can be.
“I would say divorce that instant gratification mentality and say, okay, yes, it’s going to take me 90 days for this pin to index. However, 12, 18, 24 months down the road, you’re still generating leads and your pins are still driving traffic to wherever you pinned them to.”
If you’re ready to discover how Pinterest can transform your business with just minutes of effort per day, Kim has created a comprehensive 16-page playbook that walks you through everything from setting up your account to pinning with maximum efficiency.
The question isn’t whether you can afford to spend time on Pinterest – it’s whether you can afford NOT to have an asset that continues to drive traffic, leads, and sales for years or even decades to come.
