This guest post written by Jess originally appeared over on the blog at Vanessa Kynes talking all about how to maximize Pinterest traffic.

---

I still remember my first year in the high school classroom like it was yesterday.

One morning, I had this great activity planned. It was only the second week of my teaching career, but I thought, “This HAS TO WORK.”

I explained the instructions, and said with gumption and confidence, “Okay, go!”…

Wait…

WHY IS NOBODY MOVING?

First, I thought it, then I said it out loud, “Um, why is nobody moving? Let’s go!”

Then, a very snarky kid said, “You gotta earn it, miss.”

Now, while that was not okay for him to say in this particular setting, in front of the whole class, on approximately my sixth day of humiliation in a row (did I mention I cried A LOT that year?), I’ve learned a lot from that little passing phrase in the years that followed.

Because, honestly, he was right.

We have to earn action from our people.

What’s the only way we can do that? We have to make them trust us.

We also have to get REALLY CLEAR on what we want our people to do in order to ask them to make that move when we ask.

I learned a version of this lesson almost every single day in my teaching career, and now that I own my own business as a copywriter, it governs a ton of the strategies I swing around on a day-to-day basis.

The challenge of this dynamic in the online space is this:

We have approximately 5-8 seconds to gain someone’s trust when they land on our website.

And, when you’re killin’ it at Pinterest, the worst thing you can do is let your crazy new Pinterest traffic to your website just “close tab” and never think of you again.

In today’s blog post, I want to share some actionable tips on how your website copy can guarantee your new website visitors from your Pinterest traffic will stick around…

It’s gon’ be gooood. Let’s go! (that means keep reading, in case you were wondering)

HOW TO CONNECT AND CONVERT YOUR PINTEREST TRAFFIC

#1 | Show your Pinterest traffic they’re in the right place.

Even though visitors from Pinterest are interested in your content, I would label them “cold” visitors until they have a chance to interact with something static on your website, and decide to stick around because of that. Many of us have a one-off blog post or two that does REALLY well on Pinterest. Unfortunately, only a fraction of that traffic tends to stick around. 

So, how do you show your visitors they’re in the right place when they’re not even landing on your home page first?

#2 | Sidebar bio.

Be sure to include more than your love for essential oils and your dog’s name in your sidebar bio.

Including a shortened version of your Unique Value Proposition (what you do + who you help + how you do it differently) can keep visitors around because they know whether or not they need your help in the future.

#3 | Include a CTA to binge read more content.

I love Natalie Franke’s CTA beneath her blog posts, and it is the perfect example for this quick tip.

You know what’s magical about this? It shows just a bit of Natalie’s personality by some of her choice of language. The words “nerdy” and “free” speak to Natalie’s quirky nature and value of always building up her community. Am I nerding out? UH, YES. Do I want more resources? Who wouldn’t?!

This small step will work to establish trust from the get-go. When you give your readers the exact information they need, they realize, hey, this person GETS ME, and they’re meeting me right where I am, right now.

#4 | Set a page goal.

If I had to give JUST ONE tip in this blog post, it would be this one. So many websites approach their messaging from the wrong angle.

Instead of asking, “What needs to go on this page?”

Try asking yourself, “Where do I want to lead them by the end of this page (or section)?”

If your primary goal for your services page is to get them to book a free consult, chances are you don’t want to spend valuable real estate sending them OFF the page to a gallery or portfolio.

If your goal for your home page is to get them to sign up for your email list, why are you giving them 50 options of other things they can do?

Spend your time crafting ONLY the copy that will accomplish your goal. 

Our visitors don’t need more choices, they need more people to guide them to exactly what they need.

#5 | Deliver on your promises.

Have you ever been personally victimized by a recipe pin? You click on the pin, mouth watering and the whole thing, only to find that it takes you to a company’s website and not the recipe itself?

What about those business posts that make lofty promises, only to deliver you a watered down post that leaves you standing exactly where you were when you clicked?

Get back, Regina George. We only make promises we can keep around here.

Try this gut check: After you write a blog post + optimize your title (coschedule headline analyzer, anyone?), skim back through your post itself and make sure it delivers on it’s promise.

• Does your title promise to give “the one thing you need to ____”? Make sure that one thing is CLEAR, and try saying it more than once! 
• Do you promise a free resource, but the link sends them to a shop?
• Do all your links actually work? Not only in your pins, but your blog post content, too?

This checking process can be tedious, but I suggest using your CEO day or duty day (I can’t keep a straight face when I say that) to go back through your month of content and check links. Keeping up with it monthly will ensure that your blog doesn’t end up in the Pinner’s Burn Book.

#6 | Get them a quick win—so your Pinterest traffic turns into FOREVER FANS.

Have you ever heard this advice? “Give them the what, sell them the how.”

I don’t remember the first time I heard that little snippet, but I’ve heard it remastered and retouched now and again over the course of a couple years.

Here’s the thing: I kind of disagree.

I get the sentiment. You want to maintain your secret sauce for your paying clients and customers. BUT, what if you gave some of your magic away? How would your audience react? Would they tell their friends? Keep coming back?

If you can ensure your blog posts get your visitors a quick win…

They’ll keep coming back. They’ll share. They’ll trust you to get them MORE than just a quick win–like, lasting results and stuff.

BUT, if you’re getting someone from that new Pinterest traffic a quick win, your blog posts will also be MUCH easier to title! All you have to do is capture the end-result or the benefit in the title of your post, and you’ll have pinners clicking away like crazy.

So, which of these actionable steps are you going to try first?

Remember, you don’t own all of the website visitors from Pinterest. Traffic is a great start, but it’s time you make sure you’re earning them not only as visitors, but as a lasting audience that will actually make a dent in your bottom line.

Are you still feeling like, “Jess, I have NO idea if my website is doing its job! HALP.” I’ve gotcha covered.

Check out my 5 Characteristics of Irresistible Copy Free Resource to figure out why your website visitors are clicking “close tab” instead of “book now.”

Oh, and it’s FO’ FREE.

Can’t wait to see you inside!