On my fridge, I’ve got a magnet my parents gave me that says, “Hold on… Let me overthink this.” So today’s marketing master’s third lesson really hits home for me.
Jenna Kutcher is a digital marketer, podcast host, and author. As the founder of a multi-million dollar brand, she thinks marketers are overcomplicating it.
Keep reading to learn her three favorite tips for marketers looking to get ahead during a time of such intense search volatility.
Lesson 1: Don’t sleep on Pinterest.
One of the most frustrating experiences for Jenna is chatting with marketing big-wigs and hearing Insta and TikTok and Google getting all the hype — without a peep about Pinterest.
And I get it: When most people think of Pinterest, they probably think of the internet equivalent of a middle school collage. A hodgepodge of DIY projects, one-pot recipes, and wedding inspo — just without the Elmer’s glue.
But when Jenna thinks of Pinterest, she thinks of dollar signs.
Why?
Pinterest is Jenna’s number one organic traffic driver for her business (far surpassing Instagram), and her most lucrative channel.
Yep. You heard that right. And the reason boils down to longevity.
“The average entrepreneur is spending 20 hours a week on marketing and eight hours on social media,” Jenna told me.
“By comparison, Pinterest takes me under an hour a week, and gives my content a longer shelf life. The average lifespan of a post on Instagram is 24 hours at best. The average lifespan of one pin on Pinterest is four months.”
As Jenna points out, Pinterest is not a social media platform; it’s a search engine. A visual-forward version of Google, if you will.
So lean in, B2B marketers: There’s a massive opportunity here to get your content in front of new audiences, particularly in a time of extreme volatility on the SERPs.
Lesson 2: Less strategy, more heart.
I’ll admit, this lesson sounds suspiciously like a Friday Night Lights quote.
But it’s also a takeaway Jenna is passionate about sharing.
“As creators, we need to get back into the creation of our content. We need to go back to what worked a decade ago and share our lives and what we love online,” she tells me.
“Too many business owners have created systems and teams and gotten too far away from the content, and their audiences feel that divide.”
Case in point: How likely are you to respond, “OMG CUTE” to an Instagram reel from Lululemon’s branded handle? I’m guessing not likely.
But what about when a friend posts herself in new Lulu joggers?
In the age of AI, people are desperate to connect with real humans.
Impressively, this means Jenna is the only person who creates IG content for her 1M+ followers. She also responds to all her own DMs and comments.
Nobody on her team has access to her login because “that’s the heartbeat of my connection with my audience.”
Jenna’s advice here is simple, but not easy: “Take some of the strategy out, and put the heart back into it. Be off the cuff, and share things for the sake of sharing versus just looking for ways to monetize.”
Lesson 3: Don’t overcomplicate it.
“We overcomplicate marketing every single day,” Jenna said. For her, every business should focus on only two things when it comes to marketing:
- Growing your email list
- Getting people off of other platforms and onto your email list
Honestly, amen (from a fellow newsletter writer).
Jenna has one goal when it comes to podcasting, social media, and Pinterest, and I was surprised to hear it’s not “driving sales” — it’s getting people to subscribe to her newsletter.
“My goal is to get people into a space that I own and can control,” she says. “I don’t look at likes, follows, or engagement. I look at conversions to my list.”
Why? Because, as Jenna points out, it’s the easiest way for her to provide value. She loves being that guaranteed-value-add in someone’s day, popping up in their inbox between all the Anthropologie ads and Asana notifications.
If you’re a marketer who’s obsessed with mastering the algorithms on each platform and being everywhere at once, Jenna has some wisdom for ya: “Recognize that this is a rented space that you are fortunate to be renting, but it shouldn’t be your end destination.”
