Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Ahl.
Hi Kate , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my company, Simple PIn Media, in 2014. It was a wild idea based solely on the need for financial stability for my family due to the linger effects of the pandemic. In late 2013, I had been working with a local blogger who focused on coupon and deal savings. My role was focused on social media marketing and ensuring we were getting more reach for the blog posts. Facebook changed their algorithm for the first time and it sent the entire blogging community into a tailspin. They were looking for more places to get reach for their content and Pinterest came on their radar. I started working with the platform for the blog and the results were stunning. A few months later the local blogger suggested I start offering Pinterest servings to the online creator community. I thought she was crazy, but she pointed out we were financially in trouble so I dove in headfirst with a few beta clients in 2014. That grew from just 3 clients into 8 and I realized I needed to hire a team. I focused on a local team based in the Portland/Vancouver area. Mostly consisting of moms who wanted to stay home with their kids. From there the company has expanded to not only offer services to clients, but we have a podcast about Pinterest marketing with over 3 million downloads, an active YouTube channel and robust community. I am also a Pinterest educator that works closely the the team at Pinterest.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a series of ups and downs. For the first 7 years we had an explosive trajectory. But in late 2022 with the introduction of Chat GPT and AI that changed the landscape for a lot of our clients. This meant they had to cut back and suddenly we were no longer growing. As a business owner I was feeling really great about the growth but during that downturn is when I really cut my teeth in entrepreneurship. I learned a lot through those hard times.
I’ve also learned what it means to create a robust and strong team. Hiring some people who weren’t a good fit, hanging onto team members that were toxic for too long, but also learning to put the right people in the right seats. I have a very creative and loyal team.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Simple Pin Media?
We specialize in Pinterest marketing services for content creators and product sellers. Our goal is to expand our clients’ reach on Pinterest so they can increase sales and drive growth in their target areas. We do this through organic management and paid ads. We also provide image creation, audits, and clean and builds of Pinterest accounts.
We’re part Pinterest strategist, Pinterest managers, and Pinterest historians. We know more about the platform than any other company out there, and keeping our focus just on Pinterest allows us to go deeper rather than wider. this is what sets us apart from a comprehensive social media company.
Our brand is built on delivering a high level of customer service, leveraging our customer data to provide targeted strategies, and providing quality education.
There are a lot of people who can step into Pinterest management, but our years of experience, combined with our partnership with Pinterest and other brands, set us apart from the rest.
I’m really proud of how we’ve stayed the course and not veered away from Pinterest.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
A few ways.
1. we only look at our numbers and benchmark them against our growth, not another company with a different ecoystem.
2. The length of time we work with clients. For some we’ve worked with them for 6+ years. We have become part of their internal team and system for growht.
3. The impact we make on our community. When someone says they found and now Pinterest makes sense, that’s winning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://simplepinmedia.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/simplepinmedia
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/simplepinmedia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ahl/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/simplepinmedia
