Perhaps you’ve never bought a Pinterest course. Or maybe you’ve purchased ten of them! Before you purchase another one, I’d like to share a set of criteria that you can use to evaluate whether that course is worth the money.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

On today’s podcast, I’m interviewing Melissa Culbertson of Blog Clarity. She has created a series of courses to help online business owners grow their business authentically, through great content and smart marketing. Her blog is her “side hustle” and her passion. She’s been in the marketing world for over 18 years. She’s currently the assistant manager of brand engagement with digital (meaning she gets to work with a content strategy for social media) for Burt’s Bees!

I first found out about Melissa in 2013 when I needed help figuring out Pinterest. Her Pinning Perfect course was so easy to use and it really propelled me to a knowledge of how to effectively use Pinterest. That turned into building a Pinterest marketing business, a podcast and now our Pinterest marketing membership, the Simple Pin Collective. 

Use these criteria listed below to help you decide when to purchase a course or enroll in a membership. 

Knowing the Why Behind Purchasing a Pinterest Course

One of the reasons I wanted to do this episode was because I always get asked about great Pinterest courses. For a lot of people, they’ve purchased multiple courses, but feel like they haven’t hit the jackpot yet. Others just don’t like using Pinterest and are confused by how it works. I want this episode to be a great resource and guide so that you can understand the why behind buying a Pinterest course.

# 1 – Course Updates

The first factor to consider when selecting a great Pinterest course thing how often the course is updated. In my opinion, this is the most important consideration. We all know that social media changes so fast and the best practices of 2013 won’t work today. Because of that, frequent, regular course updates are vital. And make sure that you have access to the updates as part of the initial purchase instead of having to purchase each new update.

Your Go To Pinterest course should be updated at least every six months. Also, the course creator should inform students (via email, a Facebook group, etc…) of all minor changes. It’s also important to look at the FAQ page or the product description for the course to find out what tools they focus on within the course. Email the course creator to find out what Pinterest scheduler they use. 

# 2 – No Promise of Quick Results

We all know that you can’t publish a blog post and expect to be ranking the very next day, or even a week later. It usually takes 3-6 months to see results on Pinterest. You might see a sales page that promises millions of page views in a short amount of time, but that’s just not how it usually works.

Slow and steady wins the race on Pinterest. On Facebook and Instagram, you get some instant gratification with those likes, but with Pinterest, you’re waiting on traffic. And that takes time. If you come across a sales page that promises quick results, proceed with caution. After being in the Pinterest game for 5+ years, we know that it’s rare for someone to explode on day one.

Related: Pinterest is not F...