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Cultured Simplicity

Simplifying life, growth, & personal success

#CulturedChat – The future of voice acting

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Morgan Freeman.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I mention that name? Likely Morgan Freeman’s iconic voice. Known for his soothing, ever-consistent voice, Freeman is just one of many actors who illustrate the importance of actual human voice actors.

Put simply, Siri could never. Nor could Alexa, nor could Cortana.

I produce this article in response to the following question from an external source: “Can artificial intelligence replace voice talent?”

What do you think?

Can artificial intelligence replace voice talent?

The world of voice acting is an ever-evolving one. And as with any profession, it’s necessary to consider whether human roles will one day be filled by artificially intelligent “counterparts”.

I’d like to pose why I think that could never happen.

But don’t worry, I’ll keep things brief.

Sure, robots can verbally guide us to destinations via Google Maps or Apple Maps. Sure, they can provide verbal translations via translation apps. And heck, they can even make for some pretty funny voiceovers on Tiktok videos and Instagram reels.

But as far as I’m concerned, a robotic rendition of any voice will never be considered “voice talent“. It’s merely speaking– and often, a poorly expressed way of doing so.

Robots will never be able to capture the emotion that humans who have trained for years are able to deliver in just one or two words.

Artificial intelligence will never be able to express something that it itself has never experienced.

In the same way that you wouldn’t be moved by a “struggling motherhood” speech delivered by a young man, you wouldn’t be moved by an AI voice pretending to convey the complexities of human emotions.

There are so many nuances to the human voice. Between tone, pitch, rate, volume, articulation, pronunciation, and fluency, there’s a whole lot that goes into vibrating one’s vocal cords.

Vocal expression is so far from “black and white” that even voices programmed to sound a certain emotion would fail to capture the underlying feelings at home.

I don’t know about y’all, but never in my life have I ever experienced a single emotion in its entirety and wholeness, with no space for even the smallest hint of another.

So once again, Siri, Alexa, and Cortana could never.

I rest my case.

Before you head out

If you’d like regular thought-provoking content, make sure you follow me on Pinterest. I post almost daily and I’d love for you to join the #culturedfam.

2023’s quote of the year

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“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller

What does that quote mean to you?

As we enter into this new year, I’m going to tell you exactly what it means to me.

Have you ever closed your eyes on a long-distance ride where you were made aware of the destination? Sounds a lot like a road trip, right?

But now, can you imagine closing your eyes on a long-distance ride where you weren’t made aware of the destination? Sounds a lot more like getting kidnapped, right?

The only difference between those two scenarios? Knowledge of the final destination.

In both scenarios, you were temporarily “blind”. But at least in the former scenario, you had vision.

You knew exactly where you were going, and consequently, you had planned, packed, and traveled accordingly. You had mapped out your route and you were able to experience some feelings of excitement, readiness, and inner peace.

You understood the path that you had to take and why. You didn’t rush the journey and you were able to appreciate each mile driven– all while becoming increasingly excited.

Vision affords you those luxuries.

When you go through life without vision, you lose control over the one thing that you were granted full control over: your life.

Yes, circumstances and conditions beyond your control may take your sight, but nobody can take your vision.

Nobody can set intentions for your life except you. Sure, others can influence you, but at the end of the day, it’s you who has the final say.

When you know exactly where you want to go, you craft a plan to get there. You never let the days just pass you by, and you appreciate and accept even the bumpiest of miles because you know that you have to get through them to get to your final destination.

That’s vision.

Before you head out

If you want regular inspiration in crafting, reaching, and experiencing your vision, follow me on Pinterest. @culturedsimplicity

If you’d like some more motivational quotes to live by, check out 15 positive affirmations for success in life, school, and work.

inspired by www.marveloptics.com

How to make money on Pinterest in 2023 & beyond

Reading Time: 7 minutes
How to make money on Pinterest in 2023 & beyond

***December 2022 update: The Creator Rewards Beta Program has been discontinued on Pinterest! Starting January 2023, creators will now be able to add links to idea pins!***

For a deeper explanation of everything that’ll be touched on in this article, please refer to my Udemy course here: How to make money on Pinterest in 2023 and beyond!

In this article, I’ll be discussing the numerous ways to make money directly on Pinterest, as well as going over best practices. As a Pinterest user of 7 years and a Pinterest creator of 4 years, it’s safe to say that I know a thing or two about how the platform’s money making potential has evolved.

I’m going to touch on every aspect of the four money-making methods on the platform and answer all your potential creator questions.

Between this article and the linked course above, no stone will be left unturned, and you’ll walk away feeling like a Pinterest money-making guru. Tutorials, screen recordings, resources, and websites to know are all included in the course.

So grab your phone, open up the Pinterest app, and let’s get started.

First things first,

Resources to know:

The mindset that you need to have success on Pinterest: To Grow an inspired audience.

Your view count isn’t the most important thing about you. On Pinterest, people aren’t just viewing—they’re doing. You inspire your audience to shop, try new things and create a life they love.

This is not a quick-money scheme. This takes CONSISTENCY and is for creators who are willing to put in the work AND be patient. This is for people who are passionate and love the kind of content that they share. That’s why Pinterest is such a great community and easily the most positive one in the social media space. 

The different ways to make money on Pinterest

But first, a few things to know!

Beginning in late 2021, Pinterest really began pushing for the posting of idea pins over traditional pins. Idea pins are now what’s prioritized in search, home feeds, discovery feeds, etc.! They are what you should be focusing your attention on!

Idea pins are essentially Pinterest’s version of TikTok videos and Instagram reels, but in a slightly more interactive format.

Idea pins can be made in the form of “slideshows” that can be clicked through, or in a single video format.

Whereas Pinterest used to be known as a visual search engine, the platform is now much more of a social media platform. Content creators no longer need to have blogs or other websites to make money on Pinterest.

Idea Pin Best Practices (refer to the below images)

Sponsorships

You can tag brand partners in your Idea Pins with the paid partnership tool. Just make an Idea Pin in the app, add the paid partnership label and tag your partner brand.

Once they approve the request, their brand name will show up on your Idea Pin. Brands can also choose to promote your Idea Pins as ads, boosting your reach to even more people.

When you use the paid partnership tool, you work directly with brands to define the payment terms and process. Pinterest will not be directly involved in payment.

How to add a sponsorship to an idea pin [steps]

  1. Create an Idea Pin
  2. On the Finishing touches screen, tap Advanced settings
  3. Toggle on Add paid partnership label then select Add a brand partner
  4. Search for the brand to tag. A creator can tag only one brand per Idea Pin 
  5. Select Add beside their desired brand
  6. Select Add on the Approval needed popup window. Before the request is submitted to the brand, the Idea Pin must be published 
  7. The selected brand now appears in the Advanced setting screen for review
  8. Return to the Finishing touches screen and click Publish

Affiliate links

Amazon Associates, ShopperStyle, and LTK are all popular and reliable affiliate hubs where you can find plenty of products to link your pins back to.

Include your affiliate links in your idea pins and normal pins and you’ll earn a commission per purchase.

Affiliate Marketing Best Practices

  • Affiliate content should be original and add unique value for Pinners.
  • Be transparent about the commercial nature of your content and about your links and their behavior.
  • Some shortener services are not currently supported on Pinterest (like bit.ly, shorturl, etc.) – if your Pin’s link is blocked, you can edit it.

Linking back to your websites

Beginning in January 2023, creators can now include links to pages other than products in their idea pins. Although this was the original purpose of Pinterest pins, idea pins were initially released by Pinterest with the intent of keeping users on the platform. Essentially, they were to serve as a way for content creators to find a home on Pinterest without having any other websites (think: blogs, Etsy shops, etc.)

However, Pinterest has finally listened to its creators and introduced a way to add links to idea pins.

So whether you’re linking to an Amazon storefront, a blog, your shop, or another social media profile, you can do so right from within an idea pin.

Tiktok videos and Instagram reels could never!

Done so with a strategic call-to-action and an aesthetic visual, and you’ll be driving users to your money-making sites in no time.

Creator fund

The Pinterest Creator Fund is a program that provides select Pinterest Creators of underrepresented groups financial and educational support to help with their content creation on Pinterest.

Members of the Pinterest Creator Fund receive a financial grant, expert training, and many resources.

Pinterest says: “During a four-week workshop, Fund members get hands-on training to help them succeed on Pinterest. Topics include making Idea Pins, taking advantage of Pinterest trends, and measuring campaign success. Participants also get personalized consulting to boost their Pinterest creative strategies. And to top it off, every creator receives a financial grant of $25k in cash and ad credits.”

You can find the application page here: https://business.pinterest.com/en-us/blog/apply-pinterest-creator-fund/. 

Please note: Applications may be closed when you visit the page. If you would like to be notified about any changes to this, you can try to sign up for the Creator Newsletter to receive updates. If you have a business Pinterest account, you may also receive updates to your email about the program.

I’m not saying that you probably won’t get accepted but I am saying that only 8 creators got accepted for the first cohort so… you’re better off working on the other money-making methods mentioned. But of course, it never hurts to apply if you meet the criteria. 

Creator Rewards (Discontinued!)

Pinterest Creator Rewards Explained

Creator Rewards was a program from late 2021 to 2022 that allowed creators to earn money for creating original Idea Pins in response to monthly reward goals created by Pinterest.

Pinterest would pay creators directly for their most inspiring, quality content and organic engagement.

As someone who was part of this program, I miss it dearly. Fortunately, though, Pinterest discontinued it with the promise to provide new ways for more users to make money on Pinterest in 2023.

So only time will tell how else Pinterest will be directly rewarding creators.

Answering all your creator questions (answers come directly from Pinterest)

Will Pinterest pay me directly?

Pinterest will pay you directly if you’re part of the Creator Rewards program and your content meets the goal requirements and eligibility criteria. Pinterest does not facilitate payment for other monetization programs like product tagging, affiliate links or brand partnerships. For those programs, you’ll organize payment terms and logistics directly with your brand or affiliate partners.

How do I apply for Creator Rewards?

Creator Rewards is currently in testing, and is not widely available yet. We’ll give eligible creators early access on a rolling basis, so make sure to keep an eye on your creator hub for updates. Once the program is open for applications, eligible creators will see an application button within the creator hub in the Pinterest app. The application will only be available in the app, so make sure you download it if you haven’t already.

Where do I find the creator hub?

First, make sure you’re using the Pinterest app—the creator hub is only accessible on mobile devices. Once you’ve downloaded the app, go to your Pinterest profile page. You’ll find the creator hub button right below your bio and stats.

How do I get access to the paid partnership tool?

The paid partnership tool is available to all creators. To use the tool, you’ll need to make an Idea Pin and use the “advanced settings” menu to tag a brand in your Pin.

P.S. Extra tips for creating idea pins:

  • Add text to the image(s) using Pinterest’s built-in editor for keyword optimization
  • Use high contrast, high visibility text only

For advice on creating idea pins and implementing SEO according to Pinterest best practices, don’t forget to check out my course!

Keep up with me on Pinterest and Instagram!

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