social media – Loganalogy- Your Family Historian

How I’m Using Pinterest, ChatGPT, and a Bit of Common Sense to Work Smarter (Not Harder)

Lately, I’ve been rethinking how I manage my time, especially when it comes to juggling genealogy research, client work, blog updates, and social media. I’ll be honest: some platforms just aren’t worth the energy anymore. Twitter (or X or whatever it’s calling itself this week)? Noise. Spam. Trolls. Nope. And LinkedIn? A good idea in theory, but it just doesn’t work for my audience.

I gave both another shot recently, but the interactions felt hollow, the effort didn’t match the return, and honestly, I’d rather spend that time untangling a 19th-century census record.

Medium and Fiverr? Same deal. I learned that if I don’t own my content (like on Medium), I’m at the mercy of the platform—and I’m not about to lose hours of writing to a deleted post. Fiverr, while useful for some, didn’t generate leads for my genealogy services. So I walked away from both and haven’t looked back.

Enter: Pinterest, ChatGPT, Claude, and Content Strategy Magic 🪄

One thing I have added back into the mix is Pinterest—and this time, I’m actually seeing results. Thanks to analytics (and some trial-and-error), I’ve noticed Pinterest drives steady traffic to my blog and Etsy shop. It’s not just a place for recipes and DIY crafts anymore. It has become a visual search engine, especially for Gen Z, who now prefer it over Google for daily decisions.

Even better? Pinterest content sticks around way longer than a Facebook post or Instagram story. That’s what we call “evergreen,” baby.

I’ve also been using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, plus content strategist-approved tips to help me plan smarter, not harder. Tools like Canva have made it easier to create posts that look good and connect with the right audience without sucking up all my time. I now batch content, reuse templates, and prioritize engagement over perfection.

To make the most of what I create, I’ve started reposting my Instagram Reels to YouTube Shorts—same video, more reach. I’m also on BlueSky, but I use it mostly to network with fellow family historians rather than as a primary platform.

These updates have freed up my time and helped me stay sane.

What’s Working (and What’s Out)

Here’s my current social media + content strategy lineup:

✅ Instagram – Best for connecting with the genealogy community, sharing Reels, and building relationships
✅ Pinterest – Great for evergreen content, traffic, and reaching new audiences (especially younger ones)
✅ Facebook – Still solid for group engagement and community support
✅ YouTube Shorts – I’ve started reposting my Instagram Reels here for more reach without extra effort
☑️ BlueSky – I’m not actively posting, but I do use it to network with other family historians
❌ Twitter/X – Too noisy, too spammy, and too short-lived
❌ LinkedIn – Not the right vibe or audience
❌ Medium + Fiverr – Didn’t bring leads or lasting value

The Bottom Line

Sometimes the best way to grow is to stop doing what isn’t working. Once I let go of platforms that weren’t giving me value, I had the time and energy to focus on what does, and it shows in the quality of my audience connections and my productivity.

I’m keeping things simple, meaningful, and strategic. If it’s not moving the needle for Loganalogy, it’s off the to-do list.

Thanks for being part of this journey—I’ve got more tips, tools, and content updates coming your way. Let’s keep learning, sharing, and building those trees 🌳 together.

👇 Need help managing your genealogy journey or building a tree that actually makes sense?

Visit Loganalogy.etsy.com to explore tools, guides, and research support!

A few weeks ago I wrote A Look at Time Management and Social Media Strategy. For the past couple of days, I’ve been giving my website a refresher. I searched for “how to rejuvenate a website” and “how to refresh the content of a website” and learned a lot about improving user experience and getting more traffic to my blog.

One of the pro tips was to repurpose older content. Go me! I’ve already been doing that with my posts like Uncovering the Story of Susanna Clark Rootes, My 9th Great Grandmother: A Tale of Witches and New England Founders, Exploring the History of Strawberry Hill: The Stephanz Family and Their Croatian Neighbors, and Tracing the Roots of John MacBean: A Scottish POW’s Journey to America. So, if you’ve been a long-time follower, hang in there if something seems familiar; I am repurposing older content, especially from when I first began blogging in 2017. Since then, I’ve learned a lot, not just about ancestry, but I’ve improved my writing techniques. Wouldn’t my literature teacher be proud?

I have also been more engaged with my fellow family historians and genealogists on their websites, social media accounts, and other websites where others ask questions about their own ancestry and where or how to find something. It still amazes me how many people do not know about their families, even one generation back, or how tracking ancestry works. The number of people jumping to buy DNA tests, thinking they will give all the answers, is mind-boggling. One woman gave a review that her DNA test was terrible because it didn’t tell her who her father was. What?

However, another suggestion to improve my website traffic will have to be put on the back burner for now. It was suggesting a YouTube channel for my business. Not only am I not comfortable doing videos right now, but I just worked on my time management and do not want to add anything else to my plate. Did you know that according to SimilarWeb, YouTube is the 2nd most popular website on the planet? I actually have a YouTube channel. It has two videos on it from when I was teaching children about ancestry.

When visiting my website, you’ll notice a couple of new features. One is a sharing feature to the left of each page.

So, if you are reading something you think a friend or family member would be interested in, click on the icon on the left of your favorite share feature (email, Facebook, messenger, text, and others.) and share the content. Easy peasy!

Second, I have added a “Question or Comment” button. Here, you can quickly email me with questions about a particular blog post (this feature will only be on new blog posts) or a page on the website. You may even have a question about your ancestry. Every blog post currently has a comment feature already, but this box is highlighted on each page, so you can click on it whenever you think of something or see something not quite right about something I posted. Feel free to leave me some kudos, too!

Finally, I added an easy “Subscribe” button to each page. You will already be a subscriber if you receive this post in your email. However, if you are reading this post because you found me through a Google search, please Subscribe so you receive new posts as I publish them. Subscribers also get free access to my Free Resources page.

As I continue to refine my website and explore new strategies for enhancing user experience, I’m excited to share these updates with you. From repurposing older content to engaging more deeply with the genealogical community, these changes are all part of my ongoing journey to provide valuable and accessible content for fellow family historians. While some suggestions, like creating a YouTube channel, will have to wait, I’m thrilled about the new features that make it easier for you to connect, share, and stay informed. Whether you’re a long-time follower or new to my blog, I hope these updates make your experience even more enjoyable. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay in the loop, and feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback. Here’s to discovering the past together!