It was just a matter of time before advertising snaked its way into Pinterest. To date, it was the largest social media platform that had yet to be touched by advertising. That is, until now. Pinterest emailed a statement to users in October 2013 that said how it was going to begin testing promoted pins on its site. Businesses were not charged for their advertisements, but were rather used as test subjects to see how effective the move would be.
Promoted pins will appear in search results and in the drop down categories, but will not be in user’s personal feeds at this time. So if your business is interested in targeting pinners through the “Hair and Beauty” category or possibly looking to advertise your couture line of dresses in the “Weddings” category, you would be able to promote your pin to target those users who are searching for the same goods or services, without looking like an ad.
This photo was taken of the “Outdoors” category on Pinterest. At first glance each of the pins look just like the others, which is the strategy being used by Pinterest’s advertising execs. Take a second look and see if you are able to distinguish the promoted pin on the page.
One simple difference sets promoted pins apart, and that is? The tagline under the picture. Traditional, repinned pins do not have any information directly under the picture. However, the promoted pin is from Julie’s Outdoor Supply. If your mouse is held over the information icon, users are able to see the disclosure.
This move was done in part, because the company does not want to be known as another “advertising site” where content can be manufactured and shared at an advertiser’s whim. In the long run, this move will earn the trust of the Pinners who make up the site. The tasteful placement and design of these promoted pins will keep Pinterest’s appearance clean and virtually “free” of advertising, which will keep users coming back.
This is an advertiser’s dream come true. Throw away that template for those phony looking “important” articles in newspapers. Gone are the days where we see “advertisement” in little tiny print at the bottom of an article. An advertisement will finally be able to be perceived as just another piece of the puzzle!
As many people already visit Pinterest to get ideas for clothings, makeup, gardening ideas, home improvement projects- users have already decided that they are in the market for a new item. Users search Pinterest, find ideas they like, save them, and usually have an interest in someday purchasing the item. If advertisers are able to place their ads among other accepted ideas, they too will have people save, repin, or share their advertisement.
Promoted pins will not officially be rolling out until later this year, after the trial period has ended. There is information on Pinterest’s website that allows interested businesses to stay up-to-date with the process. Until then, keep pinning!
Rich pins are also on a test-run. If your business involves movies, recipes, articles products, or places, you’re eligible to create a rich pin. There are currently five types of rich pins on Pinterest, but more may be added after the test run.
The responsibility falls on your tech-savviness and/or your web developer to pull through for this. By generating meta tags for your website, you’ll be one step closer to having those pins appear on Pinterest. There is an application process that Pinterest requires these rich pins to go through before they are added to the site.
These rich pins are not able to be promoted at this time, so financially, see if it works for your business. Bottom line, if you have the time, try it out!
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