Have you noticed? Pinterest has been ramping up functions and customizations in a big way over the past few months.
“Picked for you” Pins began showing up in high-volume users’ feeds.
It’s now easier for pinners to Pin from optimized sites, and Pinterest has even begun “guessing” which category board Pinners may want to place their Pins on based on the copy within the Pin itself. (Nothing like increased convenience to make a Pinner smile!)
The information available to Pinners has increased, too. Pin “producers” are getting hip to the fact that they now have to label their images and Pins more effectively to be competitive. (There are actual “formulas” involved in Pin descriptions that we’ll talk about in upcoming articles!)
Pretty cool, right?
Well, there’s a reason for everything.
In early June, we began hearing about something that would take one of the most popular social media sites to a whole new level. Rather than just passively appreciating something on Pinterest by Pinning it and setting it aside for future inspiration, this new functionality allows users to actively acquire things on the spot.
As of the early June announcements, this functionality will initially only be available for U.S. iPhone and iPad users. Android and Desktop versions are promised at a later date. (As you can imagine, this has Android users – which by some accounts actually outnumber Apple users – up in arms.)
This selective availability is presumably tied to the new purchasing platform’s payment processors: Apple Pay.
Pinterest set out to quiet any concerns about personal information use by informing users that they (Pinterest) will not store users’ information in any way. Instead of using credit card numbers for transactions, Apple Pay provides an “account number” specific to the device a user/purchaser signs up with. Sellers never receive a purchasers’ credit card number – only a “code” representing the transaction information.
For businesses, this is all a huge opportunity. Pinterest is currently working with select “major” brands to test the waters. We can only assume that the brands not currently working with Pinterest in the first stages of this initiative are furiously formulating their own online store strategies behind the scenes so they don’t miss out. Analysts are suggesting that the earliest players in the Buyable Pin game will be the winners.
We don’t doubt it a bit. Pinterest is – without question – a shopper’s paradise.
“Pinners are shoppers. A full 87 percent of Pinterest users admit to making a purchase because of Pinterest. And for the few Pinterest users who haven’t made a purchase, they are planning on it. Ninety-three percent of Pinterest members use Pinterest as their de facto shopping list.” –Neil Patel
As can be expected in the early stages of a new initiative, feedback from users Pinterest has been divided.
There are the fashion hounds, the trinket hunters, and the online shopping fanatics in general who love the fact that they now have the option to instantly acquire the objects of their desire with a simple tap of the new little blue “Buy it” button.
But Pinterest purists are calling foul. They’re a little miffed that their favorite place “…to discover ideas for all your projects and interests,” is no longer “…hand-picked by people like you.”
Many long-time users are flat-out opposed to Pinterest’s big move. The seemingly non-commercialized platform that initially drew users by the millions is losing popularity with things like promoted Pins (equivalent to Facebook’s sponsored posts). And the aforementioned, “Picked for you” Pins? While some users enjoy having their feed infused with new and different things, not everyone likes to have decisions made for them.
People know that those posts are not “organic” in nature. They’re not there based on a user’s Pin history, but rather, based on criterion purchased by the Pin’s originator.
Fortunately there’s a choice. Users can [still] get just what they signed up for. Simply clicking on the small box to the far right of the Pinterest search bar and choosing “Home Feed,” or another topic of specific interest, allows users to manually override those pesky “Picked for you” Pins.
Still others are comparing Pinterest’s massive retail leap to other big online sellers, suggesting that they’ll quit Pinterest altogether to avoid the aggressive marketing tactics.
Sellers in every niche – not just the big brands that Pinterest is currently courting – would be wise to put their followers first when developing buyable pin strategies. In addition to analytics and A/B testing, etc., on the most basic but all-important levels, they need to closely monitor customer comments. That’s where the gold is.
Interested in selling your stuff on Pinterest? We can help create a strategy that will attract purchasers without offending ending purists!
