Pinterest last week broadened its support to businesses, unveiling mobile ad-creation tools to lower the barrier for brands to advertise on the platform. Businesses can simply select a pin they have published as part of a campaign, then either customise the ad’s target audience or allow the site to automate the decision, as well as select the campaign’s duration and budget. “Ads on Pinterest add value and enhance content, with businesses providing the fuel to make ideas happen,” Pinteres
nterest global head of growth and SMB Harold Klaje told Inside Retail Weekly.
“For this to be successful, we have to create solutions that help businesses reach people on Pinterest at the right time, which is why we’ve been releasing features and ad formats that make it easier for businesses to advertise while measuring the results of campaigns.”
While the mobile ad tool is currently only available in the US, it has begun rolling out globally. According to Pinterest, the platform enjoys more than 200 million users each month, with half of these outside of the US.
This is but the latest in a string of business-first decisions made at Pinterest recently, which has also partnered with web platforms such as WooCommerce and Square Online Store to allow businesses to set up e-commerce sites and experiences, as well as use services such as Shoppable to connect products with pins to help retailer fulfilment, making it easier to shop.
Additionally, the platform integrated new video options for businesses earlier in July to further foster a connection with customers, encouraging businesses to create how-to content, product tutorials and to share their brand story.
According to Klaje, Pinterest users come to the site with commercial intent, providing businesses an opportunity to reach potential customers.
“In fact, 97 per cent of the top 1000 most popular searches on Pinterest are unbranded. This marks an incredible opportunity for businesses to turn people on Pinterest into customers which, in turn, drives continuous growth,” Klaje said.
Pureplay maxi-dress retailer PS Frocks has seen this in action, according to social media manager Kaylyn Taylor, who said the brand has been on Pinterest for a few months and has already seen over 40,000 page views.
“The mindset of pinning now to save for later works much like saving things to a shopping cart on a website, and it definitely helps with conversion rates. It also helps customers get to know your brand through pinning and sharing,” Taylor said.
“Pinterest is more about inspiring our customers and having fun.”
