How Brands Could Benefit From Pinterest’s Recent Changes

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How Brands Could Benefit From Pinterest's Recent Changes

Like pretty much every other social media platform these days, Pinterest is changing its look to become even more visual.

In a recent blog post, Pinterest says, “Pins are bigger and we’ve added more information related to pins, so it’s easier to find things you’re interested in. For example, on each pin, you’ll see pins from the same board, other boards this pin was pinned to, and a whole slew of related pins.”

The platform is seeking volunteers to be among the first to try the new look, so savvy brands looking to be early adopters might want to take advantage of that here.

They also improved the functionality and made the navigation “more intuitive,” so look for those changes to roll out over the next few months.

In the wake of Facebook’s switch to the timeline format about a year ago, platforms such as Twitter and Tumblr have been going the way of larger images. This has forced brands to make sure all of their assets are high resolution.

With related content now showing up next to pins, some see cross- and up-sell opportunities.

From digital marketing and ecommerce research and training company Econsultancy:

“By highlighting other content and even users related to an original pin, there’s an increased chance that your account will be found through a users’ organic connections, and a chance to showcase more of your products, services, and even those all-important influencers who already engage with your product.”

It could also point to potential for more monetization of the site. After all, who wouldn’t want to pay to have their content show up next to some of the top-performing pins on the site? With Pinterest’s growth rate slowing, it will need to continue to evolve the site to appeal to those willing to pay to play.

image credit: Inspired Magz

 

Beyond Pinterest: 3 Emerging Social Photo-Sharing Sites for Business

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Beyond Pinterest: 3 Emerging Social Photo-Sharing Sites for Business

image credit: Olioboard

Hundreds of businesses have turned to social photo-sharing site Pinterest as a new way to promote their products and share ideas. Last week, Pinterest even announced several new tools to help businesses share more content on the site.

But as popular as Pinterest is, using it to convert followers into customers isn’t always easy. Photos by individual users don’t always lead back to a retail source. Even when they do, there’s no clear path for potential buyers. There are no “buy” buttons and no indication that two clicks will take you to the photo source.

That’s not the case will all photo-sharing sites. These three sites shorten the distance between you and your customers by combining the pinning action of Pinterest with the functionality of an online store.

Related: How to Drive Sales Through Social Media

1. The Fancy. From a stingray inspired rocking chair, to Batman chocolate molds, The Fancy is a photo-sharing site for cool stuff and innovative gadgets. Unlike Pinterest, The Fancy has a clear shopping component. When users see something they like, they add it to a single shopping cart for purchase. Once they check out, the third-party merchants are notified of the sale and they each handle shipping for their portion.

Any merchant who deals in the unusual can apply for his or her own branded space on the site. Though it’s open to a wide range of products, The Fancy primarily deals in high-end, luxury items, pop culture toys and gadgets.

2. Nuji. This U.K.-based site is unique because it rewards members with points for sharing product photos from online retailers. Points can be redeemed for discounts at one of Nuji‘s more than 50 partner stores.

Nuji specializes in boutique stores from all around the world. It primarily handles fashion and accessories but there are also a small amount of designer furnishings and art. Store pages are entirely user generated but once someone uploads an item from your store Nuji automatically creates a page, which you can then claim and customize.

Related: 5 Free Tools for More Powerful Pinterest Marketing

3. Olioboard. This interior-design site invites users to create 3-D “roomscapes” by dragging and dropping photos of furniture and accessories onto a blank canvas. Pre-loaded items are tagged with details and a ShopIt button that takes you off site to purchase the item.

Users can also upload their own photos or tag items from anywhere on the internet. Completed boards can be posted, shared and entered into Olioboard‘s monthly contests.

If you’re in the home décor business there are two ways to get involved with Olioboard. From your online store, you can upload your full line of merchandise onto the site for a flat fee of $250 a month. If you already use an affiliate program such as Commission Junction, Olioboard will forgo the flat fee in exchange for a referral cut starting at 8 percent. You can also promote brand awareness by sponsoring a design contest on Olioboard.

What other social photo-sharing sites would you recommend for businesses? Let us know in the comments section below.

Pinterest Tests New Look — But Will You Even Notice?

 

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Pinterest

Pinterest

Pinterest announced it’s testing a new look among a small group of users to make it easier to find what you’re searching for on the site.

The company aims to improve a few key components, such as making navigation more intuitive and faster. Pins will also be bigger and include more image details. The new design also includes a related pins side bar, which may encourage users to stay on the site longer by clicking through to other boards.

Although the updates may be hard to spot for those who are not design enthusiasts, the aesthetic is easier on the eyes with a new gray gradient background behind all pins and the subtle changes will be an improvement for discovering new content on the site.

“Pins are bigger and we’ve added more information related to pins, so it’s easier to find things you’re interested in,” Vy Pham, software engineer at Pinterest, wrote in an official company blog post. “For example, on each pin, you’ll see pins from the same board, other boards this pin was pinned to, and a whole slew of related pins.”

Pinterest Redesign Pins

Pinterest says it will be testing the update with a small group of users in the upcoming weeks and will roll out the design once it’s ready.

“Our goals with this new look are to make it easier to get around the site and help people get more information about pins they care about,” a Pinterest spokesperson told Mashable. “We also made some changes behind the scenes that we hope will make things faster.”

What do you think of Pinterest’s new look?

Pinterest Navigation

Images courtesy of Pinterest

Source : http://mashable.com/2013/01/28/pinterest-design-look/