Today’s episode is an interview between Kate and Tabby, from the Simple Pin Team. The two cover the latest Pinterest features update, including what we’re still waiting on. Some of these updates will be relevant for marketers, while others are more geared towards personal use.
New and Updated Pinterest Features
Kate: Tabby, welcome back to the Simple Pin Podcast!
Tabby: Thank you, Kate. I’m excited to be here as always.
Kate: Tabby, how long have you been with Simple Pin?
Tabby: Five and a half years.
Kate: Wow, that’s quite a milestone! Tabby has worn many hats at Simple Pin—from being an account specialist to handling social media and now focusing on education for our team. She’s truly a jill-of-all-trades.
Tabby: It’s been quite a journey!
Kate: It really has. About seven years ago, I realized I needed help staying on top of everything happening with Pinterest, so I designated someone to run education reports for us. This helps not only me but also keeps our team updated. We run these internal reports every Monday and store them in our Google Drive—probably a thousand or more by now!
We use these reports to inform our weekly newsletter, Pinterest Made Simple, which goes out every Wednesday. We also use Google Alerts and look for links on Pinterest to gather all relevant information.
As our team educator, I invited Tabby to the podcast today to share some of the big Pinterest features updates for the first half of 2024. We’ll highlight which Pinterest features are relevant for marketers and which are more for personal use. Be sure to check out the Pinterest’s newsroom and the Creator’s Blog for more information and updates.
Is Pinterest Removing Links?
Kate: Tabby and I recently had the opportunity to discuss some big news with Pinterest themselves. There was a rumor earlier this year that links might be removed from Pinterest. This caused quite a stir, with many people concerned about how it would impact their use of Pinterest. I took to LinkedIn to address the issue and see if we could get to the bottom of all these rumors.
Tabby: That’s right. There was a significant amount of confusion, and it seemed like Pinterest might be moving away from allowing links, which would be a major change. Fortunately, we were able to clarify things with Pinterest leadership and it’s important to note that there seemed to be a miscommunication or misunderstanding around this information when it first got leaked.
Kate: Yes, Malik, the Chief Content Officer, and Sarah, the Global Head of Consumer Marketing, reached out to us, and assured us that links are not going away. In regards to ad links, Pinterest is focused on ensuring a good user experience by avoiding overly cluttered pages. If they approve an ad and users are then overwhelmed with a barrage of display ads when they reach the site, Pinterest will either pause or disapprove that ad. This is important because, when investing in paid ads, you want to focus on a single call to action, and Pinterest is aiming to direct users towards that.
Tabby: It was refreshing to see how open and communicative Sarah was. She provided valuable insights and was very receptive to our feedback.
Kate: Absolutely. We’re looking forward to having Sarah on a future podcast to discuss her views on the Creator Program and how we can work together more effectively.
Tabby: It’s exciting to see this level of communication and to work more closely with Pinterest.
Pin Format Changes
Kate: Now, let’s talk about some smaller Pinterest features that are new this year. One of the recent changes is the pin format. Pinterest used to have separate formats for idea pins, video pins, and standard pins. As of August last year, Pinterest started rolling out a simplified format to just “Create Pin.”
Tabby: That’s correct. The old formats have been consolidated into a single format. If you see “Create Pin” in your Pinterest account, you have the new format. If you still see options for creating both standard and idea pins, you’re using the older format. This change is designed to simplify the process.
There’s one key point to clarify: the changes to pin formats aren’t exactly new—they’ve just been rolling out slowly, causing some confusion. The update is that Pinterest has simplified its pin formats. If you’re seeing options for both standard pins and idea pins, it means you haven’t yet received the full rollout of the new format.
The new format is designed to streamline your options. Instead of distinguishing between idea pins, standard pins, and video pins, you’ll simply see an option to create a pin. This means you can upload any type of content—whether it’s a single image, a video, or a multi-image pin—without worrying about the specific format.
Previously, there was a lot of confusion about whether pins could have links, especially with idea pins. But with the new format, everything is consolidated into one type of pin, which simplifies the process. According to Pinterest’s engineering blog, this change was mentioned in August 2022, publicly announced in August 2023, and it seems like the full rollout is still ongoing.
So, when you go to create a pin in the app, you should ideally see options like “pin,” “collage,” and “board.” If you still see “idea pin” as an option, don’t stress about it—just focus on creating your pin.
Related: Everything To Know About The New Pin Update
AI On Pinterest
Kate: Let’s dive into the topic of AI tools. This is something that’s still in the process of being rolled out. From what I recall, the initial conversation focused on e-commerce sellers who needed lifestyle images for their products. For instance, if someone had a chair and only had a basic standalone picture of it, but they didn’t have the resources for professional photography to showcase it in a styled living room, this new AI tool seems to offer a solution by allowing users to add backgrounds.
Tabby: Yes, that’s right. The feature isn’t fully rolled out yet, so I’m still learning about it. However, Pinterest has announced that they’re working with a few brands to test it out, which suggests they’re confident about its potential. This new AI tool is designed to be especially useful for product sellers like you described. It can generate styled backgrounds for products, making them look like they’re in a beautifully decorated setting, even if that wasn’t initially captured.
Kate: That sounds promising. So, if it works as intended, it could be a real game-changer for sellers who lack the time or resources for professional product photography and styling.
Tabby: Exactly. If the tool performs well, it could be a fantastic way to enhance your product images, giving potential buyers inspiration for how the product might fit into their own lives.
Kate: And just to clarify, it seems that, for now, this AI tool might be available primarily for Pinterest ads. It appears that it’s part of Pinterest’s ad innovation program, focusing on new types of creatives. So, if you’re planning to run ads, this could be a great opportunity to use the tool to create appealing, styled backgrounds.
This actually leads us to an important point: Pinterest is very ad-focused these days. While we often discuss organic strategies and non-paid methods here on the podcast, it’s worth noting that Pinterest is positioning itself differently from platforms like Facebook and Instagram when it comes to ads. Their ads blend seamlessly with regular pins and have the advantage of remaining visible over time. Plus, you have the flexibility to turn them on and off as needed.
Related: Introducing New AI Tools For Creative and Performance, and Brand Safety Updates
Auto-Publishing Across Platforms
Kate: Moving on to one of the other new and significant Pinterest features from this year: auto-publishing from Instagram to Pinterest. We’ve tried this feature in the past, and I have to admit, it’s been a bit clunky. But let me give you my take on it before we dive into the details.
When cross-promoting content between platforms, it’s crucial to consider how your content is received. For example, whether you’re directing traffic from a pin to YouTube or Instagram, user experience matters. From my experience, Instagram can be a bit cumbersome compared to YouTube. That’s just my opinion. Tabby, can you share with us how auto-publishing works?
Tabby: Essentially, you connect your Instagram account to your Pinterest account, allowing Instagram to automatically post your Instagram content to Pinterest. You can set this up in your Pinterest settings under “Claimed Accounts”. Once you’ve enabled this feature, whatever you post on Instagram will be shared to Pinterest as well.
We recently got a question about whether you can choose specific Instagram posts to auto-publish, and unfortunately, you can’t. The feature automatically posts everything, which can be a drawback. As a business owner, not all Instagram posts will translate well to Pinterest, so this lack of control can be frustrating.
Kate: While we aren’t fully sure how we feel about it, Pinterest seems to be very excited about this feature. According to Sarah from Pinterest, this tool is particularly beneficial for people, especially Gen Z, who use Instagram as their primary platform for showcasing their brand or business, often without a dedicated website. This feature helps them extend their reach to Pinterest without needing a separate website.
Tabby: However, if you’re a business owner with a website, I’d still recommend directing traffic to your website rather than relying on Instagram auto-publishing. The user experience can be awkward because Pinterest is more of a cold audience platform, while Instagram is a warmer audience. Sending your warm audience content to a cold audience on Pinterest can create confusion. It’s like sending someone to a place where they don’t know what’s happening. Pinterest users might wonder why they should care about your Instagram content.
Kate: Absolutely. If you decide to use this auto-publishing feature, just be very selective about what gets shared. Remember that with Pinterest, our primary goal is to drive traffic to our websites. Adding unnecessary hurdles can complicate things.
Related: How to Connect and Share Your Instagram Posts to Pinterest
Sharing Your Pinterest Boards
Kate: There is a new Pinterest feature that does work well with cross-promotion, and in a way that I genuinely endorse: sharing your Pinterest boards on other social platforms. I recently gave this a try by sharing a Pinterest board to Instagram, and it worked well.
Let me back up a bit. I’m a big fan of leveraging your existing social media audiences to boost engagement on Pinterest. Doing so can increase interaction with your pins and boards, which, in turn, helps them perform better in search. This kind of organic engagement is far more effective than artificially boosting engagement through things like Tailwind communities or Facebook share groups.
For example, I remember a great strategy someone shared years ago. She sold makeup and created a Pinterest board with all her eyeshadow palettes. She then encouraged her Facebook group to choose their favorite by interacting with the board—commenting or saving the pins. It was a fantastic way to drive engagement and get real feedback.
So, if you’re gearing up for Halloween, for instance, and you have a board featuring the best costume ideas, you can share that board on Instagram, Facebook, or your newsletter. Tell your audience, “I’ve compiled the best Halloween costumes for 2024. Check them out, and let me know your favorite!”
I did run into a small issue when I first tried this; the link didn’t always attach properly when sharing to stories. You might need to ensure the link is included manually. Despite that, the feature is great. You can also use it to create engaging formats, like a curated video showcasing your board’s content.
Tabby: Absolutely! Turning it into a sort of contest or community activity is a brilliant idea. For instance, you could create a board for best holiday gifts and then ask your audience to vote on their favorites. This not only drives engagement but also keeps your audience coming back for more.
Kate: Yes, and don’t just share your board once. If you’re working on something seasonal like Halloween or holiday gifts, share it regularly. Maybe every week, update your Instagram story or your Facebook page with a new call to action. People might miss your posts the first time around, so repetition is key. Regularly sharing your Pinterest boards keeps them in front of your audience’s eyes and ensures they have multiple chances to engage.
And remember, you don’t need to overthink it. Set reminders to share your boards and give clear reasons for why you’re sharing them. For example, “Check out my favorite recipes for the holidays” or “Here are the best gifts for teens in 2024.” Keep it consistent, especially during high shopping seasons like Q4.
Related: Sharing Boards on Socials
Pinterest Buyer Certificate
Kate: Now, let’s touch on one last Pinterest feature for this year: Pinterest’s new Buyer Certification. Our ads director, Erin, recently completed this certification. It’s designed for agencies and individuals who manage Pinterest ads, and it ensures you’re up-to-date with Pinterest’s best practices for ad management.
This certification is valuable for anyone involved in Pinterest advertising, whether you’re an agency owner or a VA managing ads for clients. It’s important to be proficient in spending other people’s money effectively. The certification verifies your skills and understanding of Pinterest’s ad system.
Erin said the certification was pretty challenging. It wasn’t just a walk in the park. Pinterest Academy has evolved significantly, focusing heavily on advertising rather than the organic marketing basics it started with. But even if it’s ad-centric, there are valuable takeaways on how to create effective ads, design pins, and craft compelling calls to action.
Tabby: That’s true. While Pinterest Academy has shifted focus, it still provides useful insights into ad creatives and strategies that can be applied to both paid and organic marketing efforts.
Kate: Absolutely. So, if you’re considering diving into Pinterest ads or want to refine your skills, the Buyer Certification is a great resource.
Related: Pinterest Buyer Certificate
Kate: Thank you so much, Tabby, for joining me today and helping me cover all these new Pinterest features. We had quite a discussion before recording, trying to remember all the key changes from this year. Features on Pinterest are always shifting and changing. If listeners have any additional updates or topics they think we should cover, feel free to comment on the YouTube video or DM us on Instagram.
Tabby: Thanks, Kate. I appreciate the chance to dive into these updates with you and keep everyone informed.
Kate: Thanks again, Tabby. And thanks to all our listeners for tuning in. We hope you found this episode helpful. See you next time!
More Pinterest Marketing Resources:
Read: Pinterest Marketing Solutions For Common Mistakes
