UPDATE: All Pin types on Pinterest are now considered just a “Pin”. We used to have video Pins, Idea Pins, carousel Pins, and more. In mid-2023, Pinterest changed up their verbiage to now just have one Pin type, which includes all the features that the different Pin types had before. For more information, click here.
Here at Simple Pin, we get asked about video Pins all the time. Should we use them? What about Idea Pins? What is happening with video Pins today? With the launch of Idea Pins back in 2020, there has been a constant tension between the two types of Pins.
As we’re recording in March of 2023, links on Idea Pins are rolling out, but most people don’t have access to them yet. Our prediction is that video Pins and Idea Pins will be fused together in the future, so it’s super important to become an expert (or find an expert) on creating Idea Pins. Short form video is getting great engagement, especially when it’s included in an Idea Pin.
A little history: In late 2016, we recorded a fun episode with Kristen of Studio Knit, on how she was using video on Pinterest. There was a lot of skepticism from Pinterest users and business owners. Will video work, or would it feel like a speed bump as you’re scrolling?
video pins on pinterest
Video turned into a slow movement over the next four years or so. It was short form, you could link to your content off Pinterest, and users were engaging with it. But creating video felt clunky for so many people, like just not intuitive. We even created a service here at Simple Pin to help people create video Pins.
Because it was so clunky, a lot of people just decided not to do it, and stuck with their standard Pins.
Fast forward to 2020 when Pinterest introduces Idea Pins, and starts pushing and prioritizing short form video with them. But there’s no way to link to your content! So understandably, people weren’t super excited about jumping on the bandwagon.
With Pinterest being one of the biggest traffic drivers out there, it felt to users that they should be spending their time on Pins that can actually link. So we had a tension. Video Pins DO link, but aren’t driving a ton of traffic or getting much engagement. Idea Pins DON’T link, but are getting a good amount of views and people are following on the platform.
Now we have Pinterest rolling out links for Idea Pins. Which brings us to the question – should we create video Pins or Idea Pins?
As it sits right now, you can not upload a video Pin on your mobile device. With Idea Pins however, you can upload photos, videos, anything you want. So if we were in your shoes, we would lean into Idea Pins with video as one of the slides. Incorporate them together!
video length
What we can say? Users on Pinterest don’t watch long form video. They just don’t. So repurposing your YouTube videos directly onto Pinterest isn’t going to work.
Videos less than 2 minutes will get engagement, honestly less than a minute 30 seconds. Short short short.
what comes next for video?
The question becomes less “what’s up with video Pins?” and becomes “what’s up with video in general?”. How do you leverage video on Pinterest?
We definitely feel that if you’re going to use video on Pinterest, use it as PART of an Idea Pin. This can be a short tutorial, a visual explanation of a fitness move or short routine, a quick breakdown of a recipe. Anything that can be captured in less than 2 minutes, and is eye-catching enough to grab the Pinterest scrollers’ attention.
We’d love to hear from you! Is video performing well for you? Are you using only video or video incorporated with Idea Pins? We’ve heard mixed reviews with both, but for the most part, Idea Pins are coming out the winner for most people.
An important reminder, that we always seem to come back to, is to create for YOUR person. Creating for the algorithm of the platform you’re using can work for a short time, but it always comes back around to “what does my ideal customer want?”. Put your person at the center of your creation – what do they need to know, what does their quick win need to be.
Leave a comment on this blog post or send us a DM on Instagram. We’d love to hear your experience!
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