Pinterest has rolled out a new feature which promises to make the user experience all the more personalized and engaging. But trust us, this boon for consumers on Pinterest is good news for brands too. The new tool, called Interests, surfaces content in an aesthetically pleasing grid that is customized based on what users pin to their boards. Say you really love Paleo recipes — instead of bubbling up general cooking content, the Interests feed will show you a group of pins dedicated to the Paleo diet.

It’s clear that one of Pinterest’s main goals is to feature relevant content to users at the right time. So, as a brand, what are the implications? Now, more than ever, it’s important that pin-optimization a priority to ensure your content is being surfaced in users’ Interest feeds. Here are 3 ways to make sure your product pins are as discoverable as possible in Interests!

1. Integrate Rich Pins

Users don’t solely log on to Pinterest for inspiration — they’re doing it to shop. According to RichRelevance, Pinterest drives 25 percent of retail referral traffic, and pinners are spending more too. And now, pins can do even more work to drive users to your ecommerce site. Pinterest’s fairly new feature, Rich Pins, enhances images with information — so, in the case of product pins, you’re informed of the price, whether or not the item is in stock, and where to buy it. So when Target adds a Rich Pin of an ankle boot on its Pinterest page, the people who repin it (and want it) are just one click away from making a purchase. If they’re on the fence, Pinterest actually notifies them when the price changes — so they can jump at the chance when it goes on sale. (This is especially awesome for a brand like Etsy, who needs to manage a lot of products owned by third parties.) It’s no wonder that Target’s retail website saw a 70 percent increase in sales after they implemented Rich Pins. Why are Rich Pins even more important now that the Interests tool is in play? Again, users that are already interacting with products like yours will be exposed to your stuff, so be sure you make it easy for them to hit buy next.

2. Optimize Pin descriptions

You want your pins to be at the top of their game so that they’re more discoverable and at the top of everyone’s Interests. One way to do that is through a clear, rich description. Use captions that speak to the product and relate to the consumer who would use it. Consider how your description will frame your product when the user discovers your pin out of context — namely, through the Interests tool. And sincethis new tool is so specific, make sure your captions are precise too. A “dress” won’t reach the right interest groups as a “white polka dot dress.”

Luckily, Curalate is making that much easier for you. Our new product feature, Top Keywords, displays the words consumers most commonly use when pinning your image. Now, you know exactly what users are thinking when they see your product — for instance, insights from Top Keywords found that users were unexpectedly pinning a bulletin board craft with the words “child,” “toddler,” and “room,” revealing their intention to use it in their kid’s room (and that’s just one of the many ways to leverage Top Keywords). Findings like these will help you create smart, optimized pin descriptions that connect with your specific consumer, so they’re way more likely to interact with your pins when they come across them in Interests.

3. Become More Pinnable

If you don’t already have Pin It buttons on your ecommerce site, this may change your mind. After displaying the Pin It button on their site, brands like Ikea and Target generated nearly 1 million shares (pins and repins) from their sites. And it can’t be a coincidence that eight of Pinterest’s top 10 retailers prominently display Pin It buttons on their sites. The Pin It button reminds your customers that they want to purchase your item, and it’s a simple way to expand your brand’s presence on social platforms. Plus, Pinterest makes it very easy to integrate their buttons and widgets throughout your site (visit Pinterest’s Business Center to get started). The more pins you have out there, the more likely it is that your product will bubble up as someone’s new “Interests” view. While Interests is still very new, there’s a lot to be excited about — if you play your cards right, users that are more inclined to like your products could be introduced to them for the first time. Just make sure that the pins they’re seeing are the best quality possible with gorgeous images, engaging captions, and rich pin technology, and this update could be a very good thing for your brand!

About the author

Brendan is part of the founding team at Curalate, a leading marketing and analytics suite for Pinterest. Brendan’s primary focus is on marketing & product. Previous experience includes launching Skillshare in Philadelphia.

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