As we pass the halfway point of 2013, Pinterest’s rapid growth shows no signs of abating.
According to Reuters, Pinterest has amassed 48.7 million users since its inception three years ago and a study by SimplyMeasured reveals that 69 of the world’s top 100 brands now have Pinterest accounts.
Hot on the heels of the Pinterest business-focused rollouts that we covered earlier, namely account verification, business pages, and the new web analytics tool, there have been a flurry of updates in recent weeks that have left many business owners scratching their heads. So if you’re feeling a tad confused about Pinterest’s new look and its rich pins, you are not alone.
Here’s a whirlwind tour of the key features of both updates and some pointers on how to use them for your business.
#1. Navigating Pinterest’s New Look
Pinterest has been testing its new look since the beginning of the year but the fact that it isn’t permanent yet is telling.
When the new design first launched Pinterest received a flood of complaints from pinners for removing many of their favorite features, notably Mentions and the Pinned By feature that let you see who had pinned that item.
Many users were disgruntled that they could no longer see the pinning chain and felt that Pinterest was making it harder for them to connect with others.
Pinterest promptly did a U-turn and reintroduced some of the most popular features.
The new look is still being tweaked so certain functions don’t work quite as well as they should. You are not obliged to adopt the new look (yet), but each time you log in, Pinterest will nudge you with this reminder:
Remember, once you hit Get It Now you won’t be able to revert back to the old look.
Why The New Look?
The aim of the new design is to encourage “discovery” through a bolder cleaner look and much bigger pins. Now that the frames between images have been removed, some people may find the close-ups too intense. Depending on your screen size, it can certainly send your eyes funny!
The important point with the new look is to be extra careful when selecting images for Pinterest’s new look. Make sure they are big, bold and engaging.
1. Pin Options On Home Feed
If you hover over a pin, you now have only 2 options not 3. The bigger Pin It button has replaced the previous Repin but the Like icon remains. You can still click the Like button twice to Unlike an image if you change your mind.
At the bottom of the image you can see who pinned the image and the board on which it was pinned. More than ever, you should take care to select an on-brand username and name your boards using catchy, keyword-rich titles that capture the essence of that board and encourage click-throughs.
The Comment feature has disappeared from the home feed entirely, but you can still access it when you click on the pin to enlarge it.
Remember that “pins” don’t just include static 2D images. Pinterest also lets you pin video from sites like Dailymotion, TED, YouTube and Vimeo using the Pin It button.
Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/06/12/how-to-use-pinterests-bold-new-look/#08AEhw7ZqhabeHdV.99