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Guided Search: a new way to find what you’re looking for

Search engines are great for answering specific questions—the weather in San Francisco or the capital of Peru—but Pinterest can help with the questions that have more than one right answer. Where’s your next vacation or what’s for dinner tonight? With so many possibilities, you might not know the best one till you see it.

To help you find the best ideas, today we’re introducing Guided Search. It’s made for exploring, whether you know exactly what you want, or you’re just starting to look around. There are more than 750 million boards with 30 billion Pins hand-picked by travelers, foodies and other Pinners, so the right idea is just a few taps away.

We’re not changing the way we rank search results, so you don’t need to make any changes to Pins from your business. As always, good Pin descriptions are the best way to help Pinners find your content.

Visual guides help you along

Now when you search for something (road trips, running, summer BBQ), descriptive guides will help you sift through all the good ideas from other Pinners. Scroll through the guides and tap any that look interesting to steer your search in the right direction.

Say you’re looking for plants to green up your apartment, guides help you get more specific—indoors, shade, succulents—so you can hone in on the ones that suit your space.

Or when it’s time for your next haircut, search by specific styles—for redheads, curly hair, layers—to find your next look.

Discover a few unexpected surprises

The guides are there to get you where you want to go, but the best part is leaving a little room for serendipity. Exploring getaway ideas might lead you to a treehouse adventure, a motorcycle trip down the coast, or maybe even something else you didn’t know you were looking for. You might be surprised where you end up!’re rolling this out on mobile in English to start, and then on web and everywhere else around the world soon. Learn more, or get the app for iPhone, iPad or Android to give it a try.

— Hui Xu, currently Pinning to Homemade Food

Help people pursue their interests

Exploring interests is a huge part of how people use Pinterest (interest is our middle name, after all!). We often check in to see how and what people Pin, and what we’ve learned is that people’s interests generally fall into five categories:

—a passion that’s a core part of who you are, like music, photography or sports —a vocation that’s part of your training, like a teacher using Pinterest to find lesson plan ideas or an architect sharing design ideas with a client —a hobby that you do for fun, like running or fishing —a project that has an end goal, like a wedding or redecorating your living room —a preference that can change, like your taste in colors or types of shoes

The most successful businesses on Pinterest create and curate Pins that help people pursue their interests. When you evaluate your own approach, try doing a little upfront research on your target customer.

Ask yourself: what kinds of things is my customer into? Do a search on Pinterest to see what types of Pins relate to those things. How do people organize boards around that interest? After you figure that out, think about what content your business already has that you could add to Pinterest so people can explore their interests further.

Like the neighborhood hardware store owner who shows you how to fix your sink or the real estate agent who knows exactly what kind of home fits your family, businesses that move beyond just selling something are the ones to create connections that last longer than a single transaction.

—Kevin Knight, currently Pinning to Gardening

A fresh look for the Help Center

Our Help Center is the place to go for answers to any of your Pinterest questions—and it just got a makeover! We designed the new Help Center so you can quickly find whatever you need to know for your business account, whether you’re at your desk or out and about on your phone.

If you’re looking for something specific, like how to verify your website, do a quick search and you’ll get your answer right away. Do you need to teach the basics to your new social media intern? Now you can show them the handy new Guide to Pinterest. You can also browse through all the help articles for businesses and websites to find tips and tricks for businesses like yours.

You’ll notice everything’s been streamlined, from how you get around to the answers themselves. And it all feels a lot more like Pinterest, too.

We’re always looking for ways to make Pinterest easier to use and understand, so poke around and let us know what you think.

— Aaron Franklin, currently Pinning to surreal

Pin It buttons for Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress and Wix

We talk about the Pin It button a lot around here, and that’s because it’s a pretty big deal. It’s what Pinners use to save things they find around the web, an easy-to-add tool that gets your business on Pinterest.

We’re now bringing the Pin It button to even more platforms, including Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress.org and Wix. These new integrations will make adding the Pin It button to your site a snap. (Psst: if your site isn’t powered by those platforms, you can get the button from us the usual way.)

Here are instructions for each:

Tumblr

You can add the Pin It button or the hovering Pin It button to your Tumblr blog. Get instructions from our Help Center.

Blogger

The Pin It button is now one of the default sharing buttons on Blogger. This button will automatically pick up the first image in the post, set the description to the format: “Blog title: blog post title” and will set the URL to the permalink of the blog post. For more detailed instructions, visit our Help Center.

WordPress.org

You can add the hovering Pin It button to your WordPress.org blog. Just install our plugin, choose the button you want, and you’re all set.

Wix

The Pin It button is now native to your Wix.com page editor. That Pin It button will create a Pin based off of the image and description you specify and will link back to the page of the site you’re on when you click the button.  For more detailed instructions, visit our Help Center.

We’ll continue to add new integrations so stay tuned for more!

—Bill Rastello, currently Pinning to Maps

A new way to track your Pins

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We know some businesses like to add tracking codes to their Pins to see how they’re performing. We also know many of them use Google Analytics to track their marketing. That’s why we’re adding support for Google Analytics UTM variables, so you can get a view of your campaigns right on your Google Analytics dashboard.

Businesses have asked for UTM support on their Pins in the past, so we’re happy to help them see more accurate tracking on Google Analytics.

If you’re already using Google Analytics, it’s easy to see how your Pins are performing by tagging your Pin links with the correct UTM parameters.  If you’ve already got UTM tracking on your Pin links, you’ll start to see more activity on your campaign and source tracking on Google Analytics.

Thanks for Pinning with us!

—Jason Costa, currently Pinning to Monks

What businesses can learn from TV shows on Pinterest

Pinterest is growing rapidly and so are the kinds of Pins people are looking for, which means there are plenty of things you can add to help people explore all of their interests.

There are about 900 millions Pins in the entertainment category alone, for example. Dozens of television shows are using Pinterest to reach their viewers in creative ways. Here are some ideas from popular TV show accounts that any business can use:

Pinners love humor

Lots of Pinners have their own humor boards, so don’t be afraid to make them laugh with fun, original Pins if it feels natural to your brand. "Parks and Recreation" has a Parks and Memes board that turns moments from the show into shareable snippets.

Quotes are also popular

Quote Pins are some of the most repinned on Pinterest, which is why we have a whole category devoted to them. “Game of Thrones” adds custom quote Pins from the show to its Advice from the Realm board. Think about sharing taglines or iconic moments from your advertising. Or, have a board for inspiring quotes from others that match the spirit or subject of your brand. CBS Sports does this on its  Catchphrase: Timeless Quotes board, which curates famous sports quotes.

Go behind the scenes

"The Today Show” adds Pins to Anchor Antics that capture what it’s like when the camera isn’t rolling. Go behind the curtain of your business to add a little humanity to your Pinterest profile. Tell the stories of your employees or go on the factory floor to show Pinners how things get made.

Include your fans

“Girls” goes out of its way to highlight stuff from fans of the show. On its fanGIRLS board, the show curates fanmade images, memes, illustrations and even Etsy crafts. Show appreciation for your loyal following and show off some of the ways they support your business. You could highlight some of your customers or just find the organic content people are making about your brand.

Highlight products and spaces

In addition to boards about the show, “Scandal” created an Olivia Pope Style board and a Scandal Beauty board to connect the show’s looks to stuff people can actually buy.  As Seen on Parenthood collects different home sets on the show to give Pinners design inspiration. Highlight and link back to your own products or, if you don’t sell specific things, mention things that might pair well with whatever your brand offers.

Offer exclusive content and sneak peeks

Pinners love previewing what’s next, so why not give them an early look? Parenthood shared stills from Season 5 to keep fans guessing, but you could add Pins from your upcoming catalog or exclusive online-only deals.

Help Pinners live inspired lives

The Biggest Loser uses Pinterest as a natural extension of its show. They have boards for fitness routines, recipes and motivational quotes as well as extras from the show. Consider adding how-to and inspirational content that’ll help Pinners connect your brand with their own personal goals.

Check out some of the TV shows on Pinterest: The Biggest Loser, CBS Sports, Community, The CW, Downton Abbey, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Game of Thrones, Girls, Mad Men, New Girl, Orange is the New Black, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation, Scandal, Showtime, Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Voice.

— Kevin Knight, currently Pinning to Pinterest, the movie

Three ways to improve your Pins

Just one Pin can give people a glimpse into what makes your business special, so you want to make sure you’re making an impression.

When people see Pins in their home feed, category feeds or search results, they make a snap judgment about whether they want to click further or repin. Clicks send traffic back to your website while repins ensure your stuff gets seen by more people. (In other words, you want both!)

We studied thousands of Pins to figure out which ones get the most traction. Three common elements jumped out:

Vertical Pins work better

Pins with a vertical aspect ratio flow better with the Pinterest experience. That’s because Pinterest organizes images vertically, stacked one on top of another in a grid. Also, most people use Pinterest on their mobile phones, so vertical Pins just look better than horizontal ones.

Longer descriptions outperform shorter ones

There’s a lot  said about the visual nature of Pinterest, but it’s also a service that people use to plan their lives. The Pin description is an important spot to explain how that Pin can help someone pursue their interests. On other sites, short copy works because you’re competing for attention. But with Pinterest, it’s more effective to write thoughtful, useful descriptions. You don't need to max out on our character limits, but feel free to add details where it makes sense. (Bonus: these descriptions help your Pins show up in search results!)

Positive, aspirational messages resonate

Descriptions that talk about a Pin and its value work better than straight explanations. Instead of saying “We’re selling this blue sweater” or “Make this chicken parmesan recipe,” imagine yourself as a Pinner. Try talking about how the sweater fits in perfectly with a spring wardrobe or how a busy parent can make the chicken parmesan recipe in under 30 minutes with just a few ingredients.

We’re planning to share out more advice on how to craft quality Pins and boards, but we hope this helps you see more clicks and repins on your stuff.

—  Kevin Knight, currently Pinning to Advertising & Marketing

A feed just for shopping

We know people love to use Pinterest for shopping ideas, which is why we’ve created a new Gifts feed of all the different things you could buy.

The work-in-progress feed lives with our regular categories but it’s special because it only shows Product Pins. Product Pins show extra details like pricing, availability and where to buy right on the Pin so Pinners can decide which products are right for them.

So far, we’ve learned that Product Pins get higher click-through rates than regular Pins and make your brand more visible because of the logo on the Pin.  Pinners also get email notifications when Product Pins they’ve saved drop in price.

The Gifts feed also includes a few price filters so you can find something for every budget. $$$$ means the price is greater than $200, $$$ means the price is between $50-$200, $$ means the price is from $25 to $50 and $ is anything less than that.

If you want your stuff to show up in the Gifts feed, make sure you get Rich Pins.  You can get everything you need on our developers site. We tried to keep it simple, but you might want to ask a developer to help you out.

—Kevin Knight, currently Pinning to Things

Video: the best ways to market on Pinterest

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We’ve got one more video from last spring’s partner event to share. This time, listen to Kevin Knight, from our partner marketing team, talk to businesses about effective ways to create boards and Pins that reach people as they explore their interests.

Plus, Kevin talks about the different resources businesses can use on Pinterest for Business. 

— Sadia Latifi, currently Pinning to BOLD

Video: How Sephora uses Pinterest to spot trends

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Listen to Bridget Dolan, Sephora's VP of interactive media, talk about how the beauty retailer uses Pinterest to help clients try out the latest trends. 

This video is from an event we held for partners last spring. Dolan also talks about how Sephora found success with the Pin It button and how the brand creates Pins that reach Pinners while they're in a shopping mindset.

— Sadia Latifi, currently Pinning to BOLD

Unlimited secret boards help you plan on Pinterest

During the holidays, we gave everyone a few more secret boards so people had a place to plan their gift lists and holiday surprises. Since then, we’ve heard all sorts of interesting ways Pinners and businesses are using secret boards, so we’ve decided to give you an unlimited number of them!

Secret boards are perfect for planning something you’re not quite ready to reveal to your followers. For example, Tory Burch uses them to curate and perfect upcoming boards, and to share inspiration internally.

If you’re thinking about a creative way to tell a story with your Pins—like Caribou Coffee did—try staging them on a secret board first. Or if you’re planning your spring line in the dead of winter, keep get everything on a lined up on a secret board until you’re ready to go.

Unlimited secret boards can help you plan and prepare your Pinterest marketing, so you can put your best foot forward, whenever you’re ready.

—Scott Tong, currently Pinning to [wouldn't you like to know?]

How people explore their interests on Pinterest

People use Pinterest to pursue their interests, but people have many interests that evolve over time. As a researcher here at Pinterest, I’ve been figuring out how and why people Pin. So far, we can break down the different stages of interests into four different Pinterest mindsets, which might help you as you figure out what type of Pins to add. 

The four modes are:

“I’m just looking…”

This is when a Pinner might be browsing with no particular goal in mind. They’re just looking to be inspired. It’s an undefined need for someday in the future.

A Pinner might be thinking: “I’m interested in travel, running and healthy eating” or “I’m really into black and white photography” or even “What do you have to show me today, Pinterest?”

“Maybe I could…”

A Pinner here might be exploring a new interest or considering taking on a new project. The need is more defined but the timeframe is still sometime in the future.

A Pinner might be thinking: “Maybe I could travel to India someday,” or “Maybe I could go kayaking,” or even “Maybe I could pull off patterned pants.”

“I’m narrowing it down…”

This is when a Pinner might not know exactly what they’re looking for, but they’ll need to figure it out soon. The need isn’t super defined but the timeframe is sooner.

A Pinner might be thinking: “This kayak could work for my trip,” or “I need to replace my running shoes but don’t know what brand or style is best for me,” or even “I need to get my brother a gift but I have no idea what.”

“I know what I need!”

A Pinner here knows exactly what they’re looking for and they need it right away. They have a defined need and short timeframe.

A Pinner might be thinking: “I need a place to kayak during my Florida trip,” or “I need an Asian asparagus recipe to cook tonight,” or even “That’s the one!”

Pins trigger modes

Take a closer look at these modes and you start to see something familiar: the modes mirror the customer journey. People start looking, get inspired, narrow down their options and then make a decision. We think businesses like yours can add all kinds of Pins that help them every step of the way.

What’s more, most people don’t come to Pinterest with explicit goals—it’s the Pin itself that triggers a certain mode. A Pinner might move between modes on a specific interest over time, and because of Pinterest’s grid layout, they bounce between different interests and modes in a single visit.  

There’s lots of possibilities for businesses here. Pins that are a mix of aspirational and actionable can help people as they explore their interests, or cycle through different modes. A single Pin could even trigger different modes—one Pinner might look at your military-style jacket Pin and see something they’re going to buy right away while the other might look at it as something that inspires them to change up their style.

As long as your content provides Pinners with a dose of inspiration or usefulness, you’re helping people pursue their interests.

—Larkin Brown, currently Pinning to Style Prints

Video: Target uses Pinterest to inspire customers

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Listen to Bonnie Gross, Target’s VP of digital marketing & loyalty, talk about how Target uses Pinterest to inspire and connect with customers.

This video is from an event we held for partners last spring. Gross shares how Target first developed a content strategy and then added Pinterest tools like the Pin It button and Rich Pins to help their Pins go farther. 

(In the mood for more Target? The megastore's launching Pinner-created party collections, and we think it’s pretty neat!)

— Sadia Latifi, currently Pinning to BOLD

A smarter Pin It button

We’re updating the Pin It button for Chrome to make it even easier for people to Pin things they find on the web. Now, when someone’s browsing your website, they’ll see a Pin It button any time they mouse over an image, so they can share it with their followers in a few clicks and quickly get back to browsing your site.

The Pin It button not only makes the content on your site more discoverable on Pinterest, but it can also result in more referral traffic coming back to your site. 

The extension won't interfere with hover Pin It buttons if you've already turned them on across your site.

If you want to, you can turn off the extension hover buttons for your site: 

To turn off hover buttons for a whole page

Add this META tag to the HEAD of the document:

<meta name="pinterest" content="nohover"></meta>

To turn off the hover button for a single image

Add the data-pin-no-hover attribute to the IMG tag:

<img src="mything.jpg" data-pin-no-hover="true" />

People will still able to Pin from your website if you turn off hover buttons. If you’d like more information on how all of this works, please see our FAQ on the developer site.

We’re testing the new Pin It button in Chrome first, but we’ll bring it to other browsers soon!

—Jason Costa, currently Pinning to Beautiful Guitars

Repins help you reach more people

Businesses on Pinterest are like concierges, helping people discover and do the things they’re interested in.

And the more you help people pursue their interests, the more people you stand to reach on Pinterest. That’s because when Pinners find something that’s helpful or inspirational, they’ll repin it. Repinning not only means that the Pinner can look up that Pin later, it also means they’ve shared that Pin with their followers. 

Here’s what we mean: Making a cake sounds simple enough, but to do it, you need to find the right recipe, go to a store and get ingredients. It’s a chance for businesses like food magazines, grocery stores and CPG brands to offer recipes, baking equipment and tips to someone eager to bake that oh-so-tasty cake.

When one person discovers something they like and repins it, lots of other people can see it on their home feed. Even better: some of these people will click on the Pin, bringing motivated, valuable traffic to your website.

Likes and comments on Pins are another way to see how interested people are in your Pins. Since repinning creates a spread, we think it’s the biggest opportunity to scale your content on Pinterest.

Here are a few ways you can get more repins on your stuff:

Make or share content that’s inspirational or useful

If it makes a Pinner smile, laugh or daydream, that’s a good sign. If it offers a helpful tip or motivates a Pinner to take an action, that’s just more reason for them to save it to one of their boards.

Use large, beautiful and vertical  images

Captivate your audience with a photo or illustration that makes an impact.

Write thoughtful Pin descriptions

This helps people see the value of a Pin and explain why they might want to add it to one of their boards. The description also helps you get seen in search results.

Test and learn

Keep an eye on which of your Pins get the most repins. (Pinterest web analytics can help!) Once you figure out what’s popular, add more Pins like it.

—Kevin  Knight, currently Pinning to Food

It's going to be an interesting year

We started rolling out a preview of a  new tool we’re calling Interests. There, people can explore personalized interests designed to help them find Pins they like.

For example, if someone’s into traveling, we might show them specific travel Pins, like travel in New York City. To see your own interests, visit Pinterest on your desktop browser and select “Preview! Explore Interests” in the categories menu. Your interests on Pinterest change over time, just like they do in real life. We’ll be rolling this out to mobile and everyone around the world soon.

There’s lots for brands and businesses to get excited about, too.

Before, the billions of Pins on Pinterest were organized into just a handful of broad categories, like Gardening or Men’s Fashion. Interests offer a new form of discovery that helps people find content based on niche interests, like vertical gardens or ties.

That means it’s even more important to make sure your images are visually striking and include relevant keywords in their descriptions. Also, it’s a good idea to get Rich Pins, which show off extra information right on the Pin. We use some of this metadata to figure out which Pins belong to different interests.

We’ve seen a positive response to Interests so far, and we think it’ll help brands get even more exposure on Pinterest.

This is just the beginning of our effort to make Pinterest as relevant as possible for each person—stay tuned for more!

—Sadia Latifi, currently Pinning to Nice Pair