So you're cruising Pinterest and spot the dining room set of your dreams. But when you click through, you get a dead link, with no product info to be found. Is there anything more frustrating?
Pinterest is rolling out changes that will address that pesky issue. With the introduction of rich pins, users will see automatically updated info about products from third party websites right on Pinterest images, making them easy to find and purchase. This is a big opportunity for brands to drive more revenue from the rapidly growing social network.
Take a look at the bottom of the pins in this image to see what these mobile-ready rich pins look like:
Here's a recap of the change:
What: Pinterest explained details of the first three Pinterest categories that will get rich pins.
Products: Brands can include real-time pricing, availability, and info on where to buy products like clothing and furniture.
Recipes: Companies and food bloggers can includeingredients, cook times, and serving information for recipes.
Movies: Movie rich pins can include ratings, cast members and reviews.
Where: Pinners can spot rich pins by looking for rich pin icons below the pins. Some users can enable them now by clicking the "Get it now"button on top of your Pinterest home feed.
When: As is common for social networking sites, Pinterest is rolling out the changes gradually, so you might not be able to see them just yet. The timing will be determined by scaling interest among the ecommerce and entertainment industries.
Why: Ecommerce brands are likely to see increased engagement and revenue. Pins will offer far deeper info on individual products including pricing and availability.
How: To add meta tags to your website, test out your rich pins, and apply to receive Pinterest validation, follow these directions for web developers. Previously posted pins can be converted to rich pins retroactively after you include the metatag information on your webpages.