Pinterest has added a heap of new business tools an options this year as it continues on its mission to become a bigger player in the eCommerce space. As a quick reminder, they've rolled out improved buyable pins (there are now more than 60 million buyable Pins on the site), advanced image search capabilities, remarketing and custom audience tools, video Pins, and an entirely re-designed mobile app experience.
Given these changes, it's clear that Pinterest is now moving further away from being a social network, and more towards a product discovery platform. In fact, Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann has stated exactly that:
"When we talk to people about Pinterest we often describe it as not a social network. Social networks are about communicating with other people. Pinterest is really about planning and getting ideas for your own personal life."
And when you consider that 75% of saved Pins already come from business boards, and that Pinterest has also increased its monthly active audience by 50% within the last 12 months, the focus on business use makes sense.
In line with this, Pinterest has today announced a new showcase display option brands can use to highlight their top boards and products.
You can select up to five of your boards to feature - you can set them up via the web version of the site (once the feature is available in your region, you'll be prompted to do so as soon as you click onto your profile).
Once you click on the '+', you're taken to a listing of your showcase feature slots where you can select the boards you want visitors to your profile to see first.
Once you've set this up, visitors to your profile will see these top boards highlighted above your other Pin content - Pinterest will automatically scroll through your chosen boards (as shown in the above GIF example).
Pinterest also notes that your content will display consistently across the web and mobile version:
"The boards you showcase, the cover images you choose for each board - they look the same no matter where people choose to view your profile."
In my testing, the showcase boards have not yet displayed the same on the mobile app, but it the full functionality hasn't rolled out to all users as yet. Pinterest notes that, once available, your showcase will replace the block of your most recent Pins at the top of your profile on mobile - "so instead of starting people off with a random sampling of your latest saves, you control what they see."
In addition, Pinterest has also changed the way Pins are displayed on your profile.
"Now when people visit your profile, they see a tab for your boards and a tab for your Pins-the things they're most interested in. So if someone wants the total number of ideas you've saved, they just switch over to your Pins tab. Meanwhile the Pins you've Liked, which other people don't really care about, are only visible to you."
The new updates give you more control over how your content is displayed, helping you showcase your products and offerings in a more effective way.
And if you're looking for inspiration for how others are using the new option, Pinterest suggests you check out Burberry, Swanson Broth, Corey Egan Jewelry, Lowe's and Monogram.
The new Showcase and mobile display changes are rolling out to all users from today.