Idea Pins are  a multi-page video format that is available to all users in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The new feature is available to all Pinners that have a business account on the platform.

The last year has seen an explosion in tools for creators. From Reels to Fleets to  filters to  live streaming, the list goes on and on.

Pinterest is no stranger to the party and has launched multiple tools and set new guidelines to make Pinterest a more conducive place for positivity and inspiration this year. In April we saw that rollout of the Content Claiming Portal and Creator Code. This week we are witnessing the global launch of Pinterest’s latest addition: Idea Pins.

Idea Pins are a new way for creators on Pinterest to “publish high-quality, long-lasting, sav-able content directly to Pinterest,” according to Pinterest’s Newsroom announcement.

This new feature has just been made available to anyone with a Pinterest business account, but some Pinners have been using it since September 2020. Pinterest released Story Pins in a beta format last fall. The initial rollout was designed to test how Story Pins affected engagement, what featured needed to be tweaked, and how creators felt about using the new tool, overall., Pinterest listened to their creators and, with 8-months of testing under their belt, adapted and designed a tool that is unlike anything else on the market.

Pinterest’s beta testing of Idea Pins found that they did not simply increase engagement for creators – they increased engagement by nearly 400%.

An Evolving Product

Idea Pins are kind of like Story Pins “all grown up.” Pinterest says, “Idea Pins are an evolution of Story Pins, with a fresh name to better match the uniqueness of a product that empowers creators to share long-lasting ideas and not ephemeral stories. Starting [May 18, 2021], creators will have a suite of new publishing tools including, video-first features, fresh editing tools and updates to make creating Idea Pins easier and more creative.”

Here is a list of the features that Idea Pin creation includes:

·  Video recording and editing for up to 20 pages of content

·  Voice-over recording, so creators can add their own personal voice

·  Music selection by Epidemic Sound

·  Ghost mode transition tools (perfect for those before-and-afters!)

·  Detail pages for instructions or ingredients

·  Interactive elements like people tagging and stickers

·  Multi-draft save, so creators can publish more ideas

·  Export options to share content on other platforms

·  Topic tagging, a publishing feature that helps connect content to relevant interests

·  The Creator Code – Pinterest’s content policy designed to keep Pinterest a positive and inspiring place

These features are available only to creators that have a Pinterest Business account. However, they were not designed only with creators in mind. Story pins are beneficial for the browsing Pinner that is looking to be inspired, as well.

A More Engaged Community

Idea Pins and all of their features have a single, overarching goal: to create a community that is genuinely engaged on Pinterest. So far, Pinterest is attaining that goal.

“In the past month, Pinterest has seen a 9x the average comment rate on Idea Pins compared to standard Pins.* With Idea Pins, Pinners can see the process of inspiration unfold – from the initial spark, through personalization, iteration and conversation, ending with tries (and fails!)” Pinterest said.

Here is a brief breakdown of how Idea Pins work on Pinterest:

·  Idea Pins from creators that a Pinner follows will appear at the top of their home feed

·  Idea Pins are refreshed each time the home feed is refreshed, to give Pinners fresh content with each visit

·  Idea Pins will also appear in search results, the Today Tab, and at the top of creator profiles.

·  Idea Pins will be displayed in full-screen stream view

Creators such as  The Joshua Tree House, Dixon Fit, and Natalie Ho have already grown their audiences.

“By creating Idea Pins, I have seen high engagement on Pinterest, increased impressions and I’m seeing my content remain relevant longer. Idea Pins are a great way for me to showcase behind the scenes tutorials and show step-by-step processes on my home decor, craft and DIY content. I love all the different tools and features available to me with Idea Pins, including the editing options, unlimited video length and it helps drive additional views to my Pinterest page.” –Natalie Ho, Pinterest Creator

Growing Audiences, Growing Businesses

In addition to helping creators grow their audiences through Idea Pins and the Pinterest Platform, Pinterest is helping creators grow their businesses. Last month they launched their first-ever Creator Fund to give inspirational individuals the tools they need, but might not have access to on their own, to be successful in the online creative industries. Right now they are testing creator and brand collaborations with a select few creators, including Domonique Panton, Peter Som, and GrossyPelosi.

Evan Sharpe, co-founder and chief design and creative officer at Pinterest, says that Pinterest believes “the best inspiration comes from people who are fueled by their passions and want to bring positivity and creativity into the world.” He goes on to say that Idea Pins empower creators “to share their passions and inspire and grow their audiences. By helping people on Pinterest spark creativity, try new things, build confidence, and be themselves, we believe creators are truly helping with our mission of bringing inspiration to create a life you love.”

Pinterest is also working on product tagging within Idea Pins so creators’ audiences can shop their products through their Pinterest content. “We’re still exploring where creators can monetize their work in meaningful and scalable ways, while reaching the audiences that are most significant for them,” Pinterest Says. “We’ll have more to share about how this program continues to evolve in the coming months.”

*(Pinterest Internal Data, Global, April 2021)