How Pinterest is Embracing Inclusivity and Video Content

More than ever, people, especially younger demographics are looking to places like Pinterest to be inspired. They want to be represented and find inspiration that directly ties into their passions and primary interests. This has only been exacerbated by the global pandemic in addition to the industry seeing a massive shift towards video consumption and creation.

Here are a few ways Pinterest is doubling down on these trends and taking advantage of the whitespaces presented by COVID-19 to better connect with its audience and deliver meaningful experiences.

Embracing inclusivity and diversity

At the start of the pandemic, Pinterest reported a spike in shopping activity on the platform by nearly half (44%). Shortly after Pinterest launched new features including curated shopping lists from pinned boards, a Shop Similar algorithm, and shoppable style guides. To build on its most popular category, the platform decided to upgrade its skin tone feature launched initially in 2018, and open it to more countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

“No one should have to work extra hard to uncover personalized ideas, and all should feel welcome. A more diverse Pinterest is a more useful, positive, and powerful one.” said the company’s Annie Ta in an official statement. Ta also revealed that the app launched skin tone ranges because nearly 60 percent of searches involving “skin” included a specific tone, such as dark, olive, or pale.

Ultimately, with this move, Pinterest is demonstrating that it understands its users can’t feel inspired if they don’t feel represented. Powered by machine vision, the feature is aimed to make it easier to find relevant content specifically by offering searches including “grey hair on dark skin women,” “blonde hair color ideas for fair skin blue eyes,” and “soft natural makeup for Black women“ to deliver unique and hyper-refined results for every person.

Streamlining video pin creation

According to Pinterest data, video views on the platform have increased more than 3x in 2020 over the same period in 2019, while Pinners are also 2.6x more likely to make a purchase after viewing brand video content on the platform.

In response to the uptick in video creation, Pinterest is partnering with Vimeo in an effort to enable Pinners access to the newly launched Vimeo Create platform. By joining forces, users can upload their videos directly to Pinterest and more easily streamline their efforts. Launched in February, Vimeo Create allows brands and marketers to pick from pre-made, professionally curated video templates customizable to their specific needs or start a new video from scratch, integrating their own video footage. After the video is finalized, they can automatically tailor the content for each of their social channels in distinct versions depending on the format and aspect ratios needed: square, vertical, or horizontal.

“Designed for video newbies and experienced editors alike, Vimeo Create is built to help small businesses and scrappy creators craft video ads and social media content that drives engagement and builds brand buy-in, even if you’ve never made a video before. And now, you can seamlessly publish videos you make directly to Pinterest, no downloading or middleman required,” explained Vimeo’s Aubrey Page.

Maximize your Pinterest videos

To kick start your Pinterest video efforts — pocket these five key tips from Vimeo:

• Ensure your information is fresh and spell out the details in your copy. Get in a DIY mindset to make it engaging and interactive as possible.
• Brevity is key for maximizing impact and boosting shareability– the ideal Pinterest video length is between 6 and 15 seconds.
• Be sure your clips are explained with captions and other visuals. Most will tune in with their sound off.
• Carefully consider your thumbnail. This is the first piece people will see and it needs to be attention-grabbing, highlight your brand, and depict your aesthetic point of view.
• Don’t overlook the power of prominent branding. Place your brand name as early as possible and leverage titles and descriptions to get this across and let people know where they can find more exciting video content.

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