Pinterest announced on Tuesday that it is starting to launch Buyable Pins on iPhone and iPad enabling users to purchase items directly from the the app from select partners.
Do you expect Pinterest to contribute significantly to your selling strategy over the long term? Discuss in the comments.
“As a catalog of ideas, our mission is to help people bring their creative ideas to life,” a spokesperson for the company said in an email. “In the next few weeks, 30 million Pins all over Pinterest will become buyable (this includes Pins people have already saved that will light up with blue prices at launch). You’ll see products from brands like Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, retailers powered by Demandware like Gardener’s Supply Company and Michaels, and Shopify stores like Poler Outdoor Stuff and SOBU.”
“Buyable Pins will light up with a blue price tag and are discoverable through home feed, boards, category feeds, search results and recommendations,” they added. “We’ve also launched a price filter for buyable Pins. When you’re ready to buy, just click Buy It and pay with Apple Pay or credit card right from the Pinterest app.”
To go along with the Buyable Pins, Pinterest is launching a “Shop our Picks” feature, which is described as “hand-picked products for different seasonal categories like camping, Fourth of July style and beach wear.”
There’s also a “Shop” category, which displays the latest Buyable Pins.
Here’s a look at searching for Buyable Pins, as well as comparing color choices and placing an order:
Pinterest tells businesses they can control the shopping experience as Pinterest doesn’t take a cut from your sales, and you still handle the shipping and customer service.
“That’s why we’re only working with merchants who care about providing Pinners with the best possible experience,” the company says.
“If your business uses Shopify, log into your account and simply add the Pinterest channel. You can enable Buyable Pins in just a few clicks!” Pinterest says. “If you use Demandware to power your store, you can get Buyable Pins in the coming weeks. Just contact your Demandware customer success manager to learn more.”
There’s a good chance you don’t fall into one of these categories, but fret not. Pinterest will be expanding its integrations in time. If you want to get in on the action, you can currently sign up for the waitlist.
Shopify said in a blog post last month, “Shopify is currently the only way for small and medium-sized businesses to sell using Buyable Pins on Pinterest. If you have an online store with Shopify, you can start selling your products on Pinterest by adding the Pinterest sales channel. Once you’re approved by Pinterest, any product that’s ever been Pinned from your online store will automatically become a Buyable Pin and include a “Buy it” button. All of your Pinterest orders, products and customers will automatically be synchronized with Shopify, just like any other sales channel.”
Demandware said, “Demandware is enabling its customers to deliver on their digital mobile marketing strategies – and drive sales – through their existing enterprise ecommerce platform, the Demandware Commerce Cloud. Retailers simply need to make their products buyable on Pinterest; there are no new systems or separate inventory required, and retailers capture and process transactions through their native systems.”
Pinterest is going to notify users when they’re able to start shopping with Buyable pins on iPhone and iPad. It will also do so when it eventually expands the feature to Android and the web.
The company has also been notifying users about changes to its privacy policy that enable the feature. These include language about saving credit card information and sharing it with sellers as well as serving users ads based on the items they’ve bought using Buyable Pins. Here’s what Pinterest said in an email:
1. When you buy something on Pinterest, you’ll need to share some payment and contact info with us so that we can complete your order. We’ll save this info so you don’t have to type it in next time you make a purchase. We’ll also share this info with the seller, and they’ll treat it as if you bought from their website directly.
2. We also hope to make Promoted Pins even more relevant and useful to Pinners like you. For example, if you purchased a camping tent on Pinterest, we may show you Promoted Pins for other outdoorsy products.
Naturally, this will create some new opportunities for businesses advertising on Pinterest. From the sound of it, that goes even for those who aren’t necessarily using Buyable Pins.
Are you looking forward to utilizing buyable pins for your own business? Do you expect the feature to be a game changer for social commerce? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image via Pinterest