When we hear the name, Pinterest, we imagine design, handicrafts, art, recipes, and things like that, but definitely not news. It turns out that our ideas about this social network, which has more active users than Twitter on a monthly basis, are not so true: Pinterest is actively used by the New York Times and NPR to spread their content, and specific materials, The Guardian, and others as well. 

What if, maybe, this image search platform is really a hidden source for new readers that needs more attention? 

How does Pinterest work? 

Pinterest is a platform for storing and sharing images or videos with a source link. Users save their “pins,” which are images or videos, and can sort those pins into their own categories, which are called “boards.” In other words, Pinterest is a register of images found in the online domain, the biggest advantage of which is the presence of a source link. If users save, click on, or share a pin, it can bring a lot of traffic to the source site. 

Unlike Instagram or TikTok, people do not log in to Pinterest simply to view and like other people’s posts or scroll through the latest stories of their acquaintances. The content here does not even have a chronological order, which means that posting daily news here will not achieve anything. 

According to data on 2021, the most relevant categories on Pinterest are: 

• Home decoration 
• Handmade 
• Entertainment 
• Education 
• Art 
• Women’s fashion 
• Food and beverages 
• Beauty  
• Event planning 
• Gardening 

If you have interesting and eye-catching images on the listed topics, you can easily post them on Pinterest. 

Examples 

Editorials like NPR and the New York Times actively use Pinterest. The New York Times prepares boards on a variety of topics, from Valentine’s Day to portraits of celebrities displaying visuals. Their “Editorials and Op-eds” board has more than 1,000 pins, which lead to a link to the critical section of the NYT website. Although the newsletter with 8 million subscribers has 300 thousand followers on Pinterest, this alternative social network gives them more than 10 million monthly views. NPR has 79 thousand followers. 

Other news outlets, including NBC Sports, The Times, Sunday Times, The Guardian, LA Times, and the Daily Mirror, focus on interior design, fashion, food, travel, and culture. 

The Refinery29 digital portal, known for its women’s fashion, beauty, and health content, now uses the attention of its 1.5 million Pinterest consumers to talk about real estate and finance. 

If the question arises as to how they went from wellness to finances, it should be noted that according to Pinterest’s 2022 forecast report, the site has seen a 195% increase in the phrase searches “investment tricks” and a 90% increase in the search “financial planning diary.” The searches were mainly done by millennials (a young age group). 

“Readers are looking for trustworthy faces, personal perspectives, and experiences under the headlines. There is a real opportunity to make meaningful contact with them on Pinterest,” said Tamar Riley, president of Refinery29’s content strategy. 

The media can use Pinterest for another reason; to build a dialogue with the contrasting sections of the public. In addition, the majority of users are women, and if a journalist wants to work with that market, they can easily bring their thematic story directly to their target. 

Pinterest is also trying to help 

In January of this year, a new button, Profiles, was added to the social search engine, which aims to emphasize the importance of visual content creators. This means that there is already an opportunity to see the accounts corresponding to each keyword searched. 

The new feature will allow users to easily find a creative author on any topic, including newsletters. 

Advice 

• Consider the topic. Pinterest is a platform for specialized content. 
• Remember the gender and age composition of the users. According to 2022 data, more than 76% of the platform users are women. 
• For progression, consider only top stories, with an emphasis on visuals. 
• Put a little more effort and have the original material and pins in English as well, so that you can target even more potential readers.