The Future of Pinterest for Creators

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Earlier this week, Pinterest held a virtual C-suite keynote address. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really seen Pinterest as a place for creators. I tried it many years ago when they added the ability to upload vertical videos, but I could never really get into creating specifically for the platform. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have any physical products to sell, or maybe I just see it as a place for inspiration rather than content creation. I got a random email from the platform about Pinterest Presents, so I decided to check it out so you didn't have to. Here are some of my key takeaways from the pre-recorded session, which you can watch here:

• They're setting the tone that Pinterest is highly inclusive, has an emphasis on digital wellness, and is very transparent. They're actively trying to be the platform of joy, youth, and commerce: a healthier Instagram and a safer Twitter.

• They want people to leave the platform when clicking on an ad, which is the exact opposite of Twitter and Instagram.

• This keynote is night and day from the CEO Keynote on Medium Day 2024. They cleverly hooked you with a comedy skit and then showed users of the platform in a fun way. While this is highly produced, you almost forget that much of the user-generated content is filmed on a cell phone. The CEO, while direct and to the point, looks much more poised and doesn't center himself for the full 45 minutes.

• People come to Pinterest for ideas. Brands help turn those ideas into reality.

• Decisions are made on Pinterest. Since people mull over which products they want to buy by creating boards, they seem to be encouraging people to advertise all year round and for consumers to treat their platform as a personal shopper.

• Most ad dollars go to Google and Meta, and Pinterest aims to chip away at that duopoly. Relying on only two main channels for paid acquisition is dangerous for advertisers (read = large brands with huge budgets), but it’s been the staple for quite a few years now in the digital advertising space.

• Pinterest is still mainly B2C instead of B2B (which isn’t great news for creators looking to grow a community).

If you’re considering Pinterest as a creator, here are a few reasons I think it would be a great fit:

• If you want to build mini landing pages for your affiliate links to products and software tools.

• If you do camera, tech, or gear reviews that you want to direct traffic to (on YouTube, a blog, etc.)

• If you’re a UGC creator and want to leverage video on Pinterest for more clicks to products.

There are probably more use cases that I’m missing, but these stand out to me the most. Let me know your thoughts! Do you use Pinterest currently? Will you be trying Pinterest in 2025?

In Readworthy News

// Spotify Fan Study 2024 is released. Spotify is continuing to double down on competing with YouTube in the video podcast space. Lots of gems in this very beautifully designed page but two things stuck out to me: Gen Z listeners may be in first place when it comes to watching shows on Spotify, but the 55+ age segment is a fairly close second. Fewer creators are making shows for the 55+ age segment, even though they have more money to spend than the younger generation. There’s an opportunity there. Spotify has a comments section now for podcasts. I’m interested to see how that allows podcast creators to build community in the same way they can in the YouTube comments section. There isn’t data on this yet, as I think people have yet to see Spotify as a “social” platform.

// ConvertKit is now Kit. CEO Nathan Barry and his team have been hyping this rebrand for quite a while now, and as of this week, it is officially complete. The new website looks snazzy, has clear messaging, and a clearer pricing structure than before. It also boasts a new app market for creators to connect their email list to. Beehiiv has taken their shots at the Kit team, but I do think that this platform is headed in the right direction for folks who want to make money from digital products and leverage digital products as lead magnets to grow their audience.

// Apple Updates Podcast App. If you create or produce a limited series narrative podcast, you are finally in luck. Apple Podcasts has created a new “Series” category so that limited series shows can get the recognition they deserve. This new category will be featured in a section called Series Essentials which will rotate shows each month.

Very creator tech-heavy today. I hope these data insights give you ideas for how to use tech in your creator business. I hope you enjoy this new month!

Please Hustle Responsibly,

🤙🏾✨

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