Soon, you will be able to buy and sell right from WITHIN Pinterest! Products will have a blue ‘Buy it’ button right next to the ‘Pin it’ button. Here’s how it will work: Users simply click on the Buy it button, and are then presented with two simple payment options – Apple Pay or credit card. After making their selection, they are brought to the checkout page where they complete their transaction. After hitting ‘Pay’, payment is processed and the buyer receives an email receipt. Done! What’s the catch?…
It doesn’t work with just any ecommerce platform, at least yet. Popular platforms like WooCommerce and Shopp are not on the supported list. But eventually they will be. So, if you’ve been ignoring Pinterest, now is the time to get moving.
Like many things, the big brands are going to get the first shot. Macy’s Nordstroms, and Michaels for example are already on board. But you can sign up for the Buyable Pins waitlist to receive a notification when they’re available for your site.
As of right now, Pinterest isn’t charging anything for buyable pins. They won’t take a cut of your sales, and they won’t charge for setting up the pins. What they WILL be doing, is offering businesses the opportunity to promote their buyable pins, getting their products displayed for relevant search queries and in users’ feeds.
For right now, this option isn’t available to business owners. In an interview with TechCrunch, Tim Kendall, Pinterest’s GM of Monetization, emphasized that buyable pins are first and foremost about improving the user experience: “This isn’t an ad offering, it’s an experience for pinners. Pinners tell us, ‘I discover great things from Pinterest every day, I stumble across it, I wish I could buy it on Pinterest without leaving’ — it’s about addressing that pain point.”
When? I haven’t found a release date yet, but indications are by the end of the summer. Meanwhile, start getting your pins ready. Use high quality photos and descriptive, helpful text. Add a pin it button to each of your products on your site. Don’t get left behind on this – prepare now.
More information: https://business.pinterest.com/en/buyable-pins
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