As a Pinterest expert, one of the things I always tell my clients and students is that Pinterest is a platform that’s constantly evolving and changing. And I mean it! With predictions for 2023, we are entering a totally new phase for Pinterest marketing: Pinterest 3.0!
Here’s what you need to know about Pinterest 3.0 and how Pinterest has evolved to this point.
Pinterest 1.0
Pinterest 1.0 was the stage at the beginning where even Pinterest didn’t know exactly what Pinterest was going to be and what Pinterest was going to become.
Here are the main characteristics of Pinterest 1.0:
- Only basic image pins existed
- “Anything goes”, meaning we could throw anything at the wall and it would stick
- We began discovering and learning the power of Pinterest
- No one was following or spending time on profiles
- People were primed to quickly click out of Pinterest when they found something they liked
Back then, Pinterest was still a visual search engine and people were looking for things to do. But at the time, our creative content work wasn’t really intentional because we were still trying to figure out the basics of the platform.
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Pinterest 2.0
Then came Pinterest 2.0. This version of Pinterest really started when Pinterest introduced video. People had no idea what to do with video pins at first, and they weren’t very happy about it. But as Pinterest pushed video content, and as people kept watching those videos, it became obvious that video content was here to stay.
Here are some more of the main characteristics of Pinterest 2.0
- Video Pins and Idea Pins
- Huge transition from Standard Pins to Idea Pins becoming more popular
- Tactics changed, just pinning and repinning were less successful
- Focus became creating content within Pinterest
- Rise in the importance of the bio and profile
During the Pinterest 2.0 era, content creators who did not have an external website were able to start seeing success, just like people who do have an external website.
People’s profiles became the more important distinction. For example, when I look at my own stats, I have found that just in November 2022 alone, 30% of the traffic to my website from Pinterest came from the link in my bio. That’s nearly a third of the traffic, just from that one link!
So what happens next?
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Pinterest 3.0
Before we dive into what Pinterest 3.0 is, I want to tell you a little story about how and why we realized this shift. I’m connected to several other Pinterest experts, but there are two special Pinterest rockstars that I’m always connecting with. Heather Farris and Jana Osofsky are two fabulous Pinterest experts and our practices align really well.
We realized after the closure of the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program that Pinterest had not only closed the program but had dropped a different view of content. When they declared that the Creator Rewards Program was closing, they gave us some insight into where the platform is going and how we can continue using it as creators and businesses.
That’s when we knew Pinterest was shifting again and Pinterest 3.0 was here.
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What You Need To Know About Pinterest 3.0
Standard Pins are making a comeback. Actually, these never really left. Smart Pinterest users have been creating Standard Pins the whole time. But now we’ve noticed that these are getting more views, clicks, and saves.
Idea Pins are going to get links. This is beautiful! Creators have been asking for this since the beginning. We will keep creating Idea Pins, and links are a new way to monetize and a great way for business owners to drive traffic. Pinterest is also experimenting with scheduling Idea Pins.
Saves and engagement are going to really matter. When people find your pins and save them to their account, Pinterest notices this. The platform also recognizes when people click through your Pin and when they take action such as commenting or reacting. All of this engagement is going to matter more and more.
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How Pinterest 3.0 Will Change Your Marketing Strategy
During the days of Pinterest 2.0, we discovered lots of different ways to market ourselves. Repurposing our content was great; we were able to take things we made for TikTok, Reels, and Youtube shorts and repurpose them for Pinterest content. We can expect to see more new strategies emerging with Pinterest 3.0.
While there is a renewed emphasis on Standard Pins, that doesn’t mean the old strategies will suddenly work again. Fresh images and not reusing the same pins over and over is the strategy to stick with.
Teaser Content Strategy
Another strategy is creating teaser content. Because engagement is going to be such a high priority for Pinterest 3.0, you want content that causes a reaction and gets people to want to save that content.
For 2023, you are going to need to develop a Pinterest strategy that uses both Standard Pins and Idea Pins. You’ll need to pay attention to keywords, and you still need to be consistent. You can drop the overall volume of Pins, but you cannot stop the flow of them!
And finally, you need to stay on top of what Pinterest is doing. If you don’t pay attention to the changes that Pinterest 3.0 will bring, you may find yourself struggling to keep up.
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P.S – Are you wondering how to monetize with Pinterest? My FREE 10 Ways to Monetize With Pinterest! Download it here.
P.P.S – If you want a quick easy guide to get started on Pinterest, get my Pinterest 3.0 On Fire account setup and strategy here.
P.P.P.S – My Pinterest course, The Weekend Warrior Pinterest Course is an amazing complete resource for any business owner getting ready to use organic Pinterest marketing for growth. To learn more click here.
Want to chat with me about my services? Apply to work with me!