Pinterest is one of my favorite social media platforms, although I find myself using it not for the social aspect but for pinning things that I would like to make/do in the future. They recently just introduced a new type of pin called a Place Pin that allows users to map out the locations of their pins. “For example, if a user pins a photo of a burger from a local restaurant in her neighborhood, she can also add the restaurant’s location to a map on her board. With these locations, users can better create pinboards for trip planning and highlighting hotspots in their particular neighborhood”, according to Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann. After users pin these Place Pins, they are also able to share their boards with friends.
These types of pins have a lot of potential to be promoted pins as ads. The pins can offer information about name, location, and phone number of a restaurant or retail store. Stores could offer coupons or deals through these pins for potential customers. The only downside at this point is that Place Pins are not available on mobile devices, which would give retailers direct access to consumers wherever they are. This is a big new step for Pinterest and shows that they are moving in the direction of adding value for consumers and retailers.