If you are an avid Pinterest user, you may have heard about Pinterest Idea Pins! Also, if you are a business owner who is looking for new ways to engage your audience, we highly recommend using Idea Pins as part of your strategy.

Pinterest Idea Pins are a highly dynamic form of content that is changing how creators and brands interact with their followers. Idea Pins are believed to offer a more immersive, engaging, and creative experience to users, thereby making them a highly preferred choice of content format. 

That said, whether you are a marketer, a small business owner, or someone who wants to get the most out of Pinterest, it is high time to explore Idea Pins and consider how you can use them. 

In this post, we will be exploring everything there is to know about Pinterest Idea Pins. We will be looking at what they are, how they differ from conventional pins, and how you can leverage them to make your marketing strategy more effective. We also offer some creative ideas that can help you use Idea Pins to stand out and maximize your reach. Without any further ado, let's get started.

What are Pinterest Idea Pins?

What exactly are Idea Pins? Simply put, they are an advanced type of pins that enable you to share multi-page multimedia content, including images, texts, videos, and interactive elements. 

The idea originated when a major percentage of Pinterest users expressed their desire to increase engagement via video content and explore content on Pinterest directly. The Idea Pins were used to replace the Story Pins (introduced in 2020) and were first introduced for Pinterest for business in 2021. They were originally intended for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. 

You can think of Idea Pins as a digital album or a slide show, except they are much more engaging and multi-purposed. You can create up to 20 pages of content to present your ideas, products, or stories in a more interactive and immersive way. On each page, you can upload a video of up to 60 seconds. 

Unlike traditional Pinterest Pins, which are merely static images or videos that link to an external website, Pinterest Idea Pins are designed to keep the users on Pinterest. This makes Idea Pins perfect for creators and brands who want to build a community and engage with their audience directly on the platform. 

What Makes Idea Pins Different From Conventional Pins?

The main difference between an Idea Pin and a conventional Pin, or an average Pin as you might call it, is the level of interactivity. Conventional Pins usually feature a single image or a video with a link to an external website. At the same time, Idea Pins allow for multiple pieces of multimedia content that you can swipe through, watch, or engage with. 

Idea Pins do not have any clickable links. Instead, they encourage users to interact with your content right on Pinterest. With an Idea Pin, you can add up to 20 slides, which feature images, videos, texts, stickers, and more. The allowed duration of 60 seconds for each page gives you the flexibility to share tutorials, stories, and even multi-step guides. 

A key feature that makes Idea Pins so attractive is the availability of advanced editing tools. There are a variety of tools that you can use to enrich your Idea Pins. These include text overlays, voiceovers, background music stickers, and transition effects for a polished and more professional look. 

Another cool feature of Idea Pins is that they do not expire like Instagram Stories. Once an Idea Pin is published, it stays on your profile and becomes a permanent part of your Pinterest content library. This feature led Pinterest to change the name from Story Pins to Idea Pins, as it was confusing to users. 

Why Should You Use Pinterest Idea Pins in Your Marketing Strategy?

In our opinion, Idea Pins are an excellent tool for boosting engagement on the platform and creating an interactive experience with the audience. Here is why you should consider incorporating them into your marketing strategy:

Build a Stronger Connection with Your Audience

Idea Pins help you tell stories, show snippets of content that otherwise never make it to the mainstream feed like behind-the-scenes clips, and share tutorials. This helps humanize your brand and develop a deeper connection with your audience.

Boost Your Visibility

As we mentioned earlier, Idea Pins are permanent and do not expire, so they have the potential to reach out to more people over time. Moreover, the Pinterest algorithm favors Idea Pins and gives them a higher chance of appearing in the Today’s tab or being recommended to users. 

Encourage More User Interaction

With the availability of features like stickers, reactions, and comments, Idea Pins encourage users to engage with your content. This interaction can lead to increased brand awareness, more followers, and better reach.

Increase Your Brand Awareness

Whether you are presenting your products to the audience, sharing tutorials, or lifestyle content, Idea Pins are a great way to introduce your audience to your brand and what you offer. This way, you can enhance brand awareness and brand recall over time.

Drive More Traffic 

While Idea Pins do not have any external links, you can still drive traffic to your site or blog by directing the users to your Pinterest profile. From there, they can explore content and click on any links they like on your profile. There is a slide at the end that features directions to your profile where they can access your other pins and explore your content.

Some Creative Ways to Use Pinterest Pins

If we were to name one thing that Pinterest is mostly known for, creativity comes to mind first. When it comes to creativity, Idea Pins take it to the next level. Here are some unique ways you can use Idea Pins to get your audience's attention:

How-To Guides and Tutorials

One of the most popular uses for Idea Pins is to share step-by-step guides or tutorials. It can be cooking, craft making, digital marketing, or any other content form, and Idea Pins offers you the perfect format for teaching your audience how to do something. You can use a combination of images, videos, and texts to break down each step clearly and add some personality with music or voiceover to keep it fun and engaging. 

Product Demonstrations

If you have a product or service, Idea Pins are a great way to show how it works. Simply create a detailed step-by-step demonstration or show the different features of your product in action. You can even add text overlays or voiceovers to explain things in more detail.

Behind-The-Scenes Content

Everyone loves a peek behind the curtains! To appease that curiosity and bring in more engagement, use Idea Pins and give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your business, the creative process, or simply daily life. 

Be it showing the audience how your products are made or sharing a day in the life of your team, this type of content helps build a deeper connection with your followers and increases their trust and interest in you.  

Lists and Roundups

People love lists, and Idea Pins are the perfect format for them. You can share a list of your favorite books, food, tools, recipes, products, or any other. Make your lists visually appealing by using multiple slides with images or videos of each item. You can even add a call-to-action link at the end to invite users to save your PIN and check out your website if they want more information. Such a clever idea to get more traffic!

Customer Testimonials and Reviews

This is one format that is used by many businesses, particularly the new or smaller setups that are trying to establish trust with their target audience. 

Idea Pins can also be great for times when you want your customers to do the talking for you. Create an Idea Pin that shows positive testimonials or reviews from happy customers. You can add images, videos, or some user-generated content to make the Pin more relatable and authentic.

Event Highlights

If you have hosted an event or participated in a talk show or trade show, consider using Idea Pins to share highlights from that event. You can post photos, videos, and key takeaways from that event and encourage users to follow you for more updates. This is a great way to get the people excited and talking about what is to come.

Seasonal Content

Another form of content that can be presented nicely via Idea Pins is seasonal content. You can share holiday promotions, seasonal trends, or any other form of content that needs to be relevant, timely, and in line with the ongoing or upcoming season. Show holiday specials, products, festive recipes, or seasonal style guides in your Idea Pins, and do not forget to add that CTA to invite users to shop or learn more. 

Some Best Practices for Creating Pinterest Idea Pins

If you want to make the most of your Pinterest Idea Pins and ensure they serve the purpose of boosting engagement, here are some tips that may prove to be helpful:

• Use high-quality visuals- Pinterest is regarded as a visual-intensive platform, so make sure your pictures and videos are of exceptional quality. Invest in good lighting, take clear shots, and add attractive designs to ensure your Idea Pins instantly grab attention.
• Keep it vertical- Pinterest favors vertical content so make sure your Idea Pins are designed in a 9:16 aspect ratio for optimal display on mobile devices.
• Tell a story- Idea Pins are perfect for storytelling. Use the multi-page format to guide your audience through a narrative or process. This helps keep viewers engaged and invested in your content.
• Add interactive elements- Take advantage of Pinterest's editing tools by adding stickers, text overlays, and voiceovers where applicable to make your Pins more engaging. These elements can add a distinct personality to your content and make it more memorable. While voiceovers can help you explain the content in a more personal or relatable way, music can set the mood, so use it where you can and make your Pins hard to ignore.
• Focus on engagement- Encourage interaction, ask questions, get reactions, and prompt the users to comment or share your Idea Pin. The more engagement you get, the higher the chances of your content being recommended to others.

Final Thoughts

With Pinterest in the spotlight as a content creators' favorite platform, Idea Pins are becoming more popular with their ability to get more interactions and showcase creativity. Whether you are a marketer, a small business, or an influencer, this feature offers a myriad of possibilities for brand promotion, storytelling, and community building.

Think about how you can use Idea Pins and experiment with different types of content to connect with your audience, and increase your presence on Pinterest. Start creating today with Idea Pins, and let your creativity run wild.