Pinterest is a great way to discover new recipes, plan a wedding, and procrastinate. For some companies, it’s also a great way to procure cheap and effective advertising.
Pin to Win
Companies are reaching out to “Pinfluencers” in order to reach their audience without paying for official promoted pins. “Pinfluencers” pin sponsored content on their boards under the guise of their own content.
One of the main “Pinfluencer” networks is HelloSociety
. HelloSociety employs over 300 influencers that span a multitude of categories and demographics. HelloSociety even features a “look book” of their pinners’ interests and specialties.
Some companies are finding this approach more effective than the paid ads. “We often see twice the lift in engagement on a product when we use an influencer on Pinterest,” Sean Ryan, director of social and mobile marketing for J. C. Penney said.
Transparency is Key
This kind of promotion is interesting, but comes with strings attached. The “Pinfluencer” paid content blends in so flawlessly with the user’s actual content, it’s hard to see where the ads begin and end.
I’m fine with advertising on social media, but I’d like a company to be upfront about it. If someone I admire on Pinterest posts a cool product from Target, how do I know they’ve even used the product?
Networks like Influenster require full disclosure that you received a product from the company to review. If this type of promotion continues on Pinterest, I hope to see the same type of transparency.
What do you think about this type of promotion? Share your thoughts below.
fox in color 
I agree with wanting to know if a company is using Pinterest users. Now every time I see a pin, I’m going to second guess it. I love Target and all the things they sell but in order for the [buyer/seller] relationship to continue, we need some honesty.
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