We invited Michael Akkerman[1], Global Head of Partners Program at Pinterest, to our NY office yesterday evening to speak on visual search.
He talked about discovery over search, audience engagement over audience size, less time more well-spent over more total time spent, and social communities over social networks. It was an insightful, instructive, and *obviously* visual-heavy session.
Here were some of the key takeaways / highlights.
Pinterest is a visual discovery engine — discovery over search
When people come to our platform, they’re trying to discover new pieces of information.
Our Pinners are not looking to connect with friends or post at parties. They’re doing home renovations. They’re in the market for something. They want to go and actually discover something.
Google is great for when I know what I want, but it’s really crappy when I don’t know how to articulate it. How do I describe a style I’ve only seen, a city I don’t know, a specific color?
Like this:
Or this:
I know them when I see them.
Pinterest is visual-first. We wanted it to be able to take images instead of words.
Pinterest = possibilities
What do I want to eat? What do I want to wear? How should I decorate my house? What’s my style? We help people understand their taste.
Total numbers of pins: 23 billion food and drink. 18 billion home and garden. 8 billion beauty. 23 billion style. 4 billion travel.
Are you in one of these categories? Your customers are on Pinterest.
“Even if you think your brand’s content isn’t on Pinterest, your customers are probably