You don’t have to scroll too much on social media to join an argument over any subject. Most of the platforms develop and promote this kind of engagement. Pinterest’s playbook for growth goes in the opposite direction. The platform, which has surpassed 454 million monthly active users in July, bets on its “good vibes” to conquer Latin America.
For this, Pinterest supports an atmosphere of inspiration, and, eventually, the platform hopes to become the digital version of a casual visit to the mall.
Present in Brazil since 2014, Pinterest accelerated its expansion to Latin America in 2021. The first step was the physical arrival in Mexico in June. Located in Mexico City, Pinterest’s office will house a team of more than 50 professionals. In addition to the business development teams, the company will also hire developers based in the Mexican capital.
“In general, platforms are built in Silicon Valley and exported around the world. Pinterest has this approach of really bringing diversity and global talent to create the best product — not only from the U.S., but something truly global,” says André Loureiro, Pinterest managing director for Latin America.
We want to bring a little more Latin American DNA to product development
André Loureiro, Managing Director of Pinterest in Latin America.
In its roadmap, Loureiro explains that Pinterest will focus its efforts on Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina; markets such as Colombia and Chile also had relevant growth in recent months and will be targeted in a second moment.
Pinterest numbers in Latin America
- 46 million active users in Brazil
- 23 million active users in Mexico
- 12 million active users in Argentina
Source: comScore, Dec/2020.
The company’s strategy aims at monetization lead by its advertising platform: Pinterest Ads, which arrived in Brazil in April. Brands such as Itaú, O Boticário, Mobly, Amaro, and Samsung are already targeting their audiences through it.
Available in more than twenty countries, such as the U.S., Canada, and Australia, the ad platform is just one of the company’s new features in Latin America.
Pinterest’s bet on social shopping
In charge of the social network since November 2020, Loureiro’s main task is to bring Pinterest closer to brands and agencies to expand the company’s advertising program in the region. The social network has also extended its monetization tools for its Latin American users.
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This strategy is directly associated with Pinterest’s new release: the Shopping feature. The purchasing tool rolled out in Brazil and Mexico in early September, alongside European markets (Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands). Through it, users can access the products available on pins (as the posts on the social network are called) and purchase directly from the social network feed.
The feature is also followed by a verified store program. This way, the mosaic of posts on Pinterest becomes very close to a virtual storefront. The service promises an organic experience, with the security of verified stores and integration with the feed of partner e-commerces.
The social media network also extended its partnership with Shopify to Latin America. Thus, the base of more than 1.7 million sellers present on the platform will be able to offer their products on Pinterest.
According to Loureiro, the idea is to combine inspiration in the popular themes (decoration, fashion, cuisine) and buying with a pleasant experience.
“We are launching a series of tools that help our users from this universe of inspiration to find what they need to take action,” explains Pinterest’s leading executive in Latin America.
The strategy for content creators
To connect brands and consumers, the social network launched a series of features for content creators. In June, Pinterest expanded its video option (similar to Instagram’s Stories) to 14 countries (among them: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru).
Called Idea Pin, the format has been in beta since September 2020 with great results: its post volume has quadrupled between January and April 2021, according to the company’s metrics.
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Videos can be used by creators to start purchases and receive affiliate links. In addition, the social network promotes partnerships between creators and brands for sponsored content.
If there is an important asset that Pinterest has built, especially in today’s web, is this condition of being able to offer an experience that is positive and that brings something good to people
André Loureiro, Pinterest
According to the general director of Pinterest for Latin America, the positive environment is the “main asset” of the brand. Therefore, the service has developed a code of conduct for creators, where professionals are briefed on how to behave on the platform and also about the principles that must be respected in their communications.
“On the inspiration side, we have this whole environment of creators, which is fundamental for our business, and then it connects with our shopping front. Our vision is that action and inspiration need to be connected for us to create the best experience,” explains Loureiro.
