Hello, there!

If you’re reading this, then you have found our blog! Pinspiration 371 is a collaborative blog between Alex, Jessica, Maddie and Emily. We are communication studies students at Wilfrid Laurier University.

The purpose of this blog is to present the results of research that we have conducted on Pinterest and then applied to José Van Dijck’s six elements for analyzing social media as an articulation of techno-cultural constructs and socio-economic structures that comprise an assemblage of connectivity. The three platforms of techno-cultural constructs are: technology, users and usage and content. The three socio-economic structures are: ownerships, governance and business models. Using the walkthrough method to operationalize Van Dijck’s six concepts, we hope that after reading through our posts you will have a better understanding of what Pinterest is and how it functions as a social network.

To begin, it’s necessary that you have some basic knowledge of Pinterest and how it works. Pinterest, “the world’s catalogue of ideas,” is quickly becoming what is arguably one of the most powerful social platforms available today (Miles & Lacey, 2013, p. 3). Users “pin,” or save, images onto virtual boards to create collections of their interests. In the company’s own words, “Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web” (Pinterest).

Below is a quick video that will take you through the registration process using the Pinterest mobile application:

Once downloaded, the app prompts you to continue with Facebook sign up or to login using an email address. If you choose to sign up with Facebook, your Pinterest account will be connected to your Facebook account. This makes it possible for you to connect with Facebook contacts and allows for ease of sharing. If you choose the email option, it will ask you for your email address. This is so that you can confirm your Pinterest account through email, but also receive emails from Pinterest for suggestions for new pins, etc.

 

Next, the app asks you to create a password, provide your name, age and gender. Then, you are asked to select at least five categories of interest so that the content you see is tailored to your interests. The categories include animals and pets, art, food, gardening, humour and fashion, but you also have the option of selecting “everything,” or only those categories that are popular.

Now that you have a basic understanding of Pinterest, you can navigate your way through our subsequent posts where we’ll explain why Pinterest is a social media and provide the results of our research on Pinterest’s users, content, business model, ownership, governance and the interface and technology behind the platform itself.

Is Pinterest a Social Networking Site?

When we think of browsing on Pinterest for recipes, DIY projects, and style ideas do we think that we are on a site that can be compared to Facebook or Instagram? Ben Silbermann, the co-founder and chief executive of Pinterest, says that it contrary to popular belief, Pinterest is not a social network. He explains it as “a catalogue of ideas” which offers a vision of the Internet as a temple to consumerism. He also explains that his company often does not refer to Pinterest as a social network because social networks are about communicating with other people while Pinterest is really about planning and getting ideas for your own personal life: “With social networks, it’s them time. With Pinterest, it’s me time” (Martinson, 2016). People go on the site/application to save ideas to better their own personal lives not to rile up other people or make a big statement.

Though the CEO and co-founder of Pinterest does not refer to it as a social network it falls under most of the criteria of social media. A social function that Pinterest possesses is that users can re-pin items from other boards posted by other users to their own boards as well as “liking” or commenting on things that other people have pinned. Sound familiar? This is similar to sharing, commenting and liking things on Facebook. There is also an option to cross-share through other social networks. You can mention (@) users from Twitter and create collaborative boards. For example, if I wanted to create a Christmas wish-list board on Pinterest I could mention my sisters to it so that they have an idea of what I would like this year. Or if a bride mentions her groom on Pinterest they can create a collaborative board of what they would like their wedding to look like. Pinterest gives pinners an in-your-face opportunity to hyper-personalise: This is me. This is what I like. This is who I want to be. It allows people to create an online persona which is a commonality across all social media.

Pinterest promotes interpersonal contact in different ways that Facebook, Twitter and Instagram does but in many ways it can be the same as sharing, commenting and liking activities on social media feeds. Pinterest wouldn’t be the first social media platform that I use to connect with people but it certainly offers a sense of community it its users.

Work Cited

Martinson, J. (2016, June 12). Pinterest Chief Ben Silbermann: 'We're Not a Social Network'. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/12/pinterest-ben-silbermann-social-network

User-Generated Content on Pinerest

User-generated content supports creativity, cultural exchange, and content between professionals and amateurs. It is defined as any form of content that was created by users of an online system of service, often made available via social media websites. The most popular user-generated content sites are YouTube, Flickr, Myspace and Wikipedia. We believe that Pinterest falls under this type of platform according to its function because it is allowing users to create and distribute their own content through different boards and pins. Anyone can create a Pinterest account as long as you have a functioning email address so the barriers to entry are very small in terms of the redistributing individual materials. It allows people to create their own boards and posts, pin their own content, and re-pin the things that they want people to see when they click on their boards. Pinterest is a social media network to solidify visual branding. More than 80% of pins are actually re-pins which are curated content (Caines, 2012). The reach of a campaign greatly increases and the campaign gains trust. It takes user-to-user participation to the next level in terms of the collective pinboards.

We love the fact that Pinterest allows you to individualize and customize the things that you want to do and experience. It opens doors for people to create things that they otherwise wouldn’t do because they couldn’t find the inspiration to complete a project on their own. It was revolutionized the DIY community as well as the small business owner. It really is a great way to get those creative juices going and we love the fact that we can all pin and re-pin the things that motivate us the most.

Work Cited

Caines, M. (2012, February 24). What Pinterest Means for the Arts. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/feb/24/pinterest-uses-arts-organisations

You can buy things on Pinterest now and we are really into it

A type of platform that Pinterest falls under is a trading and marketing site which is defined as the selling of products. Most sites you think of first are Amazon, eBay, Groupon, and Craigslist/Kijiji. But now you can actually buy things that you see on Pinterest and it is changing the way we shop online. Users can now buy things that they pin by just pressing a button that does not require you to leave the site itself. Sellers large and small can place a ‘Buy It’ button on items that they post to the site. Payments made through the ‘Buy It’ service will be powered by Stripe, an e-commerce start-up that focuses on small and midsize online businesses. This is a major moneymaking opportunity for Pinterest though they don’t plan on making money off e-commerce the traditional way which is taking a cut of retailers’ transactions. The company has said that it would make money selling promoted-pins advertisements to retailers, who can then insert buyable pins into those ads. I know… ads. They really are the worst. But right now every social media is turning to selling advertising space to make money on their free technologies. Now Pinterest is in competition with Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat in generating digital advertising dollars. The company believes that video ads will be successful as TV watching is decreasing. Millennials are spending their time on their smartphones and on apps which is where digital advertising makes the most money. Snapchat has even put promoted ads on people’s stories. They generate zero profit as it is but the company valuation is reportedly in the billions. This says a lot to investors in terms of user preference and satisfaction.

The ‘Buy It’ service makes an effort to create a less stressful shopping environment by being able to purchase items on a mobile device. On many other retail sites customers are forced to enter their address and credit card information before purchasing an item, a task that is particularly difficult on a mobile phone. With Buyable Pins, consumers do not need to re-enter payment information every time they want to buy an item. I’d like to take this moment to not only apologize to our followers for sharing this information but also my credit card. This is definitely a game-changer.

Works Cited

Isaac, M. (2015, June 2nd). Pinterest Brings E-Commerce to Social Scrapbooking With 'Buy It' Button. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/pinterest-brings-e-commerce-to-social-bookmarking-with-a-buy-button/?_r=0

Maheshwari, S. (2016, August 17). Pinterest Follows Rivals Into Selling Video Ads. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/business/media/pinterest-follows-rivals-into-selling-video-ads.html

The Discourse on Users and Usage

Stereotypical Pinterest User: Alanis Morissette

• Female
• Middle-aged
• Mother of two
• Boards: Motherhood & Parenting, Health & Wellness, Home

Intended User: Anyone with an Internet Connection

• Any gender
• Aged 13 or older
• Any marital status
• Any type of board pertaining to individual interests

Pinterest has certain expectations of its users that would be using their platform, in accordance to their overall vision. As Van Dijck explains, “users are recipients and consumers, producers and participants of culture,” (Van Dijck, 32). Ben Slibermann, the man behind Pinterest, originally wanted Pinterest to be an extremely abstract platform in order for people to use it in their own way while attracting users of all demographics (Friz and Gehl, 687). In this sense, Pinterest’s vision is not only to display ideas, but it also encourages users to express their individualism and tastes through pins and boards, and interact with one another by discussing, adding comments, and giving a personal touch to the pin (Wang et. al, 1).

In addition to building a collection of pins to share with others, there is a very prevalent discourse that Pinterest users are eiter moms, or simply women in general. While it is true that the strong majority of Pinterest users are women, this result went against Slibermann’s original intent. He wanted Pinterest to cater to all demographics, because “finding other people in the world that appreciate your tastes and interests is not a gender-specific thing,” (Friz and Gehl, 687). The discourse surrounding gender and Pinterest users contribute to the “explicit use,” which pertains to how users actually use Pinterest in opposition to the original supposed intent (Van Dijck, 33). Even though Slibermann’s vision included creativity, individuality and discovery, Pinterest’s stereotype is that it is a “mommy blog” that is used for recipes, kitchen hacks, kids’ crafts, and gardening tips.

Works Cited

Friz, A. and R. W. Gehl (2016). Pinning the feminine user: Gender scripts in Pinterest’s sign-up interface. Media, Culture & Society, 38(5), 686-703.

Wang, R., F. Yang, S. Zheng, S. S. Sundar (2016). Why do we Pin? New Gratifications Explain Unique Activities in Pinterest. Social Media and Society, 2(3), 1-9.

Van Dijck, J. (2013). The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Fiber One: Content

“The sharing of content enhances connectedness between people and also helps many acquire a (global) stage for public viewing. More than anything, cultural content—whether text, music, or videos—draws out opinions on what people like or dislike, what they covet or loathe, what interests them and what does not. And while common tastes and desires can be deployed to harness bonds and discover group affiliations, they also provide precious information on social trends and consumer preferences” (Van Dijck, 2013, p. 35).

OK so, Pinterest's content might not keep you regular, but I bet you could find a recipe for that! Van Dijck acknowledges that content, user agency and technology are three interrelated fibers that make up online sociality (2013, p. 36). To reiterate an earlier post, Pinterest as a user-generated site supports creativity and cultural exchange. People are able to connect with others online who share similar interests.

While most users simply pin other people’s images, the content on Pinterest comes from people or businesses trying to sell products. Their end goal is to drive traffic to their website or blog through the images and content that they share on Pinterest. Although Van Dijck writes that, "user-generated content is considered unfinished, recycled input, in contrast to the polished finished products of mainstream media" (Van Dijck, 2013, p. 35), the standardized display of content on Pinterest is visually appealing and helps people to find content more easily.

As you saw in the video in the first blog post, you are asked to select at least five categories of interest upon sign-up so that the content you see is tailored to your interests. The categories include animals and pets, art, food, gardening, humour and fashion, but you also have the option of selecting “everything,” or only those categories that are popular. One of the categories I chose for my personal account was 'food and drink.' Below is a quick video that will show you how to add pins to a board. Pinterest gives you the option of creating private boards, which I show you how to do at the end of the video.

Works Cited

Van Dijck, J. (2013). The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The business model is pinteresting...

So how does Pinterest make money?

Pinterest maintains three central tenants to their business: discover, pin and buy (Weidner, 2016). This model encourages users to use the site to shop. This appeals to companies looking to advertise on social media because Pinterest caters to people who want to buy things; it is the very nature of its purpose. Because of this, advertising is a natural facet of Pinterest’s business model. Advertisements appear on Pinterest in the same way as content. It is streamlined, aesthetically pleasing and non intrusive, so people are less likely to notice them as overt advertisements when scrolling through their home page. Advertisements allow people to continue to access “free” content.

Can you spot the ad?

Pinterest has a high valuation and relatively low revenue. According to an article from Business Insider, Pinterest's value was based at 11 billion dollars going into 2016 (O'Reilly, 2016), while their supposed revenue in 2015 was only 100 million dollars, according to an article on Tech Crunch (Roof, 2015). To rectify this, Pinterest has changed the way that users interact with the site by introducing a guided search function and have removed links to third party sites, so people can buy products without ever leaving Pinterest (Weidner, 2016). This is referred to as a “buyable” pin and the slogan is, “if it’s blue you can buy it.” They also recently released “promoted” pins, which allows marketers to pay based on engagement by users.

The 'buy it' button

Works Cited

O'Reilly, L. (2016, January 8). Insiders say what's going on inside $11 billion Pinterest - and it's not all good. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-worth-11-billion-valuation-revenue-grow-5x-2015

Roof, K. (2015, October 16). Leaked Pinterest documents show revenue, growth forecasts. TechCrunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/16/leaked-pinterest-documents-show-revenue-growth-forecasts/


Weidner, J. B. (2016, November 29). How Pinterest makes money. Investopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022415/how-pinterest-makes-money.asp

Managing Pinterest and its Users

Do you ever wonder how a social networking site manages all the activity that is put online? Any site you choose to use will have a Terms of Service agreement. Van Dijck explains this as explicit rules set to serve and regulate, and every time a user a logs onto a specific platform they are abiding to a contractual relationship which allows and restraints a user from posting something  (2013, p. 38). It is important to read through these terms to understand your right as a user (2012). Like other social networking sites, Pinterest has its own Terms of Service, and although you do not have to agree to them when creating an account there are made very public and any time there are modifications a user is made aware of this so there is no room for confusion and a user must verify that they understand changes have been made.

The terms are laid out to structure users participation (Lui, 2015, p. 136) and to keep their vision intact. The Acceptable Use section within the Terms of Service is very important to maintaining a safe and comfortable space for users to like, share, and post, as it helps control the flow of image on the site (Lui, 2015, p. 137). The first listed restriction is banning anything that is deemed “sexually explicit or pornographic” (Lui, 2015, p. 137). However, with over 100 million users monthly it becomes difficult to oversee all the content and make sure it is appropriate according to the terms. Anyone can report something that defies the rules, such as pornographic or self-harm/self-abuse posts. But what is the difference between explicit and non-explicit posts involving nudity for example. Below are some posts that involve nudity but have been deemed appropriate.

As well Pinterest does state they have the power to delete anything that does not fit with their vision. Unfortunately some times a pins link to content can lead a user to a third party website that may have inappropriate information and material, where in this case Pinterest is not responsible.

Privacy is another important aspect in the management of Pinterest. Simply put, when a user signs up for Pinterest, or like networking sites, they voluntarily give certain information, which gives Pinterest the ability to track some of the things a user does both on their site, and they can share it with third party sites as well. They take users likes to help suggest different pins and boards they may be interested in.

Works Cited

Lui, D. (2015) Public Curation and Private Collection: The Production of Knowledge on Pinterest.com. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 32(2), pp 128-142. doi: 10.1080/15295036.2015.1023329

No, P. D. T. O. W., & Post, Y. (2012) The copyright question" How to protect yourself on Pinterest.

Van Dijck, J. (2013). The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

How to Protect "User Content" on Pinterest

One of the big questions with the rise of social media and social networking sites is how does one protect themselves online; from being someone who uses someone else’s work wrongfully or having someone steal their work. This is where the issue of copyright and how it is addressed comes into play.

Back in 2012, when the Pinterest app had really taken off, there was a lot of backlash concerning the Terms of Service and how users were protected. In the original terms it stated that as a user posts anything they were granted Pinterest the right to sell their content. As you can imagine people were not happy with this. Ben Silbermann and the rest of the Pinterest team understood there were issues and sent out an email to all users explaining how changes were being made.

In the (updated) Terms of Service, section 2 discusses content in more detail. Anything a user posts, likes, comments on…  is known as “User Content”, this is where the user is solely responsible for what they do on Pinterest. So simply by posting something on Pinterest, the user does not give up any ownership rights  (2012). The interesting part is what comes next. As a user, you grant Pinterest a “non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide license to use, store, display, reproduce, save, modify, create derivative works, perform, and distribute your User Content on Pinterest solely for the purposes of operating, developing, providing, and using the Pinterest Products.” This is how Pinterest and others can use your content. Essentially, others can take your original posts to create nice pinboards; they just cannot sell it. But how is this idea any different from sharing a picture on any other social networking site? The more times a post is shared should be considered a good thing, as it popularizes it. However, if it something involving a trademark, it is important to get permission prior to posting anything, especially because Pinterest is not to blame in this kind of situation (2012). Like likelihood of a normal user getting mad is way less than an actual company who has the ability to sue (2012).

Pinterest is a place to get ideas and to be creative. As an active Pinterest there have been many times I use it to look up recipes or decorations for a birthday party, and my attempts to “copy” the original turn out as such a fail!  There is a whole community online of users who try to recreate a post they saw on Pinterest and it looks nothing like it. “Nailed it”, is the Pinterest term for failing at a recreation. This is a prominent example of how a Pinterest user can use another users content in an acceptable way.

Here is a little tip to help protect yourself: Give credit wherever you can to the original source! (Hansen, Nowlan, Winter, 2012)

Works Cited 

 No, P. D. T. O. W., & Post, Y. (2012) The copyright question" How to protect yourself on Pinterest.

Hansen, K., Nowlan, G., Winter, C. (2012) Pinterest as a tool: Applications in academic libraries and higher education. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Libraries and Information Practice and Research, 7(2). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21083/partnership.v7i2.2011

Lui, D. (2015) Public Curation and Private Collection: The Production of Knowledge on Pinterest.com. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 32(2), pp 128-142. doi: 10.1080/15295036.2015.1023329