Beyond Affiliate Links: The Power of Pinterest

Last week Pinterest announced they would be cutting off the use of affiliate links, a traceable way ‘pinners’ could share for retailers and then earn commission on the resulting traffic or sales. This has drawn the ire of many prominent beauty and fashion bloggers who were using this as a way to generate revenue. 

The stated intent from Pinterest, however, was to curb “spammy behaviour” and reduce the amount of irrelevant pins and broken links found on the site. According to Pinterest, by removing the “easy money” approach, brands, bloggers, and other power pinners will need to refocus their creative energy on developing authentic relationships with their Pinterest communities.

We checked in with Paula Coop McRory who has singlehandedly developed a thriving community of more than 4.5 million followers on Pinterest to see what her thoughts were on this decision, and where Pinterest could be headed next. 
Paula_Coop_Pinterest

You’ve been on Pinterest for several years now. What are the most significant changes you’ve noticed in its platform? 
Pinterest is all about the power of the image. A single image can evoke many different stories from the people viewing it. Paired with the shift in branding and marketing over the last few years, having the ability to build boards while collaborating with brands, and seeing the platform grow and its content ever-changing, is what keeps me pinning.

Why do you think Pinterest continues to be a compelling platform, especially for bloggers and even more particularly in beauty and fashion?
Pinterest is a platform that’s all about sharing and finding new content. Having access to a constant feed of beautiful imagery is not only inspiring for lifestyle bloggers, but a great way to source trends for everyone.

Recently Pinterest announced that they are cracking down on affiliate links, which has caused a bit of an uproar among beauty/fashion bloggers. What are your thoughts?
I am happy for the change and am excited to see how this pushes influencers and brands to be that much more creative. I really respect that Pinterest is interested in maintaining authenticity while helping protect the interests of power pinners.

Do you see this having an impact on your use of Pinterest? 
Not at all. I embrace change and thrive off creativity. Pinning has become a part of who I am. I find curating content meditative and very fulfilling.

Where do you see Pinterest going—and more specifically your habits on Pinterest—in 2015?
I can’t wait to see how it grows. As a society, we have become much more comfortable with and dependent on images—this is what Pinterest is at its core. From the map-it tool, to the community and secret boards, to the introduction of video, and the fact you can create and share it all from your smartphone, I can only see Pinterest becoming stronger.

Posted on: February 25th, 2015 by

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