Zak Stambor says, “The image-focused social network has been on a rapid sprint to catch up to Facebook and Google with its advertising offerings.

Pinterest Inc. today launched Promoted Videos, which enable U.S. and U.K. retailers and other marketers to pay to ensure that a certain number of consumers will see a video it shares on the social network.

The ads differ from the video ads offered by Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., which both automatically play video ads at a constant rate when a user scrolls by them in their feed. On Pinterest the video ads are timed to play at the same pace with which the user scrolls down the page. When a shopper clicks on the video it opens up Pinterest’s native video player. The video is then presented with the advertiser’s promoted pins featuring products shown in the videos below the video.

“When you think of the e-commerce element tied into the ads, Pinterest is doing an innovative trick,” says Omar Akhtar, an analyst at the consultancy Altimeter Group. Retailers that sell lifestyle products, such as beauty products and cookware, will likely find the ads effective, he says“.

Pinterest pushes into video ads

Internet Retailer

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