Pinterest is preparing to ditch the “Like” button as it looks at new ways to differentiate itself from rivals Instagram and Facebook and double down on its core aim of surfacing engaging visual content for users across the Web.
Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann said that convincing people that the platform isn’t a social network and is instead a hub for new and exciting ideas for “real life” is currently its “number-one challenge,” and it is set to launch its first-ever ad campaign in the US this summer to promote the qualities that make it unique.
Pinterest currently has more than 150 million users, but in order to ensure that community numbers don’t stall in the near future, it is looking to make a few changes. Discontinuing the “Like” button is its first port of call. It claimed on Friday that users engage with Pins more readily when the now-ubiquitous button is not there, as the presence of “Like” and “Save” options makes the process confusing.
The “‘Like” button is prevalent across photo-heavy social platforms, but Pinterest is aiming to offer something a little different. The app will now save any Pins previously liked on a private Pin board where users can access them. The end of the “Like” button is set to arrive with a new update, which will roll out “in the coming weeks.”
Breathtaking stills and stunning images are a crucial component of a brand’s content marketing efforts, so it is no surprise to see Pinterest attempt to refocus its strategy on what it does best: serving up visual content for users who crave new fashion tips, recipes, vacation ideas, gadgets and more.
“While other companies want you to live in a virtual world, Pinterest encourages people to live in the real world. We like to say, be yourself and not your selfie,” a spokesperson for Pinterest said. “There are many services out there with the mission of helping you connect and share with friends; we’re the one app exclusively in the visual discovery business.”
Silbermann added that Pinterest’s new ad campaign is likely to centre on attracting users to the platform who, rather than simply “dreaming about their life,” are now going about “designing it.”
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