Pinning Down the Brands

As of November 14th, Pinterest released its first API for developers. This means that third-party sites will be able to embed Pinterest pins, making it easier for them to post content onto the site. The list of first partners for the service includes Zappos, alongside other big brands such as Walmart, Disney, Nestle, Random House and Hearst.

Furthermore, Pinterest noted on its blog that the documentations for multiple APIs will be released to its partners in the upcoming weeks. Top Pins API (showcase top clicked pins/top re-pins, launching on partner sites today), Domain Search (surface trending results for keywords such as “Men’s Boots”, “Thanksgiving recipes”, or “Fashion Week”), as well as Most Recent (bring a stream of your latest pins to your site) and Related Pins (suggest other pins people may like based on the item or content they’re viewing) are some of what will be included in the documents (Lunden, 2013).

What does adding an API mean for the company? Existing pins will “now be more useful to sites and brands, and also make it easier for people to post to Pinterest” (Lunden, 2013). Therefore, the company will be more efficient in keeping track of data. Pinterest states that users can now pin directly from their partnering sites, “so there’s no need to interrupt your shopping, reading, or browsing” (Lunden, 2013). This release feels like a mere tease when it comes to the company’s plans moving forward.

References

http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/14/pinterest-launches-its-first-apis-partners-with-zappos-walmart-disney-nestle-random-house-hearst-on-first-rollout/
http://pleth.com/sites/default/files/pictures/zappos-pinterest.jpg