Pinboard app
Pinterest gets videos in TikTok format
Pinterest began as a place where users can save photos from the Internet on so-called pinboards on specific topics. Photo: Tobias Hase / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Just recently, Instagram and YouTube mimicked how TikTok worked under different names. Now Pineterest is following suit.
The pinboard app Pinterest also wants to look a bit more like the popular TikTok video service in the future.
In a new “Watch” tab in the application, users of software algorithms will see video pins selected, as announced by the San Francisco-based company. To scroll further, just like with TikTok, scroll up. Previously, Instagram and YouTube had already mimicked the way TikTok worked under different names.
Pinterest began as a place where users can save photos from the Internet on so-called pinboards on certain topics – for example, when they are planning a vacation or want to redesign their home. Meanwhile, Pinterest also sees itself as a visual search engine in which software can identify similar objects. In addition, the platform is increasingly becoming a place where influencers, for example from the cooking or fitness area, can find an audience.
The user has now generally learned how to operate Tiktok, said Pinterest manager Jana Würfel. From the company’s point of view, it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel once certain habits have become established. Pinterest wants to focus on topics that make users come to the platform – it’s not about fast entertainment.
The company initially did not provide any details about how the algorithm will select the videos. The selection should, however, cover a wide range of topics. At TikTok, the software adjusts the selection of the following videos, among other things, according to how long users watch content on certain topics.
Pinterest was one of the winners of the corona pandemic last year: More people used the lockdown time for the app. But with the removal of the corona restrictions, the number of users fell again at the beginning of summer. The advertising business was still better – and Pinterest is still working to establish itself as a platform for online commerce.