Affiliate Marketing Via Pinterest

[richduskey]

i just join the Pinterest & i m not so much familiar with it...so i couldn't be very sure that which is best "Affiliate marketing or Pinterest"

[superpriya]

Happy Wednesday wahms. It seems the Pinterest drama keeps getting better and better or temporarily worse for marketers like us. In an effort to fight the massive spam that's infiltrated the site, Pinterest is temporarily giving preference to longer registered power users and pins. Previously every member new and old had a shot at getting their latest photo submissions displayed in categories on the front page, but no more.

Spammers have figured out this trend and have taken advantage of the Pinterest formula, reaping thousands of dollars per day submitting thousands of fake account photos for pinning. Because Pinterest does not discriminate between a spambot account and a real person account, spammers get their fair shot at the front page too. Unknowing users then pin and repin spambot photos of dresses and boots all day sending huge amounts of traffic to their Amazon affiliate sites fattening the spammers pockets with Amazon commission from massive sales. They've figured out the main users (women) and used our drive to shop and buy against us.

Pinterest caught unto this last week and decided to only show older pins from longer registered users with the greatest popularity. Early users on Pinterest are most likely real people before the invasion of spammers. So right now you and I are collateral damage. Our submissions don't get displayed on the Pinterest front page resulting in hardly any pins and repins for us. This is quite disappointing, but Ben Silbermann is trying to figure out a better way to combat the spam without punishing innocent users. You can read the article about it right here.


DARN SPAMMERS!!!!

[superpriya]

EcoConsciousMom great share with that meta tag for nopin, but like you I feel the same way. It seems photographers are missing the bigger picture here. Where they're not getting a direct sale, they're gettig huge amounts of exposure (pending Pinterest solves the spambot issue) just discovered.

A photographer from another forum was pointing out that their gripe with Pinterest is that it's not really allowing users to follow through to their business site to convert to a sale, because users not only see the thumbnail photos on Pinterest but the entire full size image once they click on it. Their reasoning is what's the user's incentive to follow through to the outside url if they've already visually absorbed the product on Pintereest. A photo of a nature scene or someone beautiful is not likely to be bought after it's visually satisfied the Pinterest user. However a hot shoe or dress is likely to be bought after being viewed because it has to be worn.

[lindastacy]

Spammers sure can ruin everything, can't they?

Listening to Tricia's webinar was extremely helpful to me to help clarify how I want to approach Pinterest. Thanks again.

I still have a question in my mind about whether to allow pinning of the images on my blogs since I don't own the copyright to most of them (they are Flickr images or stock photos). I realized today that I probably question it because Pinterest really is only about the images. I don't hesitate to use the images when I link to my blog on Twitter or Facebook, but those are only thumbnails and the wall posts and tweets are about the content, not the images. I added the "do not pin" meta tag to my blogs today and then took it off. Now I'm considering putting it back. (Not that's it's really a question since I don't really have anything truly pinnable yet. LOL)

I honestly don't think it's fair to say that artists should appreciate the exposure we're giving them. It's their work to decide where and when it gets shared. The scrapers who take my blog posts and place it on their sites could make the same argument - they're linking back to me so why would I complain about the exposure? To me, a photographer's work is no different. And for whatever reason they are fully within their rights to say they don't want it pinned or shared anywhere without express permission.

Love this discussion!

[EcoConsciousMom]

I agree that they are fully in their rights to want to prohibit pinning their images, but I also agree with superpriya that many are missing the bigger picture.

Originally Posted by superpriya

A photographer from another forum was pointing out that their gripe with Pinterest is that it's not really allowing users to follow through to their business site to convert to a sale, because users not only see the thumbnail photos on Pinterest but the entire full size image once they click on it. Their reasoning is what's the user's incentive to follow through to the outside url if they've already visually absorbed the product on Pintereest. A photo of a nature scene or someone beautiful is not likely to be bought after it's visually satisfied the Pinterest user. However a hot shoe or dress is likely to be bought after being viewed because it has to be worn.

That makes sense. I can understand their side, but even if I see someone's image I'll still check out their site. But I love photography (and went to a photography college) so if one image catches my attention, I know it's worth looking into that photographer. But I'll never buy anything from them. It's just learning from others and enjoying the images.

So with me, this doesn't change anything. But I can understand it. Maybe Pinterest should not allow you to see the full images and just redirect you to the original website. I wonder if that would change their minds...

Originally Posted by lindastacy

I honestly don't think it's fair to say that artists should appreciate the exposure we're giving them. It's their work to decide where and when it gets shared. The scrapers who take my blog posts and place it on their sites could make the same argument - they're linking back to me so why would I complain about the exposure? To me, a photographer's work is no different. And for whatever reason they are fully within their rights to say they don't want it pinned or shared anywhere without express permission.

Love this discussion!

This is a great discussion. So many different points of view to help us all see the bigger picture.

Not that they should appreciate the exposure, just that it's exposure. And most are looking for that. Even negative publicity is publicity as many would say.

And yes about scrapers and scammers, they do ruin everything for the innocent ones.

However, this entire discussion makes me wonder why so many issues about Pinterest. Facebook does the same thing (except the larger image within the site). So my thinking is that is the main issue. To see the larger image they don't have to go to the source and this might be the thing that needs to be changed.

Personally I love Pinterest, but I love visuals. I was using Microsoft OneNote to capture all my ideas on a digital scrapbook. If I was redesigning my bedroom I'd create it digitally first, then look for similar items to buy/repurpose. Pinterest just makes it easier to organize/add/update/delete. And it shows me things I might never have seen with others sharing their items.

Plus, it's like a visual representation of my internet bookmarks.

I wonder how this will turn out. I hope they don't get shut down as I've deleted many of my bookmarks after pinning it. It's easier to see what I bookmarked than trying to read something and remember what it was.

[lindastacy]

Originally Posted by EcoConsciousMom

...I wonder how this will turn out. I hope they don't get shut down ...

I think there's little chance of that, assuming they can figure out how to earn enough revenue to keep it going. They must have plans for that.

[msuggitt]

Originally Posted by EcoConsciousMom

Flickr just added this in to their system so users can opt-out of sharing via pins. Apparently Flickr users really tend to not like Pinterest. And it makes me wonder why. I can understand people want to retain their right, but isn't the point of putting them online that people will see them? Especially if you are a photographer?

And not just with Flickr, but businesses. Pinterest, while it would be nice for them to have approval first of pinning images, is giving them exposure (free marketing, hello), links to their site (interested buyers maybe?), and backlink juice to build them up in the eyes of the search engines (Google especially). So it's marketing for them without their part, sending free traffic directly and indirectly making their site more SEO friendly.

I just can't see why someone would not like this. The Flickr issue doesn't make sense as it's not their personal website. But does anyone have an idea or example of a reason why they would not want this?

I just popped in on the site to check it out and admit, it's a bit busy for my taste, but that's what's cool about IM, we chose the vehicle that is most comfortable for us.

Here are a few reasons I would not want people pinning pix off some of my sites:
a) Some is original and I have also posted on sites where I've posted to earn residual income, therefore don't want people taking for free
b) Some comes from desktop publishing software that I've purchased. I'm authorized to use, others aren't. Since I have paid, why should someone else take it for free?
c) Some images may contain people who didn't mind because they know me, but to post on other sites really should have a model release (and they don't have one, and the one who pins wouldn't have one either.) Or maybe the person in the photo didn't agree to being posted in the 1st place.
d) I wouldn't want someone pinning my pix then it show up somewhere on the net promoting a less than desirable product.
e) some is not mine but belongs to a product/service I'm selling - what if it shows up promoting a competing product/service?

these are just a few reasons off the top of my head.

[EcoConsciousMom]

Thanks so much. That is a great list of reasons why some wouldn't like it and I never thought about them. I just keep thinking about it from a photographer's standpoint or someone who is trying to make money (i.e. businesses). The model releases makes the most sense for me. I wouldn't want my daughter's picture pinned... although her grandfather probably did already... He's always very open, a little too open, about family stuff sometimes and my hubby has to reel his dad in.

Originally Posted by msuggitt

I just popped in on the site to check it out and admit, it's a bit busy for my taste, but that's what's cool about IM, we chose the vehicle that is most comfortable for us.

Here are a few reasons I would not want people pinning pix off some of my sites:
a) Some is original and I have also posted on sites where I've posted to earn residual income, therefore don't want people taking for free
b) Some comes from desktop publishing software that I've purchased. I'm authorized to use, others aren't. Since I have paid, why should someone else take it for free?
c) Some images may contain people who didn't mind because they know me, but to post on other sites really should have a model release (and they don't have one, and the one who pins wouldn't have one either.) Or maybe the person in the photo didn't agree to being posted in the 1st place.
d) I wouldn't want someone pinning my pix then it show up somewhere on the net promoting a less than desirable product.
e) some is not mine but belongs to a product/service I'm selling - what if it shows up promoting a competing product/service?

these are just a few reasons off the top of my head.

[elana242]

I have learned a lot about Pinterest just from reading the forum. I did not understand and still don't understand the traffic part. Thank you all, you have explained it better than I could find anywhere.

[~ Rosie ~]

Wow, I have a headache just reading this thread.

However, I am very thankful to those that have contributed because this brings me up to speed.

Thanks for your input!