A photo can be very powerful. On Pinterest, it can inspire users to recreate a recipe or even sew a new shirt. Though it doesn’t always turn out right (ignore the lopsided cake and horrible stitching), you are able to walk away with a new experience and the satisfaction that your life has quickly become a little more exciting.
This authentic exchange between Pinterest users is what keeps everyone coming back. This relationship is also something that the online platform has been careful to protect. Pinterest’s contest guidelines draw the delicate line in the sand that allow brands to flourish while protecting the creativity of its users.
Their list of Dos is basically the same that apply to any platform when running a contest. Some points urge brands to reward quality over quantity and make the contest easy to enter. However, when it comes to upholding the community’s visual origin, the Don’ts clearly define how they intend to protect the user experience.
The list of Don’ts includes discouraging businesses from forcing users to pin from a specific list of images. This is important to the Pinterest community as a whole and is further backed up by the last rule “one is plenty.” By making users pin 200 photos of green shoes, it demeans the experience for everyone that follows that brand and user. Contests like this also generate a “spam” effect and degrade the reputability of the brand.
It may be difficult to walk the line between advertising and creativity, but the guidelines are only half of it! If you want a dedicated team to help you create a winning Pinterest contest and strategy, contact Agency Entourage today!
Photos from Pinterest.com
