Earlier this year, Pinterest unveiled a new way to create content that allows Pinterest users to learn without ever leaving the platform. The new feature, called Idea Pins, enables users to publish multimedia pins featuring up to 20 slides that can include everything from in-app content editing (complete with music and voice-overs) to product tagging with affiliate links.

Idea Pins are a game changer for creators because they are able to reach users beyond those who follow them. Because Pinterest is a search engine, these pins can have a much higher reach, giving anyone an unfettered chance to reach millions. Jeremy Jankowski, Pinterest’s creator management lead for home and design, uses famed Los Angeles interior designer Kelly Wearstler as an example of just that sort of success. During a talk with Sophie Donelson at Business of Home’s third annual Future of Home conference last week, he explained how Wearstler has garnered millions of monthly views on her Idea Pins even though her follower count is in the hundreds of thousands.

Since the new format became available in May, the designer has posted more than two dozen Idea Pins. Many utilize existing photos of her work, packaging them in eye-catching yet simple ways and branding them with Pinterest-friendly titles like “5 ways to use the color blue in interiors” or “three ways to use paint in the home.” Wearstler even created an Idea Pin about how to lay out compelling Idea Pins. As a result, according to Jankowski, her Pinterest following has grown by 10,000 people per week in the last few months.

Unlike other platforms, pins are always circulating, not confined by an algorithm to only appear in a user’s feed based on how recently they were posted. “If you’re tagging things right, your pins can continue to get views and shares for years,” said Jankowski. “I’ve seen things I posted six months ago get shared today. If your content is evergreen, it will continue to grow in a way that isn’t tied to your follower count or when it was shared.”

Because Pinterest is more of a visual search engine than a social media platform, it can offer creatives like interior designers an opportunity to share their work and content without making themselves the center of the narrative. “Many designers don’t want to be social media influencers, but they want robust followings and they want to share their creativity,” said Jankowski. He encourages designers to think of Pinterest as a visual discovery platform where they can share their craft and knowledge of how to create a beautiful space. “There are 85 million users are actively engaging with home content on Pinterest. We’re seeing major success for designers who have only had moderate success on other platforms.”

This story is a paid promotion and was created in partnership with Pinterest.

Homepage photo: BOH contributor Sophie Donelson with Jeremy Jankowski, Pinterest’s creator management lead for home and design, at the 2021 Future of Home conference | Kevin Lau for Business of Home