It’s typical for social media platforms to go through some changes and updates every year. Facebook alone has seen some major features and updates to their system this year (ads and otherwise). Instagram has also made some big changes, particular considering the new Instagram Ads. Pinterest was no exception.

This year Pinterest has made some major changes, adding a ton of new features to their platform. Though a lot of marketers were using Pinterest before, this year’s Pinterest changes and new features have launched it into the one of the forefront spots of social media sites to watch.

For a quick review, and to help you make sure you didn’t miss any of these exciting changes, we’re going to go over some of the biggest Pinterest changes this year that you have to see.

Buyable Pins

Buyable pins are a big deal, and when they were announced, it was all social media marketing sites could talk about for a few days.

Buyable pins are a simple, fast, and secure way for buyers to find an item they like on Pinterest and then purchase it. They’re able to purchase the item on Pinterest, through a secure third party “middle man” like Apple Pay, and they never have to leave the site. They don’t even have to enter in their payment information, making the process go quickly and smoothly (which is particularly useful for marketers when it comes to impulse buys).

These pins are identified by a blue “Buy it” price tag that shows up right next to the red “Pin It” button in the top right hand corner.

A lot of Pinterest users use the site as a virtual wish list or idea board. They piece together outfits, find mini figurines of Darth Vader, and can permanently collect ideas for home décor and styling. Plenty of pinners will use the site as a fun tool (ie, “When I’m a millionaire this is what my bathroom will look like), but plenty more use it for ideas when they’re actually in the buying cycle right then. Buyable pins offers the chance for impulse buys, allowing the user to purchase right off the site and without actually leaving. That’s huge.

Buyable pins were first released only for mobile Apple devices, but it’s recently been announced that they’re now coming to Android, too.

Buyable pins have been a big success for Pinterest. There are now 60 million buyable pins on the site, and they’re resulting in higher conversion rates. According to a case study conducted by Pinterest, buyable pins from Shopify merchants had 2x higher conversion rates than other pins did for mobile users.

This development by Pinterest is one that I think is unique. Facebook’s Lead Ads follow a similar concept, allowing you to garner leads with mobile ads quickly and without them having to fill out a lot of information or leave the site. There are now Instagram selling tools that helps you turn your Instagram gallery into a storefront. That being said, Pinterest is the only platform that allows you to purchase quickly and without actually leaving the site or app. This change is a big deal not just for Pinterest, but all of social media marketing.

Visual Search

The newest feature Pinterest has released for users and marketers is their visual search tool.

We’ve all had that moment where we see one particular product in a picture that we love, but can’t quite identify. Maybe a table is being advertised, but you love the lamp. Maybe you’re buying a pair of jeans, and want to find the shoes that look so good with them in the picture—but the shoes aren’t listed. This time last year, I went down a rabbit-hole of searching for a particular necklace my friend liked in hopes of finding it for her birthday present. I wish visual search had been around then.

Pinterest’s image showing how easy the visual search function is to use

The visual search feature allows you to zoom in on a particular product in a picture and search Pinterest’s database for a match. You might not get that exact product popping up in the search results, but you’re going to find something pretty darn close. This is even better—maybe those shoes that you’d liked originally were $450, but a pair that looks similar that shows up on Visual search only costs $55.

Pinterest’s visual search is going to be adored by users. As a Pinterest user, I’m ridiculously excited.

This is also good for marketers and those who want to sell more products. If your customers can search for your products off just a picture and stumble upon something they want to purchase, this is good for businesses, too.

Location Data

In October of this year, Pinterest added Location Data as a feature for pins. This is an update to their Place Pins feature, which allows you to add a map to your boards (a particularly useful feature for planning trips).

The location data update automatically added—you guessed it—specific location information for 7 billion pins.

Location data for 7 billion locations have automatically been updated.

Now, when users save a pin, this app will show them nearby locations on a map. They’ll also be shown pins other users have pinned from the same location. This, like Facebook’s Place Tips, is designed to not only make it easier to visit the places you’ve pinned but to point out the highlights of a certain location.

These pins are going to have all the information users need to make it easier to visit them in person; information like phone numbers, addresses, and hours of operation will appear on the pins.

This information could help people find and visit new locations; for local businesses, this could send a lot of foot traffic your way.

Final Thoughts

This year has been a good year for social media, and Pinterest has made sure they’ve kept up—they’re ad spend has increased drastically since January, and I expect that will only continue. Buyable pins is a development I’m still excited about, and all the other changes they’ve made increase functionality for both users and marketers, helping them to better connect. With these changes all coming from 2015, I’m excited to see what the next year brings for Pinterest.

What do you think? Are you a fan of this year’s Pinterest changes? Has your business incorporated any into your marketing plan? What’s your favorite? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!