It’s difficult to finish a tour on your social networks in a good mood. Between Nazi content boosted by X (formerly Twitter) of Elon Musk and the complex factory fueled by the perfect bodies of Instagram, our timelines are undermined. But a small social network is resisting: Pinterest. More than half of its users find the platform «plus positive» than its competitors, according to a report published in 2024 by Sprout Social, a firm that develops social media management tools. A share that even rises to 60% among Generation Z. Enough to delight advertisers.
A more caring and optimistic social network has been Bill Ready’s strategy since his arrival as CEO of Pinterest in 2022. “We optimize not the time users spend on our app, but the enjoyable time they spend, through a joyful and inspiring experienceexplains the former Venmo, PayPal and Google au magazine Fast Company. Our bet is that positivity, rather than hatred, drives engagement on our platform.”
To achieve these pink words, the algorithm is activated. On Pinterest, artificial intelligence is programmed to prioritize inclusive content. It also lets users choose the body types they will see in their search results. This allows the company to reduce one of the scourges of Pinterest: the prevalence of “lifestyle” content which generates body image disorders. “Positivity worksaffirme Bill Ready. Our platform has never been more engaging and buying, and advertisers are seeing the difference.”
Because the crux of the matter is there. Pinterest’s new lightness is proving particularly effective for selling advertising space. Many studies show that a consumer is more likely to be convinced by a purchase when they are in a good mood. The icing on the cake is that a good portion of Pinterest users would be ready to see more advertising on the application. According to the Sprout Social report, which surveyed 4,500 Pinterest users in English-speaking countries, a quarter of respondents want more brands to use the platform.
Online hatred remains a safe bet for social networks
Brands which, for their part, willingly seek better locations than X for their advertisements. In recent months, certain names like Apple, IBM and the World Bank have suspended their advertising on the social networkElon Musk. The reason? Their sponsored content ended up under Nazi or racist publications, as investigations by Media Matters et CBS News.
Except that kindness is not necessarily a winning bet. Certainly, a happy Internet user is more easily transformed into a buyer, but this fact comes up against a harsher reality: it is polarizing or even hateful content that generates the best engagement rate. The former Facebook engineer and whistleblower Frances Haugen denounced him in 2021. It is therefore unlikely to see Pinterest overtake its more depressing competitors.
Especially since Pinterest remains niche. The platform claims 537 million active users in the third quarter of 2024. This is far from the 3.29 billion daily active users of the Meta group (Facebook, Instagram). But a growing number of Internet users are fleeing the floods of hatred coming from the most used social networks. For example, 64% of Americans say that these platforms have a negative effect on their country, according to a Pew survey published in 2020. Et moreover in more studies link social media use to depression or anxiety.
This is probably what gives Bill Ready his optimism. “People, especially Gen Z, are looking for an alternative to division and toxicityhe says, sure of his niche. Internet users come to Pinterest with the intention of pursuing their dreams, rather than looking for the knee-jerk reaction with content that stirs up hatred like you can see elsewhere.
Source: www.slate.fr
