Pinterest has quickly became a popular place for promotions, however its evolving rules have progressively restricted allowable mechanics. 

What you can’t do

Here’s a summary of Pinterest’s current promotions guidelines. While similar in many respects to other platforms, there are notable differences.

• Don’t tie entry to a minimum number of Pins, or to each Pin, board, like or follow – much like Facebook’s ban on Like-gating.
   
• Don’t suggest Pinterest sponsors or endorses your promotion. While your T&Cs don’t have to specifically say this, it’s good practice to cover it.
   
• Don’t ask entrants to:

o        Pin a specific image or the promotion T&Cs.

o        Pin from a selection – entrants should be able to Pin what they like.

o        Comment to enter – this is considered spam.

o        Vote with Pins, boards or likes.

Entries must be restricted to one per person. That’s a key difference to other platforms.

What you can do

Pinterest’s rules are about encouraging brands to run creative promotions.

You can ask entrants to create a board based on things they like. For example, recipes they’ve made using a specific ingredient (great for FMCG brands), or favourite pieces from your product catalogue.

Or you can run a scavenger hunt and ask entrants to Pin from their boards images that they think match the clues.

What you must do

Comply with Pinterest’s terms of use and promotions guidelines, and all applicable laws, for example gaming and privacy laws. Don’t make misleading statements about your promotion.

As we’ve said previously, moderate games of skill and ensure your T&Cs allow you to do this. Full T&Cs must also be provided, ideally on your website.

If you’re unsure what to do, get some advice. It’ll give you the peace of mind you need to help your promotion succeed. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Kelly is the founder of KHQ Approved, a fixed fee commercial contract review service. Peace of mind from an experienced team for a reasonable price.