Pinterest is playing with live, shoppable videos. Here’s how it works.

Pinterest, home to moodboards and visual inspiration, has launched a series of live and shoppable videos.

Pinterest TV will officially launch a collection of episodes starting on Nov. 8. The platform will feature recognisable names like designer Christian Siriano teaching you about fall aesthetics and Olympic diver Tom Daley teaching you how to bake. The episodes are yet to be released, with just teasers available on the site for now.

Pinterest has launched an initial pilot phase for the new platform, so there are already a bunch of creators synonymous with creativity and being Very Online Individuals who have released videos.

I took a scan around Pinterest TV and found a pretty substantial range of videos ready to watch. Each video is long compared to videos other social media counterparts, unlike TikTok and maybe closer to Reels. But on Pinterest, the episodes appear to range anywhere between 21 and 37 minutes, resembling TV shows or longer YouTube tutorials in length.

There are videos for making ayurvedic hair and face masks, putting together various rice krispie treat recipes, and creating a summer itinerary. These episodes were each aired live but now available to view on-demand and save — much like Instagram Live.

With upcoming live videos, previews are available and users (or “Pinners”) can set reminders to tune in. It seems easy to use, and with the amount of content already being posted, pretty appealing.

Credit: Screenshot / Pinterest.

As with Pinterest itself, the Pinterest TV content is very DIY and “take control of your life”, with tips and tricks, advice, and creative inspiration in categories from skincare and beauty to spaces like kitchens and home decor.

Underneath each video sit listings of the products featured, which is where the platform’s shoppable element comes in. Any item featured in a video can be tagged by creators and accessed by viewers, taking you to a pop-up Pinterest page that provides more information about said item. Creators will be given a “shopping toolbox”, which will enable live shopping experiences and include information like product release dates, prices, and a limited-time offer module for discounts.

Speaking to Mashable, a spokesperson for Pinterest said, “Creators who’ve hosted Pinterest TV episodes during the pilot phase have substantially increased their following on the platform, with some creators more than doubling their followers after a live episode.”

Credit: Pinterest.

“We’re just getting started with Pinterest TV and have been evolving the ways creators and publishers can monetise on Pinterest including earning commissions through affiliate links on Pins and by teaming with brands on sponsored content,” the company said.

Pinterest is steadily betting on e-commerce. In the month of October, they launched a number of new features purposed for shopping. This includes Creator Rewards, which was the app’s “first-ever in-product monetization program for creators,” according to Pinterest. The company has also said it will invest $20 million in an effort to more effectively support creators and build their businesses — however this eventually looks.

As of July 2021, Pinterest has 400 million monthly active users, according to the platform. The users driving growth are primarily Gen-Z and millennials, which isn’t too surprising. Pinterest cites recently popular searches like manifestation journals, gender equality, and “cottagecore” (an aesthetic geared towards romanticised country living). Integrating both video and shopping seems like a move designed to appeal to the Pinterest-minded Gen-Zers.

Pinterest TV will launch its live sessions on Nov. 8, with episodes airing Monday to Friday at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET in the U.S. and 10 p.m. GMT in the UK on iOS and Android.