Dive Brief: 

• Social bulletin board Pinterest began rolling out its first true advertising product, Promoted Pins, on Wednesday.
• Promoted Pins allow advertisers to insert a pin into users' newsfeeds in a rather non-abrasive manner, as they appear almost identical to traditional pins aside from a small "Promoted Pin" tag and an information icon. 
• The pins are rolling out to just a few select users with a handful of undisclosed brands to help test the product. 

Dive Insight: 

The idea to slowly roll out Promoted Pins is a smart move by Pinterest. Like other social platforms before it, it must find a way to generate revenue without alienating users. The four-year-old platform is at a slight advantage because it has those predecessors to serve as examples.