Dive Brief:

• Pinterest is starting Pin Collective, a "creative ecosystem" to connect brand marketers with top content creators on the platform, according to a company blog post.
• The idea behind the new feature is to allow marketers of all sizes, both budget- and production-wise, to produce content that is optimized for Pinterest’s visual format and its users’ unique behavior.
• The collective will include publishers, production shops and independent creators who specialize in different categories like home design, travel and advice.

Dive Insight:

Despite a considerable user base — and a focus on highlighting lifestyle products and services — Pinterest is often left out of the social marketing conversation, an omission it's clearly trying to correct for through better relations between influencers and brands. 

Last year, the company launched Pin Factory, an in-house production studio to help advertisers with promoted material, and the Collective comes as a natural extension to that.

“We know marketers have a lot to manage,” the Collective announcement explained. "To make sure it’s always easy to advertise on Pinterest, we’re developing a creative ecosystem that helps marketers of all sizes create inspiring, actionable Pins — no matter their budget or production resources."

The post added that its "goal is to help brands get what they need to produce content that’s optimized for Pinterest’s visual format and Pinners’ unique behavior."

Given how heavily users curate their Pinterest experience, influencers are key to reaching the site's audience, bringing expertise and a personal connection to Pinner tastes that marketers and advertisers might not be able to provide independently.  

The news is the latest example of the growing role for influencers in marketing.