Pinterest Recruits Small Business Advertisers in Push to Diversify Revenue
Startup knows what people want to buy online, making it an emerging rival to Google's huge search business
Pinterest Headquarters in San Francisco, in 2013.
Photographer: Kim Kulish/Corbis via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Pinterest Inc. has started pursuing a segment of advertisers that may one day contribute a quarter of its revenue: small and medium-sized businesses.
The company unveiled a new program Wednesday, called Pinterest Propel, that provides special services for new advertisers unfamiliar with the way its site works. By committing to spend up to $100 a day on Pinterest ads, companies get extra support and education, and Pinterest will design some of their ads for them. The startup is also offering it to marketing agencies, which get customized tips from Pinterest ad specialists for up to three clients.