In the past few months, we’ve updated you on some of the latest changes to Facebook and Twitter but it’s been awhile since we wrote about Pinterest.

During this time Pinterest has not been sitting around idly. They too have been rolling out some quite important changes.

To recap: Pinterest is essentially an online corkboard. You can “pin” a photo from anywhere on the Internet to an online “board”, which is then displayed to your followers (or the public, if you choose). But while you can “re-pin” photos found on other boards, “pins” are not limited to photos found on Pinterest. If you find a photo relating to your interest- say, a pair of shoes from a major retailer’s website- you can easily add it to a Pinterest board using the “Pin It” button that you can add to your browser. Pins from around the web will automatically include a link to their original source, and you can add comments as well.

Last November, Pinterest introduced the ability to add a map to any Pinterest board.

When you “Map” a pin, you’ll be able to type in a city and then location for the photo. Map all of the pins on your board and you’ll be able to see how they’re geographically distributed. You can post photos of your product being sold or used in different locations; top destinations in the area; or photos from each location of your business.

Adding a Map to your pin will make it even easier for customers to find your business. A lot of people access Pinterest from a mobile device, and if you’re on the Map, customers viewing your pin can easily get directions to your location, or even give you a call. When people can find your business, they’ll spend money there.

Earlier this year, Pinterest announced on their blog the “Explore Interests” feature, which helps users find pins that they’re more likely to be interested in.

The Explore Interests feature will present you with pins similar to ones you’ve pinned before. If you’ve been looking at “Food & Drink” pins and re-pinning lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, you’ll see pins along those lines when you Explore Interests. This will make it even easier for users to find pins that they like.

RichRelevance found that Pinterest shoppers tend to spend more money per order than those coming from Facebook ($140-180 vs. $80). With Pinterest making it even easier for them to find what they want, we think that number will only go up.

Another recent update to Pinterest is the Rich Pins feature, designed specifically for businesses to let you include more information in your pins. Among these, Place Pins include a map, address and phone number; and Product Pins include pricing, availability, and where to buy.

So what should you pin? Like any other social network, the content you share on Pinterest should be a mix of your original content– things your business has created- and content shared from others. Consider creating boards for photos of your products, seasonal or lifestyle inspiration for your products or business, and behind-the-scenes activities of your business.

Whole Foods Market has boards related to seasonal ingredients, healthy eating tips, and celebratory holiday recipes. By showing Pinterest users not only what they can purchase (what fruits and vegetables are in season) but why (it’s healthy!) and what they can do with it (the recipes), Whole Foods is creating more reasons for people to shop at their stores.

Hubspot has a great infographic with lots of information on how you can use Pinterest to help with the marketing for your local business.

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