What is Pinterest? 4 Insights to Get You Started
There has been so much buzz about Pinterest lately. I see a bunch of Facebook status updates like, “This weekend, I am making everything Pinterest!”
Wonder what all of the hype is about?
Here are 4 key insights to get you started:
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a social bookmarking site that allows users to “pin” and share photos and videos on “pinboards,” which are virtual bulletin boards. You can create as many boards as you want, and users can select to follow one or all of your boards. Popular categories include cooking, crafts, home décor and travel, like the sample below.
How to “pin” items?
You can add an item to your board in 4 ways:
#1 - Upload a file directly from your computer
#2 – Selecting the “Pin it” button, directly on a website, will allow you to pin the blog post or article. Not too many sites have added this option yet, but it is becoming more popular. Similar to the “Like” or “Tweet” button, it will provide social proof for your content.
#3 – “Repin” an image or video that is currently on another person’s board or search results to add it to your board.
#4 - Use the Pinterest bookmarklet in your browser tool bar to pin an image from most websites.
By selecting the “Pin it” browser extension you are able to choose any image on the current webpage and add it to your board. This also preserves the website link, which will direct back to the original website. This is a great tool for companies trying to increase web traffic.
Who is currently using Pinterest?
The total number of users has increased from 1.2 million in August 2011 to over 4 million today. This growth is impressive, given the site has maintained its invite-only status.
70% of Pinterest users are women and many are under the age of 45. This is a very attractive and important demographic for marketers.
Pinterest is also tied to your Facebook or Twitter accounts. So, when your content is “pinned” it can be shared with your network, increasing the amount of social sharing and provide social proof that your content is interesting.
Is Pinterest good for marketers?
Pinterest is ideal for a number of companies, especially online retailers who can include the price of an item directly on the pin and drive traffic to their website, to close the sale.
Be sure to read How to Use Pinterest: 4 Tips and Best Practices and Why Should Marketers use Pinterest? for additional analysis.
We recommend getting started with Pinterest now. The competition is still relatively low and interest is high.
One note of caution, Pinterest should not be seen as another outlet dedicated solely to self-promotion. It is extremely important to pin content from a variety of sources in order to enhance the social experience. You shouldn’t just include your own images. This is a place to humanize your brand and share items with your community that are relevant to them.
Whole Foods does a nice job of including this variety by pinning recipes, dream kitchens and kitchen tools on their board.
What are your experiences with Pinterest? Do you plan to set up a company page?
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About Shelby Nichols
I am an Associate Media Director and Manager of Digital Media at Sheehy+Associates. During my 10 years in advertising, I have worked on various accounts, planning and purchasing a wide range of media. I have a passion for all things digital and am fascinated with the way that the media landscape continues to evolve. When I’m not working, you can find me cooking in the kitchen or on the couch with a pair of knitting needles. Cooking and knitting help me maintain my sanity and satisfy my curiosity for trying something new. When it’s warm outside you can catch me out and about on my scooter. Watch out, I actually have my motorcycle license!
