There’s a new kid on the social media block, and her name is Pinterest. While many people have heard of this new social platform, it seems many people are scratching their heads trying to figure out: what Pinterest is, who should join, and how it should be used.
What exactly is Pinterest? Think of it as a virtual pin board, similar to the type you would see in school or at an office filled with flyers for special events and announcements. With a Pinterest account, you are entitled to make as many boards as you’d like (think Facebook photo albums).
These are intended to be used to highlight things that interest you, whether they be on the Internet or in real life. A pin board of interesting things — is the name starting to make more sense? How creative…
Pinterest is a new social-sharing website that allows you to “pin” images from all across the web. While the social network is still in its infancy, it shows great promise for small business marketing.
This format allows you to pin websites, blogs, and, most importantly, images from all over the Internet. These pins are intended to fall under the general category of “things that interest you,” which can get more specific for each member’s individual tastes. Current members of Pinterest have used this concept to accomplish tasks such as:
- Plan a wedding
- Decorate their home
- Find and share new recipes
- Share outstanding photos
Keep in mind that an overwhelming percentage of current “pinners” are female (roughly 80% of active users). Given the current trends in terms of content being “pinned,” it’s unlikely this demographic will shift significantly any time soon. Small businesses should keep that in mind when considering Pinterest. We’ll talk more about the demographics soon…there’s been some interesting research done already.
Pinterest is in its infancy, so we are still learning our way around it, but we’re excited to see where it goes and how it will tie in to future social media marketing strategies. In the near future, we’ll discuss a few simple ways small businesses are using Pinterest to their advantage and how you can get in on it too. For now, you should definitely follow us on Pinterest and let’s ride this roller coaster together!
**If you would like a Pinterest invite, send us a tweet (@SocialGamePlan) or contact us. We’re happy to share.
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