An Introduction to Pinterest

An Introduction to Pinterest!By now, you’ve surely heard about that pin-teresting little image-based bookmarking site that’sshot past the competition to claim the title as the third most popular social network in theUnited States, right up on the heels of Facebook and Twitter. That’s right, with traffic up awhopping 50 percent between January and February, Pinterest wins the bronze in the socialmedia popularity contest—beating out big-name players that include Tumblr, LinkedIn, andGoogle+.Pinterest is being dubbed THE social network of 2012. Here’s a few more numbers that maymore clearly illustrate why: • 21.5 million. That’s the total visits to Pinterest during the week ending on January 28—which is also 30 times the number of total visits just six months ago. • 89 minutes. That’s the average time per month a user spends on the site. • 60 percent. Nearly two-thirds of Pinterest users are women, with 55 percent of them being between the ages of 25 and 44. • 17.8 million. The number of unique U.S. visitors to Pinterest in February.What’s so special about Pinterest, a network launched just two years ago that’s now blowingveteran social networks out of the water? First, it’s important to understand what Pinterest isand how it works.The network calls itself a virtual pinboard. It’s a photo-sharing website where users cancreate themed “boards” and “pin” photos to them. Think of it like tacking photos on a bulletinboard, except online. Users can also browse and follow boards created by others. Planning awedding, a holiday meal or looking for DIY home projects? Pinterest may be your new bestfriend. Not to mention brands are flocking it to showcase their products and services. To seesome examples, check out the 10 most-followed brands on Pinterest.Even if you’re an avid pinner, you may be asking just what is it that is making audiences swarmto the site and just what is it that makes Pinterest so addictive. There are a few reasons, whichare further illustrated in this infographic: • Exclusivity. Pinterest is invite-only. Although getting access usually doesn’t take too long, not just anyone can join – yet, at least. • Design. It’s all about the visuals. Pinterest’s clean, simple, image-centric design lets users scroll through pages of content with minimal effort and distraction. Even text, like comments and “likes,” are only visible when they are scrolled over. heather [at] gebencommunication.com • @prTini www.GebenCommunication.com

• Critical mass. Pinterest is the perfect platform for hoarding unique content. There are boards devoted to almost anything. Also, the site relies on user-generated content – the most pins, the more visitors, it’s as simple as that. • Refuge. Pinterest has become a meeting place for disgruntled Facebook/Twitter users who are tired of the constant barrage of personal information and want to feel free to post updates without worrying about personal content or privacy questions. While Facebook and Twitter focus on what a person is doing, Pinterest reveals what that individual likes. • Accessibility. There’s an app for it, and a browser plugin – giving pinners multiple ways to share and repin content. See something you like? Just hit the “Pin-it” button on your browser and select an image to pin. Pinterest does the rest. • Popularity. Pins get you noticed! All new pins are featured on the front page of Pinterest. Also, find fellow pinners by automatically connecting to your Facebook, or searching for boards aligned with your interests.Pinterest is in its infancy, which means features and functionality continue to evolve. A fewnotable changes took place in March, such as: • No selling content. Pinterest’s original Terms of Service stated that, by posting content to Pinterest, users gave the site the right to sell their content. Pinterest said selling content was never its intention, so the terms were updated. • No harmful pins. The Acceptable Use Policy was updated to say Pinterest would no longer allow pins that explicitly encourage self-harm or self-abuse. Also, simpler tools were introduced to report alleged copyright or trademark infringements. • New features. Language was added to pave the way for new features, such as a Pinterest API and Private Pinboards.To see how others are using Pinterest, get some ideas and inspiration and to learn more abouthow to use it effectively, check out these 10 recent articles:1. Still not quite sure where to begin on Pinterest? Never fear, you’ll be a pinner in no time afterreading this get-started guide.2. Is Pinterest the real-deal for brands? These stats say yes.3. According to the New York Times, a marketer’s new BFF may be Pinterest. Retailers such asWhole Foods, West Elm and L.L. Bean and magazines like Better Homes & Gardens and RealSimple are discovering the magic of the social media start-up for showcasing products andreaching whole new segments of customers and followers.4. Instead on focusing on who has the most followers on Pinterest, let’s take a peek at nineexamples of Pinterest creativity. heather [at] gebencommunication.com • @prTini www.GebenCommunication.com

5. For even more pin-spiration, check out these three smart marketing campaigns – and don’tskip over the Kotex blogger outreach effort.6. How can Pinterest be used for business? Here are 26 ways to get you thinking.7. As you may have noticed, Pinterest isn’t just for the big guys. Small businesses can greatlybenefit from Pinterest, too – in big ways by simply following these tips.8. So, just what are people pinning? Well, Hasselback Garlic Cheesy Bread Recipe got morethan 91,000 re-pins, making it one of the 15 most popular pins or all time.9. Of course, the most popular pins could change tomorrow. Keep up by using Repinly, an appthat makes it easy to find interesting people to follow, and discover the most popular pins,boards and topics.10. Don’t stop at just being a normal pinner. Take the next step and strive to be a Pinterestmaster by following these five tips.Pinterest’s race to the top isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon, as thousands of new pins andpinners are being added daily. Here at Geben, we’ll keep you up on the latest developments. Inthe meantime, feel free to contact us (heather@gebencommunication.com) with questions asnew changes and features are rolled out.Until next time, Happy Pinning! heather [at] gebencommunication.com • @prTini www.GebenCommunication.com

An Introduction to Pinterest

by Geben Communication on Apr 25, 2012

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

Statistics

An Introduction to Pinterest Document Transcript