They say you can find anything on the Internet. Each year, hundreds of programmers and developers attempt to come up with the latest social media tool. They spend a huge sum of both time and money in hopes of launching “the next biggest thing”. The sad reality is only a few handful are successful, and out of that handful, only one or two are in for the long haul. Everyone (by everyone I mean computer wiz’s & geeks) dreams of making it big; hoping to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.
For all you digital marketers, social media gurus, or really anyone who spends a good amount of time on the web, you’ve probably seen, heard, or have an account with the latest sensation: Pinterest. While isn’t as well known as Facebook or Twitter (at least not yet), it is certainly turning heads. In fact, it’s reported growth to 10 million monthly users has surpassed that of both FB and Twitter.
For people who are less tech savvy or don’t spend as much time on the web, Pinterest is best described as a web based corkboard to post up pictures, jokes, recipes, inspirations, and other noteworthy things. For the average women who have discovered this wonderful creation, it is both a good and bad discovery. It is a great public space for people who are into cooking, home improvement, art, funny memes, fashion, archetiecture, wedding planning, and so forth. The only negative aspect of this site is that it is a time killer. Beware: once you go on, hours fly by like minutes.
People always wonder how these social media platforms become popular. One of the reasons why Pinterest has caught the attention of so many members is because it is user friendly. It’s not geared towards the web geeks or conceited celebrities, its geared towards your average person. The second reason why Pinterest has caught the attention of so many people is because it is truly helpful, or at least the users seem to think so. For example, countless of women use Pinterest to find inspiration for their home, personal fitness, and wedding planning.
Women like to visualize everything. Women also love to look at pretty things. Women love to share and build off of pretty things they can visualize. In a nutshell, Pinterest is a site where you can visualize pretty things, get inspiration from other people, and share your own inspiration. Despite the fact that the current majority of users are women, men can also benefit from this handy dandy site. Guys are often clueless about what women want. Well if you ever wanted to know what women like, Pinterest is the site for you fellas. If you’re getting married or planning on popping the question, go to Pinterest for some inspiration. Women are constantly posting pictures of how they want their wedding to look like; from perfect vintage wedding dress to the diamond bands they’ve been eyeing.
All in all, Pinterest is a great user friendly site – perfect for digital marketers. Its’ simplicity draws in many users. Though Pinterest isn’t going to be equally beneficial for all businesses, it is and has already proven to be an useful tool for certain big and small businesses. Because Pinterest places so much emphasis on visualization, businesses who can offer products that are aesthetically pleasing will benefit from it. Ask yourself, is what your selling visually appealing? Clothing retailers, home goods, edible goods, and electronics are predicted to benefit the most from Pinterest. The best way to drive traffic to your site or business is by posting up strategic, head turning pictures of your product. The more heads the picture can turn, the better!
Emily Li works for Eternity Wedding Bands, an online Eternity Bands retailer. In her free time, she loves learning about new social media platforms, reading blogs, and pinning pictures on Pinterest. Check out her Eternity Wedding Bands Pinterest page.
Thanks Emily. Just to add to your points, I think there are a couple interesting applications of Pinterest for marketers. One is researching what people are interested in and what consumer trends might be emerging. Also, Pinterest can drive a lot of traffic to your site from people linking to your to your content. Pinterest can facilitate the sharing of an awesome piece of content or recommendations of a brand.
Great post. I think you nailed it when you said, “Though Pinterest isn’t going to be equally beneficial for all businesses, it is and has already proven to be an useful tool for certain big and small businesses.”
It’s not going to work for everyone, but it’s certainly work paying attention to.