Just the other night, I was eating dinner with friends and I began to describe a delicious recipe I had recently tried: Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake.
Chalkboard China on Pinterest
One of my friends chimed in and said, “I bet you got that recipe from Pinterest!” And sure enough, I did.
What is this pinning craze you ask? Well, all the “pinning” is done on Pinterest.com, a social bulletin board where users can post visuals they’d like to save and share.
While it may seem simple and frivolous, Pinterest has quickly acquired a large user base; from October 2010 to October 2011, Pinterest grew from just 40,000 users to a whopping 3.2 million. Here are the top five reasons why people and businesses love the site:
1. Simplicity
Pinterest is appealing because the site is easy to use. Everyone has a “board” where they pin images that are all the same size. The boards provide a way for users to showcase their multiple interests in an organized way.
In addition, “Pinterest is low-maintenance”, Pinner Kary Delaria said. “Because there’s not a lot of conversation there… I can hang out for a few hours and then leave for a few days without concern that my profile will look inactive or that I’ll be ignoring a comment thread or discussion.”
2. Space
Pinterest appeals to a large female demographic, most of whom say they love the site because it takes the place of magazines.
A lot of users, including myself, also say they have been tearing out recipes and pictures from magazines for years and now they have one place to keep it all and more room on their shelves.
3. Time
Unlike other social networks that seem to overwhelm with an excess of information, Pinterest is something you can “casually participate in,” Pinner Drew Hawkins said. “On Pinterest, YOU choose what’s shared with you. I don’t have to follow all of my friends’ boards and pins. I can only follow the parts of their Pinterest activity that I like, without having to filter through a lot of noise. That ease of opting in or out is what makes the difference.”
For example, if you’re an interior decorator, you could choose to only follow other users’ home ideas boards. Or if you have children, you could selectively follow other users’ with kid-friendly idea boards.
4. Opportunity
Users spend up to 2 hours a day on the site browsing through countless products, formulating ideas and scoping out possible purchases.
“True potential in Pinterest may be in its ability to impact purchases, which is why retailers…have taken to developing a presence on, and strategy for, this new platform,” said David Teicher, AdAge writer.
Not only can a business on Pinterest generate a customer’s interest, but they can also be observing the patterns of users and learning what trends and styles the community likes based on engagement – likes and repins.
“Pinterest is a huge source [for Real Simple] from a referral standpoint, even beating out referrals from Facebook in the month of October,” said Shannon King, GM of digital for Real Simple magazine.
Chalkboard China is another example of a business successfully utilizing Pinterest. Their board displays their products but also images that inspire them as well as other products and brands they recommend.
5. Fun
Pinterest’s mission is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. Simply put, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.
Personally, I enjoy finding new recipes, easy DIY projects and fashion ideas. For others, they may find event ideas, money saving tips or popular cleaning products. For every audience, there is a pin.
Are you using Pinterest for your business? If so, what strategies have worked best for you?
