In the past month, Pinterest has posted some surprising numbers in the world of social media:
Last week:
Shareaholic reported that Pinterest drove more traffic to online publishers (blogs) in February than Twitter.
In January:
Shareaholic reported that Pinterest drove more referral (blogs) traffic than Google +, LinkedIn and YouTube combined.
Impressive figures, to say the least.
What is Pinterest?:
Pinterest helps users organize and share anything and everything found on the web. Essentially, Pinterest is a digital inspiration binder or board. It allows users to collect and share all things visual found on the Internet in one digital space.
A user “pins” items of interest or inspiration—things, photos, video, prose—to their Pinterest Board. Their Board is available to the public and more specifically to their “followers” who can in turn “pin” inspirations from others to their Board.
Pinterest is replacing the days of the inspirational three-ring binder, particularly in the fashion, wedding and design categories. When a traditional media agency surveyed high-profile members of the wedding industry, they found that Pinterest has all but overtaken the days of the wedding binder:
‘….[Valentino] recently asked a wedding cake vendor how many brides she sees on a weekly basis and how many of those have a Pinterest account. The answer was 100% of the 10-12 brides she meets with each week. Pinterest has replaced the three-ring wedding binder, so brands in the $86 billion wedding industry ought to say “I do” to Pinterest.”
– Mashable.com March 7, 2012
Iss Pinterest a good fit for my brand?
Pinterest (and other mediums like Flicker) serves as the visual extension and expression of a brand’s core Facebook and Twitter social media platforms. It’s not designed to be the central hub of a brand’s social media strategy.
Our motto is, just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. A simple review of Pinterest’s own description of what Pinterest can do illustrates this point:
What can you do with Pinterest?
Find your Style!
Plan a Wedding!
Redecorate your Home!
Save Your Recipes!
–Taken from Pinterest.com
It’s no surprise that Pinterest is a perfect fit for highly visual mediums like design, fashion, food and weddings. These are inherently visual products.
“If you can’t convey your business offering in images, then Pinterest probably isn’t for you,” says Michael Litman, head of engagement at 9010 Group.
“However, Pinterest isn’t there to help you push products — you’re supposed to convey the lifestyle of your brand. So boards devoted to fan art, your team or behind the scenes at the office could be engaging enough to merit followers. “It’s about promoting the lifestyle, the interests and the people behind the brand.” – Mashable, March 7, 2012
If you can’t offer a compelling visual expression of your brand, than don’t feel the need to jump on the band wagon… While Pinterest is an incredible tool for certain, its not a natural fit for others. It’s serves as an powerful ancillary tool to support mediums like Faceboook and Twtter…platforms that deliver deeper, ongoing engagement with customers.
