The Power of Pinterest
A lot of you have probably heard the buzz about Pinterest lately. Do you understand what it is though, or are you completely clueless as to what, and why, it is popular today? Pinterest, simply put is a dynamic social bookmarking tool that allows you to “pin” images, sayings, and visual content you like to virtual “pin boards,” which are hosted on your Pinterest profile page.
Pinterest is a fairly straightforward site. It’s about the user – plain and simple. By utilizing straightforward, visual boards, users have the ability to flatten and streamline the hierarchy of information for others to view. Pinterest boards fill the user’s entire screen, and other users have the option to “like,” and “repin” information to their boards. Users can also leave comments below images on the board and, when opened, a board looks very much like a simplistic website – clean and minimalist. You could almost equate it to the concept of window shopping.
Like much of social media, Pinterest is based on sharing content and, in this case, that content is imagery. Think about this – info-graphs are hot right now. Any web user that is also a member of Pinterest could potentially pin your info-graph and share it out, exponentially multiplying its exposure to other viewers. This is, in a nutshell, the beauty of social bookmarking, which enables web users to organize their bookmarks in a streamlined place. Plus, Internet marketing firms are finding it a great way to track SEO because of the heavy backlinks that ultimately lead to business’s websites.
Major retailers are jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon, too. For example, Lands End ran a competition, asking its customers to create Lands End pinboards, which would feature items from the site. The best boards won gift certificates. Obviously, Pinterest doesn’t work for everyone, but used correctly, it could very well be an extremely useful visual asset for driving backlinks to your business’s e-commerce site, specifically.
So, does Pinterest have any value for you? Possibly. It’s evolving, but without becoming cloying or taxing like many social media sites are being accused of these days. In a study performed by Shareholic at the end of January, it was indicated the Pinterest actually drives more referral traffic to websites than LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+ combined, proving it’s a powerhouse. Pinterest, however, remains quite mum about their numbers, instead letting the site’s growing popularity speak for itself. Be sure to keep your eye on this social bookmarking site in 2012 because it could very well be a game-changer.
Melissa graduated from the University of Utah in 2008 with a degree in Editorial Journalism and a minor in French. After spending several years working in copy writing, grant writing and web marketing in Salt Lake City, Utah, she relocated to New Hampshire to work as the marketing coordinator for a non-profit ski destination. Melissa specializes in copy writing, web content, editing and social media.
