What Pinterest Means for You

When I tell my friends and acquaintances about my recent obsession with Pinterest, they inevitably ask, "What's that?" I had a particularly difficult time explaining the web-based, break-out social media phenomenon to my mom. What is Pinterest, you ask? Pinterest is an online social media site that allows users to "pin" or tag various sites, images, videos or items online that they find interesting -- thus "pin"-"terest." Users organize their pins by boards, and they have the ability to follow other Pinterest users. Perhaps more importantly in terms of driving users off-site, pinners can "re-pin" what others have already tagged. 

According to recent data, Pinterest is already driving a significant amount of traffic online -- users refer links at an extremely high rate. Referral links makes up the majority of content on Pinterest, although users can comment, like, write, etc. Unique visits to Pinterest increased by over 400% between September and December of 2011, making it one of the fastest growing social media sites out there. According to studies completed by Mashable, Pinterest drives more traffic than Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube, among other social media sites. By my unofficial estimation, Pinterest is most popular among teens, 20-somethings, and parents of the female persuasion looking to plan their fictional wedding, take on unrealistic redecorating projects, or purchase articles of clothing that they couldn't hope to afford.

So, what does all of this data mean for you?

• Use Pinterest to personalize your brand. Create boards and pin items that are concurrent with who you are. For example, if you plan weddings and own a wedding planning business, personalize that business by creating a variety of boards and pinning items, photos, videos, and other items that display the creativity of your ideas.
• Connect your Pinterest profile to your other sites. Include a link to your website, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Maximize your follower-ship and good intentions in order to drive traffic back to your site. Even though your pins do not necessarily have to relate to your products or services, they will continue to reinforce your brand and garner exposure for your business.
• Take photos and upload them to Pinterest to continue to remind users of who you are and what you do. In keeping with the wedding planner theme, take photos of details you have arranged or the bride looking happy and relaxed on her big day.
• Use Pinterest as a behind-the-scenes, back door marketing tool. In other words, use Pinterest a bit like you would use Facebook -- share the core of who you are with followers, but do so a bit more sparingly on Pinterest. Share the things that you -- the business you -- would enjoy. As a Naples-based wedding planner, for example, share ideas and inspiration rather than direct encouragements (sales-based content) to give you a call.