Posted by C.Lucia 2/20/12
If you’re current in the social media world you have more than likely heard the name Pinterest, but may be unaware of what it is about or its marketing potential. Pinterest is a photo sharing network that uses virtual pinboards. Their mission statement is to “connect everyone in the world through shared tastes and the ‘things’ they find interesting”. An article about Pinterest’s recent growth, written by Paul Slogan with CNET December 22, 2011, stated, “The site received nearly 11 million visits in the week that ended December 17, almost 40 times the number of visits it received during a single week six months earlier, according to Experian Hitwise, which measures and analyzes consumer behavior on the Web.”
A new trend is rapidly developing in the world of social media that could have an enormous impact on the eCommerce and internet marketing community in the near future. Pinterest, a relatively new social media site, with a whole new twist, is starting to get a lot of attention from some big names in retail. To access Pinterest you simply add the “pin it” button to the desktop bookmark bar. The “follow me” and “pin it” button can be added to a personal website, business website or blog pages. Pinterest for iPhone is available through the App Store.
Pinterest, where people go to unwind and have fun, has quickly become more and more popular. It works differently than other social media sites, offering a unique level of creativity, and has created its own “niche”. Pinterest has an official blog where it can be followed. It also has Twitter and Facebook pages. Blogs that have also created boards on Pinterest have noticed marked improvement in their traffic.
Development began on Pinterest in December 2009. By October 2011, it was worth $200 million. Piterest’s Alexa traffic ranking is 98 globally and its Alexa rank in the US is 19. It leads StumbleUpon by far as that network has an Alexa rank of 133 globally and 92 US. Tumblr pulls ahead of Pinterest globally with a rank of 39, but still trails it in the US with an Alexa rank of 23; not bad for a site that wasn’t even created before 2010.
If you have an eCommerce site or any business with visual media and you’re not using Pinterest, it’s time to become part of the newest internet marketing sensation. Pinterest makes it easy and fun to create boards comprised of pictures of your products, giving a description of them and a different URL to each should you choose. The primary goal is increased traffic and Pinterest can definitely do that for you provided you maintain it.
It’s not for every company, but it’s especially useful for: retail, eCommerce, restaurants, architecture and graphic design. If your company doesn’t fall into one of these categories don’t be discouraged, try Pinterest out. Be creative and market your product or services with bold and well-presented photos and/or images. So people searching can find your merchandise easily, use carefully selected terms for your board pins such as “Italian Specialties”, “Dessert Island”, and “Pizza NY Style.” Also include “follow” and “pin it” buttons for Pinterest on your website. This will get you more followers from Pinterest interested in your business and possibly create potential new customers. That’s the idea, right?
In March 2011, Nordstrom created a page on Pinterest followed by Land’s End in November. Big names are advertising on Pinterest. They are capitalizing on its marketing potential. Pinterest people go to “play”, but it has big potential for eCommerce. It all boils down to one question: Will its resources and untapped growth go unnoticed by traditional retailers, who currently use sites like Facebook and Twitter for their marketing, or will they see this developing trend for the marketing opportunity it is and jump on board with Pinterest to reap the benefits? Get Pinning!
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