Pinterest is one of my favorite websites. And not just because when I discovered it last fall, I was a busy grad student trying to decorate my new home and plan a wedding. I like it because it’s such a great example of how something so simple, sharing images, can have such a huge impact on and potential for the internet marketing industry.
But why has it been so successful, so fast? And what does it mean for internet marketing?
First, if you need any convincing that Pinterest is doing extremely well, consider this: since launching in March, 2010, it has become the fastest website EVER to reach 10 million unique views per month (Delo, 2012). In case you’ve been living in a cave, Pinterest is an “online pinboard where users can organize and display their favorite objects from across the web” (Delo, 2012). Why has it become so popular? Experts site ease of use and the power of simple imagery (Bosker, 2012). Perhaps even more importantly, Pinterest is different from Facebook or LinkedIn in that it allows users to say “look at this” versus “look at me” (Bosker, 2012). It truly allows users to connect over cooking tips and decorating ideas, versus comparing social accomplishments via news feeds (Bosker, 2012).
What does the future hold for brands and Pinterest? Right now, it’s simply too early to tell. Pinterest is extremely consumer driven and copyright issues, along with questions on measurement, will need to be firmly figured out before it can really take off for brands (Gillum, 2012). But Pinterest has some definite things going for it that experts say indicate it’s not only here to stay, but will only continue to grow and evolve for consumers and brands alike (Gillum, 2012). Still though, business marketing can often times come down to who can think outside the box and creatively embrace new trends. Some unlikely brands have already made their outreach on Pinterest meaningful. Whole Foods, for example, has opened another door for consumers to get ideas on recipes, seasonal cooking and food pairings on their Pinterest page, among other things (Holley, 2011). Or take Klout, a company responsible for measuring online influence. They use their Pinterest boards to post pictures of “team/office events…and the products and services that its members receive based on their digital influence” (Holley, 2011). Or how about Mashable? It boasts over 35,000 followers with boards like “infographics” and “web humor” (Wasserman, 2012). For a brand that was founded on articles and reviews, they have found a way to embrace image-driven content for their Pinterest page (Wasserman, 2012). In just these few examples, it’s clear that creatively interpreting your brand can help determine how Pinterest could work for your company.
We’ll undoubtedly see more changes in the future. Does anyone remember what Facebook looked like in late 2004, early 2005? It’s hardly even the same, compared to now. And who could have guessed all the new features and options we would one day have? Especially for brands. Pinterest will most likely have its place in the future of internet marketing and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
References:
Delo, C. (2012). Pinterest. Ad Age. Retrieved from http://www.adage.com
Bosker, B. (2012). The secret to Pinterest’s success: we’re sick of each other. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Gillum, S. (2012). Five reasons Pinterest is a must for business marketers. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com
Holley, S. (2011). How 11 brands are reaching customers on Pinterest. PR Daily. Retrieved from http://www.prdaily.com
Wasserman, T. (2012). The 10 most-followed brands on Pinterest. Mashable. Retrieved from http://www.mashable.com
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