I feel like I need to step up to the podium, tap the microphone and non-shamelessly admit that I am a pin-a-holic. Yes folks, I am addicted to Pinterest.
What’s that you say? You haven’t heard of the latest social media sensation that Mashable recently reported on as “driving more traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined?” Well, it’s quite simple. According to the website, “Pintrest a virtual bulletin board that lets you organize and share all the things you love.” The simplicity of it all (and a co-worker) got me hooked and I can’t stop.
So take my boards for example – I have 28 boards containing nearly 800 photos dedicated to a number of things that speak to my personality from puppies, inspirational quotes, vintage dresses and my favorite car, the Ford Mustang. It gives me the opportunity to share what I love and borrow from what other people enjoy as well.
Both brides and moms-to-be have created countless boards with photos of their favorite wedding bouquet, hairstyle, nursery idea and photo setting. New homeowners are pinning photos of their dream kitchen, frugal moms are posting their DIY crafts that tame the feistiest of 5 year olds, teachers are sharing in classroom ideas, and artists are pinning what inspires them.
While Pinterest has captured the attention of the 25-34 female demographic, guys are finding the site “pin”teresting, too.
But what does this mean for companies looking to capture an already hyped-up and hooked audience? Specifically, three things come to mind:
- Getting free and honest feedback. Companies can encourage users to post photos of their favorite products and how they use them. By seeing how customers use their products, they can quickly update or enhance products based on feedback.
- People are pinning, and pinning again. Since it’s very easy to re-pin someone else’s post, companies can post products and let the passionate pinners ultimately carry the voice of the company.
- Journalists are pinning, too. As the written word becomes more visual, journalists are turning to Pinterest to capture what they want to communicate, but in a visual way. Companies can leverage this as an opportunity to communicate their brand, visually.
Intrigued? If so, request an invite from Pinterest. I promise, you’ll be hooked.
-- Katy Teer is a senior account executive at Airfoil Public Relations, a high tech PR agency with offices in Silicon Valley and Detroit.
