Pinterest: Social Marketing Tool or Social Vacuum?

Pinterest, one of the fastest growing social networks (the fastest according to some reports), is an online vision board.

Pinterest may be considered a niche social network, but it continues to amass a huge number of followers. To suggest that Pinterest is only for creative folks is like saying that macs are only for graphic designers. And saying that, well.....is wrong.

This social photo sharing website launched in March of 2010 and has grown to an estimated 10.4 million users. That is a 145% increase in Pinterest users since it's start, according to Mashable. That's nothing to shrug at.

According to a few reports, Pinterest user base is 80% female. Some reports suggest that that number is closer to 97%. Over half of those women are between the ages of 25-44 who earn approximately $25-$75K a year. Those are some important numbers to acknowledge if you are planning on using Pinterest as a marketing strategy because women's consumer influence is critical.

Pinterest boards are divided into a variety of catagories. Categories may include, but are certainly not limited to: architecture, gardening, fashion, home decor, children's products and pets. Pinterest users are limited only by their imaginations.

Pin boards can be used by consumers and businesses, alike. For the consumer, Pinterest is a place to curate things that interest and inspire them.

Businesses, on the other hand, can showcase their latest products. Both small, home-based businesses are reaching more buyers by pinning on Pinterest. Big name brands, like Southern Living and West Elm are also reaching out to this larger audience. By posting recipes or a new table accessory, both brands will potentially be pinned by thousands, re-pinned by thousands more and perhaps with a click have their product purchased.

Michael's craft store is integrating 'pin it' buttons to encourage their store visitors to share, as well.

Still unsure how you can use Pinterest to promote your business? Social Media Examiner has offered 26 useful tips for newbie pinners:

Because Pinterest discourages blatant marketing tactics, you may need to be creative on what and how you pin. Whole Foods, for example, does not pin a photo of a product and it's selling price. Rather, Whole Foods sells an image, a lifestyle. Pottery Barn has been selling a certain lifestyle for years. You may have mistakenly thought they sold home decor items and comfy sofas and you may also have thought Whole Foods was just a grocer. Take a look:

Pinterest is a great way to create interest in, and drive more traffic to, your store, blog or website. Another valuable tool; Pinterest allows you to 'pin' videos from uTube.

1. Be “pinteresting” by pinning frequently and keeping your pinboards current and entertaining. Like all other social media outlets you must be consistent.Your goal is to interact with Pinterest users and build brand loyalty through relationships of interest.

2. Be organized and select the best pins to share with users, and be sure that the pictures are of highest quality and aesthetically pleasing. Be sure your pins are visually appealing.

3. Be smart by linking your business’s website and other social media sites to your pins to drive online traffic. You want to be persistent, but not obnoxious when pinning. Also, pin about more than just your products or yourself; connect with other brands.

4. Be SEO proactive and add descriptions to all of your pins. These key words will help drive traffic to your pins, your Pinterest account, and your linked sites. Pinterest users may search key terms, so use this as an opportunity to achieve greater SEO.

5. Be friendly and follow! You should look for Pinterest users that have a huge following and follow them. More times than not, they will follow you back and this gets the ball rolling on your own Pinterest following. If the big names like you, then you have done something right. Yes, this can be percieved as a popularity contest, but it's part of being 'social'.

6. Be personal and connect with Pinterest users by being casual, conversational, and open about your company, your interests, your company's causes or brand personality. Pinterest is about engaging one another’s interests, so you will achieve the greatest success by showcasing a memorable personality and fostering personal connections.

Recently, Facebook made a few changes. You can add pins to your Facebook Timeline (some folks are excited about that) and when Facebook allows Timeline for businesses to show pins, that could be a game-changer.

Still unsure how you can use Pinterest if your not in the business of selling a tangible product? There are hundreds of groups promoting worthy causes on Pinterest. Spreading their message pin by pin. Take a look at this board trying to put a face on lung cancer.

Pinterest, at the time of this writing, has no privacy settings. I would highly recommend that you do not pin private photographs of any sort to your boards. Anyone can view your pictures and re-pin.

Give credit where credit is due.................................................................

I suggest reviewing pinterest etiquette to familiarize yourself with copyright infringement. Many folks make their living from the images that are posted. It is not only best to site that person's name, it's the right thing to do.

Pinterest remains in it's infancy. I'll be curious to learn how it develops and if the male population will find it's way to this visual nirvana. Until then, I've got my pinning to tend to.