I have to admit I haven’t followed much of the hoopla around Pinterest. I created a profile so I could look around the site, and I’ve discovered a few photos there for my clients’ social media campaigns.
But the truth is, I don’t even know that much about Pinterest. And yet, I can tell you this:
Pinterest is a network you should pay attention to.
Why?
Because of WHO is talking about it.
When Google+ came out, all the techies created profiles. All the tech blogs wrote about it. And I even noticed a few of my non-techie blog readers started following me.
But my closest group of friends, friends I grew up with, knew nothing about Google+. I never heard them utter the name of the network; they never asked if they should join. And so when clients asked whether they should have a presence on Google+, I advised them to create a profile but wait to actually put effort into it — wait to see whether the tool breaks out of the techie crowd and actually goes mainstream. Because right now, despite all the talk about Google+, I still don’t think it’s mainstream.
But Pinterest is catching on with more than the techie crowd. Those same friends who never mentioned Google+ are talking about Pinterest. Some of them are using it already, and those who aren’t are asking about it because their friends are using it. Which is exactly how Facebook gained so much speed — by word of mouth. Because we want to be where our friends are.
So yeah. I think Pinterest is going to be big. I’m not saying you have to get on it, because you can’t be everywhere. But at least think about whether it makes sense for you. And if you’re choosing between Google+ and Pinterest, start pinning.
So have you tried Pinterest yet? Whatcha think?
I generally watch how my boyfriend uses social media to gauge how normal people use it. I’m not sure he will get onto Pinterest, but I’m going to slowly recommend it. Right now, he uses Facebook in the same way that most people use Pinterest.
I’ve done research for a client on this and written a comprehensive blogpost. Basically – this is going to blow a lot of other networks out of the water in terms of traction.
Jade — Can you share the link to the blog post?
Do you mean hoopla about Pinterest being so-called awesome or the hoopla about the copyright issues? If it is the first, you should check out all of the problems recently regarding Pinterest’s TOU and copyright as well. I think the firestorm started right around when you went on your trip so you may not have heard.
Kal Barteski and Link with Love is one place to start, and here is another from a legal perspective: http://ddkportraits.com/2012/02/why-i-tearfully-deleted-my-pinterest-inspiration-boards/
I deleted my boards in mid-February mostly out of concern for myself, not necessarily my works—the last thing I want is to be sued for misuse. If Pinterest cleans up its act, I might go back.
Thanks for weighing in on this Misti! And for the link.
I was referring to general buzz about people liking using the site, but now I’ve got some reading to do!
Copyright online is always a sticky issue. Generally I think people worry about this too much — because in the end, it benefits you if your work is shared (though attribution is CRUCIAL). But this is new territory, so we’re all figuring out how it should work!
I love Pinterest. I was quite hesitant about yet another network, but I love the visual aspect of it. I am only using my own photography though.
Hey Anne-Sophie — Want to leave your profile link so others can find you?
Sure. You can find me here: http://pinterest.com/anneso87/ 🙂
Alexis, I couldn’t agree more. I joined Google+ and it only connected mainly with people I already knew. I joined Pinterest 3 weeks ago and the difference is night and day. Granted, I don’t spend significant time on there, but even so, I’ve connected with new friends, readers, and authors across the country. We’ve repinned each others pins. I’ve bought a few things through their suggestions. They’ve bought over 3 dozen of my Bible studies. I’m sold and I’m not looking back. Great post!
Wow — This is such a good point, Donna: that you’re connecting on Pinterest with NEW people. Folks, this is GOLD if you’re looking to expand your network or promote a product, company or even yourself. GOLD!
I am a Pinterest fan and spend more time than I should on there each night. I first started paying attention to it when I saw huge spikes in blog traffic coming from photos people had pinned and then repinned from my blog. Like Donna, I now have people I don’t know who I follow. I find great projects on there to do with my kids and love how I can organize the boards and go back to things I saw. For the past two days my son and I have been working on a science project I found on Pinterest and today he took an egg without its shell to school (still completely intact because of the egg’s membrane), which impressed all of his friends. I’m a huge fan, but I wish they would change some of the copyright issues, particularly that you grant them the rights to your photos when you upload them. This is an interesting post about the issue: http://directmatchmedia.com/pinterest-copyright.php. Even with the copyright concerns, I still pin away and am happy when people pin from my site.
I’ve been an ardent Pinterest fan since last summer. Back then I started recommending it to my fellow art directors as a tool for us to use at work because by nature we are visual consumers and Pinterest plays right into that. I use it to gather ideas for my personal life (home decoration, kitchen remodel, recipes, etc.) and for my work life (inspiration for infographics, layouts, illustrators, etc.). Here’s an example of how I use to it benefit my work:
+ An illustrator emails me via an email blast with a link to his/her portfolio of work.
+ If I’m impressed with his/her work, I’ll visit his/her site and choose a few samples of their work to pin to my “Illustrators” board on Pinterest, noting the artist’s name and, when relevant, their agent.
+ A few weeks later, when I need to assign an illustration, I’ll revisit my Illustrators board and scroll through the pins to see if any artists catch my eye as suitable for the particular assignment.
+ A few of my fellow art directors at work have their own such boards, so I’ll visit those too, and see who they’ve discovered and pinned.
This is infinitely more helpful than a collection of bookmarks in my browser in helping quickly find illustrators I can hire.
In the past 3 months, I noticed that the Pinterest ball really got rolling as I received more and more notifications of my Facebook friends following me on Pinterest. It’s caused me to start thinking about the potential Pinterest has to share client content with people. The copyright issue is interesting, and that blog post Misti linked to is definitely a must-read for anyone considering sharing their clients’ content via Pinterest. I think there is lots up in the air right now about Pinterest, but I know that it’s high enough to make me (and my employer) start examining its potential for our clients as well.
These are great examples of how useful Pinterest is!
Great post.. I love how you explained why Pinterest is important — and you’re totally right. It has broad, mainstream appeal. And yet, I still can’t get into it!
I’m trying it now for a client that takes lots of photos/images…
I love Pinterest. It’s inspiring to me in so many ways BUT I’ve yet to discover how it can help my writing career. I keep reading and learning, and appreciate everyone’s ideas.
I think it’s more about inspiration than anything else — and connecting with other people who share your interests.
Hi Alexis:
Thanks so much for your insights into Pinterest. I appreciate your opinion on the subject, given your experience. I started pinning to a Pinterest account I set up for my startup company on March 30th this year and in a little more than 2 weeks, we’ve been able to attract over 900 followers to all of our boards and over 2000 followers to individual boards. It’s been an amazing experience for us as we’re trying to build a community around a simple idea: Reuse. Pinterest has been perfect for this campaign, in addition to driving traffic to our website (http://www.blog.TrashBackwards.com). The key, for me, has been to seek out people on Pinterest who have similar interests in upcycling and repurposing, i.e. crafters and DIY-ers who are looking to transform what they already have into things that beautiful or simply more useful. It’s been fun to pin what they’re up to and to share what we do, too! So, for anyone on the fence about Pinterest, I’d say it’s worth every minute of your efforts in creating a community and awareness around your passion.
Kindest regards and thanks for all that you do!
Liesl at http://pinterest.com/trashbackwards/