Ugh.
When I first saw it my immediate thoughts were twofold:
1. A giant photo gallery? Seriously?
2. Another social network to join, monitor. Great.
I will admit, for someone who normally jumps in the deep end with both feet, I was skeptical and reluctant. After using it for several months, I finally understood it.
To me, Pinterest is the photo version of Twitter.—
Bridget Willard (@YouTooCanBeGuru) July 18, 2012
Pinterest is very similar to Twitter in its function, not its display.
You see photos but when you click on the image, you will see the original page (website) it came from (in most cases). So in this way, I say Pinterest is a visual version of Twitter. The photos go to links. They are visual links and people are fanatical about it.
Those of us in manufacturing/construction were unsure if it would work for us (similar to how we felt about other platforms years ago) but people use it for whatever they want. They follow people or “boards” that are topic oriented. So you can follow (like subscribing) just my “levity” board and never see my “social media blog post” board, etc.
So, why should you care. It’s simple. This is another market.
Just like twitter is more than “I’m going to eat a sandwich now,” Pinerest is more than hairstyles and recipes. It, like any network, is what you make of it. And what you see depends upon who you decide to follow.
What grabs you on Pinterest is the images, arranged by topics, called boards. Each user defines their own boards and topics.
This is its appeal to those who buck against twitter. There is an entirely different demographic pinning on boards. Depending upon your mission, you may want to reach these people.
Like I said, Pinterest is like a visual Twitter.
As a content creator, get the most out of Pinterst by making your website Pinable.
For branding purposes, I used to recommend using the same graphic on each blog post / web page or use the same one for each series, etc. Now, I realize that to make your website pinable, each page (each blog post) should have a unique, page-specific image that, when pinned, will either stand on its own and/or rouse people to click through to the original page.
This image could be a graph, pie chart, infographic, or photo. Not being a graphic designer, this seems to be my biggest challenge.
Okay. Now What?
We, the pinterest community, will then be able to pin from the web page and hope that other people will share it (repin), etc. So in that way it is very similar to Twitter.
And, like on other social networks, if you want to have friends, be a friend. Sign up, share other pins, make comments.
More to Explore:
- Pam Ann Marketing | Get Blog Article Ideas from Pinterest with Experi-Pinning
- Copyblogger | Is Pinterest Traffic Worthless?
- Social Media Examiner | 6 Ways to Drive More Pinterest Engagement
- My Blog Post Board on Pinterest
- Visually | Create Your Own Infographics
Thanks for the link! Much appreciated.
Sure thing. I actually emailed that story today to a friend who I am trying to get their campaign to make their sites pinable. #fingerscrossed
Love your advice about “being a friend!” Thanks for another great blogpost!
Thank you, Carol. You are a friend, indeed.