Feb
22

Pinterest Needs To Become a Tool for Advertisers

Wed Feb, 2012 by Derek Mehraban

Pinterest launched in 2010 and has registered 7 million unique visitors since December. Shareaholic reports that Pinterest is now driving more referrals than FaceBook, Google+ and LinkedIn combined. With numbers like that it needs to stop being treated as a fad or as an entirely creative platform. The social media marketing agency needs to incorporate it into a social strategy.

Pinterest operates by allowing users to collect images they like and then pin to their virtual corkboard. Users then share and allow others to see their friend’s corkboards. Images can quickly go viral on the site. It is easy to see how a brand can use this to their benefit. Images of a gorgeous plate of huevos rancheros can spread among friends in a certain location or people searching for wedding dresses can search images of wedding dresses.

Because Pinterest also allows content beyond images it is rich for use by brands. Coupons could be offered exclusively to Pinterest users. Content would also help point people to other services offered by brands. The other great aspect of Pinterest is being able to see what is being said about the content. While FaceBook allows conversations about the brand among friends without the brand’s knowledge, Pinterest allows immediate feedback and an opportunity for a brand to respond and change to accommodate needs. It is possible the enthusiasm for the site will not last, but given how many millions are currently using the smart brand will ride out the wave. And if it does last, then a presence has been established.

Pinterest Drives Referrals

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