The word of the month was:
Although it’s been around since 2010, this virtual pinboarding site completely escaped my notice until late last year. Even then, I paid it little attention until earlier this year when it suddenly moved to the forefront. All at once it seemed that my Facebook news feed was filled with my friend’s recent pins, my Twitter feed with links to articles about the latest social media craze, and my email inbox with requests from clients to integrate Pinterest into their blogs, websites, and Facebook pages.
I learn best by doing, so I began creating boards and adding pins related to my personal and professional interests, using alliterative names as I’ve done for the categories on this blog. Check out my boards here:
Here are a few articles that are worth checking out, whether you’re already using Pinterest or just wanting to know what the fuss is all about:
From GigaOM – Study: Pinterest drives more referral traffic than Google+, nearly on par with Twitter
From ReadWriteWeb – What Pinterest is Doing That Facebook Isn’t
From Ignite Social Media – Brands on Pinterest: Who, When and How Brands Are Using the Hottest Social Bookmarking Site
From Jay Baer – 5 Reasons Pinterest is Addicting and 4 Weaknesses That May Kill it
From Michelle Shaeffer – What You Absolutely Must Know to Use Pinterest Safely
Have you jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon?
Do you think it’s a useful marketing tool, or merely a diversion?
Is it destined to join Twitter and Facebook as a top social media site, or is it just a fad?
Thanks for the mention and link, Janet.
My two cents: I think if they can get their legal issues in order and work through the issues their servers are having with all the growth, they’ve got amazing potential. I also see lots of useful marketing/visibility opportunities. But, only time will tell…
Those are both HUGE issues, Michelle. And it’s all so confusing! On the one hand, we’re told it’s not to be used for self-promotion, and on the other hand that we’re only to post our own images… so what’s left?
I think there’s space there for us to build our credibility and share without needing to be blatantly self promotional.
I’m not out posting “hey buy this!” with everything I pin, but I’m sharing useful info, motivational things, etc that help my followers and keep me on their minds.
That’s basically what I’m doing too. The first boards on my page are business-related things I’m sharing (some mine, some others’, just like on other social media sites) and lower down are my personal interests.
On Pinterest, I’m janetbarclay (no surprises there!) but I can’t find you, Michelle.