If you’re a pinning fanatic, you likely know that the title of this post was inspired by Pinterest’s official blog, ‘Oh, How Pinteresting!’ That’s because we agree – Pinterest is fascinating. And we’re not alone. The online bulletin board is exploding, with more traffic than LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube combined and four million daily unique visits. A recent project catapulted me into the style, home and food-obsessed Pinterest-sphere (aka my happy place) and I have to say, I’m hooked. Read on for tidbits on the site that is taking over social.
Pinner Demographics:
Click to see full infographic
- Pinterest’s user base has the composition of most PR firms! Pinners are nearly 70% women. That said, more men are joining – male users jumped from 20% to 28% in just three months between January and March 2012.
- Nearly 30% of users are 25 – 34.
- It is the third most-visited social network in the U.S. In March 2012, the site had 18.7 million unique visitors.
- Users have above average incomes, which speak to their increased buying power. According to Mashable, Pinterest-referred buyers are “10 percent more likely to buy something” and “spend 10 percent more on average.”
Fun Pinterest Facts:
- Etsy is the most popular source for pins. This makes sense, as arts and crafts is among the top three most popular Pinterest categories. Also on the list – home (# 1) and style and fashion (#3). For more information on Pinterest content trends, check out this Mashable article.
- Pinterest is skewed heavily to female users. In a The Next Web article, Brad McCarty attributes the estrogen overrun to its window-shopping and inspirational elements, calling it a “social shopping experience, disguised as a website full of interests.”
- Similarly to Twitter, you can tag and use hashtags in your pin descriptions. This functionality was rolled out more than a year ago, but seems underused. You can find more information on these capabilities on the ‘Oh, How Pinteresting‘ blog.
- In addition to images, you can post videos to Pinterest.
Lastly, this post from Spin Sucks contains some useful tips for creating a corporate Pinterest presence. Here’s the shorter version of pointers (with some added color) that jumped out:
- Think about search engine optimization in your pin descriptors. Along the same vein, don’t forget to tag and mention (same Twitter # and @ symbols).
- Avoid pure promotion. Ensure that you have a balance between company material and content drawn from admired blogs, websites and images. Inspiration boards can be an effective way to achieve this.
- Pinterest can be a relationship building tool. By pinning stories about your company by influencers, you both promote your company, the story and the writer.
- Ensure pins contain active links. At its heart, Pinterest is a discovery site. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to find the origin of a pin that you really like!
- Use Pinterest as a tool to tell your history, not just your present and future. Think back over activities, events, launches and conferences that had especially visually appealing elements and pin away!
Better Homes and Gardens, Whole Foods and Bergdorf Goodman top the list of brands with the most followers on Pinterest. How do they do it? It’s a question companies are scrambling to answer as they look to leverage this up and coming, powerful social media platform. Oscar de la Renta experimented in April when the brand live-pinned its bridal show, drawing attention and garnering coverage. Keep an eye out for a post next week that will explore the tactic. Pinteresting!
Additional Sources:
Cabalona, Jeremy. (April 29, 2012). Interest in Pinterest Reaches a Fever Pitch [INFOGRAPHIC]. Mashable Dietrich, Gini. (May 9,2012). Sixteen Ways to Use Pinterest for PR. SpinSucks Erickson, Christine. (February 25, 2012). “13 ‘Pinteresting’ Facts About Pinterest Users [INFOGRAPHIC].” Mashable Swash, Rosie. (April 17, 2012). “Pinterest, brides and Oscar de la Renta: a good marriage.” The Guardian Fashion Blog.
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GrahamC100
