Thoughts on Pinterest

Don't know much about Pinterest besides the fact that my girlfriend spends more time on the site then with me! Every night before bed, any chance she has, she is on Pinteres. She will always telling me "look at this, wouldn’t this be cute?" I'm not sure if it’s something men are into too, but I know its popularity is growing like crazy with the females. I haven't been interested in the past about Pinterest, but I thought I would give it a try and see what all the hype is about. I can defiantly say there is A LOT more on the site for woman then men, I couldn’t find anything that sparked my interest besides some old photos of some NBA legends So for me, I'm not a big fan. For the little time I spent browsing around on the site, and for all the time that my GIRLFRIEND spend on the site, it's just something that really didn't do much for me... Sorry! 

Personally, I think Pinterest is a great platform for users to interact with each others by "pin" and share their interests. More important, the value of reviews in the "Pinterest model" increased tremendously. From online shopping perspective, on the websites like Pinterest, users do not need to take time to go to each website for product's reviews, because almost all the comments one needs for that product has already been gathered. And users can ask for direct helps from other "similar" shoppers to get the true evaluation of goods. Socialized shopping is more efficient than shopping alone. Also the value of "discussion" maximized, it prompts users for further action, such as comments contrast, leave advices, price comparisons, a series of acts. Comments generated purchasing power, and evaluation is productivity.

I recently added Pinterest to my list of ways to waste time while on the internet. Although I wouldn't say I'm addicted (as I know many others are), it can definitely suck you in for long periods of time. I have seen a couple of company's advertising on the site, but I personally have not gotten close to actually purchasing anything I've found on the site. I personally don't know of any specific companies whose sales have gone through the roof because of Pinterest.

I am currently not a user of Pinterest but I do have a few friends that do. I have heard both positive and negative things about it but the more I look into it, the more I think that it is not for me. I would definitely reccomend it to a client and I feel like it would be great for a company but not for me personally. I am not the biggest picture taker so it would not make sense for me to use Pinterest. It is a very interesting site that I would love to look into more but as of now, it is not something that would interest me or that I would use.

Pinterest is a very interesting site. I like the exclusivity of the site being that you have to request to join the site and can't immediatly sign up. I am a frequent user of the site. I like the concept of being able to "pin" anything from the web and adding it to your own board. 

I also enjoy the categories you can place the boards in. This helps organize the site to easily search and find items for your boards.

I would recommend this to a client, particularly companies in the fashion industry. This site is swarming with new fashion items for women and men. Companies can also link websites where you can purchase these items into the pictures. This is a great way to increase your reach and promote your brand. I can see this happening in the future as the site begins to develop more.

I am not sure of any companies who are using Pinterest now at the moment, being that Pinterest is a relatively new hit. But in the future, I see many companies utilizing Pinterest in terms of ads and marketing just like Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

Pinterest is here to stay.

Currently I am not a user of Pinterest, but I know that it is becoming very popular. I have been noticing more and more on Facebook of Pinterest updates on my newsfeed.  After leaning more about Pinterest I think that I will become a user of it. As far as recommending it to a client- heck yes I would! What a brilliant marketing strategy! Companies can put their new products right in front of potential customers faces. I’m sure there are plenty of companies that are taking full advantage of Pinterest- but I plan on joining soon so I will be able to find out first hand what all the rage is about :)

I am not very familiar with Pinterest, however, I have some friends who love sharing and using it. In my opinion, Pinterest is dominated by females who share recipes, wedding ideas, cute pictures, and pets. I believe that companies could use Pinterest to  market their products or services if they use it correctly. If a company's target audience is mostly men, then it will not be effective. But, if the company target audience is females between the ages of 16-30, then I believe it would be a smart addition to a marketing campaign. Especially with a clever and creative picture it can spread through a large amounts of people in a very short time. I can definitely see companies using Pinterest in the future. Companies in the fashion or food industry will definitely be able to effectively market their products on Pinterest. 

Pinterest has taken off this year - especially amongst females. I love Pinterest as a place to find inspiration for various topics such as: Fashion, Hair, Makeup, Quotes, and Recipes. In terms of business use - if used correctly - I feel that companies could create influence amongst consumers. For example, if Nike were to use Pinterest to market a new line of shoes coming out, it would be beneficial to take the time to create pins around whatever persona the new line is meant to hone in on. If the shoes appeal to women who like to dress in urban or hipster swag, they would need to figure out the correct phrases to tag on their pins that would catalyze their repins onto someone's "Shoes" or "Fashion" boards. Nike would also be a good candidates for quotes and fitness pins! Companies would have to watch that they are not one-size-fits-all'ing their approach to pinning as it could backfire on them.

I personally do not use pinterest, but I've heard a lot of talk about it recently. Reading articles on it, it first sounded kind of like tumblr, but I’ve realized there's more of an organization factor to it. If you’re using it for a purpose or to plan something, I think it could be a really great and useful tool. But if you’re using it just to suck up time, I thnk there are better sites you could use. I do think companies can get a lot of good use out of this though. I read on the sites bio that people use the site for things like planning their weddings or decorating their homes. I could see how this could be really useful. Companies can post their products on the site for people to see and use on boards. Like if you’re a small company that someone would not usually go to for something like a dress, but you get a lot of hits on pinterest, people can come across you on here and save the dress and your company name. I think it can be a great tool to get products out to consumers.  

I just started using Pinterest this semester, and I actually posted it as a resouce this week before this blog was posted.  I really like the site, however I think it is way to easy to get lost in time while using.  There are too many cool things on there to look at, and as other students have mentioned, it is a bit overwhelming.  However, I think that as it becomes more popular, it could be a very efficent way for companies to showcase new products and ideas.  The more pins they get, the easier it would be to see how successful the product would be.  The categories aspect could also be benefical so that businesses know how possible clients are categorizing their products.  I haven't seen very many companies using pinterest successfully so far.  As far as I've seen, it has been the most benefical to bloggers and recipe websites. 

I don't really use pinterest but I do understand the whole idea behind it. I think I might start to use it because it is going to be a very useful tool in the social media marketing world. Why? Because people spend hours upon hours clicking and choosing what they like. Users spend hours everyday on their site and this increases they google ranking, SEO, and can charge more for advertisements. Also, Users build their own personality by the things they pin. This is a marketing gold mine. Instead of marketers trying to figure out what you like, they figured out a way for you to tell the marketers what you like, GENIUS!

I did not have a Pinterest until starting this class. When I first found out about Pinterest and a classmate showed me hers I was really overwhelmed I did not understand the point of it at all, and I felt there were WAY too many things to look at. However, now that I have my own I am on it just as much as I am on facebook, which is quite frequently. I love it! I am a creative advertising major and am always looking at new things for inspiration so I figured Pinterest would be the best thing for me to collect a bunch of different ideas and organize them, rather than just saving a bunch of links or ripping things from magazines. I even dedicated an entire board to "My Inspirations." I use this board to add different images or designs or whatever I see fit to help me with a project later in life. Obviously i added other boards too just for fun like "Amminals." I think Pinterest is great for creative people like me who need a little help organizing. With that being said I think it is great for advertising agencies or people in the industry to use. So I definately see those types of people using them along with perhaps interior designers, or wedding planners. I think of pinterest as a giant notebook filled with inspirations!

I am not a huge fan of sites like StumbleUpon or Pinterest because if I don’t have to be stuck in front of a computer, I don’t want to be. I also feel like they provide huge distractions for college students and I know if I had gotten attached to one of these sites, I would waste countless hours on them. On the other hand, I did create a Pinterest account for one of the NMDL homework assignments and I can see how it is growing into a huge social media platform. Many of my friends are obsessed with the site and use it to find recipes, new hairstyles and fashion tips.  I could see some companies in the future using it to their advantage to post their new products or ideas to promote them or to get feedback on them. The site is really easy to use and divides everything into separate categories which makes it easier for companies to hit their niche audiences. I can see it evolving into a new public relations platform in the near future.

Personally, I would like to recommend Pinterest to others who haven’t used it. For personal interest, Pinterest, to some extent, is a private space where can make people’s “collection mania” come true. When you see a picture and want to keep it immediately, it is not necessary to click Save As button as a download to your computer, instead, you could only paste URL to your own Pinterest account in one second and look through your picture library just by logging in the website. Moreover, compared with traditional image search with a large amount of results from all over the world, Pinterest is a more targeted place where people could easily find groups having common interests and build network to each other for sharing and communicating. .  For example, one user who intends to buy a pair of basketball shoes, except browsing shopping websites, would access to some spots shoes fans’ pages to get an idea of real experience. Clearly, it is a good way to save time for the right shoes. On the other hand, for business needs, some companies have tried to build formal Pinterest pages to attract target consumers. Now, the U.S. Chobani Yogurt provides recipes for the visitors, and the seller of household furniture, West Elm also offers many types of interior design for house furnishing lovers or buyers. I believe that it is quite useful for fashion and routine businesses to engage in Pinterest, because currently the users of Pinterest are still under an age of 45 years old.  I also found out the pattern of Pinterest has copied to Asian market, and below is a picture of home page from Chinese Pinterest, Huaban.

After being invited by a friend, I opened up a Pinterest account. I find it to be a bit overwhelming and typically like to stick to other video sharing sites such as Tumblr. I feel that making it an "invite only" site opens up the opportunity for discouraged users. If they can't get an instant invite from Pinterest they might move on to another site. Aside from my bias opinion, it does seem to have a growing popularity among women. According to a recent article Pinterest drives more referral traffic than Google Plus, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined. This could be an easy and cheap way for a client to have their products seen by thousands in a short period of time. It is a great tool for companies to target online shoppers. Pinterest is a way for companies to interact with their target by not only trying to sell them something but also by becoming a trusted source for various ideas and information. I see Pinterest's popularity continuing to grow and becoming the go to place for fashion, weddings, and decorating tips. 

I personally have never used Pinterest before, but I know a lot of my friends on Facebook and Twitter use it all the time. It is some peoples' new social media addiction actually. Before watching this video I didn't really know what Pinterest was so I started reading up on it to see what all the buzz was about and how to use it. I would say now that it can be very beneficial to companies of all kinds. I see companies using Pinterest to get ideas from outside of their own thinktanks, maybe even bringing in or consulting people who post on Pinterest for ideas. Companies that want to stay at the cutting edge and ahead of the curve in terms of ingenuity and creativity will use Pinterest and other social media sites in order to be competitive. The companies that I am currently applying at aren't very heavy in the social media world, but perhaps taking this class and bringing my knowledge to whatever company hires me can help them improve in that area.

I am still waiting for the invitation from Pinterest which make me a little bit disappointed by its incontinence. However, I can see its great marketing potential if a brand company starts to use it well. The reason is that no one can deny sometimes pictures say even more and are more welcome when people are too lazy to read words. In this article, 7 Examples of Brands that Pop on Pinterest, several successful stories has been told and I am quite surprised about the how the brand, Oreck using Pinterest to attract their customers. Compositing their photos with lovely pets, Oreck tries to create a comfortable aura to remind people the importance of cleanness. It is this kind of possibility for people to “feel” make me think Pinterest has more space for social marketing. It seems to tell stories rather than just words anyway.

Pinterest is definiely a growing network. I started using it about a year ago, and since it has become an addiction. I think it could be useful for companies wanting to promote their products to a younger, mostly female market, made up of DIY-ers, wedding planners, artists and animal lovers. I'm not sure how powerful it is as a 'social' network.

I have used it extensively for planning both my brother's upcoming wedding and my own, and have found it very useful on that front. It is a community full of artistic and thrifty individuals with ideas to share.

The platform has helped me find vendors, designers and products that I wouldn't have otherwise found, especially from Etsy, a commerce web site for handmade goods.

I started using Pinterest about a month or two ago - honestly, it's become such a staple in my every day life I can't believe I ever went without it.  It's just so much fun! That's pretty powerful for me to say about a social media site, actually, and I don't think I've said that about anything besides Facebook or Twitter, and I'd even say Pinterest tops them both.  Why?  I feel like it gives individual users the power to create their own personal online nook dedicated to everything they love.  And they can do it with very minimal effort.  I think this is a great resource for companies to tap into.  All content you post is public, so companies can easily go in and find target audiences.  Also, people pin images and videos that interest them.  So, if a company posts an exciting video or image and just one person pins it to one of their pin-boards, that's free marketing right there.  I don't see a reason why any company wouldn't want to partake in online marketing via Pinterest.  It's just a good idea. 

Some people I know were sharing this article about using Pinterest as a marketing tool, you should check it out if you're interested in learning more. 

It is my first time to know about pinterest. I actually like the way it kinda combine blog, facebook and twitter and any other websites' functions into it. I think it is a very smart way for commercials and advertising. I was just surprised it is not as well known as faceook or blog or twitter or even linkedin. I asked my friends and they didnt know what is pinterest. then I had to google it and found it in wikipeida. But i can totally tell i will get addiced to pinterest once i got emial from the waiting list. 

I dont buy that why they have a waiting list and we have to wait to get an account or is it just not easy for new users to get accessed to it? But i like the idea that we can choose from categoris about the info we want to know about. One thing is way easy in here is we get to choose the ads we want , it is much better then what we cannot get from facebook or twitter. the layout is easy, simple but very neat. I think if it got advertised onTV or facebook , it would be the most popular website for the next five years. 

I just recently started using Pinterest and I can definitely see more companies using it in their future. I already see animal shelters posting pets available for adoption and people selling jewelry via the social network site. Ideas like these can be easily integrated into a company's social media plan, particularly local businesses and non-profits. I currently work for a non-profit and this article full of great ideas for Pinterest was passed around the office. However, I do believe the site is very visual and perhaps targeting content to the more visual-oriented buyer personas would be smart.

Pinterest is also great for personal brands. Two of my interests are cooking and traveling. I created boards for both these interests and listed them first on my profile. Additionally, the site is another great way to promote your blog. I post pictures of the food I cook on my blog and then pin them to my boards. If someone wants to know how to make what's pictured, it takes them to the recipes listed on my blog! The other cool thing about Pinterest is that it is still fairly new, so there is still so much room to experiment with new ideas (and make them your own).

It is the first time I‘ve ever heard about the website, but I saw the similar pictures setting of clothing in other websites before. Fashion brands like H&M, or individual brands can be a good fit for this type of sharing website. Another character I found out is that the popular images which with links back to the original source can get repinned on hundreds of other users' boards, which is good for SEO and increase links between websites.

After doing some research about Pinterest, there are some pros and cons when a brand choose to use Pinterest.

pros: First, easy to use. Some users recall Pinterest is easy to manage and they pin images on elegant looking boards. And each pinned photo includes one link to their site. Pinterest dramatically boosted page views. Second, effectively raising brand awareness by following popular brands on Pinterest. Just like Twitter, when people follow popular figures, and they follow them back. Those popular figure just act as the thought leaders and people will follow their trends no matter in fashion taste or living styles.

Cons: First, it requires an investment in time. People can share the link on Facebook and Twitter and continue the conversation to further nurture the relationship. Then, Pinterest is not fit for all kinds of business. Pinterest is expecially designed for independent fashion designers. Most vistors looking for DIY inspirations from the website.

Pinterest has set itself apart from other social media sites through its originality. This site is providing users with something so new. The site displays intriguing and unique content that attracts new and old users to return time and time again. I began using Pinterest around Christmas to find some cute DIY gift ideas for the holidays, but didn’t really start using it until after our first assignment. I really began to utilize the site to its full potential. I began to created boards and pin things myself, showing me how fun it really is. After my daily interaction increased I became addicted and use it almost every day. I enjoy that I can use it socially and personally. I find personal enjoyment in saving things I like and socially I enjoy sharing what I find. In terms of company involvement on the site, I don’t notice much yet. I can predict that will quickly change though. This site will be a new target for advertisers because of its increasing users and loyal members.

I have only been on Pinterest once because my girlfriend was on it the other day. I want to make a cool fish tank and she thought Pinterest had some great ideas so I checked it out. I ended up finding some great ideas about cool fish tanks ideas. I think that Pinterest right now is a great way for creative business to get their ideas out there using this new social media and driving new clients to their website. I personally will probably not start using Pinterest unless it really blows up. I would only recommend Pinterest to certain clients. For companies like John Deere and Fortune 500 companies I would hold off on creating a Pinterest right now. But I have a friend who has a small Arts and Crafts business and I would recommend it to them to get their name and ideas out there. In the future if Pinterest still stays popular I do see a lot, or all companies using it at times. As of right now I do not know of any companies that are doing a great job of using Pinterest but I will start looking for them after this blog post. 

I began using Pinterest 3-4 months ago and have been addicted to it ever since. Within the past year, Pinterest has attracted a lot of attention from the young adult demographic. Most people think that it is a website that only girls use but in reality, I know a lot of guys and also businesses that are using it as well. I would definitely recommend Pinterest to a client depending on what age group they are looking to target, and what they are trying to sell. I think this is a good website for a client to use because unlike Facebook or Twitter, it is a lot easier to gather ideas or even advertise different events, products, etc. Many people use Pinterest to pass the time or to look for new and creative ideas so I think they would be more likely to click on the link and visit a companies website if they saw something that interested them, rather than having Facebook gear advertisements to what they THINK you would like. 

Here is a story that I found that describes the Pinterest phenomenon perfectly: 

http://mashable.com/2012/02/10/curse-you-pinterest-i’m-hooked/

I started using Pinterest not too long ago and instantly became hooked. It's been a great place for me to find craft ideas, look for new books to read, and share things I already love with my followers. Without a doubt, I would recommend Pinterest to a client. It seems like a smaller social media site compared to Facebook or Twitter--though it's quickly growing in popularity--but it gives companies another outlet to directly communicate with their consumers. David Meerman Scott keeps stressing the importance of content, not sales pitches, and Pinterest is a great place for companies to contribute to the conversation their consumers are having. In the future, smart companies will pin and repin pictures and content they know will appeal to their consumers. Though they are not directly advertising their product, they'll be promoting the company name and adding more personality to it. Alpha Omicron Pi International Fraternity does this well: they have a board for ways followers can connect with them outside of Pinterest, but the rest of the boards are filled with things they believe their audience will enjoy. For many companies, Pinterest is a social media site that should be added to their digital marketing strategy.

I have a Pinterist account, but haven't logged in since I created it. It seems, from my short time logged on, to be dominated by females posting pictures of clothes, and reciepes. Not that there is a problem with this, or this is the only current use, or content on the site. I feel companies will need to utilize watermarks on pins that trend, or create very effective pinboards some how- possibly by making their own websites geared more towards sharing on Pinterest.

I honestly do not know that much about the social media site, but I feel I will really need to start learning about it, as it has become so popular.

I would, however, say that Pinterest seems to be like an outlet mall compared to all other social media sites. It also seems to be based of aestetics: clothes, hoem decor and foods. I do not see every company making big a move to Pinterest. Clothing stores, and food shows, or home decoration stores seem to be the ones mainly benifittng from Pinterest.

Pinterest has gained a lot of traction over the last year, with a mostly female audience. I discovered Pinterest about 7 or 8 months ago because someone sent me a link of an idea I had been contemplating and I’ve been hooked ever since.  I think it’s really beneficial for finding new things and also to get people’s creative juices flowing when it comes to anything from fashion to food to DIY ideas.  I haven’t seen a lot of businesses utilizing it, but I would imagine it would be incredibly important for businesses, big and small, to use it to help get their name out there and also increase their SEO.  Anything a business “pins” onto the site could be linked back to their main website and people that are interested could explore further.  I have a friend who is a photographer and is working on starting up her own business, she has recently started pinning some of her photographs from photo shoots she’s done and they are all linked back to her main website, so for her she’s getting a lot of feedback. In my own personal experiences with the site, I’ve been led to numerous blogs that were very helpful and I now look at and follow all the time.  Overall, I think Pinterest is a great website, but I think it needs to mature a little more before it reaches it’s full potential. 

Pinterest could really benefit from companies using it better. The biggest problem I see with pinterest is the lack of GOOD content. My girlfriend said it best when she described it as social networking for middle aged women. Just now I scrolled through a few pages and saw mostly crap so I think pinterest has a certain, mostly female audience to appeal to, so because of that I'm not sure I could reccommend it to a client yet. There are a lot of art and design blogs I follow that have a similar aspect to them than pinterest and they too fit a niche but one that does a bit better job of appealing to more people is www.piccsy.com. Other design blogs I follow focus strictly on design while piccsy has some of the less professional looking things that seem to appeal to more of the internet.

Personally, I think the social network 'Pinterest' is unique and exciting. I joined a few months back and will admit that I am on it almost every day. The social media network has been growing rapidly and they already have a smart phone app, also. The network allows you to connect your profile to both Twitter and Facebook, making it very easy to find friends who are also on the site and share 'pins' with them. I have already recommened the site to several of my friends and family members for inspiration and ideas. I like that the site is easy to use and I like the feel of being part of a somewhat private network, seeing as though you have to be invited to be a member by someone else who already belongs. I think this feature has allowed the rate of new members to grow, but at a somewhat steady pace. I think that the Pinterest network can be useful for several different types of companies, seeing as though there are 32 different categories (or tags) on the site. I feel that companies, especially those in industries like interior design, fashion, and food could leverage there business by using Pinterest to promote it. Whether a member is looking at the pins of people they follow or browsing the site by category, you often see several of the same pictures/pins and people are constantly 'repinning' things from one person the next - this process makes the ideas and pictures spread like wild fire through the site. I feel that some of the social media sites are more widely used by the younger generation. However, Pinterest seems to appeal to a new demographic in my mind - women and women of all ages, including those aged 40+. I believe that Pinterest will continue to grow rapidly and businesses will begin to use it more and more to leverage their business by posting pictures of items and/or services they provide. It is a great resource for people for a multitude of different categories.

Pinterest is becoming a very popular form of social media. I started getting into Pinterest last year sometime and I still use it almost everyday. It is a great resource for finding what ever you might be looking for such as recipes, clothes, gifts and so on. Almost everyone I know is using it and not just the younger generation I know a lot of mom's that love the site as well. I believe it is a great way for companies to connect with their clients. Companies could put their products on Pinterest, giving clients the opportunity to see them and even put them on their boards. It could bring awareness to the company as well. I know when I am on Pinterest I find so many different clothing shops that I have never heard of and if I really like it then I may buy something from the online store. I think Pinterest will continue to get bigger and bigger over the next couple of months and more companies will start using it to connect with future clients. 

I just recently found out about Pinterest and from what I can tell, it is sort of a mix of twitter, facebook and tumblr.  It is an interesting way to share things you find online with friends but what really interests me is the way companies use it.  As far as I can tell, there aren't too many companies on there.  I just don't think that companies know how to use it yet.  When pinterest begins to mature and more males begin to use it, companies will find innovative ways to use it.  I believe it will become a social media norm to have a facebook, twitter as well as a pinterest for all major companies and brands.

I just recently got on Pintrest. I have fallen in love with it instantly. It has made me more creative and has increased my love for cooking and doing crafts. I think that for me to recomend that a client use it that they would have to have a product that fits into one of the categories. I think that Pintrest could be a great use to people who run home craft businesses. I have seen that the company Etsy is constantly showing up as things that the people I follow pinned. I think that in the future you will see bigger companies starting to utilize it by paying to get their products pinned by people who have a lot of followers, or that it will be something similar to what you see on twitter with the promoted tweets. I believe that within the next two years we will start to see "promoted" pins. 

I have never heard of Pinterest before today, but based on its many uses, it seems to be very differentiated from most other forms of social media. It allows people with a creative passion to be discovered when they might not have been discovered otherwise. Being able to "pin" things on the board is cool, and has a bit of twitter flavor with "re-pinning" things you like. I would definitely get a Pinterest, and it can be useful for clients and businesses as well. They would be able to promote their products through pictures and organize them on Pinterest. However I think Pinterest needs to be more well known such as Facebook and Twitter in order to be successful. Since there are so many forms of social media, not every one can be widely used. Pinterest has great potential to become popular, but another thing with Pinterest is their high traffic for women but not so much for men. The Business world is arguably male-dominated, so if Pinterest could spread to the male population that would help with it's web traffic. 

Well, to be honest, I haven't heard of Pinterest before seeing this article. But we do have similar websites in China, and such kind of websites is getting more and more popular among young people, especially when online shopping is gradually taking over traditional shopping methods today. When people, especially those who already have certain amount of readers and fans, share with others the items they like, I believe many others would get to know, and even buy those items. Thus, I would definitely recomment Pinterest to a client. Moreover, since people just trust more on peer's recommendations than companies themselves, I think companies could take advantage of this and deal with relations with opinion leaders such as bloggers to get them use Pinterest and recommend their products. I think companies should take advantage of platform like Pinterest before it's getting too crowded.

Pinterest has grown tremendously in the last year.  I do have a Pinterest account; I use the platform primarily to get ideas for DIY crafts, décor and recipes.  Pinterest is reported by shareaholic.com to have received more traffic in January than both YouTube and LinkedIn!  Since the platform is still new it will continue through its growth stage with the ability to improve apps and change with market trends.  Much like C.C. Chapman mentioned, a huge benefit being able to reach audiences that may not be Facebook or Twitter savvy.  I would recommend a client to use Pinterest, as pinning is easy and can be used by anyone to share information not just the early adaptors.  Virtual marketing increases your brand reach, a business can show off their products or ideas by displaying them in pins which link back to their web pages.  Stylists and fashion designers are already using their online pin boards much like a magazine spread or shop window to display their products on.  An environment where users can obtain ideas and product information through sharing, without annoying pop-up ads or commercial side bars is a refreshing appraoch, and this positive user experience is what leads to growth in niche market traffic.  As Pinterest gains users and companies learn how to use the platform as a brand curator, it will develop into a research tool used to observe the latest trends in marketing and reflect the likes and needs of followers.

Like most social media outlets, I am admittedly a laggard when it comes to adapting to new websites and trends. I am just beginning to understand what the site is and how it benefits its users. I have recently become a member of Pinterest myself in order to further explore its purpose. One article about Pinterest that I find very thought-provoking comes from the Montreal Gazette. In the article, "Could Pinterest play lead to virtual hoarding? Pintervention, anyone?" reporters claim that the site is walking on a tight rope between collecting and hoarding.

Just as there is a fine line between having too many status updates on Facebook, or Tweeting too many times in one hour, Pinterest users should not be pinning 600 items and liking 50 boards. That being said, if a company feels that Pinterest could benefit its company and draw others to become interested in the business's pins and boards, then the website may be beneficial. In one of my advertising classes where we are working with a real client in order to rebrand their company, utilizing Pinterest is a good method to appeal to a younger audience who use social media on a daily basis. Companies, clients and others should use Pinterest; but they should use it in moderation.

I started using Pinterest at the beginning of this class because it was listed as one of the social media sites we could get as out “other” site. However, with all the hype it had been getting just before that I didn’t realize it was a request only community so I just got an account a couple weeks ago. I think it is probably one of the most awesome sites I have used. It’s integration with social media is awesome and I am an organized person so I love the way you and pin stuff in boards to organize things so you forget/loose them. Yesterday I saw a really great example of how Pinterest can work for businesses. A woman who uses children’s drawings to create personalized stuffed animals was pinned on Pinterest. Within a couple days she started to receive nearly thousands of emails about creating these personal creatures for kids around the world. However, such popularity from Pinterest also caused the maker some distress. She is one woman who makes these things over time and cannot nearly handle the volume that is coming in now. So the instant popularity can have it’s down falls. Other than people pinning things themselves and getting businesses attention I have yet to see a company with its own Pinterest but I think that would be an awesome idea! It is kind of a natural progression with the way Pinterest is spiking in users. I find it fascinating that I can see something my friends have pinned and then look on the general list and see the same thing. The reach of pins is phenomenal.

I am absolutely in love with Pinterest. Lately I've been using Pinterest more than other social networking sites. Pinterest is the perfect way to be inspired. I find everything on the site - fashion, hair, food, fitness, quotes, places, home decor, etc. Once I find something I really liked I "pin" it to a "board." My boards are saved for others and myself to look at. From there others can "repin" my "pin." Repinning is great for companies because their product, service, or idea has the ability to spread between users quickly, in turn generating a lot of interest. Unfortunately for men, Pinterest is pretty much designed towards women. I don't know any men that use the site currently. I would definitely recommend a client to use Pinterest to share it's product, service or idea to others, especially if their target audience is women in particular. Maybe someday Pinterest will be user friendly for men as well.

Pinterest: my new social media addiction! At first, I did not understand why all of my friends were constantly "pinning" and what the Pinterest hype was all about---that was until I decided to start to use my account and figuring out what Pinterest was all about. I quickly became addicted to the new social media sensation. I am checking my Pinterest account just as much as I check my twitter account. It is exciting to see all of the new pins. I love looking for pins that deal with fashion inspirations, new food recipes to try, pictures of places I want to visit, DIY crafting ideas, ideas for my future wedding, and so many more!

It has a new spin to any other social networking site currently out there. Pinterest has positioned itself as an "exclusive" social networking site. Users are not allowed to just sign up and become a Pinterest user; they must request an invitation to become a member. This is different than any other social networking site and is a unique attributed that has positioned Pinterest as a higher class networking site. I know many girls who wait weeks for their invitation, and became thrilled when they receive the email they are now invited to become a user. The exclusivity element heightens its interest amongst potential users. Whoever is not currently a part of the social networking site, desires to become a part of the craze that all of their friends are a part of. Pinterest draws upon the need for social acceptance in society these days--nobody wants to be left out. Like David Meerman Scott says, social media is like a "cocktail party". If all of your friends are invited to the party... chances are you will do anything to become invited as well.

In regards to the companies using Pinterest, I recently read an article on LinkedIn about the benefits of companies using Pinterest. It was very interesting to see how companies are able to utilize Pinterest. Companies have the ability to post their own products on their Pinterest boards--making their products viral. Companies are also able to use their boards as a virtual catalog: having the ability to make multiple boards to categorize their products as they see fit. Also, since Pinterest promotes giving credit for where you found the picture, and allowing users to click on the picture that will send them directly to the website where it was originally found on---this allows companies to have a direct link to their company's website. This will increase web traffic to their website, and in return (hopefully) increase sales! According to the 'How Pinterest Is Becoming the Next Big Thing in Social Media for Business', "Pinterest already is driving buyers to some websites. In the last six months, the retail deal site ideeli.com has seen a 446 percent increase in web traffic from Pinterest and sales resulting from those visits have increased five-fold" (Falls).

Pintrest is my latest addiction; I think its social media's greatest invention yet! My friends have been raving for awhile now about how they just can't get enough of Pinterest. While I sat there arguing it wasn't for me, my roommate insisted I needed to check it out; I was hooked. Individuals come together posting images of places, products, ideas, etc. he/she has an interest in. Users have the ability to categorize and share pins with friends, family and fellow followers. The social network is growing, and has recently caught the eyes of many. I would without a doubt recommend Pinterest. Right now would be a great time for companies to get on the action, and start publicizing products, ideas and projects related to their company. I would suggest companies post images of how their products may be used and the things it can do; however, they should not over-promoting themselves. Ideally, companies will need to designate a target and focus their pins. The network can be overwhelming and full of clutter; companies can, in a sense, be easily over-looked.  Pins should include external links, linking the company to the product, and essentially the consumer to the company. I have no knowledge of companies marketing on Pinterest, but I have seen products pinned and repinned by consumers. I think Pinterest is a great way to get products out there and gain publicity.

Not to be stereotypical, but I don't know a single guy that uses Pinterest.  I'm sure there are some out there though, and I have no problem with that whatsoever.  Like others have mentioned below, it is girly (general statement, not necessarily in all aspects) and for that reason there isn't much for guys to do, use, and enjoy.  Even after taking a glance at it you can tell by first impression that it's not something I nor any of my guy friends would enjoy.  With that said, I think it fits perfect to the girl crowd, especially seeing how many of my friends who are girls use it and are in fact addicted to it.  They love it.  And I think that's great.  Just as I love being addicted to message boards for my favorite sports teams - a type of social network in a way.  I think it is a very innovative tool.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are things on there for guys and if I looked hard enough I would find something I might enjoy, but just the overwhelming ratio (I read online that its 80% females and 20% males who use it regularly) makes it difficult because whatever may be out there for guys is then cluttered and difficult to find as it's covered up by the onslaught of things that are female oriented.  You would just have to work harder to find something cool.  I've noticed that I'm the only guy to comment on this blog thus far, for instance, hence my points from above.   It's difficult to talk about something you're not very familiar with or interested in, so I can't speak for it's possible future usage for companies.

I think I have gotten an email just about everyday for the past few months telling me that another one of my Facebook friends is now following my Pinterest boards. It has gotten huge! I have noticed that it's not the stereotypical social media mavericks and about 90% of the people following my boards are women. I think I may have added 1 thing to pin, but then I lost interest mainly because it seems like a way to waste time and I think I look at things on the internet enough as it is. From what I've gathered, it's gained popularity because it's girly and fun and you can share your collages with your friends. It's almost like doing crafts on the internet. I'm not obsessed yet, but I can see why some people like it so much.

I personally do not have a pinterest, but have definelty contimplated getting one. From what my friends have told me about their obsession with Pinterest , is that it's a new form of stumbleupon. The great thing about Pinterest is your ability to make boards therefore showcasing and organzing things that you found interesting. I don't see all companies using this site but there would be a few industries that I would recommend it to. One of these would include clothing sites to show clients new trends, then redirecting back to the stores websites for customers to purchase. Pinterest is very versitle so I do think it would be smart for some companies to use, but only if they use it in a way to sucessfully relate back to their service.