As far as us Internet marketers are concerned, Pinterest is most definitely a business opportunity. This image sharing website has made a big bang in the social media world, with marketers practically falling off their horses to show that Pinterest is the next big thing. Some marketers

aren’t so enthused about it, and that’s okay. It may still be too early to decide whether or not Pinterest is here to stay for the long run, but it’s certainly worth exploring.

The Rapid Rise of Pinterest

The growth of Pinterest has been staggering. It’s no doubt that Pinterest can hold its own against the big shots when it comes to using social media for business. Back in February, a Shareaholic study revealed that Pinterest drives more referral traffic than Twitter. Yes, that’s right. Pinterest sends more traffic to websites than LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ AND Twitter. Pinterest for business? You betcha.

Another very interesting fact: Pinterest user growth is better than that of Facebook and Twitter at the same point in their history. Just in the first three months of 2012, the number of Pinterest users that visit the site daily has gone up 145%. These are statistics that can be found at the bottom of this post as part of a comprehensive infographic.

What does business see in Pinterest?

If you’re not already, you should seriously consider giving your brand/business a Pinterest presence. Why? Well, I can give you four solid reasons to use Pinterest to market your business:

1. The traffic. This reason could probably stand on its own. Every time a user pins and repins, there is an increased chance that people will click on the image, which directs them to the external site where the image can be found. This presents ample opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and direct traffic to their website.
2. It’s visual, and viral. Over 80% of pins are actually re-pins rather than brand new content. This means people are sharing the content that others put out. Even better – Pinterest relies on images, which are incredibly shareable by nature. Attractive images will be shared, and they are being shared on Pinterest every day. In fact, Over 20% of Facebook-connected users are on Pinterest daily (that’s more than 2 million members). (AppData)
3. Simplicity and speed. Audiences are moving faster than ever, with smaller attention spans and more things to do. The Pinterest platform is perfect – it relies solely on pictures and graphics to send a message, and people have the ability to add a caption. That’s it. That’s what people pin and repin, organizing their interests into groups called pinboards. And they do it fast. If you cater to your audience’s need for speed, you’re more likely to get some new customers.
4. Deeper insight. By seeing what an audience pins, and how they categorize their interests, a business can use Pinterest to understand the consumption habits of their target market. Pinterest can definitely be used for market analysis. As a business, wouldn’t you like to know how customers are using your products? Then you can devise marketing strategies that target their interests more directly, and they see that you, as a company, “get it.” When you “get” your customers, you get loyalty.

Of course there are (and always will be) people who use Pinterest just for the fun of it, but that’s what makes a social network so social. People enjoy being on Pinterest, so that’s where they flock to. As a business, you should always find ways to make yourself visible to “flocks” of people.

Should You Be Marketing Your Business with Pinterest?

Right now, Pinterest makes most sense for retail businesses, but that doesn’t mean B2B marketers and companies that provide services should turn away. While Pinterest is still in the development stages and there are some kinks to work out, business-to-business marketers and service providers should keep an eye on the potential with this platform.

As an Internet marketing service provider, we’re exploring Pinterest ourselves. It’s all about finding out what inspires and moves your audience. This forces you to think outside the box. For instance, we don’t just pin things that have to do with what we offer for services, we have pinboards dedicated to different things our audience (and our team) cares about. That may be creative solutions for daily life, humor or gift ideas for your clients and employees.

Pinterest Resources

Here are a few helpful Pinterest resources that I would like to share with you:

1. Donna Moritz wrote a fantastic blog which can be found on Amy Porterfield’s site. Check out her 10 Commandments of Using Pinterest for Business.
2. Inc. Magazine highlights 9 tips to boost your business with Pinterest that’s well worth the read.

As you can see from the infographic below, courtesy of Internet Marketing Inc, the Power of Pinterest cannot be denied.

So tell me – are you using Pinterest to grow your business?

If you enjoyed this post, get email updates for ease and simplicity.