Does Pinterest matter to my business? It’s visual, it’s social and it’s here to stay!

You’ve probably heard that Pinterest is here and in a big way. If you’re not already familiar with it, take a look and see what the fuss is all about. The site has been around for a couple of years but only recently took off.  According to Compete, unique visitors to Pinterest.com increased by 155% just in one month, from December 2011 to January 2012.  If you are brand new to Pinterest, here is a great infographic to give you a comprehensive look at what makes this social platform so unique and impactful.

Like most social media platforms, we have to ask, how do I use this for business?  Does Pinterest matter to my business?  I recently read a whitepaper published by HubSpot and they list four compelling reasons why Pinterest should matter to your business.

1. Links – use the “Pin It” button on your website pages and every single one of your pins will include a link back to the source.  This provides marketing value because they allow pinners to encounter your content and visit your pages in just one click.
2. Leads – When your product is shared on Pinterest and pinned on boards, the links can drive people directly to the page where they may purchase a product. [Note: this is how I recently purchased a new case for my iPhone]
3. Social Sharing – Pinterest enables users to log in using their Twitter or Facebook profiles, connectivity this is critical for social media success.  These sites can’t get away with working in silo and Pinterest has recognized that out of the gate.
4. Traffic – Any business that relies on driving a high-volume of website traffic to increase sales, should consider joining Pinterest.

– In October, the website of Time Inc.’s Real Simple magazine got more traffic from Pinterest than Facebook (Source: www.AdAge.com)

– Eye glass retailer Warbly Parker reports that 11% of their social traffic is coming from Pinterest compared to 18% from Twitter (Source: Twitter)

– After blogger Kate Bryan started pinning her work, she has had more than 10 million page views and has attracted 16,000 blog subscribers. “My top 10 traffic referring URL s are all Pinterest,” says Kate. (Source: www.businessgrow.com)

Although Pinterest is one of the newest players in social media, it has definitely taken off like wildfire.  It has all of the traits of being a successful platform that is here to stay: it’s visual, it’s social and it’s addicting!  Don’t be shocked when you find yourself lying in bed, “pinning” from your iPad at 1:30 in the morning.  I know I’m not the only one.

Have you tried Pinterest?  Let us know if you are hooked!