A Different Kind of Social Media: Pinterest

HMA Public Relations Account Coordinator Stephanie Lough shares her experience with Pinterest, as well as the advantages of this new solcial media for companies.

A Tip for Tuesday – An Interest for Pinterest

While Facebook and Twitter may be social network powerhouses, and G+ frantically trying to catch up, one platform that exploded onto the scene in 2011 with such force, it seemed to have come up overnight: Pinterest.
Pinterest is a photo-sharing website in which users can “pin” photos from across the web (or uploaded from their computer) and organize them on virtual bulletin boards. The design of Pinterest is minimal, putting all focus on the images in a stunning display.
Followers can add to others’ boards (at the creator’s discretion), like, comment or “repin” images they like. The user has the freedom to categorize their boards any way they want, making the uses of Pinterest endless.
Although Pinterest has been in beta form for over a year, and still requires an invite to join, there were more than 4.5 million unique visits to the site in November. And while Pinterest is a fun and creative way to express ideas and share images, some companies have found a niche for their brand.
Nordstrom, Whole Foods, and Real Simple are just a few examples of how a business can use Pinterest for professional use. Although there are no official business pages, these companies have used the site to integrate their brands in a creative, unique way.
Although the uses of Pinterest may be clearer for retail, hospitality and otherwise B2C companies, PR agencies can create boards for their clients’ photos, events, clips – even as visionary boards for the direction they want their company to go.
So, for today’s Tip for Tuesday, here are some of our tips for using Pinterest:
-Have clear categories. Some great personal uses can be home decorating themes, places to visit or hobbies and interests. Have a board for your favorite memes or to point out similarities between your friend and an alpaca. You can be as creative as you’d like.
-Use it for personal branding by creating a portfolio board of your work and separating personal photographs from images collected on the web.
-Add the Pin It button to your web browser. By having the button on every page can allow you to easily add an image in a few seconds without having to leave the page you are on.
-Pair with a site discovery platform like StumbleUpon. This can help you find images and ideas that you may not normally come across.
Have a Pinterest? Share with us some of your favorite boards in the comments below.