My love for Pinterest has been well documented by friends, family, and classmates. Pinterest is a virtual scrapbook or pinboard that allows users to share and organize visual imagery. I regularly use the website to find food and fashion inspiration. Since launching in March 2010, Pinterest now has 70 million users who share images online. The most popular categories are “food and drink”, “DIY and crafts” and “home decor”. As Pinterest continues to grow in popularity, there’s been a lot of talk about how businesses and brands can get involved.

Advertising is not yet possible on Pinterest, but companies and brands can open their own accounts and participate as users. Most companies involved so far are visual in nature, including fashion, cosmetics, achitecture, design, and food. I came across two interesting case studies of two very different companies who are doing well on this platform so far, PetSmart works to engage pet owners through health tips and information about breeds and Sony focuses their boards on the beautiful photos that can be taken using their Sony cameras

Whether you’re involved in an “aesthetic” industry or not, Pinterest could be an great avenue to explore further. My only caveat is that considering the visual focus of Pinterest, it seems best-suited for product-based businesses.

Three criteria for success for companies and brands on Pinterest
1. Consider what your target audience is interested in seeing
2. Create great content and beautiful pictures that people are proud to share
3. Post often, post regularly, and comment on others’ posts

Food for thought: What is the bigger space that your company or brand competes in? How can you start to participate in that conversation? What would that look like for you?