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In this series about Strategies in Social Media, I could not let out one of the biggest newcomers: Pinterest. This network, which is very young (they went live in 2010) has experienced an incredible growth and for example in the US it is the third largest social network. However due to it’s youth, there are still many things to create, to change and more.
As companies, Pinterest can be very interesting, but before I continue let me explain how this social network works. Users are allowed to upload images, which they share with their friends and followers. The photos are categorized by each user in virtual boards they create, for example “Friends and Family” or “Sports”. Each user creates these names, but they can assign them to the global categories created by Pinterest.
To access Pinterst, users don’t have to create a new username, as the system relies on Facebook’s and Twitter’s credential. The only requirement is that to use Pinterest, the user must have an account on any of these two networks. The photos are also shared through these networks if the user allows Pinterest to work this way.
As companies we should consider if Pinterest should be part of our Internet presence. There are 2 big questions every company should ask itself before jumping to this network:
1. Do we have photos or images, or are willing to create them, that will be interesting for our users (clients, potential clients, other types of users)
2. Do we want users to share photos with us, of them using our products and services?
If you answer yes to any of the previous questions, Pinterst can be for your company. However, please understand the limitations of the network, such as their main functions at the moment is just to share photos and what it means to have a presence in social networks.
Last year a study showed that 4 out of 5 Pinterest’s users were woman. This can be very interesting for your company, if woman are an important segment.
I want’ to emphasize on the fact that Pinterest is very young and that in the following years we will probably see many changes. It is important to analyze this situation, as it is always possible that you strategy and tactics have to change very fast, due to these changes.
Image taken from Flickr.com
