If you haven’t yet used Pinterest, I’m sorry. No, I actually am apologizing to you (and to your partner, your dog, your kids, and everyone you know). I basically just stole your plans for the night. You see, Pinterest is a bit like Pringles: once you “pop,” you can’t stop.
What is Pinterest, you ask? Anything that exists in visual form (including text of famous quotes!) can be shared on Pinterest. For example: as you’re browsing the internet, you may come across items to redecorate your living room. Every time you spot an item that belongs in that space, one click “pins” it to your personal virtual bulletin board, for you to plan, and for everyone to see! Same goes for recipes, household items, books you love (or plan to read), places to travel and literally ANYTHING else, as long as it has a corresponding image.
But Pinterest isn’t just about what is immediately accessible to you. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. Pinterest is about creating a virtual world where the things you want all exist in perfect harmony, without regard to cost, space, or practicality.
Say you’re browsing the web and you see a great pair of strappy sandals. Well, you can’t afford their $320 price tag today, but if you can’t walk down the beach wearing them, you’ll wear them on Pinterest for everyone to see! The entire world can see your plans and even your dreams, in visual form, especially once you link Pinterest to your Facebook and twitter accounts (see next week’s Pinterest post).
I thought I was a savvy social media person (I mean, hey, it’s my job), and would see right through Pinterest for what it is: a visually pleasing social media platform designed to allow images of promotional items to be seen and shared rapidly and repeatedly. So, I created a login. I browsed some friends’ boards. I saw something I liked, and I clicked “repin.” A wave of satisfaction washed over me, much like the feeling I get when I click “Add to cart.” I felt like I owned that thing. After all, it was on MY board. I saw more things, and I pinned. I virtually redecorated my kitchen. I found so many great recipes, and even uploaded pictures of my own food. Then, I started getting notices that people were re-pinning things that I had pinned! Strangers ALSO liked the things I had selected and brought to Pinterest, and that was very satisfying. I finally looked up and realized that hours had passed. My twenty-minutes of research had turned into an entire night of pinning!
The graphic below pretty much sums it up [via RageBuilder.com]:
You can follow Dana on Pinterest at Pinterest.com/danadillehunt. Coming up next week: Making the Most Out of Your Pinterest Account.