Remember cutting up magazines and putting together a collage of your favorite images when you were a kid?  Favorite cars, favorite toys, favorite pets, favorite movies, etc.  Assuming you had any semblance of a childhood, that thought should offer a feeling of nostalgia.  If you haven’t quite figured out what Pinterest is yet, think of that and you won’t be too far off.

Pinterest is the glorified version of your childhood collages, except instead of only having a handful of magazines at your disposal, you have the entire Web to create your collage.   And instead of having to run next door to show your best friend Sarah your creation, you can do that at the click of a button.

The Statistics and Demographic:

Pinterest snuck up on most of us.  Suddenly it became this incredible social media force that is continuing to gain impressive momentum.  There are an average 1.36 million users on Pinterest every day, the majority being female, ages 25 to 34.  An average of 15.8 minutes are spent on the social media site every day per user, which is about 3 minutes more than Facebook, and about 12 minutes more than Twitter.

The Rundown:

Pinterest allows you to “Pin” images you like (which link to the website it originated from) to an array of digital boards of your making – from favorite recipes to dream vacation spots – Pinterest allows you to house all of the images in one convenient place.  You share your pins with the public and friends, who can then pin your discoveries to their own boards.

Tips on How to Use Pinterest for Your Business:

1. 1. Jump in – it’s not always easy.  It’s new, it’s relatively untried, but it is fun; so jump in with both feet.  Setup your Pinterest account and start pinning.  But some things to keep in mind before getting your feet wet:
      • Be sure Pinterest is right for your brand and aligns with your target demographic.
      • At this point, Pinterest doesn’t allow you to sign up with your business Facebook page, so use your Twitter account.
      • Remember Pin Etiquette and stick to it.
      • Enter with the mentality of being helpful to Pintreresters (it’s not a word yet, but I have a feeling it will catch on).

1. 1. Create boards that you feel define your brand, and populate with applicable content throughout the Web.  Add in some of your own images, but be careful and remember Pin Etiquette – you should not use Pinterest primarily for promotional purposes.  Take a look at how Whole Foods has used Pinterest to develop their brand image, and learn from it.  Keep in mind the lifestyle of your target demographic, and pin accordingly.  Create do-it-yourself blog posts and pin some of your best ones to one of your boards.  Some of the most re-pinned items on Pinterest are how-to focused.  Pin an image with a “What do you think of…” question to encourage feedback.  There are a lot of creative ways to use Pinterest, so get brainstorming.

1. 1. Be sure to remind visitors to your site and online assets that you are on Pinterest.  You can add “Follow” and “Pin It” buttons where applicable, making it easier for users to pin to their own boards and find you on Pinterest.

1. 1. When describing your pins, be sure to make them keyword rich so that when others search for applicable content, your pin will show up.

1. 1. Be strategic in who you follow.  Be sure to follow those that you see could be key contributors to your brand identity.

1. Finally, once you’re up and running, be sure to “listen.”  We’re firm believers in listening in the social space, and Pinterest allows you to see who is pinning your images.  Go to www.pinterest.com/source/(insert your URL here) .COM and monitor what people are pinning, and be sure to comment and offer feedback to show you are engaged and social.

So start pinning and access your inner child.  I promise you’ll have fun.