I admit it. I was flattered. Pinterest wants to feature one of my Pinterest boards during its registration process for new UK users.
Right, what is Pinterest? It is a new social media network – based on sharing images – that has grown phenomenally in its three-year existence.
Thanks to Mike Farrow for turning me on to Pinterest – companies were finding Pinterest was driving more sales than Facebook.
Explaining this phenomenon, Steve Longoria quotes stats that 80% of Pinterest users are women, saying, “women love to shop” (ouch, goes feminist-self).
But there is more gender-balance in UK, according to David Moth at Eco-Consultancy. Do see Eco-Consultancy’s analysis of how huge (and small) brands use social media. Most instructive.
Yes, I can see how retail is suited to images. Selfridges is on Pinterest, so is Ocado, Yeo Valley, Clipper Tea, campaigners such as the Woodland Trust, and (I like this one) National Rail Enquiries.
I set up action brand, Fish4Ever, on Pinterest. Its pictures tell the stories of sustainable fishing and its the fight to support small fishers, so suited to image-led Pinterest.
Then, when browsing Fish4Ever products on Ocado, I noticed a Pinterest button on each of its product pages. Ooooh, that made it easy to upload the product images to a new Board I titled: Fish4Ever on Ocado.
Then, when you click on the Ocado Fish4Ever product image at Pinterest, the link takes you back to the UK online supermarket so you can buy the product. Neat.
I also set up my own Pinterest account. It is a way of mapping out interests online – pleasingly visual. I have just started a Board to gather my recent blogging/journalism.
And I also made a Board for Books. (Above a pic of pile: books I am reading, want to read or have read but can’t bear to be parted from).
Pinterest UK launched on 9 May. Why an UK launch when Pinterest is global, right, like Facebook? Pinterest guest blogger, interior designer, Will Taylor, admires this localised approach and thinks it makes sense because Pinterest is “probably one of the most personal platforms…highly influenced by where you live.”
Pinterest founder Ben Silbermann indicates its success may also be be down to this marketing approach: having local events to engage local bloggers. Verrrry interesting! (see my comment below in ‘Comments’).
According to marketing blog, Pinster, Pinterest has been very successful at generating traffic for US bloggers and invites UK bloggers to share reports of any traffic increases as a result of this current marketing drive.
Getting ten UK bloggers a day to Pin It Forward for 30 days sounds a Herculean task especially if they were as recalcitrant as I was (haven’t I got enough to do?).
But I was intrigued by the marketing campaign so here I am, passing the baton to the next blogger in this 30-day marathon. Whom it turns out, I am already happily connected with…
Laura Scott is a fellow food blogger with a beautiful and practical blog, How to Cook Good Food, and do see Laura’s fascinating and share-able How to Cook Pinterest Boards.
Inspiring, too. I am gonna get pinning.
Real Food Lover 