Pinterest, closing in on a Google and Twitter take over.

Lately, us folks at TargetClick Marketing have been getting pretty darn curious about a highly talked about sexy new tool, and her name is Pinterest. Pinterest shares photos with just about everyone, but before your mind wanders astray keep in mind that I’m taking about a social network. Pinterest is setup in a vision-board style, encouraging a social gathering among those who have similar interests. Another social network (you ask in dismay)? It’s pretty easy to be skeptical of new social networks, but how can you argue with Pinterest’s results? Not only is it addictive, it is highly trafficked as well. So let’s dig into this whole Pinterest movement: The Little Social NetworkThat Could Pinterest has been the hot new trend in social media lately, and just like any other building trend it is showing no signs of slowing down. So either jump on-board or step aside, because the new trend in social media is here to stay. Over the past months Pinterest has gained significant headway in terms of the referral traffic market, reaching 3.6% of the market share in the month of January, showing no signs of this emergence coming to a head.  This is truly amazing considering Pinterest was only fielding 0.17% of the referral market just eight short months ago. Why is this whole referral traffic bit important you ask? Referral traffic is huge for anyone looking to gain attention online, it’s how visitors get to your website from links on other websites, rather than typing in your exact URL. Basically, somebody is talking about you, and in our world of search engine optimization we love when people talk about you because that’s how you get noticed!

So what’s not to love about Pinterest?

This new social tool seems to have caught the attention of several web-curious women, utilizing its capabilities to find delicious new recipes, organize a cute outfit, or to even plan an entire wedding. Although very few, there are a rising amount of gentlemen who have caught on to the Pinterest movement, and they prefer to use it for things such as browsing for new workouts or the newest technological gadget to hit the market. The possibilities on Pinterest are very diverse, and many of its users devote significant amounts of time browsing, Pinning and Repinning. But really, why is Pinterest so damn addicting? It’s pretty simple actually:

It’s Fun - First of all, it’s the cheapest magazine I never had to buy. In essence, Pinterest allows us to clip and archive anything that is individually appealing and it provides us access to it all in one central location. Browsing for long periods of time without seeing the same things is pretty typical on Pinterest, providing hours upon hours of internet exploration for its users.

How Pinteresting! – Without any intentions of purchasing anything, Pinterest provides a medium to appreciate things we are interested in such as art, clothing or even some American Muscle, if you catch my drift. For those of us who are also so inclined, it provides an opportunity to get noticed by millions of people who weren’t even searching for you specifically– that sounds like the opportunity of opportunities. Show me another tool that can provide a consistent and efficient method for sharing something with large amounts of users.

Easy Breezy – After establishing interests, you can just sit back explore, and Pin or Repin all your little heart desires. Pinterest has done an excellent job of making their site user friendly, requiring very few clicks for optimum browsing. You setup boards based upon what you want to see, no questions asked.

It’s like silly putty for adults – Excuse me for being cheesy, but the great part of what Pinterest offers to its users is flexibility – meaning that Pinterest adapts to whatever it is that you’re interested in. It’s all about you, the user! This is an incredible competitive advantage over Facebook or Twitter who generally promote content with underlying monetary motives. Despite its endless possibilities, this hot new social gathering doesn’t seem to have struck a fancy with many of the naysayers in the room, so what’s the deal? I think there are two very logical reasons:

Time – When you consider all the networks many of us are involved with, i.e.: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr (and the list goes on!), it’s not surprising that many just don’t have the time or desire to add yet again another network to their repertoire.

Misconceptions of its use – When Pinterest first began its rise in popularity, many of the users were focused on using it more for its aesthetically pleasing approach for sharing art, photography and other creative sorts. But as Pinterest has continued its relentless expansion, other possibilities have come into the fold that people just aren’t aware of yet.

Final Words of Encouragement

Internet Explorers – If you’re interested in exploring the web, Pinterest is your one-stop-shop for, well, whatever you’re interested in! Whether it’s clothing and apparel, party ideas, or even ideas for your dream home, it is simply addicting.

Show me the money – For businesses, this new tool is very well could be the newest and most effective way to direct organic traffic to your website. As I mentioned, Pinterest is getting hot, real hot, showing no signs of slowing down in terms of popularity. Now would be a great time to enter the Pin-game. (Stay tuned for our next blog about how businesses should be using Pinterest to effectively promote their brand and generate traffic to their e-commerce pages)

And with my final breath: Whether you’re looking to get noticed or just interested in exploring, Pinterest is the hottest new kid on the block, so join the trend and get Pinterested before you’re sitting at a lunch table by yourself.