Pinterest could generate interest among consumers

A small part of what is required to run a successful business is an eye for innovative marketing opportunities. A few years ago, professionals would have balked at the idea of advertising through social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. Today, it would be shocking to hear of a successful organization that does not have some kind of online social presence. Furthermore, new social communities are created each month, some more enticing than others.

Pinterest, an online pin board social community, has been making noise in the marketplace. In a recent comScore study, the data showed that Pinterest generated 421 million page views in the U.S. in October, which is up 2,000 percent from June 2011.

The easy-to-use online community connects people with similar interests, ranging from fashion to food to new products. Users have unique profile pages, or "boards," where they can pin images that they come across while browsing online. When Pinterest users visit their favorite blogs and discover interesting images, they have the ability to post the pictures to their unique boards for all of their Pinterest friends to see. Each pin has a link attached to it that leads users back to its original source. This component can enhance lead generation for organizations, as new products that circulate on Pinterest also encourage users to visit the website the images came from.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Pinterest is that participants are engaging with the online platform even when they are not actually on their unique profile. After signing up, users are prompted to install the "Pin It" bookmark on their web browser. When they find an image they enjoy, like a recently launched product by their favorite brand, they simply click the bookmark and it posts directly to their profile.

Professionals with creative direction jobs can use the accessibility of Pinterest to promote new products. A long time issue for many organizations was how to quickly spread the word and create hype about a product launch. Pinterest may be the solution.

Creative directors would simply have to create a Pinterest account and tack images of new products to their personal boards, circulate the photographs to their followers and wait for repins and linkbacks to generate.

While Pinterest is a fairly new social media platform, it is an exciting and revolutionizing online community that has continued to generate buzz in the marketplace. Professionals need to keep abreast of the latest developments in online promotion, as getting on board with a project before the competition often has desirable outcomes.

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