As a publisher, you’re probably already involved in Facebook and Twitter. But have you given Pinterest any thought? Here’s why you should consider adding Pinterest to your social media list.
When Pinterest first arrived on the scene, it was unfairly pigeonholed as the social media spot simply for recipes, crafts, and unrealistic home improvement/decor ideas. While Pinterest boards are still flooded with those things, there is now a vast amount of other ways the social medium is now used. For example, it can be used for branding and outreach, particularly when it comes to publishing. Consider these numbers:
- 40 percent of Pinterest users are male.
- 70 percent of brand engagement on Pinterest is user-generated (so that means a 30 percent opportunity for the brands themselves).
- Consumers spend over double when finding items through Pinterest avenues compared to Facebook and Twitter.
- 81 percent of U.S. consumers trust Pinterest.
- 25 percent of retail referral traffic comes from Pinterest.
In its own aesthetically-pleasing way, Pinterest is an untapped resource for many companies and a retail powerhouse. Just recently, the site started focusing even more on publishing. In September, Pinterest drove 3.68 percent of social media traffic to publisher sites, putting it in front of Twitter, Reddit and LinkedIn (combined). Facebook is still the leader with 10 percent of traffic driven to publishers when it comes to social media but Pinterest is clearly an up-and-coming force.
What Pinterest has going for it that other sites do not is the ability to “pin” articles for later. If Facebook or Twitter users see an interesting link, but do not have the time to read it on the spot, it is pretty unlikely they will take the initiative to find it later on. With boards like Pinterest’s very own Pin Now, Read Later people can revisit the links they see in passing – driving up overall traffic to a particular publication over time.
Think about your own social media efforts or those of your company – particularly if publishing is your gig. You probably have well-established Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn policies for posting your articles and blog entries. Does your business give Pinterest the same love? Perhaps an even better question is whether your company uses Pinterest right when it comes to the publishing industry. If you want some inspiration on publishing companies that are using Pinterest effectively, check out these boards:
- Restaurant Picks, New York from the New York Times
- Four and Five Star Reviews from Rolling Stone
- Babies from Babble
- IT Girl from Wired
- GQ Style from GQ Magazine
Have you found success for your business, whatever the industry, on Pinterest?
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.
