I’ve been hearing plenty about Pinterest of late what with friends begging me to get an account but at first I thought, “Sigh, not another social networking site,” seeing as how unsuccessful Google + was, at least in this corner of the world.
Even with Twitter, Facebook and a Tumblr to manage (cough, Instagram too), I couldn’t see how I could manage another social media account without losing all my real life friends in the process.
Like a magpie, we’re humans are natural collectors. We collect stamps, false lashes, miniature dolls, limited edition Coke bottles, friends on Facebook and shoes. The concept is simple: Pinterest is a virtual pinboard wall where you collect, share and comment on photos of personal passions. It may sound like nothing special but it can get quite addictive after awhile. It’s like filling up a shopping cart without ever having to pay. It’s a great way to share your interests with others and for yourself, it’s a one stop reference centre which you can look to time and again. This new platform will also benefit brands and retailer as it’ll help them identify consumer behaviours and wants.
Image credits to erinhillmyblog
The thing is, Pinterest is not a new platform. In fact, it’s been around since 2008. There are also other similar successful portals such as Polyvore which focuses on fashion which allows users to put together a collage of different apparels and accessories all of which are linked to sites where you can purchase the whole ensemble.
According to Dr. Christopher Long, a professor at Ouachita Baptist University, like Facebook, Pinterest relies on people generating content that interests other users, so once a critical mass of people comment and re-pin, it reinforces others to generate content. The more content is generated, the more it makes sense for users to frequent the site.
However, it’s not just users themselves that’s popularizing the site but the concept of an Internet space that represents the things they love, desire and inspires them. Unlike Facebook where users have a tendency to share their own experiences through status updates and picture uploads, people don’t have to worry about privacy issues and what they post up on Pinterest.
Whatever you pin or re-pin to appear on your Pinboard will reflect who you are as a person, the brands you’re drawn to. It can be pretty addictive because many I know spend hours scouring the web for pictures to “pin” onto their board.
To join Pinterest, you need to be invited. Just visit Pinterest.com and request an invite, you’ll receive it within 24 hours or so. Once you’ve got an account which you have to link to either Facebook or Twitter, you can start creating different boards based on your interests from architecture, pets, fashion to automobiles and share them with friends, family and strangers.
Well, it looks like my poor old refridgerator isn’t going to need any new magnets for a long time.
