Social media marketing remains a hot topic for businesses across all spectrums: big, small, product-driven, service-oriented, for profit, not for profit. When “social media” is tossed into conversation, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube are the big names that win first association.

However, Pinterest, an image-sharing social media site, is attracting more and more consumer buzz. Between September 2011 and February 2012, Pinterest became the fastest site to reach 10 million users and is second only to Facebook when it comes to user engagement. Pinterest also acts as a super-efficient traffic director, sending more users to retail sites than YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+ combined, and more readers to blogs than Twitter. Like all social media, Pinterest is a tool. Not every project requires every tool, and thus determining the appropriate fit is the first step in deciding whether to pin or not to pin. While the wedding and fashion industries thrive on Pinterest, surprising brands such as the New England Patriots and Whole Foods Market have also cultivated a beneficial following on the site. Three essential criteria should be considered before diving head first into Pinterest:

• Will this reach the right audience for my company? (82% of Pinterest users are women)
• Does Pinterest provide a conversation my company should participate in?
• Is my company able and willing to actively participate?

If "yes" is your answer, or if you’d like to spark further discussion, please contact Jane Cirigliano today at 800-606-1610 or visit our website to learn more.