Getting started on Pinterest can get a bit frustrating. First, the fact that you could wait for a few days for your invite request to be approved is a little annoying, then trying to figure out how to use this new medium. Being a new social platform, Pinterest has good aspects and bad aspects from a marketing standpoint. Here are the good and the bad of Pinterest as I have found from the time I have spent on it.
THE GOOD
Pinterest speaks visually instead of with text. The saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is true. If you have a good visual platform, Pinterest can help spread your brand.
Pinterest has a large amount of users and its fan-base is growing fast. Although the demographic is primarily women, men are starting to stake a claim.
Pinterest showcases products in a convenient, visually pleasing way that provides easy access to company websites.
And probably the best thing about Pinterest is its constant reminder that brands should not be selling at people on social media. Pinterest is a platform that should showcase the human feelings, desires and wants of a company. Human interest is what drives Pinterest, not products.
THE BAD
There is plenty wrong with Pinterest, just like any social media, but these are my personal issues with it as I discovered while using it for marketing.
Users can’t pin on a company’s board. You can add another pinner but this has to be done manually. You can’t make it a public board. Which could be a good addition, especially if your company wants to have their fans and followers pin to your board.
Unlike Twitter, there is not a refine search option. You can’t use a specific phrase or hashtag to narrow your search down. The only search options are broad and by category, which can be overwhelming. This may be a minor issue until you want to have users post pictures with a key phrase that you can quickly search.
Pinterest is an exclusive and highly specific community. There are a select few markets that fit in on Pinterest; therefore, make sure your brand has a place before you push Pinterest.
Like any new medium, Pinterest has a long way to go; however, the impact this digital cork board can have is enormous. I think it can be a valuable marketing tool once it gets refined a bit more.