Time after time: Pinterest keeps you looking

I’m an avid user of many social platforms.  However, I shy away from some for fear that I may become slightly obsessed with logging on and engaging for hours on end.

As 2012 started, I turned over a new leaf and registered for Pinterest. For those not familiar with the site, it acts like a digital pin board, allowing subscribers to chronicle photos, products and items of interest known as “pinning.” Users can customize their virtual boards by following others with similar interests and engaging through comments and “likes.” The beauty of Pinterest is that it does not limit you to their site – users can “pin” products/multimedia with a bookmark widget.
 
Pinterest debuted in late 2009 and started sending invitations in early 2010, averaging 40,000 unique visitors a month. As of November of 2011, the site averaged over 6 million monthly unique visitors worldwide; more than The New York Post or CollegeHumor.com.The level of engagement has spiked to more than 421 million views per page in the U.S. in October. Additionally, a report by Experian Hitwise cites the total number of visits for the week ending on December 17^th as 11 million.
 
Another reason for its rapid-fire growth is that Pinterest can pull in a user for an extended period of time. According to comScore, members spent an average of 88.3 minutes on the site this past November. It’s mainly women (59% of users) that stay on the site so long, according to TechCrunch. Many categories appeal to the female demographic such as weddings, design, fashion and things for the home, propelling Pinterest to an even higher U.S page view rate than popular design site, Etsy.com.
 
What’s exciting about Pinterest is the potential it has for how brands connect with their consumers. Notable brands that are making a splash already include Whole Foods, Bergdorf Goodman and West Elm. The opportunity for brands to engage and capture a fan base on Pinterest is vast, as the site tends to keep users tuned in for long periods at a time. Brands will have the chance to share products and retail locations, host contests for fans to “pin” photos or integrate other social platforms to enhance the experience of contributing to the site. When a fan base is already an advocate for products, it’s the perfect opportunity for brands to have a voice and be a part of the conversation rather than monitor it.
 
Other brands are taking the opportunity to strengthen their unique personality and reinforce their brand identifiers through selective curation. Pinterest designer and co-founder Evan Sharp sums it up well: “For most consumer brands, the idea behind your brand makes sense on Pinterest. Marie Claire’s fashion director Nina Garcia has boards of red carpet events, gift ideas and trends to watch, which while not directly related to the magazine, still represents the feel and luxury the publication puts across. Drake University pins images of dorm life, as well as bulldogs (Drake’s mascot) from all over the web.
 
This year can be a turning point for the type of social tools brands and consumers alike are adding to their rosters – Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare are at the forefront but give it time and the newcomers will be close behind in 2012.