john st. unignorable - Blog the book of john

I’m addicted to Pinterest and I am not the only one. Pinterest is a relatively new social network with 3.3 million users logging more than 421 million page views since it launched in March 2010.  Pinterest describes itself as virtual pinboard that allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web.  You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.  People use pinboards to decorate their homes, plan their weddings or plan tonight’s dinner.

What makes it so addictive for me are 3 simple things:

1. It appeals to my senses

Pinterest is beautifully designed with an intuitive user experience. The designers behind Pinterest say they draw their inspiration from architecture, art galleries and first class retail experiences. They have delivered on this. Spending time on the site is like wandering through a gallery, bookstore or fashion boutique.

2. Interests vs. network

Pinterest’s mission is to “connect strangers through their interests”.  Users follow people based on shared interests rather than social connections and you don’t need their permission.   I don’t know about you but I’m probably only interested in 30% of what my connections are posting in my newsfeed on Facebook.  Since Pinterest is solely based on my interests, not only am I interested in what I see, I am often inspired by it.  Inspired to read a new book, try a new recipe or put together a new outfit.

3. Actionable

I have been shopping around for the perfect pair of wedge boots.   After going to a couple of different shoe stores I was unhappy with what I saw.  So I turned to Pinterest for a little inspiration.   My search resulted in 100s of images of boots from people who have a similar style as me.   One particular pair jumped out from all the images.  I clicked on the boots and much to my surprise I learned that they were from H&M and only $50.   I immediately went and bought the boots.  Within 20 minutes of searching for boots on Pinterest I had my perfect pair of wedge boots and paid less than half of what I was expecting to spend.

With so many consumers sharing my addiction to Pinterest, smart marketers are getting involved in the community early.  Stay tuned for my next blog post about brands on Pinterest.

Tammy Chiasson