I've been hearing a lot about Pinterest lately: How they are growing like gangbusters, and a major player in driving traffic to retailers . So as a good Social Media Marketer, I needed to check the site out for myself.

I signed up. You need to be invited, but it is simple to just request an invite from the site if you don't have any friends. (Any friends on the site, I mean.)

You need to sign up using your Twitter or Facebook account. I usually prefer not to do this, as it just leaves you that much more vulnerable to social identity theft.  But I can see the advantages of this for Pinterest "“ not only do they get access to all that valuable personal information, it also creates thousands of links that increases their SEO value (not that they need SEO anymore, with all the press they have been getting lately). And they can bring in new users from Facebook and Twitter, leveraging the trust and value of those platforms for their service.

Once signed up, they created pin boards for me, and then encouraged me to create my own, as well. The ones they picked were fine, and probably have more clever titles than I would have given them.  

Then they politely told me to pick my favorite topics; I quickly selected Technology, Humor, Travel & Places, Food & Drink, Design.

When I was finished, Pinterest selected people for me to follow. How they selected the people I would follow, I am not entirely certain.  I would imagine they selected the most popular people in my categories. For example,  Rachel is obviously a prolific pinner. 

The value of Pinterest for users is in the ability to quickly see images of things that interest you, and click on the ones you like, and perhaps repin them on your own boards to further review later. Designing a baby room? Save the ideas you like for a cohesive design idea "“ paint colors, products to buy, how to make curtains. You can choose ideas from the site, or find them in other places and pin them.  Here is one example of a Pinterest user combining social media (and using the ApogeeINVENT free tool, ScreenCap.It, to screenshot an image): 

The value of Pinterest for businesses is obvious for retailers whose products are being posted. What about B2B businesses? Posting a really great site design, or an article about marketing, could increase the exposure of a web development company like mine. Sites like Pinterest require a little creativity and time for businesses, but it is important for you to follow the online marketing trends while still using proven long-term techniques. 

I, so far, have only used Pinterest to save some articles and ideas for work (yes, how boring, I know).  But I think by choosing the right people to follow (not the ladybug lover), and creating the right kind of boards, Pinterest could be both entertainment and have a value to everyday life. The hallmark of a successful social site  "“ addicting, user-friendly interface, and serves a useful purpose.

So is Pinterest just a passing fancy or here to stay? That remains to be seen, but I'd love to hear your opinions!