_Just like Zoetic Freelance predicted, Pinterest is now a top website traffic driver! Check out this article by Mashable and this awesome infographic by Monetate.

Thanks to Pinterest, taste-making is no longer solely the realm of fashion models, magazines and industry leaders.

Now Plain Jane, Young Jane, Old Jane and Crazy Jane can each pin an idea and watch each idea spread like fire in the pinning world. 

What kinds of ideas and why do they spread?

An idea can be almost anything and the reason it spreads is because the whole Pinterest culture is built around the idea of sharing. Users log in to Pinterest with the sole purpose of getting and sharing ideas. You can post an idea on your website and a reader might email himself the link to use later, but his first thought is not necessarily,  "Oh, I've gotta share this." With Pinterest users that's exactly the first thought.

So what to share? That's easy and can be answered with one sentence:

Share what you would at a dinner party.

1. Humor. A dinner party without laughter is a very dull one indeed. Funny thing is, nearly any organization can share humor. Bonus: It adds a transparent element to an otherwise impersonal brand. Humor Boards on Pinterest.
2.  Beauty. What dinner guest doesn't like to thumb through your coffee table book while waiting for hors d' oeuvres? f you're an author or publisher, share your gorgeous book cover designs. If you're a photographer, share that clever wedding pose or autumnal scene. If you're a retailer, photograph your stock in an attractive setting. People love the aesthetic and Pinterest proves that. Photography Boards on Pinterest.
3. Tips.  Dinner guests and hosts alike love to share new things that makes their lives easier or more interesting. "What is it that gives the kick in this marvelous dip?" "How did you improve your golf swing in such a short amount of time?" "Wow, you reupholstered that chair yourself?" Just like marketing copy should always stress the benefits over features to their customers, pins should do the same thing. Clever Ideas on Pinterest.

Pinterest is currently in beta and requires an email invitation to join. If you would like an invitation or want to learn how Zoetic Freelance can help you promote your brand through Pinterest, email me at Kristen@zoetical.com.

Part One | Pinterest Marketing 101: The Power of Pictures
Part Two interest Marketing 101: Pinterest Best Practices (Part Two)

Pinterest -- a rather new online start-up (and founded by a Des Moines, Iowa native, my fellow Iowa friends) is taking the social media world by storm, further pushing marketers to think more visually than verbally. For those outside the Pinterest world or who perhaps are just window-peeking, here are just a few things about Pinterest you should know.

Q: What is Pinterest?
A: Pinterest is an online social bulletin board, allowing users to collect their favorite ideas all over the internet and "pin" them to an appropriate categorical board, such as "Recipes to Try" and "Favorite Artists" and "Inspiration."

Q: How does Pinterest work?
A. A user first installs Pinterest to her Internet toolbar. When she visits a blog or a website and sees something she likes, she simply clicks "Pin to Pinterest" and will see a display of all the images available upon that particular webpage. She chooses the image she likes and attaches it to her pinboard. Her followers can then see her "pin" and can "repin" it to one of their boards if they like. (Incidentally, according to ReadWriteWeb, there are already some users with 20,000 followers.)

Q: Who uses Pinterest?
A: Currently the overwhelming amount of Pinterest users are females and the pinning phenomenon seems to be spreading primarily through WAHM (work at home mom) blogs and crafters.  The platform is still young and will likely spread to other visually-oriented users soon. However, since women account for 85% of consumer purchases, this is not a demographic to take lightly.

Q: What types of business should use Pinterest?
A. If you are a business that sells anything visually appealing, you should consider Pinterest. Also, if you blog frequently using images or infographics, you should consider Pinterest.

Q: What are Pinterest Marketing Best Practices?
A. If you're seeing dollar signs just now and have already started a Pinterest account in another browser tab, you may want take a deep breath and "eMuse" just a while longer. There are some things you definitely don't want to do on Pinterest and those things could bring more harm than good. 

Pinterest is currently in beta and requires an email invitation to join. If you would like an invitation or want to learn how Zoetic Freelance can help you promote your brand through Pinterest, email me at Kristen@zoetical.com.

Part Two | Pinterest Marketing 101: Pinterest Marketing Best Practices
Part Three | Pinterest Marketing 101: The Science of Sharing