Just keep pinning

A classic French dessert, cherry clafoutis, is easy to make with frozen cherries. (Michael Gross/Newsday/MCT)

Roughly half of my female Facebook friends need a pintervention.

What’s a pintervention, you ask? An intervention from Pinterest. Now, at this point, you’re probably either nodding your head in agreement or wondering what the hell I’m talking about.

In case you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, Pinterest is a new social network that was created in Palo Alto, Calif. in 2010. Just one year later, Time Magazine called Pinterest one of the “50 Best Websites of 2011.” Even more impressive, just last month, the site was named one of the Top 10 Social Networks by Hitwise.

For anyone who’s already a member, the appeal is clear. For those who aren’t, Pinterest is, in short, a digital pinboard. Millions of users collectively “pin” different content to their personal boards, allowing others to peruse the content, even “following” another user if they choose to. If you find something you like, simply click the pin to enlarge it, then click it again to be linked to wherever the original pinner found that item. This allows you to easily buy things you find on Pinterest, find new blogs to follow or get the details on that recipe you’re dying to try.

Pins can be reposted by others, or you can create new ones with an aptly named “Pin It” button that can be added to your browser’s bookmarks bar. The content on Pinterest ranges from clothing, recipes, home decorating tips, art, event planning ideas, quotes and photography of far away places.

While a (very) few of you are probably still wondering what the appeal is at this point, Pinterest is undoubtedly THE website for 20-something women.

In an interview with CNN, Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann describes the idea behind creating his site.

“The things you collect say a lot about you, and we wanted to bring that experience online … I think it’s really cool that people are pinning the most important projects in their lives. I think it’s a service that can really make your offline life more interesting,” he said.

So how is Pinterest one of the most revolutionary new social networks and simultaneously one of the most underground? Easy. It’s primarily used by women, and in the male-dominated tech world, it’s not unheard of for something targeted toward females to get overlooked.

However, regardless of gender, college students are in love with Pinterest and with good reason. The ability to find easy, dorm-friendly recipes, outfits on a budget and easy organizational tips all in one place is unprecedented.

And that’s just the beginning. Pinterest is like Pandora’s Box for college kids. Got a stain and you’re not quite sure what it is? Search ways to clean that comforter. Looking for the perfect pair of shoes to show off at the bar? Search that, too. Hungry, but limited resources? There’s a whole category for that!

Communication major Ali McQuain-Hardy even used Pinterest to help plan her wedding.

“I got so many creative ideas for my decorations and reception from Pinterest that I never would have thought of myself. I had a fun color scheme and was able to stay within my budget,” she said.

Pinterest recently surpassed 4 million users, all while technically not even being open to the general public yet. That’s right, Pinterest is still invite-only, requiring hopefuls to request an invitation, then wait anxiously to receive one. Once they do, they’re all set to pin away.

However, individuals aren’t the only ones who are anxious to get a Pinterest invite. According to Mashable in a report it released earlier this week, Pinterest has become a “Top Traffic Driver for Retailers.” As anyone with an account can tell you, businesses are anxious to pin their own products, in the hopes users will repin and share them.

In fact, Pinterest is so effective as a social commerce site that, according to Monetate, five specialty retailers reported their referring traffic rose 389 percent from July to December of 2011 because of Pinterest. While Pinterest has yet to regulate the way retailers use their site, it’s clear this platform is a game-changer for social commerce, college students and those who just want to know what that damn spot is on their comforter.

Short URL: http://arbiteronline.com/?p=80365

Posted by Jessica Swider on Feb 2 2012. Filed under Culture, Sub Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.