If you don't know what Pinterest is, Lord help you. Or, maybe this explanation can help.

I think it was December of 2010 when I got on Pinterest, but it's grown (as most good internet sensations do) a lot since then. In August of last year they introduced an iPhone app. It's now one of the Top 10 most trafficked social network sites. "But, not only is Pinterest adding thousands of users each month. Its users are also spending an inordinate amount of time on the site. And, this, at a time when EVERYONE is complaining about being social networked to death (see Google+)." (What’s behind the Pinterest craze? 15 super-users share their thoughts)

Given that I love it so much I thought I'd share some random Pin-thoughts. Really, some of this is meant to be stupid/funny, because I get that each person's Pinterest leanings vary.

1. Virtually ANYTHING in existence can be made prettier, cooler, more appealing simply by taking a really good photo of it.

This can go both ways. You could have something great to Pin, but if the photo's trash, no one will notice, care, like, or repin it.

Likewise, the trashiest of Etsy crap (and many other things) can oddly seem appealing if the photo is awesome.

2. If the photo itself doesn't communicate what you're pinning, don't bother please.

That said, I've noticed people approach Pinterest in different ways, and maybe this depends on what type of board you are population. It could be that you're concerned solely about the visual appeal, and the board itself is kind of an art piece.

Or, it could be that you're pinning interesting links to articles, blogs, video, that users definitely have to click on to even begin to understand (a) why you pinned it and (b) why they should care. This to me seems tedious, but I suspect that's just my personality.

I want Pinterest to be it's own thing -- it's like fake-shopping through photos, creating interesting color boards, or finding cool things for ideas to implement. I want the photo itself to inspire. But, I do happened to have a 'Delightful Recipes' board that violates this rule. You have to click on it to find the recipe. So maybe I'm just being anal.

Other people use Pinterest like an Amazon Wish-list, pinning things they expect or hope to purchase. Sometimes I pin clothes I may buy, but mostly this is just for ideas, virtual eye-candy, and inspiration. Really, though, this type of pinning (wish-listing) doesn't violate my #2 complaint :)

3. I hate fashion bloggers.

... and how they feel the need to post their daily outfits on Pinterest themselves. Please let other people pin your outfit if they like it. Stop selling yourself to us. We're over it.

You do realize you're not getting paid from Pinterest? No ad money. No extra free clothes. Is it really worth your time if you're not getting free clothes out of it?

Be a normal person and pin normal things, not yourself all the time. Ahem, Jessica Quirk. Guess she didn't get the #3 Etiquette memo from the Pinterest staff.

4. If you pinned something longer than 24 hours ago, no one will ever know.

Pinterest has been growing over the last year for sure. I remember the good ol' days when I could see most things my friends pinned. Now I'm lucky to catch one thing they pinned this week in my feed. Perhaps that's a function of how many people I follow, though.

I have read that some Pinterest users follow zero other users. They use Pinterest solely for their own visual interest, inspiration, and to-do listing.

5. Pinterest accounts you should be following:

Jane Wang
Nina Garcia
Oh Joy
Perfect Palette
Geeksugar
Ben Stovold
Christina Martinez
Amy Leader
Ccil G
Croft Global Travel
Real Simple
Today Show

Others noted here which may be worth following.

Any other suggestions??

6. The popularity of Pinterest is an interesting phenomenon.

This article points out how Pinterest is evidence of a shift in consumer behavior online:

"I’ve been tracking Pinterest for a while now and, to me, the single most important aspect of the site is that it has deeply tapped into an important shift in consumer and purchasing behavior. As we make a decision to search for or buy something online, we are trained to go to Google (or Amazon), search by keyword, and sort through results to eventually make a transaction. In return for that sorting, Google charges for advertising, but in order for it to work, we users have to signal our intent: “Red Nike running sneakers.” But, how did I decide to want these red running shoes in the first place? While Google makes money at the bottom of this decision funnel, the top of the funnel is where “discovery” happens. It’s much wider at the top of the funnel, and harder to pin down where the thoughts originate (pun intended).

A site like Pinterest could help bring some of that discovery online. For the red running sneakers, instead of researching them myself, I may instead elect to browse the pinboards of Pinterest users who are dedicated runners. I could find sneakers on a friend’s board and may have reasonable confidence that this pair could suit me, too. In this manner, I may elect to buy the shoes right after seeing my friend’s board on Pinterest and get to a transaction faster."


Oh, feel free to follow me. My pins are awesome. So there: