I didn't know about Pinterest until I heard a couple of co-workers talking about a future wedding and trying to pick items for the bridal party. The bridesmaids dresses, the wedding dress, flowers. And for some comic relief some crazy squirrels or My Little Pony pics. I didn't know then that this would be a great way to visually share likes (+1, or whatever term/name you want to use). It made enough of an impact that the Rapid City Public Library created an account with the following categories:
And as of tonight they have:
16 Boards
327 Pins
12 Likes
134 Followers
and 186 Following.
So if you happen to be in the local area and want to “pin” something, try it. Last month an article was published in Forbes Magazine about how Pinterest could be used.
“It's clear that consumers are predominantly using Pinterest as a virtual treasure box for dreams, wishes and aspirations. Still, how should brands tackle Pinterest without getting swept away in the hype, and potentially damaging their social presence? Which brands were already using Pinterest effectively? I pinpointed a retail brand I personally champion, Sony. It was clear that they were using a creative and smart strategy to implement Pinterest into existing successful social media plan.
But don't take my opinion for granted. After the official launch of the Sony Electronics Pinterest page, traffic from Pinterest to the Sony Store website increased 900 percent to February form January.*”
While businesses are just now starting to catch onto Pinterest, Joe Murphy posted in December last year about how libraries and librarians can use this tool for personal and/or private use:
“I browse what others pin in common areas such as books, travel, or products, for ideas to inspire my activities, books to read, places to visit.”
Or
“We can tap into the social rewards it offers for sharing within a community.
It can serve as a platform for providing resources and marketing services.
And of course, for connecting with and attracting community.”
For the complete article on Joe’s blog please click here. On March 28th, Joe Murphy posted the following link http://learningtimesevents.org/libraryfuture/ which provides a quick overview and training of “Pinterest for Museums and Libraries”. The information provided on this last is available to the public, however, if you would more information you (or your organization) will have to click here to read more on how to sign up to do so.
References:
Savitz, Eric. 2012. "Four Pinterest Marketing Tips." Forbes.Com 20. Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 5, 2012).
Further articles worthy of a look:
Forbes 4/3/12- Pinterest: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Mashables explains Pinterest (and how to follow it)
Word from the source- Pinterest Blog
IPLaw Alert’s Pinterest: Potential IP Pitfalls for New Social Networking Trend
