It’s a Girl Thing?
My friends are all excited – as it appears most of the computer users are – about Pinterest. I like it, but I am not in love. I remember seeing the growth and potential in twitter and wanting to share, but not having my contacts yet on there. I don’t feel that way about Pinterest, so I found it unsettling to read EVERYWHERE that Pinterest is a “girl thing”. Really? I am a girl? It seems to me that Pinterest is a visual thing.
And if it is a girl thing, well, so what? What does that mean? Along comes Clever Girls Collective, a network of women who blog and work in social media, with a great article on the topic. I really hope you will read it.
HOW TO STOP BEING A PINTEREST SEXIST
ESPECIALLY if you aren’t a girl.
I can’t continue to work in PR and social media without getting better acquainted, even if I don’t fall in love. Umm, it’s a work thing, you see……Â If you are a pinterest user, I would love to hear why you love it and what you use it for.Â
I’m going to ramble a bit, but here’s why I love Pinterest:
I have always hated that I’d find things on the internet. bookmark them or write them down, and never be able to find them again. (It’s a current problem as I track down all the recipes I’ve emailed myself over the years…). Pinterest solves this problem by allowing me to pin everything into digital collages. As a person who has a serious paper problem, I love the fact that I no longer have to print everything out–especially items where I have a minor interest but which I may not need to access for some time.
What I really enjoy about the site is the opportunity to see ideas that other people have posted — ideas that never would have occurred to me — and think about how I can put them into action. Sure, I love the pictures of terrific kitchens and bookcases built into staircases. A girl can dream, right? But on the practical side, I’m already using recipes and organizational ideas that I’ve found on the site. I’m thinking about new uses for old objects and considering how to decorate within limited space and budget.
The data apparently shows that pinterest gets more hits back to original sites than several other social networks combined–so companies and brands should pay attention. Words are great, but people really are drawn in by pictures.
I get a little rambly, but here’s why I love Pinterest.
1. I hate finding something I like on the internet, writing it down somewhere, and never being able to find it (the scrap of paper or the site) ever again.
2. Paper is my enemy. Anything that I can store digitally is better for my sanity.
3. Sure, I love the pics of terrific kitchens and bookcases built into staircases. A girl can dream, right? But really, I love the recipes, tips, and organizational ideas that I’ve discovered on the site (and others that I’ve shared).
4. I have heard–see tweets from @lizpw–that Pinterest is generating traffic back to original sites at tremendous volumes… exceeding the traffic of several other social networks combined. Companies and brands should pay attention. This has incredible potential.
5. I am totally a words person, but there’s no question that people are drawn in by pictures. People like the pretty, and the UI on Pinterest has been done so, so well (again, I read an article that had a lot more technical information that I don’t remember) that pretty is one of the first things people notice.
6. But perhaps my favorite feature is the ability to curate the boards that you see from the people you follow. Not interested in shoes, jewelry, or clothing? Don’t want to see the places your friends have been? Getting overwhelmed by all the Christmas out there? Just unfollow those boards. So easy. You can design your Pinterest page so that you see exactly what you want to see.