The Pinterest Revolution

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks around. Already valued at over $1.5 billion, this virtual pinboard and social media platform does something that other social networks cannot – it pins. 

The concept behind Pinterest is simple. A user will share their favorite websites through the use of “pins”. These simple content sharing techniques will not only boost website traffic for company websites that are “pinned”, but it will also help individuals build a collection for crafting, home décor and even recipes.

Members on the service can create multiple “boards” based on categories like food, fashion and home. From there they can search through the few dozen categories that Pinterest offers including DIY & Crafts, Food & Drink and Gardening. When a user likes an idea or “pin” they find, they will “pin” it to a specified board in their collection.

When Pinterest was first released it only allowed new users to sign up by invitation. That meant users would sign up and wait for their invitation to allow them access. Today Pinterest has dropped the need for invitations and allows users to sign up. Though the invitation was a hassle, it didn’t stop Pinterest from gaining 20 million subscribers since it started in March 2010.

Pinterest is now the third-most popular social media site on the internet. Currently it is trailing close behind other social media leaders like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Friends and family can share pins no matter where they are in the world. Since Pinterest allows users to login and link their Facebook accounts, users can also follow their Facebook friends “pinning” activity. iPhone and Android users will be able to pin while on the go, since Pinterest has an Android and iPhone app ready for use. Celebrities are caught “pinning” and even the First Lady, Michelle Obama, has her own Pinterest account.

From fun decorations to macho car designs, there is a pin on Pinterest for just about everyone.

[Image via 2bp]