So what exactly is Pinterest? According to pinterest.com, “Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.” The website’s mission statement is to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.”
With no end to its fitness inspiration, decorating and crafting ideas, and recipes, Pinterest is generally geared towards women. However, there is plenty of “guy stuff” featured too, including cars and motorcycles, sports, tech-y gadgets, etc. In other words, although Pinterest has been labeled a “girly” website, there is an increasing number of men discovering it.
I’ll admit it. I’m in serious need of a Pintervention. Ever since I first started using this website, I have decorated the house I don’t own, planned my fairytale wedding, created the wardrobe I will probably never have, and compiled a spread of gourmet meals for the next ten years. Addicted? Yes. Do I plan on stopping anytime soon? Absolutely not.
To call Pinterest “life-changing” is obviously an overstatement. However, it provides innovative ideas that really get the creative juices flowing. For example, I crafted a simple scarf holder, comprised of a hanger and shower curtain rings, as seen on Pinterest. I have also found and made mouth-watering recipes, such as cake batter truffles (as seen in a previous issue of the Spur), salsa chicken, sugar cookie bars, and strawberry fudge. All delicious, of course.
Pinterest is also becoming a mecca for growing businesses. Brands and companies have the opportunity to showcase their products in a way that is personal and reaches an astounding number of viewers. Pinterest works by providing a link that leads to the website the product is featured on, therefore giving companies the opportunity to get more hits on their sites.
Is Pinterest on its way to becoming the next Facebook or Twitter? Probably not. However, in January alone, it reached 11.7 million viewers, surpassing the 10 million mark faster than any other website on the Internet. According to the USA Today, the average viewer spends 98 minutes or more browsing pinboards.