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November 22, 2011

Pinterest Sets the Perfect Stage for Small Brands

By Tammy Wolf, TMCnet Web Editor

Calling all bloggers, artists, fashion designers and aspiring chefs: Are you looking for a new way to discover new things and find inspirations from like-minded individuals? Or better yet, are you a small business in search of a fresh way to showcase your creations in order to increase awareness of your growing brand or collection? If so, Pinterest may be your key to unlocking true brand success.



Touted as a virtual corkboard for all things sparkly, delicious and visually pleasing, Pinterest has taken the hobby-hungry world by storm, with many of us echoing the sentiment “I’m so addicted!” Classified as a social bookmarking tool or an interactive scrapbook, users can “pin” -- or save -- images they find on the Web into categorized boards, or collections. And, much like a social network, other users who choose to follow you have access to your pins in a real-time visual news feed, and vice versa.

It can be said that people have become so intrigued by this image-based social network since it combines two core elements of social media: the ability to share with the world who you are, and with images. Of course, that’s what inspired the concept for Pinterest founder Ben Silbermann, who turned his childhood hobby of collecting into what the online pinboard site is today. However, it seems Pinterest is going beyond a platform for personal use, as more and more startups have begun to regard Pinterest as a new way to interact with potential shoppers and consumers.

It all comes down to what many Pinterest advocates are calling “discoverability.” For lesser known brands, the chances of appearing in Google (News - Alert) search results next to renowned retailers are slim. For example, searching for leather riding boots may produce curated results from big-name stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, but will most likely leave out a small-town boutique that boasts a stellar selection. As a result, many smaller retail businesses are finding Pinterest can function as a springboard to reach new customers that normally wouldn’t come across their brand or style by plugging keywords into a search engine. Even more, once someone pins something from a business’ site, it automatically includes a link to the site along with the image. This, in turn, increases the chances that pin will be repinned multiple times, thus catalyzing website traffic and brand discovery.

Several major brands -- including Whole Foods, Nordstrom and West Elm – have already started to get in on the Pinterest action. A home furnishing company designing modern living products, West Elm, for example, has taken to Pinterest to curate design inspiration around modern-day trends, like stripes and color blocking, so that customers can purchase products that fit their particular aesthetic. Mirroring this practice, smaller brands can also achieve product exposure, drive traffic and, most importantly, build brand culture and awareness.

Even better, once these small retailers develop a following, these fans can also dedicate their own Pinterest boards to your brand and function as liaisons for your specialty items.

It’s certainly easy to feel intimidated next to the big guys, but now is the perfect time for small-name brands to harness the power of Pinterest and make their products discoverable. So, if you’re looking to be in the spotlight, Pinterest may just be the perfect stage to make your debut.


Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca

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