Written by Whitney Poma

By now, you’ve heard of the remarkable growth rates, the phenomenal engagement, and that even pharma has started pinning. Amid all of the excitement and growth, you’re probably asking

“Is Pinterest right for my brand?”

At first glance, Pinterest looks like it’s just a collection of pretty images. Upon deeper exploration, you’ll discover that it’s much more than that. There are 3 very important aspects of Pinterest that you should be aware of before your brand begins pinning.

1. You don’t need an account to be on Pinterest:

Just as there is nothing preventing consumers from talking about your brand in other social media channels there is almost nothing preventing people from pinning your brand to their pin-boards. Users can do this 2 ways – by pinning an image from your website or other digital properties or by taking a photo of anything about your brand from your company’s buildings, to products, or even a photo of your website and then uploading it to Pinterest. Not all websites offer imagery that can be pinned directly from the internet to Pinterest. You can audit your brand’s website’s“pinability” by installing the Pin It Button into your browser’s tool bar and then attempting to pin an image from the website. The Button is going to pre-populate all of the items on the page that are pinable and then allow you to select your desired image/pin from there.  If the Button doesn’t populate anything then there is nothing on your brand’s site that can be pinned. You can increase your pinability by referencing Pinterest’s FAQ.

2. The images you share are just the beginning:

The content is the value. People  don’t pin things to their boards just because they like the way they look. They pin them because they link to something valuable that they want to revisit in the future. Pinterest is most popularly known for the plethora of recipes, housekeeping tips, and workout regimens that can be found all in one place. The image of the pin is important though – think of is as the cover of a book. We’ve all been told to not judge a book by its cover, but let’s face it – we all do it and it’s no different on Pinterest. Good imagery encourages Pinterest’s users to click on the image to find out what’s behind it.

3. You cannot control who sees, shares, or comments on your pins:

Pinterest thrives on the viral sharing of pins throughout the network, therefore the chances are greater on Pinterest than other networks that your pin will “go viral” and be seen by many people beyond your traditional target market. This possibility may be seen as a good or bad thing depending on your company’s social media guidelines.

On the surface, Pinterest appears to be Pharma friendly because it looks like another photo sharing site. Pharma or no pharma, the complexities of Pinterest are comparable to any other network so prepare to pin or be pinned. It’s only a matter of time before your brand appears on the newly dubbed “darling” of social media.