Why I love Pinterest and why you should too.
Posted: October 20th, 2010 | Author: Mallory | Filed under: social media| 52 Comments »My friend and co-worker Lori (not Lisa) knows better than anyone how stubborn I can be at trying new services, which isn’t to my advantage working in social media. New tools, sites, networks and apps flood our Google Readers every day, and she keeps me on my toes when it comes to finding fun and helpful ways to better our lives. Thanks to Lori I now use Pinterest, my new favorite site.
If you haven’t joined Pinterest to play with it first-hand, leave a comment and I’ll send you an invite (though as it grows, I’m sure invites will be less and less necessary).
Pinterest is not your average bookmarking website. It’s a visual representation of things on the web that you pin on different boards, set up by you; a collection of inspiration. With the help of a handy browser bookmarklet, anything with a photo can be pinned. Each board can be a cluster of whatever you’d like and the uses for Pinterest seem endless. If you’re redesigning a room in your home, planning a wedding or want to keep a record of all those cute clothing pieces you long for while you shop online, Pinterest is for that. Instead of each URL showing up in a mundane bookmark list, your Pinterest dashboard is photo based so the visualization can be stunning and fun for the eyes to filter and peruse.
Of course, as is standard, you can find your friends on social networks and pick which boards of theirs you’d like to follow in your dashboard. Re-pin worthy items from others’ boards onto your own. Like and add comments to your favorite pins from friends.
So far, I’ve purchased a handful of gifts for friends and family based on the items they’d pinned on their boards. Unwrapping items you pinned on a whim without any intention of owning or buying makes it an even more unexpected surprise for the recipient of the gift.
If you’ve always struggled to pinpoint just what your style aesthetic is, start pinning. Naturally you’ll start to notice trends and similarities in what you decide to add to your boards and your style will emerge on its own. For home decor, it’s pretty obvious that turquoise shades and lush fabrics and patterns tickle my fancy:
And clearly I’m a sucker for sundresses and bright colors when it comes to clothes:
What do you use Pinterest for?
