Is Pinterest Really Worth My Time?

Yes. 

Yes.

Yes!

Pinterest is worth your time in gold! 

Trying to cover all of the bases when it comes to social media and business is overwhelming. How do you know what works and what doesn't? Sure there are fancy analytics, firms who charge arms and legs, and people who analyze social media sites for a living. 

Maybe those options do not fit well with your budget or your employees. Maybe you're looking for the social media sites that would best fit your company or maybe you're just interested in your competitor's social media sites. No matter your motive, a simple Google search will tell you everything you need to know about the top social media sites of 2013. 

AddShoppers compiled a breakdown of 2013 social commerce, showing how each of the major social media sites compare. Pinterest was the largest site to drive sales with Facebook following in a close second. But when total number of users are compared, Pinterest's statistics really pop. Facebook currently has 1.3 billion account holders while Pinterest only has a mere 70 million. With less than half of the traffic Facebook drives, Pinterest still managed to drive the most revenue in 2013. 

Pinterest also won the most shares on the top social media sites, according to AddShoppers 2013 breakdown. What does this mean for you?

The products your business sells are very important, but so is your time. If you're wondering how to maximize both of those areas, look to increasing shares on social media. By creating content that is captivating and engaging, followers are more likely to "share" the media with their friends and followers. Shares come in the form of Pins, retweets, shares, forwards, mentions, or even + if you're on that rocky Google+ boat.

By upping the number of shares your products receive from the public, you're going to reach a larger audience without much investment. Shares increase the organic reach of the information your business is trying to "sell" to potential customers.

Shares are also arguably considered to be more reliable than traditional marketing techniques because the information is coming from people who others already know and trust. I would be more willing to buy a product my friend has already tried and loves because I would know that it actually works. This type of marketing is more valuable than money, and can even driver bigger sales than traditional marketing methods.

Pinterest's Pin It button is another value-added button for users. Designed with Pinterest users in mind, the Pin It button can be added to internet browsers so any item on the internet can easily be embedded into a Pin. For example, if a user clicks the Pin It button while on a recipe website, each of the pictures on the page are able to be used as pins. The pin will link back to the recipe, bookmarking it on the individuals pin board.

From a marketing standpoint, it is even more valuable. The Pin It button is able to link to the page to purchase an item. When shopping for shoes, a user might have several pairs in mind. By pinning the pictures of the shoes, the user can then go back later and click the link.

Pin It buttons create not only links for users, but also generate shares on Pinterest as others choose to pin the content. Individual companies are also able to add Pin It buttons to their websites, or may even appear when hovering over images.

No matter how users go about pinning images, the Pin It button is a marketer's dream come true. Without even spending a dime, images of products appear on Pinterest organically from users.  The descriptions some people leave under pins only add to the increased amount of positive marketing exposure.

http://www.business2community.com/pinterest/pinterest-consultant-reveals-11-astounding-new-pinterest-facts-0782067#!w429V