Why Pinterest is So Hot

Add the "P" medallion to the growing wave of social media icons. Just like that, Pinterest has struck a nerve in the social media community and is now the third most popular social network behind Facebook and Twitter. So how can that be and why is Google Plus struggling to gain traction? Because Pinterest is unique. It brings a new and different activity to the table. It isn't copying any other social network and has created a new phenomenon around the visual nature of the web.

I have not tried Pinterest yet. I simply browsed the site to see what was so hot about it. And I get it. Even if it ends up of little interest to me personally, I get why this site has created such an uproar in social networking. This is a bulletin board on steroids. How many times have we posted items on the side of the refrigerator for future reference? Before Facebook and the advent of networking as we know it, how often did we (and we still do, some of us) send around a photo or other graphics file to friends and family with a note, "see this."  And how many times did it get passed around in the ether to others with the same interest as you have in the information? Pinterest is the electronic version of the refrigerator magnet, the bulletin board and the "old school" e-mail. Simply a way to share visuals in a public community.

Right now, the demographic is quite heavily female. I think eventually it will catch on with men as well an will become a true heavyweight social network as it evolves. Not that having men as a noticeable demographic means it is "validated." Instead, a greater gender balance will help bring it into mainstream communications and simply increase the popularity. Already, it is being discussed in terms of its application to small business and marketing. Sounds like the well-worn path of some other social networks that seemed silly and useless on first glance. I expect to see it used in sports, politics, government and Fortune 500-level businesses soon.  Some interesting stories about Pinterest:

"How You Can Make Pinterest Work for Your Small Business" (Washington Post)
"Marketers Find a Friend in Pinterest" (New York Times)
"Pinterest's 15 Most Popular Pins of All Time" (Huffington Post)
"5 Ways to Use Pinterest for Recruiting" (Mashable)