Just before last semester, Pinterest was a new website with an unknown future. The social media site’s popularity stems from the fact that everyone loves to share what interests him or her. Users can “pin” their favorite web content to their categorized boards.

Users say Pinterest is exciting, simple and addictive. It is an easy way for users to organize their style, taste and inspirations on their personalized pinboards on a regular basis.

President Obama uses Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Google Plus and Myspace as his means of social networking during his campaign. The Obama campaign’s presence on Pinterest attracted nearly 2,000 followers in March 2012 when he announced his Pinterest presence on Twitter, according to CNN.

The Obama campaign is taking advantage of the fast-growing social network by allowing citizens to follow his campaign in a visual and interactive way. His Pinterest consists of eight boards including personal boards like “The First Family” “Obama-inspired recipes” and informative boards, “Obama 2012 in action,” and “Just the Facts.” All of these boards establish a different connection with voters as they are able to see the President as a real person with similar interests.

Pinterest is a new phenomenon. It is rapidly spreading across the country, engaging all generations of women and men.

Businesses are now looking into how they can market themselves on Pinterest, and use this social media site as yet another way to gain publicity and followers.
A mother of an SMU freshman, Merriman Dillon of Preston Hollow created The Pillow Bar, a self-contained luxury pillow-making kiosk that she designed in her garage. The Pillow Bar uses Facebook in conjunction with Pinterest to reach out to new and potential clients.

“We organize our boards by similar products that we offer. We also like to differentiate which of our products are good gift items for wedding gifts, Mother’s Day, graduation, etc.,” Dillon said.

Dillion believes it is crucial for small businesses to provide high quality photos and descriptions of their products on Pinterest that are attached to the URL back to their main website.

“I think Pinterest can be used as an outlet for inspiration,”  she said.

In an interview with The Miami Herald, Ellen Marchman, principal at GetInk PR in Miami said. Users can tell their story through creative boards and images and connect with their audience in another dimension of a relationship in  building in social media networks.

Bloggers are using Pinterest to their advantage as well.

Seeing that Pinterest users are attracted to the visual and aesthetic side of things bloggers have capitalized on this and created their own Pinterests to promote their blog and their overall style.

Krystal Schlegel is an SMU alumma who manages a successful blog of her fashion chronicles. Having worked with many fashion brands Krystal believes it is essential for bloggers and businesses to embrace the new social media platforms, promote themselves and most importantly find inspiration.

“I think Pinterest is making things more photo-driven. It is another way for consumers to connect with businesses and moguls of the fashion industry. I think it is a wonderful idea that promotes beautiful photos,” Schlegel said.

Even some colleges have caught onto the trend and are using the social network to their advantage.

With categorized pinboards colleges are able to reach prospective students, current students and alumni.

Rutgers University has 49 followers (and growing) who follow the university’s 15 boards showcasing the university’s culture, traditions, sports, alumni and gear, according to NextGen Journal.

The SMU athletics department has adopted Pinterest as a way to connect to students, athletes and common followers through images of events, athletes and facilities.

SMU’s Hegi Career Center is also on Pinterest in hopes that they can provide career counseling, job search assistance, job listings, campus recruiting programs and networking opportunities to current SMU students and alumni according to their description on Pinterest.

SMU’s activity on Pinterest is a way for students to connect with their university in a way they have never been able to before, and considering the amount of SMU students that are self-proclaimed “Pinoholics” the connection will continue to grow.

“Everyone loves it! Facebook can get boring sometimes since it’s mindless entertainment. Pinterest allows users to use their creativity a little bit. Anything that college kids can do on their computers to procrastinate they will like,” SMU student Emily Sims said.

Pinterest is the closest way people can come to sharing the things they love without physically giving their “belongings” to their friends.

Although the social network’s population is mostly women right now, there is still a small majority of men who are drawn to Pinterest.

SMU sophomore Breely Ungar says the best part of her internship with fashion website ZuuzStyle is pinning for the website.

“I think Pinterest has rapidly spread and the response has been very positive. It is interesting to see how similar you and someone you are only acquaintances with have in common,” Ungar said.  

Ben Silbermann, Pinterest co-founder and CEO talked about why Pinterest has grown popular and the company’s long-term goals.

The company’s mission is simple, ” to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.”  

Originally from Google, Silbermann said he was overwhelmed by the response that the site eventually received.

“It was exciting to see people using the product we created in ways we never expected,” Silbermann said in an interview with entrepreneur/investor/blogger Chris Dixon during the South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) held in Austin in March.

” I feel a responsibility I brought this little product into the world and I want to see it get better and see all the things that we can do to make it better,” Silbermann said.