Pinterest

exhibitor q&a

Help!

social media

Our exhibit-marketing program incorporates Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but now Pinterest seems to be a big player on the scene. What is it, and why do people use it?

In its simplest form, Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board. People (and companies, organizations, groups, etc.) locate electronic content that they find interesting or useful and "pin" it to their Pinterest boards. Each user can create, organize, and manage multiple boards, most often by topics, e.g., gadgets, fashion, home improvement, automobiles, food, wedding ideas, etc.

Since Pinterest is an open platform for information sharing, you can search and browse other people's boards at will, and "repin" their content onto your own boards without obtaining permission. Plus, you can "follow" boards, allowing you to see pins from these boards on your Pinterest home page.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, Pinterest is entirely image driven, as you can't post any messages without an image. In fact, some experts suggest that in the right hands, this characteristic can draw in more potential customers than the big three, which are mostly focused on the person or firm doing the posting. In essence, Pinterest says, "Here's a cool thing you might like;" whereas, most other social-media platforms say, "Look at what I've accomplished and how cool I am."

— EXHIBITOR Staff

Help Wanted
Send your tough questions about exhibiting to Linda Armstrong, larmstrong@exhibitormagazine.com.