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If you're thinking that Pinterest is just the latest, shiniest site that builds buzz but lacks staying power, don't stick a fork—or pin, rather—in the site just yet. According to Shareaholic's monthly traffic report, Pinterest beat out Twitter in traffic referrals in the month of February. Yes, the invite-only, image-centric site sent more Web traffic to sites than world's pulsing news artery, Twitter.
Pinterest is by nature a traffic-referring machine—clicking through each image sends users elsewhere from the site. Twitter is also largely used as a link-sharing platform, although it can—and should be—used for direct engagement and conversation as well.
Shareaholic's report begs the question: Should every brand be on Pinterest? Hilary JM Topper, president and CEO of HJMT Public Relations, believes they should. "It's important that all brands be where their consumers are," says Topper (see her PR Insiders article, "13 Tips for Gaining Business Exposure for Your Clients"). "Pinterest is gaining so much popularity that it is in a brand's best interests to set up a page and become active."
Topper says that recently an exterminator company owner told her that he plans on getting his company on Pinterest. As strange as that may sound, Topper believes he will be successful and develop more business because of the platform.
Might an infatuated and hungry news media be partially responsible for helping to drive Pinterest's traffic numbers? Perhaps, says Topper, but many Pinterest users are linking their Facebook and Twitter accounts, and this word-of-mouth activity is a much more potent source of momentum.
To learn more about how to incorporate Pinterest into your communications efforts, attend PR News' Pinterest Power: How to Broadcast Your Brand's Story Visually Webinar on March 27.
Follow Bill Miltenberg: @bmiltenberg