Pinterest

Pinterest is something that I don’t use, but have seen a lot of potential in. My sister follows a bunch of DIY crafters and it’s a great place to get ideas for projects. There is also the option of selling the stuff you make. The demographic is mainly women, so it’s no surprise that I don’t have a presence on this platform. This will be my attempt to understand how the site works.

Jason McDonald puts a lot of emphasis on the “idea board,” which is like a feed on other sites with a few differences. For one thing, pins are a way to save the posts (featured products) and the collection of items make up an idea board. There can be a number of these, which allows for subdivision into specific topics: bathroom items, decorations etc. This also helps creators on the site network because other people can see what makes up these lists of items, react through comments and pins, or potentially even buy them.

The focus of Pinterest is creativity. Having a variety of people and products to look at can either make you say “I could do that” or even incentivize a purchase. Pinning acts like a window into a “built not bought” mindset. Coming onto the site already subscribed to that way of thinking frames the interactions that take place. What do you use Pinterest for?