We’ve discussed social media in these pages before, talking mostly about Facebook and Twitter. But according to Pew Research, there are more online adults using Pinterest than Twitter, making companies across America take a look at opening an account. Barely five years old (and not completely open to the public until 2012), Pinterest fills a unique niche that has devotees around the globe. According to comScore, it broke through the 10 million monthly unique visitor benchmark faster than any other website in history.

So, the question is, is Pinterest right for you? Well, that depends. One of the distinctions that Pinterest offers is that it allows users to search only those topics they’re interested in. So if a new bride is looking for wedding dresses, a wedding dress retailer has an extremely targeted audience for showing their wares, making it an extremely efficient marketing vehicle. Pinterest also has one huge advantage over its social media rivals – longevity. The average pin has a lifespan of several months as opposed to a Tweet’s minutes-long lifespan or a Facebook post’s (potentially) hours-long life.

For companies who offer services instead of products, such as a geriatric care manager or a senior living community, becoming active on Pinterest may require you to expand the idea of what your business – and your brand – is all about. For instance, if you’re a senior living community, you could post photos of events, articles on senior health and well-being, senior humor images, or inspirational sayings. This helps expand the idea of who you are – from a provider of living spaces for seniors to a company dedicated to enhancing the well-being of seniors around the globe.

Irene Stewart, with Seattle-King County Aging and Disability Services (ADS), uses Pinterest in a number of ways. “We have so much information to share and it would overwhelm our website to put it all there. Pinterest allows us to create boards on a variety of subject matters – from Oral Health to Healthy Aging to Food and Nutrition. Then people can pick and choose what’s of interest to them.”

ADS also uses Facebook and Twitter to share information and more people come to their website from Facebook compared to other social media. But Stewart says Pinterest fills a niche by attracting people of similar interests to form different affinity groups and share information. “We’ve been getting more and more web traffic from Pinterest, so we know it’s accomplishing what we want it to, which is to make people aware of the services we offer.”

If you’re still not sure whether or not to dive into the Pinterest pool, here’s some questions you may want to consider:

  • Who is my audience? (The bulk of Pinterest’s audience is women age 18-49, making over $75,000 a year.)
  • What is the core of my business? (If you’re a retailer selling products to women, you should consider getting an account.)
  • Is what I have to share visually appealing? (Pinterest is a visual medium.)
  • Am I already using other social media outlets to share my message and are they effective in meeting my marketing objectives? (If so, you may be covered on the social media front.)
  • What do I want to achieve by using Pinterest? (Are you trying to move product or are you looking to expand your image in the marketplace?)
  • Does Pinterest fill a void in our marketing communications plan?
  • Is Pinterest board something I would enjoy maintaining and participating in and do I have the resources to pin relevant information to keep my audience engaged?

As with all social media, you should have a specific plan with goals and objectives before jumping in – and that can be as simple as participating in something you enjoy.