So – what is Pinterest, and how does it work? Pinterest is a social network that allows users to visually share and discover new interests by posting (a.k.a “pinning”) images, links to products, or blogs to their board. You can also browse what other users have pinned and some optional notes-to-self about the post’s value, which come together to form a “pin.” Pins can be arranged on boards, different boards, and further categorized into sub-boards. Think of it as a virtual mood board where you can collate social images, bits of writing, and more around a central idea.

Pinterest, like other social networks, can perform standard social networking functions. Such as following friends, liking and commenting on other users’ boards, re-pinning content to their own boards, sharing others’ media on Facebook and Twitter or via email, run a search, and even embedding individual pins on their website or blog, which is why Pinterest is an effective tool for getting started with content marketing.

Pinterest is great for driving traffic and sales. And most importantly for businesses, Pins help people find more information on products they’re looking to buy. Research shows that Pinterest users are uniquely positioned to make purchases off the platform as they have buying power in their households – and they even like seeing ads!