If you read about the brands enjoying the most success on Pinterest, you'll begin to notice that the majority of them are in the decorating, fashion, and women's magazine industries. While it's no secret that women make up the majority of users on Pinterest and that these sites cater to their product interests, a recent HubSpot article highlighted 7 industries that extend the use of Pinterest beyond these usual industry suspects.
For the unexpected brands on Pinterest, the latter reasons are central to their strategies. Here's how many of them engage on Pinterest.
Farmer's Insurance is leading their industry's pack on Pinterest by highlighting their investments in charity work, such as the March of Dimes. While most of us have seen the humorous Farmer's commercials on television, their philanthropy may have remained off the radar for many until they began to share about it on Pinterest by posting images from their fundraising events. This does not necessarily add names to a list of leads, but it certainly may change the way a prospective customer feels about working with Farmers in the future, let alone keeping their business with Farmers.
As more students on Pinterest graduate from universities, Pinterest is an ideal way to feature the achievements of past graduates and to stay connected with them beyond the annual fundraising letter, which is a main reason why Drake University; is leading the charge with its pin boards. As prospective students review their options, this kind of Pinterest page could also prove influential in their final decision.
It should give most large corporations pause to learn that the wives of both 2012 presidential candidates in America have active Pinterest accounts. While there is no clear fundraising gain being made through Pinterest, liberals and conservatives can both agree that a personal touch can prove influential in driving public sentiment.
While Pinterest may not lead to the kinds of fundraising conversions that a nonprofit organization needs, it does provide an excellent first step for many potential supporters into the work of a nonprofit. In a world where charities and worthy causes abound, Pinterest provides the visual story-telling tools that nonprofits can use to connect with new potential donors.
As the use of Pinterest evolves, manufacturing companies, technology companies, and many other industries will have an opportunity to use this image-based site to tell their stories and to feature their products in fresh ways. While a pin board may not always help a company's bottom line in a measurable way, there's no denying that Pinterest provides an ideal opportunity for creatively telling a brand's story, connecting with customers, and highlighting aspects of a company that may be easily overlooked.