PINTEREST INTEREST - Survey: 11 Per Cent of Marketers Currently Using or Planning to Join Pinterest

TORONTO, Aug. 23 /CNW/ - "To pin or not to pin?" is a common question for companies today given the rapid growth of Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/), a social networking site where users collect and share photos of their favourite interests and hobbies. Despite the virtual pinboard's increasing popularity, however, a new survey by The Creative Group (http://www.creativegroup.com/AboutUs) shows few organisations are ready to dive in just yet. Forty-three per cent of advertising and marketing executives interviewed said they have no current interest in using Pinterest for business purposes. Only 4 per cent reported they're already using it, and another 7 per cent said they intend to join the online pinboarding community.

The Canadian survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialised staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "Which of the following statements best describes your agency's/firm's attitude toward Pinterest?" Their responses:

    <<
    We love it and already use it for business purposes.......   4%
    It's caught our eye, and we plan to start using it for
      business purposes.......................................   7%
    It's caught our eye, but we're still hesitant about using
      it for business purposes................................  18%
    We have no interest in using it for business purposes.....  43%
    Not aware/never heard of Pinterest........................  23%
    Don't know/no answer......................................   5%
                                                              -----
                                                               100%
    >>

View the research highlights: http://creativegroup.mediaroom.com/file.php/319/TCG_0812_Pinterest_CAN.gif.

"The social media landscape is changing constantly, and marketers must carefully consider which platforms to invest their time and resources, given their businesses' needs and goals," said Lara Dodo, regional vice president of The Creative Group in Canada. "Since Pinterest is a relatively new social network, many organisations may be waiting to join until they determine what potential business benefits, if any, there are in having a presence on the site."

For creative professionals, Pinterest can be a very powerful self-promotion vehicle. "Pinterest is an easy-to-use tool for designers to display their personal work and images they find inspiring, giving potential employers a sense of their aesthetic and style."

The Creative Group offers three tips for using Pinterest to display your creative work:

    <<
    1.  Organise your boards wisely. If you want people to peruse your pins,
        you have to make it easy and intuitive for them to find what they're
        looking for. Carefully consider what content you want to showcase,
        whether it's a collection of your own print and web work or
        fascinating infographics you've seen, and create a clear, concise
        title for each board.
    2.  Create captions. Make sure viewers understand the context of your
        pins by labeling personal portfolio samples with the client's name
        (assuming you have permission), project objective, your role and any
        positive outcomes. When repinning, comment on why you found the image
        compelling.
    3.  Build your following. The best way to attract more eyes to your
        Pinterest page is to engage with other pinners. Follow boards and
        users with similar interests, and then like, comment on or repin
        images you find inspiring.
    >>

About the Survey

The Canadian study was developed by The Creative Group and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 250 telephone interviews -- approximately 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 50 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

About The Creative Group

The Creative Group (TCG) specialises in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and TCG's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com. You also can find TCG on Pinterest at pinterest.com/creativegroup.

SOURCE: The Creative Group

Nadia Santoli, [phone], [email protected]