Trendsplosion 3: Marketers' guides to Pinterest
Now to be clear, I think Pinterest is the most inspiring thing to happen to marketing since the second martini. But in perusing the "marketing guides to Pinterest" published in the last week, I lost count after thirty. So I think we've got it covered for now. And yes, I am once again aware of the irony of criticizing marketing punditry, and I'll even cop to the fact that I briefly considered writing a guide to Pinterest in lieu of this article. But when did we start needing so much help in order to start exploring new ground? Did Erik the Red need to read "5 ways to convince people to live on an ice-covered rock" before persuading the Vikings to settle Greenland? Hell, no. He couldn't read anyway.
Pinterest should also be treated as new territory for brands to explore, not a set of protocols that guarantee success. The brief history of social media abounds with cautionary tales of brands that got a little over-exuberant and broke faith with consumers, so let's take it slow this time. The best Pinterest guides I've read advise brands to simply go native: Find stuff you like, share it, get to know the local customs, and you'll eventually find your tribe. Then you can start pillaging. (Kidding -- no pillaging.)
