Pinterest: When bookmarks aren’t enough

Earlier this year, we posted a blog about how businesses can use Pinterest to reach their audiences, promote their brand, and build exposure for a product, idea or cause.  Since then, Pinterest has become the third most popular social media site behind Facebook and Twitter, and there has been a swath of information about how pinners are using the site.  From brides-to-be and retail companies to colleges and universities to lobbyists like me, a wide demographic of people and organizations have found a use for the social media site.

When I joined Pinterest, I immediately noticed how easy it was to categorize and organize information visually.  My job requires me to stay up-to-date on laws, government agency rules, and organizations in states across the country.  Though unconventional, Pinterest allows me to do what spreadsheets and website bookmarks haven’t been able to.  As an online catalog of legislative resources, my Pinterest account helps me stay organized, easily add more information without compromising what’s already been organized, and access that information efficiently from my mobile phone.

One minor drawback is that all of my boards are public.  While there is nothing currently on my boards that needs to be private, having a privacy option would be beneficial for many users who want to take advantage of Pinterest’s organized layout for internal business projects.   For those who want to privately organize their online life, another bookmarking tool called Clipix can fulfill that wish.  Instead of being considered a social network, Clipix is a personalized online clipboard that is accessible anywhere through mobile apps.

It will be interesting to see how Pinterest and other content curators continue to evolve and see how others will find alternative ways to utilize it, especially with the recent release of Pinterest’s android and iPad apps.