In just a few years, Pinterest took the position of the third largest social network on the Internet, behind Facebook and Twitter, and in front of Google+.

For a site that still matured such a position, it is indeed a commendable one. The question that arises is how to take advantage of Pinterest's popularity to promote your online ventures. In other words, as we use Twitter and Facebook to create the identities of our companies on the internet, will it be possible to use Pinterest to reach our customers?

1. What makes Pinterest so popular? It comes up with the wishes of people who want to learn, find and share the things that interest them. All human beings have the need to discover new things in the field of their interests. If I like poetry, I will have a natural tendency to search for fresh and interesting material from time to time. Similar to web design enthusiasts, this push is satisfied through various inspirational sites.

2. People generally share common interests and hobbies. Imagine this: if my interest is in web design, it's a great chance that I will try to stay in touch with others in this field. We will share ideas about design and web programming that are interesting to us. Pinterest provides a place where it can be done globally.

3. Human curiosity causes people to learn more about others' interests. This is the primary reason why the social network, when done well, strives for success. Orkut failed, Myspace collapsed, Facebook and Twitter came, and now Pinterest.

OK, HOW DOES THE PINTEREST WORK?

The basic mechanism is simple. I like something, I share it or I pin it, my friends with similar interests see and pin or share the same thing and their friends...

Pinterest has one advantage over other websites, offering users a unique experience according to their interests.

For example, on Facebook, you have to go through linear content on your news feed before you get to the content that interests you.

HOW TO USE THE PINTEREST POWER

Basic principles, such as high activity and relevant content, are the same as on other social networks, so we will not stay long on it. Instead, we will focus on the key elements of the Pinterest that distinguish it from other social networks.

FOCUS ON INTERESTS

As you have already realized, the greatest advantage of Pinterest is the fact that the community is diverse and gathered around the content. There are not many "tricks" and false user profiles, compared to other networks. You can easily focus on topics that are most interesting to your users - a simple look at one of the popular boards will show you how to get the maximum number of pins and shares.

VISUAL ATTRACTION

This is relatively simple. If it were a blog, the words would be much more important than the pictures. However, on Pinterest, the images took on the main role. As you browse through the content, you will notice a constant flow of image with titles. When you share an image, you can change the title, but the image remains the same.

So, it becomes crucial that images and photos you share contain the essence of your content in an effective way.

INTERACTION

Creating boards with great content that is part of your clients' interest is the first step towards the proper use of Pinterest. The second step is to find others who share good content. Interaction with other users not only shows respect for other users but also shows that you are active in your community.

In order to encourage the participation of your users, you can create groups at Pinterest where your users can share content with each other. One of the good ideas is to organize small competitions where users can win a reward. This will not only raise interest but also encourage participation that is, in marketing terms, paid off in the long run.

AVAILABILITY

Sharing interesting content does not have a point if it is not possible to reach potential clients. In other words, simply sharing content is not enough to make sure that this content will be available to a wider group of people.

It's important to appoint your boards in the proper way to make it easier to share among users. The use of "hashtags" is very important because it makes it easy for users to find you.

THE CONCLUSION

Pinterest is a powerful platform with a growing group of users. If you want to promote your ventures on the Internet, Pinterest should certainly not be ignored. Sharing quality content on your boards will surely help you impress your customers.

Follow me on Twitter – @SrdjanKali.