According to a recent study posted by Social Media behemoths Mashable, Pinterest has surpassed LinkedIn as the #3 social network in the United States. Perhaps you read our entry about the potential of Pinterest for business, posted several months before everyone and their brother knew about the social network (brush my shoulders off). Perhaps you are just finding out about Pinterest. The million dollar question (and in the sense of IPOs, maybe billion-dollar question) is "Can it last?"

From the Pinterest website: "Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people." Sounds great, but why is this such a hit?

Why Pinterest is here to stay

Pinterest is a hit because people can prepare for and memorialize their biggest life events thematically. Wedding planning, the "Big Move," having a baby, and many other major life events can be organized and pinned with suggestions from all over the globe. Despite the impending possibility of copyright law catching up with Pinterest, people are flocking in hordes to join this site. Is this a sustainable business model? Perhaps not yet, but with the right guidance, Pinterest can certainly find its niche and monetize their efforts.

The bigger question perhaps is whether businesses can make money from Pinterest. The short answer, is "yes" in the B2C environment, and "maybe" in the B2C environment. Why should a B2B marketer even bother then? Pinterest is great for blog traffic and link-building to your website. Having an engaging Pinterest page is important for brand image and is becoming essential for Search Engine Optimization. By making sure your blogs always have a picture somewhere in the entry, they become instantly pinnable! Plus, you can create your own pins for events, press releases, product launches and more!

Pinterest took only a few short months to become a top dog in the online game, and is now an essential part of any business' social media content strategy. Get an invite, get a content strategy and get pinning! Pinterest is here to stay. Stop by our Pinterest page and feel free to reach out to me if you need an invite to the hottest new social network!