What is Pentress?

This was a text message I received from a coworker a few days ago. Seeing it typed out, it didn't immediately resonate what he was referring to, I even quickly googled it before realizing he meant PINTEREST!! Now to be fair, he is not the target demographic for Pinterest, but I had to chuckle when I realized what he meant. Who hasn't heard of Pinterest? Apparently some people (men??) haven't yet....but they will now!

I've been a member of Pinterest since 2010 and I'm thrilled at its huge surge in growth - it's deserved. It's become a go-to place for inspiration....quotes, home decor, fashion, I'm covered. Pinning is something I do as I'm out and about on the web with the handy "pin it" toolbar button. It's easy to collect inspiration on my virtual board as I encounter it. Isn't that the point? It's easy and the benefits for the user are apparent. Inspiration neatly organized - check. Connecting with others with similar interests - check. Being a "cool kid" (not me, these people) with tons of repins and followers - check.

Let's walk through an example of a recent Pinterest board I created and my explanation for why marketers should pay attention....

Social Media Predictions in 2012

Social Media Examiner recently polled 30 of its industry experts on their top social media predictions for 2012. Many of the experts had similar themes to their predictions, so I'm consolidating them into a few key categories that I'm particularly interested in.  Just think of this as the cliffsnotes version.  Feel free to check out the full article here.

Smarter Marketing Strategies for Social Media:

Welcome to Generation Flux

Recently came across this article from Fast Company detailing a new generation defined by how they respond to change.  Now, I might be oblivious at times (who isn't?), but one thing anyone can tell you, even if they are living under a rock, is how quickly things are changing and that if anything, the pace is only ramping up.