Pinterest, Part 2: Branding via Pinterest and an Interview with Pinterst’s Community Manager Enid Hwang

In social media world, there seem to be two kinds of platforms, the kind where you use a handle, a screen name or some form of a creative identity and then there’s the kind where you’re your real name.  On Pinterest, the vast majority of users go by their legal names.

The use of regular names is significant to brands or companies considering using Pinterest.  First of all, a brand name or a company name can stick out like a sore thumb.  This helps you get easier recognition when users are scrolling around; for users looking for personal connections, or interested in connecting with people, seeing a brand name can be a turn-off.

But don’t be swayed, the opportunity for engagement is real and vastly untapped.  In order to break into this almost niche social media platform, quality interactions are necessary.

Part of Pinterest’s charm is it’s look.  The super minimalist design is gaining accolades and nods all across the Internet.   Any brand trying to engage in the Pinterest community must understand the look and feel of the site.  Snoo.ws chatted with Community Manager Enid Hwang about the look of their site and how companies can make the most.  Here are her uncut, informative answers:

Snoo.ws:  Will there be any major (or minor) appearance changes?  What would new versions/updates to the current system look like? (If you’re at liberty to discuss, or hint?)

Hwang: Currently we don’t have any plans for a redesign (we launched a full site redesign in Fall of 2010), but smaller changes are always taking place. Our latest version of the iPhone app (1.4 and 1.4.1) has an updated look from the previous version and we’re working on an iPad app as well. You can see screenshot of the iPhone app on our blog: http://blog.pinterest.com/

Snoo.ws: How does Pinterest feel about companies using the site for promotions?  For viral marketing campaigns?

Hwang: Brands are welcome to create accounts on Pinterest and they have the exact same features as a regular pinner. We believe the same Pin Etiquette (http://pinterest.com/about/etiquette) applies to them as well.  Most brands have been really great about reaching out to us and asking about best-practices to pin and engage with their audiences.

Clearly with brands, there’s a general understanding that they are creating a presence on Pinterest to promote themselves, but we strongly discourage them from exclusively pinning their own products. Repinning from within the site is also a powerful way to connect with others; so while it sounds basic, we really do recommend they use Pinterest the same way a “genuine” pinner would and really get involved on the site.

We haven’t officially partnered with any brand and we don’t have advertising opportunities yet, but a few companies have used our platform for contests and promotions: you can check out Land’s End and Dwell Studio. Obviously we weren’t involved in the planning for these contests, but a quick Google search should turn up details you might need to write about them.
…

There are some golden words of wisdom for any company or brand seeking to join in the Pinterest world.

As far as the Land’s End content Hwang mentioned, PRCouture.com wrote a great article about the campaign, highlghting how the clothier used pins to run a promotion.  They quote the PR Manager of Land’s End, Mariella Souflis as saying, “Pinterest is the intersection of style and social and is a natural, visual platform to showcase the Lands’ End Canvas lifestyle.”

To check out how Dwell Studio uses Pinterest for promotional and marketing purposes, check out their Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/dwellstudio/pins/

Interested in joining Pinterest but don’t have an invite?  Email me: rosed@icucmoderation.com