How Pinterest Operates

Picture a corkboard – the type you’d use to post motivational quotes, magazine clippings, or images of stylish furniture for that long-awaited living room makeover. Now, imagine your friends having similar boards, and you could always view what everyone was pinning to their own spaces. You could replicate and cherish anything that sparked your interest, with the added bonus of your board never running out of space. Plus, it’s accessible from anywhere, at any time. Sounds like a dream, right?

However, Pinterest isn’t just a digital scrapbook of cool finds. Each image shared on the platform is linked to its original source, creating an easy way to access information while giving proper recognition to the creators behind the innovative ideas that Pinterest users adore.

Imagine having a virtual brainstorming session at your fingertips. For instance, if you're considering redecorating your living room, you don't need to flip through magazines or sift through store catalogs for inspiration. Instead, head over to Pinterest's Home Décor section, where you'll discover a treasure trove of creative ideas shared by users worldwide.

Eager for a burst of inspiration? Keep reading to learn how to get started on Pinterest and build your presence there.

How to Join Pinterest

Pinterest, which began in late 2009 as an invitation-only beta platform, surged in popularity by August 2012, breaking out of the beta stage to become open to the public. By July 2012, Pinterest had 21,202,798 unique visitors. In just nine months, the site grew from fewer than 10,000 users to an astounding growth rate of nearly 212,000 percent. Initially a web-only service, Pinterest is now accessible on mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Androids.

Setting up a Pinterest account is quick and easy. Users have two simple options to create their accounts.

Once you enter your details, you'll be shown a collection of images and prompted to select the ones that resonate with you. Pinterest uses your choices to create a personalized "Following" page, filled with images from topics you're passionate about.

You can grow your "following" list by connecting with friends on Pinterest. Simply sign in with your Gmail, Facebook, or Yahoo account, and Pinterest will generate a list of people you might know. You can also invite friends who aren’t on Pinterest yet to join. However, you don’t need to know others to enjoy the platform. If you come across someone whose taste mirrors yours, follow them, and all the pins they add to their boards will show up in your feed.

Following individuals is just one way to discover great new content on Pinterest — you can also follow entire categories. Pinterest's extensive range of predefined categories covers everything from architecture to animals, hair and beauty to film and music, humor to weddings, and history to holidays.

So, what exactly does 'pinning' mean, and how does it work? We’ll dive deeper into boards, pins, and how to make the most of your Pinterest account in the next section.

How to Use Pinterest

Pinterest isn't just a random collection of cool things on a webpage. The platform is structured with built-in boards, which help you organize your ideas. When you create a new account, you're given pre-named boards such as Food, Art and Architecture, and Apparel and Accessories. You can customize these as you like. If the existing categories don’t suit you, feel free to create your own board from scratch [source: Pinterest].

Once you've set up your boards, you can start adding content in two ways: pinning and re-pinning.

But Pinterest isn't just about aggregating content -- it also allows users to connect by commenting on one another's pins. This can range from fun and social ("I love those shoes!" "Awesome quote." "Where did you find that painting?") to incredibly useful ("I made this recipe last night and I recommend reducing the sugar."). Users can also like others' pins. You can access both of these functions by rolling your mouse over a pin. While likes and comments won't appear on your own page, it's still a good way to communicate with other users.

Now that you know how to use Pinterest, how does it really work? Read on to learn why Pinterest loves women, why women love Pinterest and how this free service makes its money.

Pinterest Crafts, Recipes and Photos

This is a big deal for businesses, which have found a lucrative platform on Pinterest. Studies show that women trust Pinterest more than any other social media site, and businesses are capitalizing on that trust with innovative ad and incentive marketing campaigns. Companies like Guess have used Pinterest to inspire users around their brand by incentivizing re-pinning and other kinds of engagement on the site -- and even without sophisticated campaigns, Pinterest has shown itself to be a highly effective driver of traffic to companies with even a basic presence on the site [source: Wasserman].

It might sound mysterious, but the site's business model is actually not an uncommon one. Like many Web-based companies, Pinterest makes its money off of affiliate marketing, a model in which companies (often retail-based) post content on affiliate platforms (in this case, Pinterest) to help drive traffic to their own sites. The sites hosting the content often receive a portion of the profits generated by this traffic [source: Hunt]. It's a perfect fit for Pinterest, which is especially kind to categories like crafts and recipes -- two things that rely heavily on visual appeal as a selling point. It also allows the site to operate without showing ads, one of users' main complaints about sites like Facebook.

Continue reading to discover even more insights about how Pinterest works and how you can maximize the potential of your account.