Is Pinterest the social network for moms?
These are some of my boards on Pinterest.
If Twitter is the social network for athletes and celebrities, then Pinterest is the social network for moms.
All of my mom friends are flocking to this new social media site that enables you to visually bookmark things you like from the web.
You download a quick-click button to your tool bar that lets you “pin” things to your virtual bulletin boards on the site. So while you are reading articles or looking at photos or finding recipes, you can click “pin” and place it on your appropriate bulletin board.
You can also click through other people’s bulletin boards by topic or by friends to find things that you too would like.
“Pinterest has become the social media network to watch after growing more than 4,000 percent in the last six months. At an average of 88.3 minutes per visitor, it ranks third on engagement behind Facebook and Tumblr and well ahead of LinkedIn (16 minutes) and Google Plus (5.1 minutes),” according to Ragan.com.
I think the main reason moms like Pinterest is because it’s actually useful! Yes it can be relaxing and social but you can find things that can make your life easier and better. It also cuts clutter and you can’t lose the articles you’ve “clipped.”
Lately, I’ve been searching home organization, cleaning tips, recipes and craft ideas for Valentine’s Day for the kids. You can see my boards here.
If you haven’t jumped on Pinterest yet, here are some things to help you get going:
1. It is a public network like Twitter so anything you post everyone can see.
2. At this point there are no private boards where you could stick things you didn’t want other people to see.
3. When you log in, it’s going to give you an option to hook up with all your “friends” from Facebook. You can opt out of this if you want. (From the Pinterest staff: “When you register, one of the orientation screens suggested people to follow, including existing Facebook/Twitter contacts. If you skipped this step or didn’t choose what you wanted, you would be added as a follower.”
4. If a friend sends you an invite you can get on immediately. If you try to join on your own, you will have to wait a day or two. (I guess they want it to seem exclusive! I found that to be annoying.)
5. Although people are not supposed to sell on Pinterest it is a huge referral site for retailers.
6. You can search on Pinterest without joining but then you can’t pin the things you like.
7. You can collaborate on boards with friends. From the Pinterest staff via email: “You can create a collaborative board with multiple contributors (directions to do so are on our Help page).” I want to experiment with all of us collaborating on a board. I’m still trying to figure that all out.
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30 comments Add your comment
julie
February 7th, 2012
1:21 am
love the concept but had issues with pinterest 502 server timeout errors almost every day so i went with juxtapost.com instead. its the same idea but with a lot of automation built in to make adding my stuff easier.
Is Pinterest the social network for moms?
February 7th, 2012
2:44 am
[...] more at Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog). Filed Under: [...]
djm_NC
February 7th, 2012
6:57 am
i love pinterest…i save sites and things i like in my favorites then it gets all cluttered…this makes things a lot easier to save and refer to. there are some awesome recipes on there…also lots of great ideas for homes…gardens etc….my daughter says its the perfect place to help pick out a gift for someone…just look at their boards and see what they want.
A
February 7th, 2012
7:48 am
I’m a mom but don’t see the point of this at all. But then I’m not on Facebook and never will be. Seriously, I could not care less what people have “pinned” to boards or what they are posting or updating on FB. Waste of time in my opinion.
djm_NC
February 7th, 2012
7:51 am
when you enjoy your time…its not wasted time :)…..pinterest is not like facebook…its a great way to save and share ideas…each to his own.
A
February 7th, 2012
8:00 am
@djm, Theresa asked if it’s the social network for moms, and as a mom I answered that no it’s not for me. I don’t see the point and do consider things like this a time suck, but if you and others like it, fine. As you said, to each his or her own. Not judging; social networks are just not for me I guess.
justmy2cents
February 7th, 2012
8:32 am
As I stated previously, I use the site to pin recipes to my board to save clutter at home. I spend maybe 5-10 minutes every couple of days on the site. I don’t follow anyone specific, I just repin the recipes I may want to try at a later date.
i LOVE...
February 7th, 2012
8:43 am
I don’t socialize on Pinterest as much as I find ideas for things around my home. I do my socializing on Facebook and in real life. But I do enjoy getting on Pinterest!
Lori
February 7th, 2012
8:47 am
I don’t consider Pinterest a “social network”. It’s more of an idea sharing site. You don’t use it like you do social networks, where you update your status and share your personal life. It is literally a virtual bulletin board for you to organize things that interest you. If I find recipes I want to try, rather than printing them out and/or bookmarking them in my web browser, I can just pin them for later. Same thing for craft ideas, or cool ideas of things to do with my kids.
I don’t think it’s just for Mom’s though. It all depends on your interests. But as a mom, I do find this website actually useful for just storing ideas for later. So far I’ve found some cool soup recipes and some really cute craft ideas for my new baby’s room. The nice thing about Pinterest is it’s one stop shopping for ideas. I don’t have to scour the web for craft ideas, when I’m not even sure what I’m looking for, but I can just search for kids crafts on Pinterest and find tons of links all right there in one place.
K's mom
February 7th, 2012
8:52 am
I do not see it as a social networking tool, but like the others said an idea sharing site. I am a designer/home stager/wife/mom and I have found tons of fun things on there for work and home. I mentioned this before, but since I tend to get in a cooking rut, we now have Pinterest Recipe Thursdays and it is fun to change it up!
My husband and I dream to build a custom home one day and I have lots of ideas saved for that and I am not terribly good at kids type crafts and I have found tons of ideas on there. I spent about 3 hours on it the first time I logged on just exploring and now I spend 10-15 minutes every few days on there just exploring or more if I am looking for something sepcific.
Grace
February 7th, 2012
8:53 am
Great article! Pinterest is GREAT for moms! Here is another good blog post about Pinterest and moms! http://blog.childrensdayton.org/youve-been-pinned-2/
BHS86
February 7th, 2012
8:53 am
I am child free, but I do love going to Pinterest for getting ideas and inspiration. It isn’t just for mommies. There are even men on there.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
February 7th, 2012
8:54 am
My girlfriend is teaching at UGA this quarter and she says all the college girls are into it too — they use it for fashion, hair, and many — not all — but planning dream weddings and honeymoons. As a mom I use it for different info. So it’s interesting how it adapts to where you are in life.
JATL
February 7th, 2012
9:14 am
I just don’t really get it. I don’t have time to look at all of this stuff on all of these websites and put them on Pinterest. IF I had the time, maybe it would be cool, but it just seems like an online magazine of stuff to browse in different categories. I guess I’m missing something!
motherjanegoose
February 7th, 2012
9:27 am
I am not on it but know many who are. My college aged daughter likes the recipes and decorating ideas. Teachers, I know, have used it too. Maybe I will be interested some day.
It took me a while to get excited about Facebook. I have now connected with friends from 30 plus years ago and it is interesting to see what they are up to. Recently, a HS friend won and award for being the top salesperson in the country. He was a Pharmacist and is now in sales. The award was given in Las Vegas. I thought that was really exciting, as we went to a VERY small HS in Arkansas and to see where his life has taken him is amazing.
I feel like I have different chapters in my life:
growing up in Illinois and then Arkansas, college, newly married, neighborhood friends, my kids’ friends, church friends, school friends, professional friends and now blog friends. I do not even have that many friends on Facebook but it is neat to hear about the ones I do have. Sometimes these overlap and that is very exciting: a college room mate is now in Africa and a HS friend’s Mother knows another family in the same area. They hooked up via my Facebook as there is no other way they would know each other.
Soccer MILF
February 7th, 2012
9:28 am
My husband is always on some social website called Plenty fo Fish. He swears by it but says that its not really geared towards me so I dont ever use it.Since he started using it he really has developed socially. he is always going out after work with his buddies to go bowling or play cards. SOmetimes he does come home at all he is having such a good time bonding with new friends. I am really proud of him@!
jmb
February 7th, 2012
11:24 am
It’s not so much a “mom site” but just a points of interest site for everyone interested. My 20 year old daughter loves it for care package ideas to send her husband in Afganistan and most of her friends ust it as well. I’ve looked at it a couple times but not actually joined or pinned anything yet but I think I will just so I can keep up lol.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
February 7th, 2012
11:54 am
JATL — I think it’s just good for ideas. I like how visual it is — it makes it easy to search — You can search by categories for things — such as home organization — or recipes – or kids crafts or fashion or color swatches — just really anything you’re interested in — It’s kind of nice to do while you’re watching TV –
Lori
February 7th, 2012
11:58 am
I know someone who used it for wedding planning, so they could pin all the ideas of things they liked and their wedding planner could go there to see all the ideas that they liked. The uses for this site are limited by only your imagination. That’s what is so cool about it, is that you can tailor the site to be whatever you want it to be. Fashion guide, wedding planning, dream home ideas, crafting, sewing, baking, gardening ideas, humor board, etc.
ssidawg
February 7th, 2012
2:09 pm
I love Pinterest. It’s a great website to get ideas for crafts, home decor, recipes, fashion, etc. It’s not for everyone…but what is? For those of us who do like it, it’s such a great resource for sharing ideas in a neat, uncluttered manner.
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dumduhduhdum
February 7th, 2012
3:23 pm
If you don’t like the site- then why did you even read this article? And it’s not a social network. A social network would mean that there is interaction among members. There doesn’t have to be on this site. You could use it just as a bookmark page- without any interaction amongst your “friends”. And if you think it’s a waste of time or don’t have the time for sites like this (or FB for that matter) than you obviously don’t know a lot about the site. I’m guessing you have no bookmark pages in your internet window? Didn’t think so. It’s just a simple user interface to “pin” (aka bookmark) pages/recipes/blogs, etc, etc, etc that caught your eye. I personally think all chefs, photographers, home decoraters, personal trainers, etc. should be on this site. There are great ideas out there and Pinterest is a great visual way to explore everything at once. Not to mention if you have a project in mind- for example re-doing your bathroom- you can search for ideas. Which means you’re searching thousands of personal/professional blogs and sites. To each his own but if you don’t like it then don’t read articles about the topic then diss those that do like it.
K's mom
February 7th, 2012
3:43 pm
@Lori, I am so thankful that Pinterest was not around when I got married ;o)! I made my own programs, CDs, center pieces etc. If I had had that sort of resource I would still be doing stuff ;o)! I can see how you could find so many fun ideas on there! I am using for my son’s b-day party and I need to get going!
HB
February 7th, 2012
4:58 pm
Admittedly, I haven’t checked out Pinterest, but it does sound to me like it’s a social networking site (not that that’s a bad thing). Can you set up a profile/pages? Post your own content? Like, favorite, or share others’ posts? Comment on posts? Identify friends or follow individual’s pages/boards/profiles? If so, that’s a social network, even if you choose to mostly lurk (the fact that I personally only use Twitter to follow news sources doesn’t make it any less of a social network). It’s a broad term that includes FB, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Linked In, etc. — basically, online networks dependent on user-generated content that people browse, share, and talk about.
djm_NC
February 7th, 2012
6:33 pm
i dont think of it as a social network site….you can comment if you want but not many do. i am getting kind of tired of seeing pins posted to facebook…once is enough imo…i just like it because i can catalog recipes and gardening ideas etc…it takes the place of my favorites in a great way…you can see the pictures of the things you saved….i have tons of recipes from there i want to try. and some pretty great house and garden ideas too.
Kat
February 7th, 2012
8:19 pm
This does sound like a good idea. I have boxes and boxes of articles that I will never go back to that just take up (real, not virtual) space. Makes me so annoyed. This is a good idea.
Christina
February 7th, 2012
10:45 pm
Yes, it will suck up your day if you are not careful BUT I have gotten a lot of great recipes, craft, and decorating ideas from Pinterest. It is ideally suited for people with ADHD who like to view things in an array format.
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Good Day Fan
February 8th, 2012
9:21 am
It looks like a lot of fun. I follow Valerie Hoff from 11Alive on twitter, and she frequently tweets about Pinterest. I’ll probably join weekend.
redhousecat
February 8th, 2012
11:33 pm
It’s not limited to moms, and I certainly don’t use it to socialize. I don’t really see how one can socialize on there unless a bunch of friends get together and share the pinning options on each other’s boards.
I have found great clothes, awesome recipes, travel ideas, etc….I love it.