At least it’s the newest one I’ve heard of.  It’s called Pinterest.  It’s been on the edges of my radar for a while, but I read a great blog post about it and thought I’d pass it on.

To be honest, I haven’t really had time to set up an account myself to play with it.  And, as with all good new introductions, they want you to feel the uniqueness of the place by putting you on a “waiting list” to create an account.  Reminds me of when Google+ first came into being.

I’m sure that someone in your network is on the site already and could provide an invitation for you.  Think your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin contacts – those folks who are active in the social networks.

So, what is Pinterest?  It’s a website where you “pin” images.  Therefore the name, which I choose to think of as pin-terest.  That took me a while to figure out.  It’s a combination of Pin and Interest.  Quite a clever name I thought.

What Images End Up on Pinterest?

It can be anything.  A photo you found online and “pinned” to the site, or an image you uploaded.  You pin images to “boards” and you can create different types of boards.  Some examples include:  Things that make me smile, Why didn’t I think of that, Tips and tricks around the home, Beverages, Random recipes, and the list goes on.

In a way, it’s like Facebook in that you can share these things with friends and family.  And, you are supposed to link the images to the website where the photo originated, to avoid copyright issues.

If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, you might wonder how you can use it to your advantage for real estate marketing.  I’m so glad you asked.

56 Ways to Use Pinterest for Your Business

Copyblogger just published a post about Pinterest, listing 56 ways to market your business on the website.  You can see the post here.  Be sure to check out Copyblogger’s page, too.  They have a more business-oriented presence.

Actually, in poking around a bit, I’m finding people who have been using Pinterest for quite a while.  So, I may be really behind the trend.

If you are currently using Pinterest, I’m sure we’d all be interested to know what your experience has been.  Please leave a comment or contact me with your feedback.  I’d be glad to give you a link in a future post.

 UPDATE 2-15-12 I sent a request for an invitation and got the invite today.  So, looks like the site is accepting new folks pretty rapidly.