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Pinterest is a visual bookmarking website that allows you to pin videos and images you want to save or share with others onto virtual pinboards. Pinterest is similar to other popular bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon and Digg, the difference being that you can only pin images and videos on Pinterest unlike StumbleUpon where links and written text can be shared and Digg where different web pages of interest can be shared. People can follow you on Pinterest and repin any content (that you have shared) that they like. You can do the same with their content in their pinboards.

Pinterest is the fastest growing social site that is unique and different from others. It offers businesses an innovative way to market their products and services in digital media. Here I am citing some reasons why your business should consider using pinterest:

1. A visual showcase of your business- The visual nature of Pinterest allows you to showcase your products and services in an appealing fashion. It is especially beneficial for businesses where visual appeal is crucial, like, fashion, food, interior decoration, etc. A survey of online shoppers by BizRate Insights reveals that Pinterest motivates more online purchases than Facebook.
2. Get links and mentions- Pinterest is also a great way to obtain links for content, blog or website. That’s because every time a user pins on your website content, you get a link back to your website. HubSpot had once claimed that their blog had received over 600 million links from pinterest in just 2 weeks. This just shows the back link potential of Pinterest.
3. Generates traffic- Any business that intends to drive high- volume traffic to its website to increase sale should consider joining Pinterest, according to HubSpot. Many research findings conclude that pinterest is more effective in driving traffic than other social sites.
4. Builds audience- It has a stronger presence than most other social networks. In addition to attract customers, Pinterest is also great for cultivating relationships with other businesses and professionals. Each time you repin, comment, or like other’s content, you will be noticed and this will help build relationship.
5. Builds brand association- Pinterest has proved to build stronger brand awareness than other social networks. A whopping 43% of Pinterest users have acknowledged that they use Pinterest to associate with brands.
6. Generates more revenue- A study by VentureBeat has shown that Pinterest generates 27% more revenue per click than Facebook and 4 times more revenue than Twitter per click.
   
7. Brings in new customers- Studies have found that Pinterest is capable of bringing more new customers to business than other social networking sites. The fact is confirmed by a finding by VentureBeat.
8. Pinterest represents a rising share of social commerce- In the second quarter of 2011, Pinterest represented 1.2% of the total social media revenue for e- commerce sites. Its share is increasing everyday and VentureBeat further claims that Pinterest will be responsible for 40% of the social media e- commerce transaction by the end of 2012.

About the author
David Harris is a highly experienced online marketing consultant. He also writes regularly on the web, about the latest SEO tips and updates. He specializes in managing different types of search engine optimization campaigns. In this article, he provides a broad overview of the concept of pinterest.