Interest in Pinterest Pinterest has been called the latest addiction for millions of people around the world. Pinterest, a visual social media network, allows users to create interest boards where they pin items of interests found on the web. Terms you need to understand to use Pinterest include: Pin: A link to an image from a computer or a website. Pins can include captions for other users. Users upload, or pin, photos or videos to boards. Board: Pins live on boards and users can maintain separate boards, which can be categorized by activity or interests, such as cooking, do-it-yourself activities, fitness, music, movies, etc. Repin: After pinning an item, it can be repinned by other Pinterest users, spreading the content virally. Repinning allows users to share items they like with friends and family. Pinning is simply done by clicking on a photo or video that captures the attention of a user, whether it be by uploading personal photos or repinning a photo or video from a fellow user. Started in 2010, Pinterest has already attracted over 10 million users with the majority being women between the ages of 25 and 54. Millions of people visit the website each day to find what new items will spark their interest as there are always more and more things to see. Pinterest is considered a social network, but unlike other social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, Pinterest is open to invited users only, meaning it is an invitation-only website and users must ask for an invitation before gaining access. Upon accepting the invitation, users can gain access to the website and begin inviting their own friends with whom they have connections on Facebook or Twitter. Pinterests mission statement:16 connect everyone in the world through the things they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests. Just like on other social networks, Pinterest users can compile a list of people they want to follow. A user can link a Pinterest board to a Facebook account, allowing instant access to quickly see which of his or her Facebook friends are on the social network. Adding bookmarks allows the user to pin images to other websites such as a book at Barnes & Noble or a set of mugs at Pier 1 Imports. The image is automatically linked to the retailers website, and if another user clicks on the image, that user receives additional information on the product or service. If users pin a specific image of a plate or sweater, they can add the items price in the description, which will automatically place a banner ad on the image and show the listed price. If users are unsure of what they are looking for, they can search for a specific event or theme such as twenty-first birthday party for a whole array of ideas. Essentially, Pinterest allows users to paint a visual picture. Just imagine a wedding planner talking to a bride about her upcoming event, and the bride mentions she would like a classic modernism wedding. If the wedding planner were confused about what exactly the bride meant by classic modernism, she could quickly visit Pinterest to find an entire suite of photos and videos to spark ideas of how to coordinate the event. The Business Value of Pinterest Visual Communication Pinterest is by far one of the hottest social media spaces available today. Offering all kinds of valuable information from useful cleaning tips to fantastic recipes to beautiful photos and videos, the website is Page 217 extremely valuable for sharing anything visual. Pinterest is in no way simply a passing fad as companies begin to use the website for social marketing. One of the best business uses of Pinterest is allowing employees to visually communicate and brainstorm. Visual communication is a new experience for many employees, and the phrase A picture is worth a thousand words can help a company perform many tasks, from generating new products to transforming business processes. In fact, many companies are using Pinterest to solicit feedback directly from employees, customers, and suppliers to ensure the company is operating efficiently and effectively. Soliciting feedback directly from customers allows companies to have a customer service support team handle problems before they become mainstream issues. Providing customers with a new channel to post their thoughts and concerns about products or services can provide valuable feedback for any company. Companies typically state that they may not respond to every question or comment but that they take each and every concern into account, demonstrating that they are devoted to creating a bond between themselves and their customers. Driving Traffic Pinterest drives trafficit is that simple! Even though the website operates under an invitation-only model, it has attracted more than 10 million users in less than two years. That number might seem small compared to powerhouses such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google, but it demonstrates there is enough of an audience to send a decent amount of traffic to any business. The images a business pins up should be linked to the relevant page of its website. If users are attracted by it, they may click on it to find out more. Pinterest also drives traffic by providing higher rankings on search engine optimization as companies appear higher and higher on search lists the more users are pinning to their boards. Linking is one of the key factors search engines consider, and with Pinterest gaining in popularity, it is also growing as a trustworthy domain. The number of Pinterest users combined with its ability to increase search rankings will play an important role when a company is looking to increase visibility and drive traffic to its website. Data from Shareholic found that Pinterest sent more referral traffic to bloggers than Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined, falling just behind Twitter. Product Branding Pinterest is an extraordinary branding tool, offering a place where companies can create a presence and community around a product, idea, event, or company. Just like other social networking websites, Pinterest allows a company to reach out and engage its customers, vendors, suppliers, and even employees to communicate about its products and services. Recently the National Football Leagues Minnesota Vikings began using Pinterest to create a following of favorite photos, statistics, and even game-day recipes! Pinterest recently deployed an iPhone application that allows users to pin photos and video from their cameras instantly on their boards. Pinterests unique competitive advantage is its ability to host billions of images and redirect users to the appropriate sources in a user-friendly interface. Pinterests Dilemma Since its inception, Pinterest has been under fire from sites such as Flikr, Photobucket, and Instagram over attributing credit to those who own the images that are pinned. Many users are concerned that they may one day be sued for the improper use of an image they pinned. The Pinterest Terms of Use state, If you are a copyright owner, or are authorized to act on behalf of one, or authorized to act under any exclusive right under copyright, please report alleged copyright infringements taking place on or through the Site by completing the following DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to Pinterests Designated Copyright Agent. To protect Pinterest from third-party litigation claims (such as those from authors claiming copyright infringement), Pinterest has incorporated the following statement into its indemnity clause: You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Pinterest and its officers, directors, employees and agents, Page 218 from and against any claims, suits, proceedings, disputes, demands, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees (including costs of defense of claims, suits or proceedings brought by third parties), arising out of or in any way related to (i) your access to or use of the Services or Pinterest Content, (ii) your User Content, or (iii) your breach of any of these Terms. Pinterest is well aware of the probability that many of the pinned images might be violating copyright infringement and is attempting to protect itself against any litigation claims resulting from users intentionally or unintentionally breaking the law through its site.17 Questions Why do the three different types of MIS infrastructures matter to Pinterest's business model? What types of security and ethical dilemmas are facing Pinterest? How does cloud computing support Pinterest's business model?