I recently learned about an addictive and fun new social media site that I’m quite sure you’ll fall in love with – Pinterest.com. I know what you might be thinking – “Give me a break, Marley. The last thing I need in my life is another social media site.” I hear ya, but I promise this one serves as a super easy and effective way to organize, research, and share your event inspiration.
It’s function dressed up as escapism. Better than retail therapy. Better than shopping.
Here’s what’s so great about this new site: It’s like liking and sharing on Facebook without getting bogged down in the clutter of goings on, drama, and other things your friends post that you don’t care about.
People just pin stuff they really like – pictures, art, crafts, food, nature scenes, etc. It’s all visually appealing. Even when people post quotes, the quotes are presented in an aesthetically pleasing way. Most of the pictures then link to something – an article, a recipe, a how-to. But you don’t have to go that far if you’re not (p)interested (sorry, couldn’t resist). You can just feast your eyes and your soul on the pretty pretty pictures and drift away.
And, like I mentioned, it’s actually quite productive escapism. One of the most important aspects of planning an event is inspiration. What do you want your event to look and feel like? What kind of food do you want to serve? What kind of style concept do you want to infuse?
For years, we’ve flipped through magazines and hunted around online. This is that, kicked up a notch. You can do lots of research and sifting around. You can follow other people with good taste, and learn quite a bit.
When you pin (share), you’re not necessarily looking for affirmation from your friends. They can like, re-pin, or comment; but you’re not necessarily begging their approval (you know how that goes).
You can organize your inspirational photos on different boards – like cork boards – one for food, one for fashion, one for decor, one for honeymoon destinations, and on and on. You can name the boards whatever you want, and you can arrange them however you like. And when you go back to look at what you’ve pinned, your pictures will all be there – a collage of fabulousness.
It’s one of those things that you don’t quite get until you jump in and do it. I think the appeal is that it’s pure eye candy. People like to look at things that make them feel good. People like to express their style, flair, zest for life. You can do that in a no pressure, no cost way on Pinterest.
It’s not just for events and creative pursuits. You can pin anything, really. I just think it makes a great planning tool.
Still don’t buy it? Well, I’m not the only one who thinks Pinterest is the next big thing. Last week, the company landed a $27 million round of funding. So people are paying attention, people are loving it, and investors can see the potential growth. Try it out and let me know what you think.
