[Fact 1: The Brains Behind Pinterest]
Believe it or not, Pinterest was not devised by a team of designers or social media moguls, but instead by three friends and former Google employees: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp. They may hail from standard tech backgrounds but believe their shared issues of collecting and organizing things led them to develop Pinterest in 2009.
[Fact 2: Name Inspired by Pinboard]
The inspiration behind the name 'Pinterest' is as literal as you might expect - it's a combination of 'Pin' and 'Interest.' The former refers to the act of pinning something you like on a bulletin board, while 'interest' refers to anything that catches your attention.
[Fact 3: A Decade of Pinterest-ing]
The site we all use today to discover new recipes, fashion trends, travel destinations and more was launched in March 2010 – this means Pinterest has been around for more than a decade!
[Fact 4: Gradual Invitation Development]
Initially, Pinterest was not instant access. The interface was designed as an invitation-only platform, whereby each new user needed an invitation to join. This ingenious approach helped to create an air of exclusivity and intrigue.
[Fact 5: Mobile App and Success]
Pinterest stays current with technology advances and developed its mobile application in 2011. Statistics indicate that more than 85% of users now access Pinterest via mobile devices, giving us an idea of the scale of the mobile market for the platform.
[Fact 6: Female Population Dominates]
Pinterest's demographic statistics make for very interesting reading. As of 2020, 78% of Pinterest users are women. This makes it one of the more female-dominated mainstream social media platforms in terms of usage.
[Fact 7: Multitude of Ideas]
Pinterest isn't just for personal and lifestyle interests; it has become a popular tool for business as well. By the end of 2020, the platform played host to over 240 billion pins, all offering unique insights and ideas.
[Fact 8: Memorable Logo]
Ever wondered about Pinterest's circular, script P logo? The logo is intended to represent a stick pin, reflecting the company's purpose of allowing users to 'pin' their interests.
[Fact 9: Perfect for Visual Marketing]
Around 250 million people use Pinterest monthly, and the number of professional brands using Pinterest for advertising and promotions is increasing day-by-day. The visually appealing platform makes it perfect for visual marketing and brand development.
[Fact 10: A Dynamic Content Sharing Site]
Unlike other content sharing sites, Pinterest allows users to directly link to various online resources, making it a dynamic and diverse source of information.
[Fact 11: High User Engagement]
Research shows that Pinterest users spend an average of 14.2 minutes per visit, which indicates a high level of user engagement as compared to other social networking sites.
[Fact 12: A Worldwide Phenomenon]
Pinterest has around 442 million users across the globe, thus making it a widely used tool among the top 1000 brands worldwide.
[Fact 13: Favorite among Millenials]
According to statistical data, 68% of U.S. women between 25 and 54 use Pinterest. This platform is favored by millennials and serves as an interactive mood board for ideas and inspirations.
[Fact 14: A Boost for E-Commerce]
Pinterest proves to be an essential tool for e-commerce outlets. A study states that 87% of pinners purchase a product because of Pinterest.
[Fact 15: LinkedIn Reject Turned Pinterest Founder]
Before founding Pinterest, Ben Silbermann was actually rejected by LinkedIn and had to work at Google in a role he didn’t like. However, the experience eventually played a part in his creation of Pinterest.
[Fact 16: Most Popular Categories]
The most popular categories on Pinterest are food & drink, DIY & crafts, and home décor. It comes as no surprise that many users enjoy pinning their fantasy kitchen together.
[Fact 17: Fastest Growing Network]
According to statistics, Pinterest is the fastest growing social network; it gained over 100 million users in just one year (2014 to 2015).
[Fact 18: Pins Have Longer Shelf-lives]
In contrast to tweets on Twitter that have an average lifespan of 24 minutes, pins on Pinterest can last 3.5 months or longer. This is beneficial for brands as their content has a longer exposure time.
[Fact 19: More Mobile Pins]
Around 80% of pins are re-pins on the mobile app, highlighting the importance and prominence of mobile usage for Pinterest.
[Fact 20: Promotes Offline Action]
Interestingly, 88% of Pinterest users purchase a product they pinned, and 49% purchase 5 or more products they pinned. This shows that Pinterest is more than just a digital scrapbook; it has a significant impact on users' offline actions.