This is a guest post by Jessica Kupferman of Badass Biz.

We all know everyone’s been talking about Pinterest – that it’s the fastest growing site on the Internet, that it sends more referral traffic to websites than Twitter now, and, of course, how it’s been storming the social media world. Are there good reasons why you as business bloggers should be paying attention? Below are 5 great reasons why

1. #3 Is Not The Loneliest Number

As of March, Pinterest is the number 3 social media website, right after Facebook and then Twitter. What does it mean to be #3? It means that in the month of March, Pinterest received 104 million visits (not unique visitors) – right after Twitter’s 182 million and Facebook’s 7 billion. (Yes, that says 7 billion! But that’s another story.) So if you’re investing tons of time on LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, or anything else, perhaps it’s time to shift a little effort in the direction of Pinterest. 

Maybe you’re thinking that if everyone jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, it doesn’t mean you should do it too. Well, when it comes to popular social media channels, yes, it does! You should go where the audience goes. If your audience is on Pinterest, get to steppin’! Set up an account on Pinterest and go through the process of creating a keyword-friendly profile. Then look through the pins and get started! Denise has a great article in her archives on how to get started.

2. Traffic To Your Posts

When you share your blog posts on Pinterest, you can get some crazy boosts to your website traffic. Why? Each of your pins from your blog leads back to your website, so Pinterest users can read the articles.  Unlike Facebook and Twitter, which depend on the user to see your article in their news feed, Pinterest encourages users to search by category, and also to follow BOARDS by category, not just follow users only. So your article topic will be found faster, and by a more engaged audience.

It doesn’t mean EVERYTHING you post should be from your own site – just like all other social media sites, you need to interact with others and share other content throughout the web besides your own. But creating a board with your own content is a great way for people to share your stuff – and when you’re interacting with others, they’ll check out YOUR boards and hopefully share and repin!

3. A Whole New Audience

Pinning your content isn’t enough. Much like when you started on Twitter, you’re going to want to follow people with similar interests, or interesting boards and comment on their pins, and get to know them a little. Many Pinterest users aren’t going to be people who already know you on Twitter and Facebook, thus giving you a new opportunity to reach a more visual crowd. Yes, you can connect with those Facebook and Twitter people – but the real gem of expansion here is to start following and commenting on people you’ve never heard of – do a search on your topic and check out the individual pins that pop up and then start sharing and commenting on them. Your audience will grow before you know it!

4. Amazing Market Research

You can really learn a lot by seeing what people are pinning from your site. If one article is being pinned like crazy, and other things aren’t getting as much attention, perhaps that’s a subject you should spend more time on. You can put your website address into this link and see what’s been pinned from your website – it can be very telling. http://pinterest.com/source/yourwebsite.com

When you use this link, Pinterest will pull all the images that have ever been pinned from your website. You’ll get to see what people are moved by – and what they aren’t. Take note and change accordingly – it’s visual proof that the track you’re traveling down is the right one.

5. A Much More Well-Rounded Branding Experience

I’ve been saying for years that people should marry more the personal with the professional online. I personally get way more business when I reveal more personal things about myself through my blog, or when I admit I got a run in my pantyhose, or showed a recipe that I DIDN’T ruin, or whatever. People are then invested in YOU – your successes and failures – business or otherwise. Your audiences on social media channels can be more interested in the personal aspects of what’s going on with you and your business, and Pinterest is a great way to show them the personal – maybe more so than Facebook.

A board on Pinterest can be a collection of your favorite things – your favorite entrepreneurs, your favorite products, your wishlists – and often times, those are the things that get the most attention, shares and repins. I personally have boards showing products I can’t live without, famous quotes, pictures of personal heroes, and so on. They help the audience really feel invested in you – and in turn, it creates a more loyal readership and customer base.

Want more in-depth info? Jessica and her partner in Badass Biz, Sammi Johnson will be sharing the nitty gritty on how to use Pinterest for Business Blogs April 25 during a FREE 1 hour training! This webinar will fill up fast. Get details and register here now.

About the Author:
Jessica Kupferman is the Founder and Technotherapist of Badass Biz – a design, marketing and tech firm that helps small biz owners implement low cost and easy solutions to market their digital badassery. Always plugged into the latest in social media and design technology, Jessica is a creative and engaging expert web designer, branding specialist, speaker, and gifted social media strategist.