5 Reasons 2015 Will Be the Year Everyone Gets on Pinterest

pinterest for creatives
Image via Flickr

Pinterest is rounding out 2014 as one of the fastest growing social networks, handily outpacing Facebook for growth.  It’s not hard to see why — unobtrusive and simple, it can be many things to different people, which is part of its genius. You can be active or passive, social or not. It asks nothing of you and yet provides boundless opportunities for exploration. For creatives, the possibilities are endless. It’s a visual wiki, a sort of rabbit hole of discovery to spark your imagination and fuel your ideas.

Here are five reasons why you should get yourself a Pinterest account in 2015.

1.) Inspiration

Research and discovery are sometimes a challenging part of the creative process. Pinterest can help in two major ways. First, Pinterest itself leads you down a never ending trail of visual breadcrumbs with effective ways to search, suggested pins, and of course access to thousands of other pinners (some of whom are some of the most sought after creatives in their fields). Secondly, it provides you with a way to create a virtual mood board as you’re researching on the internet. If you install the little ‘pin it button’ into your browser you can easily drop images and videos onto any of your pinboards without missing a beat, interrupting your research, or taking you away from the site you’re on. The item you pin connects directly to the link you took it from so it acts as a bookmark you can easily access whenever you need to call upon it.

2.) Dress For the Job You Want

In creative industries it’s especially important to represent yourself well in every possible sense. From your portfolio site to your business cards people are silently judging your skills based on the visual manifestation of your creativity as expressed through your individual brand. Your wardrobe is no different and Pinterest can help you here. Create a pin board to develop a style that fits your aesthetic. This can serve as your ever-evolving road map as you’re shopping or pulling together an outfit for an interview or client meeting. If you happen to also win best-dressed at work in the process, so be it.

3.) It’s Good Marketing

If you work in a visual medium Pinterest is made for you. It’s a terrific platform to have your work found, shared, and directed back to your site. It’s especially helpful if you work in more than one area as you can showcase a variety of projects easily (as opposed to something like YouTube or Vimeo which is just for video or Flickr which is just for photos). Savvy users not only feature their work but also create awesome content to drive even more discovery and connection back to their site. Are you creating great content and want to get more eyeballs on it? Pin it!

4.) You Can Have Secrets

Wise Pinterest users know that when you’re working on something top secret (planning a surprise party, wedding planning, considering a dramatic hair cut) it’s nice to use the secret board feature. It’s so freaking simple, you pin just like normal except no one can see what you’re pinning and your board is hidden. So whether it’s stockpiling your favorite Ryan Gosling memes or hoarding cat videos you can save all those treasures in one place for your amusement and no one will be the wiser. If you have a fellow meme-lover you can even share the board exclusively with them so they can also enjoy and share their favorite “hey girl” moments.

5.) Client Collaboration

Pinterest boards (secret and otherwise) can be shared with clients as you collaborate. You can give them permission to add to a board or just view it so you can control as much of it as you need to. It’s especially handy when trying to communicate with a client who has a difficult time with imagination and visualization. This gives them something tangible that they can see and react to.

Danielle Elliott FOLLOW >

Danielle Elliott is a producer and photographer based out of Seattle, WA. She heads up the creative services team at CreativeLive. She's on PInterest and Instagram at @dmotif.