How not to use Pinterest

Or any other social site, for that matter. Mashable’s got a great article today about how brands are marketing on Pinterest. I put “marketing” in quotes, because what Mashable points out is less marketing and more “land rush.”

Marketing consists of the series of connections you create with a customer. So, great marketers make those connections meaningful, not a one-time, “wham bam, thank you, dear sir and/or ma’am” event. As Shelby McLeod notes in the Mashable piece,

“Rather than using people for statistical gains, brands and marketers should focus on defining their voice and creating a community of dedicated followers with whom they regularly interact. The best practice is to think of each pin, each Like, each comment and each follow as a tiny gesture between two people building a relationship. Through many small interactions, a connection is fostered that is based on trust and loyalty. And those are the types of connections that make a single community member so valuable.” [emphasis mine]

Remember, social is people. Avoid what the snake oil salesmen tell you and work to build relationships. That’s how you use Pinterest.

And every other social site, to boot.

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