Every day it seems like we are inundated with the constantly-morphing world of social media. While I keep up with the latest hype and social babble as a part of my career in PR, in my personal life I stick to the “basics” and primarily use Facebook.

Until recently. What is this new wave of social media that has me hooked while I could be dwindling my internet surfing time elsewhere, you ask? Pinterest.

Described as a social catalog and online pinboard, Pinterest is a collection of powerful visual stimuli. From the time you visit the homepage until the time you reluctantly leave, you will see vibrant images ranging from lavish bedrooms with cathedral ceilings to crocheted winter hat patterns for tiny tots. View the “pins” displayed randomly or search by category. My favorites? Do-It-Yourself & Crafts, Food & Drink, Home Décor and Weddings & Events.

If you’re “pinterested,” request an invite. A few days later you will receive a link allowing you to set up an account, start your own “boards” arranged by chosen categories and start pinning your likes, inspirations, ideas and motivations.

Despite common belief this social site emerged recently, Pinterest was created in December of 2009 and as of late has taken off and become much more than just an eye-popping phenomenon. A recent article from Mashable reports over 70% of “pinners” are female and, with 3.3 million users (421 million page views), it’s no wonder social issues like SOPA and businesses like GAP are making their debuts on this rapidly-expanding platform.

As a heads-up for businesses ready to pioneer on the site, Pinterest etiquette specifically states it is not a venue for self-promotion, so before pinning be sure to develop a strategy that’s designed to engage audiences. For example, Lands’ End created a “Pin It to Win It” contest to encourage their customers to “pin” the clothing brand’s merchandise and be entered to win gift cards…very clever!

As an agency that embraces social media, NMC has decided to give Pinterest a try and make a splash in the realm of PR. Check out NMC on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/nmcmaine.

As a final note, even though 70% of Pinterest users are female, based on my personal experience there is plenty of male draw, too (having caught my boyfriend scouring recipes more than once—sorry, Shawn).

Get Pinning!