Are you on Pinterest yet?

Are you on Pinterest yet?  I must admit that I’m not . . . but I intend to be soon.  Because Pinterest just can’t be ignored.

According to a report recently produced by Experian Hitwise, Pinterest has risen - rapidly - to become the third most popular social network in the United States, behind Facebook and Twitter.  Although Facebook, which had 7 billion visits in March, might appear uncatchable, Pinterest, at 104 million, has increased its visitors by 3000 per cent in the past six months.

There is also no doubt that Pinterest appeals to women.  Mashable claims that 60 per cent of users are women, while Inside Network’s AppData claims that, in the USA, 97.9% of those who like Pinterest are female.

And AdWeek reports that a study by BlogHer showed 81 percent of women sampled in the USA said they trusted Pinterest, 73 percent said they trusted Twitter and only 67 percent said they trusted Facebook.

Melissa Pitts, writing on the Forbes website believes that there are four reasons why Pinterest is becoming so popular with women: it’s simple (which makes browsing easy and enjoyable), it’s relaxing, marketers have ‘an open window into consumers’ interests, and brands have found new and interesting ways to use it.  Pinterest, she says, “has brought women together online in a way never seen before and tapped into an extremely influential consumer market without even trying.”

So I wonder what this means for the development of Pinterest.  Will it turn into a site specialising entirely in things that women are interested in?  Or will it develop into a “universal site” (such as Amazon) but one which appeals primarily to women.  Whichever it is, I have no doubt that it will continue to grow steadily as more and more people discover its appeal.