About 5 years ago, Ben left his dream of becoming a doctor to pursue other interests during the recession. Having grown up in Iowa, with both parents being doctors as well as both of his sisters, Ben just always thought being a doctor was going to be his life’s path, too. After landing a job as a consultant, and working on spreadsheets all day, he moved to California and began working at Google in customer support. More spread sheets followed. A week after quitting that job, the economy collapsed. After a few tries at a shopping app, Pinterest was born in early 2010.

Pinterest users are expected to number around 47 million this year. By 2019, it is expected to jump to almost 60 million, or 30% of social network users in the United States. Pretty good for a kid from Iowa.

Despite initial appearances, Pinterest is much more than simply a virtual bulletin board for craft ideas and wedding planning. It is one of the best examples of visual marketing, but in a simple form. For Pinterest newbies, here is a quick description: 1. Find ideas you like on the internet or on the Pinterest site itself. 2. “Pin” the ideas you want to save (basically, bookmark the idea). 3. Organize pins by theme on Pinterest boards. 4. Connect with others and their ideas.

See? Easy. And Pinterest for B2B companies translates to easy marketing.

• It’s visual: We remember 20% of what we read, but 83% of learning comes to us visually. Add infographics to start.
• It’s simple: See steps 1-4 above. Add in that there is no need for daily status updates or any type of tweeting, and you have yourself a low-maintenance marketing tool.
• It’s creative: Eye-catching photos, B2B company logos, illustrations-the sky is really the limit. Create different boards for company videos, blog posts, and previews of products.
• It’s mobile: 75% of Pinterest traffic comes from mobile devices.
• It’s searchable: Did you know Pinterest boards rank on Google search? If you name your B2B company’s Pinterest boards with keywords, you give yourself an SEO advantage.

What Pinterest for B2B companies can offer

• Analytics: You can view what people love, traffic reports, and more
• Audience: When individuals (read: potential customers) connect with your company, you can see that interests them, giving you an advantage in developing content.
• Averages: Look at daily average viewers, clicks, and re-pins

If you have not taken the jump into Pinterest for your B2B company, with all of its possibilities and potential just waiting to be discovered, it may be time to take the plunge. There are over 11 million visitors each month to this site, and some of them are waiting for what you have to offer. If you can design attractive boards, engage your customer base, and use information you glean to tailor your message to your audience, give yourself a pat on the back: you are now an official Pinner.