Like many people, I’ve been checking out Pinterest lately.
One thing I find fascinating is how much viral effect even people who are not deeply networked can have. The other thing I find fascinating is that there’s no predicting what will or won’t “hit”.
Here’s a perfect example. I’ve got a small pinboard where I’ve been collecting ideas for our patio. It’s got less than a dozen photos, and about 35 followers. Tiny. None of my pinboards is particularly popular; in fact, my most popular one has maybe 60 followers.
I pinned two photos there on Saturday, both different treatments of an outdoor dining space. Here they are (click through for a bigger version):
Notice something in that screen shot? One of the photos got more than 85 repins and 20 likes. The other got none.
I’ve no clue why one shot got so much traction and the other, nothing. I like the second shot better, frankly, and even leaving sheer taste aside, the first shot’s composition isn’t as good. Yet it was the popular one on Pinterest.
Looking at other pins I’ve put up that have gotten some traction, there’s not a lot of commonality. Some are cute, some are funny, some are inspiring. And yet others in those categories go nowhere.
I don’t have a theory yet, or enough data to make any kind of guess as to what’s really going on here. It’s interesting to watch though!
By the way, this is post #1500 on my blog. Go me.