There’s no question that some folks have made a living out of becoming social media superstars, whether they have a large presence through small Vine videos, put together YouTube programming that millions of fans watch, or even express themselves through lively Twitter posts. However, you can now add one more social media site to the fold, as “Pinfluencers” are on the rise.
Re/code posted a story talking about these up-and-coming stars, who consider themselves under that name, as well as “Pinstars” and possibly “Pinlebrities,” according to the article. “Pinterest actually likes to call them Pinterest Influencers,” said Kyla Brennan, the head of HelloSociety, a Pinterest-based talent agency – the largest in the world. “They don’t like any change to the word Pinterest.”
Pinterest is just gaining ground in terms of breeding such superstars, as it takes time to establish the right kind of outreach in posts (not just blind photos). However, according to Brennan, over 400 highly paid influencers are part of the site now – a huge feat considering the HelloSociety got its start two years ago out of her home in Littleton, Colorado.
At first, some folks might be confused by the idea of a Pinterest superstar. “I know. I totally understand the skepticism. People hear Pinterest star and they’re like, what !” she explains. “But after three years of doing this, seeing clients making hundreds of thousands of dollars and quit their jobs and pin full time, it’s real.”
The company’s making more than you might think, too. HelloSociety has gathered $12.5 million in revenue last year, and employees 26 people full time. “Pinterest is commerce-based, it’s based on intent,” said Brennan. “Facebook, it’s still disruptive to see ads (there). Twitter’s not even in the conversation. Pinterest is built for commerce.”
“Pinfluencers” are more rare than you might think, though. “It’s much harder to get a huge audience in Pinterest – it’s just much rarer than something like YouTube, where you make one viral video and there you are,” she explained. “You’re not going to get one viral Pin and get a bunch of followers.”
However, they’re certainly on the rise – and even if some of them are odd, Brennan believes they should be welcomed just like “normal” folks. “In the early days, Pinterest suggested a few sort of strange birds who weren’t in their aesthetic. We’ve come across people who have all these followers for, I don’t know, like My Android Board or My Intergalactic Gemstones board. Or Frogs,” she said. “We’ve encouraged a lot of those Pinners to broaden their topics. Maybe branch out of frogs. Or do frogs but think about frogs in other ways.”
