A Simple Difference, A Big Time Move
It seems like such a simple touch, and in its early days it was viewed as just another gimmick being used to entice people to a new social network. But the beauty and simplicity of Pinterest, and the reason it has become the exponentially growing phenomenon it is today (recent valuation estimates put the network’s value north of $2 billion), is directly tied to its common-sense and immensely intuitive user interface. One of the largest complaints of long-time Facebook users (your author included, having created his Facebook account back in the halcyon days of college-only thefacebook) is the increasing complexity and learning curve required to master protecting personal information on the site.
Pinterest took this complaint and tailored their network to avoid the major flaws that continue to dog Facebook among its users. Instead of attempting to compete with Facebook as a comprehensive social media service, or in mirroring Facebook’s UI and offerings, Pinterest decided to slim down the model to its basic function – allowing people to share and comment on photos or links that they think others would find interesting as well. This is especially efficient given the rise of mobile communications and mobile web browsing, which encourage simplistic UI designs in order to allow for easier app design and more mobile features. All features of Pinterest are available to mobile users, immediately allowing it to stand apart from Facebook and others who cannot offer the same perks to users.
What this leaves us is an extraordinarily clear takeaway as entrepreneurs; instead of trying to be the biggest or the best service on the market, especially in one with established competitors, sometimes our best bet may be to take an existing business model or structure and optimize it for our own use. Not only this, but by identifying a particular market segment that may be untapped or reached in a limited basis, we can tailor our product and service to specifically entice this segment, while generating the social media following and brand trust that can allow us to expand our product or service’s appeal to other target markets.
- See more at: http://capitalistcreations.com/how-pinterest-created-its-own-niche-market-from-facebook-users/#sthash.vCV7AtC9.dpuf