Pinterest Sweepstakes: A New Way for Sweepstakes Marketers to Use Social Media

Social marketing is big business these days, and more and more companies are using sweepstakes to convince people to spread the word about their products and services. Facebook sweepstakes are becoming more and more popular, and many people have been winning on Twitter. And now, there's a new way for companies to use social media for sweepstakes: Pinterest.

Pinterest is a site that allows you to create virtual bulletin boards of things that interest you. You "pin" pictures from the web to various boards, and then you can return to those websites easily. Plus, you can see the images that other people pin, and put them on your own boards. For more information, see What Is Pinterest?

So what does this have to do with sweepstakes? Quite a lot, actually. Many companies have started to use Pinterest as a new way to run contests. Plus, sweepers are using Pinterest to improve their odds of winning. For more information, see How to Use Pinterest to Win Sweepstakes.

Here are some examples of current Pinterest contests:

• StyleBistro Pinterest Contest: Create a pinboard called "StyleBistro Fashion Week Contest" and put it under the "Men's Fashion" or "Woman's Fashion" category. Then pin your favorite looks from Fashion Week, and you could win a $250 StyleBistro gift card. The contest ends on February 24th, 2012.
• ConsignmentMommies PintoWin Pinterest Contest: Create a Consignment Pinboard, repin 5 to 10 of your favorite ConsignmentMommies.com pins to your own pinboard, and email the pinboard to pinterest@consignmentmommies.com. Ends on February 20th, 2012.
• Sunglass Warehouse - Spring Break Pinterest Contest: Follow Sunglass Warehouse on Pinterest, create a board called "SW Spring Break Style" that shows off your style in ten different areas with the hashtag #SWspringbreak, and post a comment on the blog above. You could win 2 pairs of SW sunglasses and a $50 gift card to Target. Ends February 26th, 2012.

What about you? Are you on Pinterest? If so, follow me at ContestsGuide@Pinterest for sweepstakes tips, recipes, and other fun stuff. And while you're at it, tell us How You Use Pinterest. Want to try Pinterest? Request a free invite on the Sweepstakes Forum.