At one point in time, the term “social media” didn’t exist, and now you can’t count the number of social media platforms in existence on your fingers – probably not even on your toes, too. There’s a constant stream of new opportunities developing in the online world and as a company, you need to find out where you fit in. One new medium has presented some brands with a unique opportunity to market themselves in a very visual way – Pinterest.

Pinterest is a visual pin board and is already setting records in the social media world – it hit 10 million monthly U.S. visitors faster than any independent site in history. Despite a rapid growth in users, for the most part, the verdict is still out on the ROI of Pinterest for brands. In terms of value, it’s not clear where it fits in with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but we’re keeping our eyes and ears open. If you’re interested in taking the Pinterest plunge, take the following stats into consideration:

• Pinterest is now the third largest social network.
• Pinterest generates more referral traffic to websites than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined.
• There are nearly 12 million unique visitors to Pinterest each month.
• The vast majority of Pinterest users are women – as much as 97 percent – and the majority of Pinterest users are college graduates.
• The average time people look at a pin is 1.2 seconds.

Women are flocking to the site and top categories of content include design, crafts, food, fashion, and other topics often affiliated with females. Successful Pinterest brands mirror these themes. Whole Foods, a brand easily able to capitalize on the popularity of food-centric pins, was quick to the game and has amassed more than 37,000 followers its first year.

We’ll be on the look out for other stand-out performances by brands on Pinterest and note the opportunities for clients as the site continues to develop. What are your thoughts on the newest social media craze? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.