Businesses on social media are constantly updating, tweeting, and plus one-ing all of their products, special offers, work and interests to their markets. However, it looks like more businesses should start “pinning” as well. TechCrunch has reported that Pinterest, the new social media outlet where one can “pin” interests, has had over 11.7 unique monthly visitors; making them the first standalone media to ever pass 10 million visitors this quickly.

So what’s driving these visitors to this new platform, and why should small businesses begin to look into this new media outlet?

Pinterest describes itself as an online pin board, where users can pin photos, news  links, and other interests onto different boards. When a user pins something new, like a picture of the Tuscany countryside, their followers can see it, re-pin it to their boards, and comment. Someone can show all their interests, but in a more organized fashion.

For retailers and businesses alike, it’s fast growing popularity shouldn’t be the only thing that attracts them – they can use this platform to pin products, especially newly released, keeping their followers up-to-date with visuals. However, most businesses on Facebook, Twitter, and other media understand that you can’t just be selling – you need to have that human quality and interact with your audience. Pinterest is another way to do that where the President or CEO alongside his co-workers and employees can show the public where their interests lie, whether it be exotic animals, unique architecture, or just adorable animals. Pinterest gives the public another way to see the human behind the business.