In April 2012, I blogged about Pinterest. In early 2012 folks on Twitter were screaming that Pinterest was the equivalent of a theft ring. Folks were "stealing" images, committing copyright infringement, etc. There was utter outrage on how long can this can continue, when will brands/companies sue Pinterest or the users themselves? In April of 2012 I thought those naysayers were off target, and still do today.

Fast forward to October 2013. Current statistics place Pinterest as the best social media network for generating revenue. Conversion rates for Pinterest are 50% higher than other social networks. That is advertising gold!

As I discussed in the 2012 blog, I felt companies would embrace "pinners" sharing images from the brand's catalogs or websites via Pinterest and in no way find it copyright infringement. Why would they feel otherwise? This is a brilliant marketing/advertising campaign. Brands most loyal customers were publicly sharing what they loved about brands. Individuals with an eye for fashion were creating outfits and sharing them with millions of potential new customers. And, no it's not just fashion. Pinners are sharing uses for household cleaning products, do-it-yourself home repair and more. And this extra advertising wasn't costing these brands any extra money.

Statistics show that 47% of US online customers have made purchases based on a recommendation from Pinterest! That's huge. What company wouldn't want that? Pinterest recently launched in the UK, France, and Italy, building on 125% growth since the beginning of the year. Brands and businesses can bank on more conversion sales from Pinterest referrals.

Pinterest is a prime example of a new technology, a social network that proved the naysayers wrong. Online Shopping and e-commerce are continually on the rise. In the first quarter of 2013 Google saw a 217% increase in mobile fashion apparel searches. If you are still wary of taking your business mobile and embracing e-commerce, your time is running out. With statistics like these, companies that don't embrace mobile and social networking like Pinterest will find themselves floundering.

Is your business mobile, are you embracing e-commerce? What about social? Do you still view Pinterest as a theft ring with people lifting others work? How do you utilize Pinterest in your business or personal life? Make sure your business can withstand referrals from Pinterest by making sure your website and e-commerce system are up to snuff. Let's talk about if you are ready for your business to rise with mobile e-commerce trends and social media.