One of the ongoing challenges for enterprise social media marketers is staying on top of the next big thing. If you’ve been hearing a lot about Pinterest, you may be wondering if you should care. A social network that allows people to share (or “pin”) photos to topic-themed boards, Pinterest is the latest shiny object. It’s tailor-made for lifestyle brands and marketers with content that translates well to graphics. Companies as diverse as GE, Gap, Whole Foods and Southwest Air have embraced Pinterest.

Early adopters will gain a first-mover advantage, at least in attention, but whether or not this particular new kid on the block endures (and I predict it will), smart marketers will see it as a bellwether for a change in the way we think about content and graphics.

Pinterest is going to change the way companies think about how they graphically represent content. A lot will do it wrong at first. We need to start thinking harder about the images we include with our content. Stock images will look stupid on Pinterest. We need to think about meaningful images. Infographics will work, but that’s not enough.

And where do those images link? People will click on an image looking for more info, not just a link to the page hosting the image. Perhaps lifestyle brands have it easier. B2B, tech and services companies will need to work harder. But I can’t wait to see how it shakes out. It’s a huge opportunity to present content in a way that has impact and that enhance our messages.

Any companies who aren’t consumer brands that you think are doing it well? What is the next big thing in social media to attract the attention of businesses? Check out the Radian6 Pinterest boards and let us know your thoughts on them. Read more about Pinterest for businesses in this post, 5 Ways Retailers can Benefit from Pinterest.

Tags: Brand, content strategy, Corporate social media, Marketing, Pinterest