Since launching in 2010, women have dominated Pinterest. Just three years ago, 80 percent of its users were female but studies show the amount of men using the visual discovery site has nearly tripled since then. Women are still Pinterest’s primary user, but now more men are pinning everything from fashion, architecture, and self-care, to up-to-date sports statistics. In fact, Pinterest’s use jumped 25 percent in the past six months, and 1/3 of that was male-driven.
So why are more men suddenly using Pinterest?
Well, for one, Pinterest decided to start targeting men. It may seem like a small change but Pinterest’s latest tweak to its guided search allows gender-specific results to display in searches, giving men the experience they were previously missing.
“For example, say you're looking for a new watch. Before when you searched Pinterest for 'watches," your results would include mostly women's timepieces. But now, men will see Pins and guides inspired by what other guys have Pinned, and everybody's results should feel a lot closer to what they're looking for,” according to Pinterest engineer, Pei Yin.
In addition to guided search, Pinterest switched gears and began speaking directly to men on its homepage. Take a look at this snapshot from a 2012 version of Pinterest:
Notice the focus on dream vacations, dinner recipes and future home wish lists.
Now flash-forward to today:
If you refresh a few times, it alternates between speaking to men and speaking to women. But the fact that Pinterest has crafted messaging specifically for men shows that they understand their target demographic and are doing what they can to speak to that audience.
Build it, and they will come
As the male demographic increases, so will the number of companies vying for their attention. The growing trend of men utilizing Pinterest forces publishers, TV networks, and major sports teams to revamp their social networking approaches. Publications like the Wall Street Journal and Esquire magazine create boards that include an array of male-oriented interests, such as showing guys where they can travel with their new GPS system and how they can most effectively work-out while away, for example.
This type of extension is what male pinners are looking for. And this kind of market expansion is exactly the path Pinterest will take in 2015.
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