Raise your hand if you've heard of Pinterest.

Chances are, if you're a woman, your hand is up right now.

Chances are, if you're a man, you are either rolling your eyes because you've heard of it and are sick of hearing about it or you are a little confused.

Pinterest has exploded onto the scene as the new up-and-comer, particularly after it was announced that Pinterest is driving more traffic to websites than Google Plus, You Tube and LinkedIn combined. I've been watching the Pinterest frenzy with some interest, as it's one of the first self-expression networks that women dominated before men even knew what was happening.

Naturally, that has caused some (male) pundits to discount Pinterest's staying power.

Regardless of where you stand on whether or not Pinterest is the Next Big Thing, there's no doubt that it's A Big Thing Right Now which means it's time for all you politicians to climb on the bandwagon, rosin up your social skills and start putting it to use. Here are a few tips to get you started.


Use Pinterest to Inspire
It's an aspirational platform. People are pinning items that they may never buy like dream homes and dream vacations because people aspire to certain things. A popular type of pin lately has been inspirational quotes and affirmations to help motivate the pinner. Nothing goes better with politics than some inspiring rhetoric, so start creating graphics with quotes from your most recent speech or press release and pin them. Compelling words and phrases grow legs when they are surrounded by beautiful imagery.


Use Pinterest to Show
One reason politicians have had so much success with Twitter is because they can give insight to their constituency as to who they really are. Love him or hate him (okay, strongly dislike him), Rick Perry has carved out a comfortable space for himself on Twitter simply by tweeting photos of his dopey Labrador named Rory and Lucy, a Dachshund - two characters I thought were his kids until I saw this picture.
There are a lot of different ways photos on Pinterest can help politicians show what they are working on or interested in. One prominent Texas State Senator, Judith Zaffirini, posts Facebook status requests for new books to read. The Senator could create a Books board and start pinning covers and titles of books she's reading or has read. Not only does this help categorize her reads, but it could add another dimension to her already popular reading list while repins from others would propel her reach.


Use Pinterest to Create
The Pinterest community loves how to's. This is an interesting movement from within a self-expression network because most networks do not compel individuals to act. Facebook event RSVPs are notoriously way higher than actual turnout. That's definitely not the case with Pinterest. People are holding "pinning parties" where they get together and make something they saw on Pinterest. A community of people wanting to get their hands dirty and do something can be an ideal demographic for campaigns and political movements -- regardless if they're all women who also like dreaming about Louboutins and J. Crew. They're just as interested in worldly matters, just maybe not in the same way as previous generations. Think DIY yard signs, how to register to vote infographics and "I voted" buttons out of recycled materials. That's change, people.

Does this mean campaigns are going to have to get a little crafty? Yes, probably so. But that's what the world today is about: innovation at the speed of technology. To anyone bemoaning the good ol' days of robocalls and push cards: keep up.