Pinterest is now the third most-popular social network in the U.S., behind Facebook and Twitter, according to a new report from Experian.
Experian's 2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report, released Thursday, says that traffic to Pinterest increased nearly 50 percent from January to February. The site received nearly 21.5 million visits during a one week period ending on Jan. 28, almost 30 times the number of total visits it received just six months prior.
Pinterest, whose users span everyone from shopaholics and DIY enthusiasts to small business owners, allows users to create virtual bulletin boards of items and products. Since launching in March 2010, the site quickly gained popularity, helping users discover recipes, books, movies decorating ideas, clothes, and more.
Pinterest has become so popular recently that even President Obama jumped on the bandwagon. As could be expected, visitors to Pinterest in the 12 weeks ending on Jan. 28 skewed female (60 percent) who were between the ages of 25 and 44 (55 percent), according to Experian's study.
In general, social networking is the top online activity, accounting for nearly 15 percent of all U.S. Internet use in Dec. 2011, Experian found. Moreover, a staggering 91 percent of adults now use social media regularly.
Facebook captured the highest share of visits overall, accounting for 10 percent, or one in 10 Internet visits, according to the report. The social network also captures one in five page views, and visitors spend an average of 20 minutes on the site.
And while Pinterest was deemed "the one to watch for retailers," social network rivals Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ are also growing. Google+ saw more than 800 percent growth in total visits during December 2011, versus four months earlier. Twitter, meanwhile, grew 45 percent in December 2011, while LinkedIn grew 98 percent.
For more, see PCMag's review of Pinterest and the slideshow below, as well as How Do People Use Pinterest?
For more from Angela, follow her on Twitter @amoscaritolo.
