Maryland Holds Pinterest Pitch Contest

Pinterest has taken a number of steps to accelerate growth recently including video integration with Vimeo and buttons on retail sites. With Facebook’s recent acquisition of Instagram, it might not be long until they make a move for Pinterest, too.

Until then, the company is gaining attention in what might be considered unusual places. The State of Maryland just announced a Pinterest Pitch Contest. Student entrepreneurs and bootstrappers have an opportunity to tell their story in 10 pins or less. Four groups (including the University of Maryland College Park and Baltimore Angels) have sponsored the event.

Governor O’Malley’s Pinterest page will showcase the winners. It appears part of the strategy underlying this contest is to extend the Governor’s social network. If demographics hold true, it’s a smart way to connect with women. It will also help the Governor penetrate other social networks.

I hope the sponsors publish submission stats. It would be interesting to see if demographics hold true to the user base or if there’s some form of self-selection that skews participation. You can find contest rules on Governor O’Malley’s website.

The idea for a pitch contest may seem a little offbeat to Americans. We use Pinterest predominantly for leisure activities such as crafting, hobbies, design, and fashion. Yet, the leading uses for Pinterest in the UK include venture capital, blogging, and Web analytics. The Brits are on to something powerful.

Post By Marcia Moran (288 Posts)

Marcia Moran

Marcia Moran helps organizations reimagine what’s possible and provides the framework for clients to achieve stellar, long-term results.

As a Performance Architect, Marcia uses the principles discovered through neuroleadership and positive psychology to deliberately design the employee experience and corporate culture. Blended with pragmatic systems design, these elements free people to play to their strengths while reducing strife in the workplace. As a result, people can push beyond their known limits as individuals, as teams, and as companies.

Marcia is also the Vice President of Marketing for Kadoo, a cloud-based startup located in Reston, VA. Prior to moving to the Metro DC area, she worked as a business consultant for Up ‘N Running and advised startups and small businesses in the areas of management, operations, and marketing.

Marcia earned an MBA from Chapman University. She loves to travel, speaks Norwegian, and unwinds by kayaking and painting landscapes. Marcia recently co-founded Positive Business DC with Shannon Polly and Donna Hemmert. Positive Business DC provides resources to help people increase the levels of well-being in the workplace and at home.

Website: → Performance Architect

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