Seriously, people. As much as we like to talk about tools, do we stop and think about the purpose behind them?  Just because Flickr is getting redesigned and may look more like Pinterest does not mean they are competition.  To be fair to Mashable author Zoe Fox, she does not suggest this will happen in her article.  But I have seen plenty of articles or posts about Pinterest killing Flickr, Pinterest combining Flickr and Delicious, etc and this is not even mentioning the Twitter stream.

While you could theoretically use Pinterest in the way you use Flickr, that isn’t in my opinion what it’s set up for.  Flickr allows users to upload and share photos, create albums, etc. I can then share photos on behalf of my company, or share pictures of Piper’s birthday to the masses.  The cross over here, perhaps, is for artists that may post their photography on Flickr and then also create a Pinterest page to share their work.

Personally, I don’t WANT Flickr to try to be Pinterest. I love the focus on a more visual interface, and more power to you on the redesign.  But what I love about Pinterest is the ability to visually share ideas.  I can share products I love, which can also serve as a bookmarked visual list of things I love to buy and where to buy them.  I can share home decor items that all visually go together but are collected from hundreds of different websites.  And no matter whether the item is still available from that store or retailer, I have an idea of what it looked like and possibly what it was called or who made it so I can search elsewhere.

Then, there is the wonderful Pinterest stream.  I can view Home Decor again, for example, but this time see all of the other things thousands of Pinterest users are posting.  It is a great way to expose yourself to new items AND new retailers.  I think Pinterest will turn into an excellent referral source for online retailers.  While some of these home decor items, such as furnishings, are quite expensive…I still have my handy Pinterest board that I can reference later.

So do I see new Flickr taking away value from Pinterest? Not in the slightest.  Do I see Pinterest “killing” Flickr? No, not really.  I think there could be some crossover, but given the fundamental idea of sharing that is engrained in Pinterest, I only see crossover for professionals and why wouldn’t they keep both sites?

Lately, you’ve probably seen every guru come out of the woodwork trying to explain how you can use Pinterest for a business purpose.  I would caution that while you can think of ways to use this for any business, the current greatest value is in online retail.  For instance, check out how one of my favorite home decor websites, Layla Grace, is using Pinterest to share ideas and vignettes with users.

What do you think the greatest value is for Pinterest? And what is it’s greatest threat?

Let’s be clear up front, you’re brand is probably not Coca Cola or Apple.  Unless of course you are Coca Cola and Apple, then welcome.  But, more than likely, the group of people that relate to your organization as a brand is different than your potential customer group.  This is especially true in government and higher education.

While you might have your NASA or your Harvard, where people would proudly where shirts emblazoned with logos prior to building a relationship with you, chances are this is not the case.  Your regular government agency or university is not “sexy.”  And there are so many other agencies or universities that your constituents or potential students probably don’t even know for sure the immense variety of what you do or offer.

It is easier to spend marketing dollars on name recognition, however if no one knows what you offer them, what are you hoping to get in return for this investment?  The same goes for social media, it is harder to build a community with a group of people who do not already know and understand your core brand.

In order to get the most bang for your buck, take a look at the programs and services you offer.  Do you have a top notch state park system?  Do you have a PR program that is resonating with a whole new demographic?  These are the things that will resonate with specific groups of constituents.  If you identify areas to strategically market towards or build communities around, chances are you will be more successful and develop more engaged long-term relationships.

Remember, people care about what your brand/organization means to them…not necessarily what you want them to care about.