If you haven’t gotten a refill on your Prozac or Xanax prescription and aren’t enjoying alcoholic beverages more than usual, congratulations. You somehow have managed to survive Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. But, you still have a long ways to go before the holidays are over. So, if you’re not stressed out just yet, it could rear it’s annoying head as the holiday season marches on. But, there could be something to assist you in relieving that stress. Nope. It’s not medication, alcohol, food, or a trip to a day spa. It’s Pinterest.
According to a study and infograph released on December 4, 2013 byLab42, (a next-generation market research firm, not a sponsored link) it was discovered that 92 percent of Pinterest users claim that the site makes the holidays less stressful. In fact, 27 percent stated that the pin-board style website makes the holidays ‘much less stressful’. So, why are users finding the holidays less stressful because of Pinterest?
The main reason is that Pinterest users are gathering new recipew ideas for holiday feasts – 83% of users to be exact. Users are also sharing gift (74%) and holiday décor ideas (64%). Thinking and searching for recipes, gifts and decorations are probably the main culprits of holiday-related stress. So, this does make sense. One less thing for a person to worry about.
There were some other interesting revelations found in the study, and here are some of the highlights.
- 94% have stated that Pinterest has changed their preparation for the holidays in some way.
- 54% of users frequent Pinterest more often in November and December, with 52 % stay longer periods of time on each visit.
- 53% of Pinners have a board designated for the holidays.
- 66% are very satisfied with Pinterest’s collection of winter holiday-themed ideas.
- The top three categories browsed during this time are: 1) DIY & Crafts, 2) Holidays & Events, and 3) Food & Drink.
- 67% of users have recommended that Pinterest add subcategories within Holidays & Events (i.e. holiday recipes, holiday décor) to improve their experience.
- Almost one in five (19 %) spend more money during the holidays because of things they spotted on Pinterest.
- 59% stated that they have specifically purchased something throughout the holidays because they saw it on Pinterest.
- Interestingly enough, 15% said they spend less money by using Pinterest, probably due to DIY projects.
- 66% said Pinterest doesn’t affect their holiday spending.
- 53% follow brands on Pinterest.
- 7 in 10 say they feel more connected with the brands that they follow on Pinterest.
- 47% do not follow brands. The top reasons: they don’t want brands to clutter their news-feed (39%); they only pin things relevant to their lives (37%); and they don’t want to be contacted by the brand (29%).
Lab42 co-founder Jonathan Pirc stated, “Knowing that brands are always trying to stay on top of holiday trends, we wanted to closely examine how consumers use Pinterest during the holiday season.” Pirc added, “We found that they rely on Pinterest to help with ideas for holiday cooking and baking, gifts, decor, and more. Brands should jump on the opportunity to incorporate visual elements into their overall marketing and social media strategies moving forward.”
The survey was conducted among 500 Pinterest users in the United States, ages 18 and up, from November 13-14, 2013.
What do you think of these findings? Have you found Pinterest to be an effective stress reliever? If so, what was the main reason that Pinterest made the holidays go a bit smoother?
*We welcome anything that makes the holidays less stressful. None of us want to go all Clark Griswold.
Featured Image Credit: stuartpilbrow/Flickr
