Pinterest drawing interest from small-business owners

Social-networking website Pinterest could be pulling Internet surfers and small businesses away from Facebook, according to one social-media expert. "Pinterest serves as an example as to how social-media titans are vulnerable to small startups that find the right niche," said Kenneth Wisnefski, chief executive of WebiMax, an Internet marketing consultant. Pinterest, which allows users to personalize their own online bulletin boards with pictures and Internet links, has surged in popularity over the last several months, and now has more than 10 million members. According to data collected by Experian Hitwise, it is the third-most-popular social-networking site, behind Facebook and Twitter. About 80% of Pinterest's users are female, according to online researcher comScore Inc.'s Media Metrix ranking. What's more, comScore reported that as of December, Pinterest was the third-most-popular social-networking site, after Facebook and Tumblr, in terms of the amount of time an average visitor spent on the site in a month. At 80 minutes, it's behind Facebook, which led with 423 minutes, and Tumblr, at 151 minutes. Mr. Wisnefski said he sees many small businesses diverting more of their attention to Pinterest and less to Facebook, in part because of its ease of use, and that Internet surfers are following suit.