Social : Commerce :: Oil : Water

Nevertheless, if e-commerce on Facebook takes off, many expect the social network to find a way to make money off it.

Linkbait title aside, Reuters published a story today discussing the potential of e-commerce on Facebook, and more broadly, social networks.

Says the Forrester analyst: “It was like trying to sell stuff to people while they’re hanging out with their friends at the bar.”

I shouldn’t need to write this again.

A Fantastic Day For Pinterest

Is it really any surprise? Sean Ludwig reported today that Pinterest is now the third most popular social network.

The growth numbers are staggering. 17.8 million February uniques that average 89 minutes per month on the site. Overall, very impressive February numbers and short-term growth.

What really got me though was Alexia Tsotsis’ report that Pinterest could be valued at $1 billion. Forget trying to get in touch with Ben Silbermann…apparently his inbox is slammed with people trying to get into an (imaginary?) Series C round.

On the product side, Pinterest announced board covers, which seems to be oddly close to another social network’s feature we have all come to know and love (cough Facebook cough). That being said, this feature should be great for users and marketers alike. Picking an eye-catching feature photo is an awesome user-focused feature addition that should encourage more clicking around on the site.

All news considered, Pinterest is a tremendous social network that seems to have everything in line. They have money in the bank, a passionate and loyal userbase and momentum on their side. I’m excited to see how the product continues to evolve — copyright issues aside — to see if it really can close the gap on Facebook and Twitter.