Social media's new kid on the block, Pinterest, is taking the social networking world by storm.

Sitting in the third spot on the list of most popular social networks in the U.S. with over 12 million users, it's no wonder that both consumers and brands alike are rushing to use this new platform as a powerful way to engage with one another.

Yet despite its rapid growth in popularity, Pinterest still confounds a majority of the public. Many social media gurus remain skeptical about the true value Pinterest adds to a brand's online message, and still more dismiss the platform entirely as just another short-lived experiment.

For those skeptics, answering a few questions like: "What is Pinterest?" "Why should I use it for my business?" and "How will it benefit our brand?" might just provide the shift in perspective needed to turn nonbelievers into avid users.

So, what is Pinterest?

Pinterest acts as a virtual bulletin board that allows you to visually share products, ideas, projects and any other content that is visually appealing. Users can pin and repin onto virtual pinboards they create. A "pin" is an image or video added to a pinboard. A "pinboard" is a set of pins based on a particular