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US Army turns to Pinterest and social media to engage with a broader audience

US Army turns to Pinterest and social media to engage with a broader audience

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The US Army is developing a strong presence on the social sharing site Pinterest as part of a broader effort to engage with a wider audience.

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US Army on Pinterest
US Army on Pinterest

Social sharing service Pinterest may have had to deal with some pesky copyright questions lately, but that isn't stopping adoption of the service — even by the US military. The Atlantic Wire took a recent look at the social media operation of the US Army, which includes a heavy investment in maintaining a Pinterest profile. The Army's involvement is an attempt to broaden its reach using social media; while most that follow the military are men, the Army sees the primarily female-centric Pinterest as an opportunity to reach out to family members and spouses. Many of the Army's pinboards reflect this intent — Army Style & Fashion, DIY & Decor, and Valentine's Day are among those featured — but it's not limiting its appeal strictly based on gender, with a number of the collections also focusing on what would be considered more traditional military themes. The social media program, which also maintains Twitter and Google+ accounts, in fact sees further adoption of the service across gender lines as a goal for its efforts. "In the UK there are more men [on Pinterest] that are interested in more science and tech stuff, I'd be interested to see that and see if we can get more men engaged," Major Juanita Chang told The Atlantic Wire. "Who knows, maybe together we're going to build the future weapons system."