Marketers have been anticipating the release of Pinterest's API for almost a year. In the interim, a myriad of SaaS tools have sprung up, some in the form of new startups like Pinerly, and others under the umbrella of the now-acquired social SaaS tools from Wildfire, Buddy Media and Vitrue.
Acknowledging that once Pinterest's API is eventually published, all of these early tools will be irrelevant, Pinerly has smartly transitioned into a new form of image-based advertising.
Reachli is a startup to watch. I saw the former Pinerly present at Plug & Play in Sunnyvale last August, and met the founders, when our UBC FOM student, Jonas Fung, hosted a Canadian startup event at Plug & Play. Reachli came out of U of Toronto.. Needless to say, I was impressed... The business model at the time was a blend of Web analytics and viral marketing, with a tag line about "turning browsers into buyers," which has been the bane of social media marketing efforts. The conversion rate is abysmal. I "got it" immediately,and I am pleased to see them moving forward.. Good luck Reachli!
