Pssst… have you heard? Pinterest introduced its own analytics tools a few weeks ago, allowing businesses and brands to track a number of key analytics about their engagement and pins all within their own Pinterest account. It’s just like Facebook Insights… but for Pinterest!

Well it’s about time, am I right?

We’ve been watching the virtual bulletin board evolve for some time now, updating you on new developments along the way. In fact, it’s hard for me to believe that we first introduced this popular social app to you just over a year ago, because so much has changed since. What started out as reluctance from Pinterest to allow brands to be pinning-participants has turned into assurance that this site-as-marketing-tool is here to stay.

If you’re an avid pinner, you may already be using third-party tools like PinReach to capture the behind the scenes details about your Pinterest accounts. Since the analytics Pinterest is offering are pretty basic, don’t abandon your other tools just yet! Instead, compare the numbers from each tool in order to quantify your results and track your brand’s performance through the site.

Keep in mind that in order to access these analytics, you will need to convert your Pinterest account to a business account if you haven’t already. This process is simple, and you need only place a code on your website to verify it as a business or brand. Visit this page and follow steps to convert your account and then gawk at your new pinteresting insights. A few of the things you will learn:

• How many times your pins have been repinned.
• How many people are pinning content directly from your website.
• Reach and impressions for your pins.
• Clicks your pins receive.
• And more!

Offering these analytics shows that Pinterest is taking the big steps required to become more “business friendly,” just like Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare have all done before it. We think this means big things for this already popular social media site, and it also means BIG things for brands, too. It looks like pretty soon, we’ll all be in it to pin it!

Have you used the new Pinterest analytics yet? What do you think of the insights they are (or aren’t) offering? Share your thoughts below!