Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.

You’ve probably heard all the hype about these huge platforms with millions upon millions of followers.

You’ve probably also heard about the potential it holds for advertising, engaging your audience and growing leads.

But you what may not know is that Pinterest, despite its relative small size in comparison to giants like Facebook and Twitter, may be the single, most important social media platform for some businesses. eMarketer shows us why.

The marketing opportunities are comparable to the possibilities of the Gold Rush, the Tech Bubble, and other golden ages. In four areas, usage, advertising, marketing and ecommerce, Pinterest should capture the gaze of businesses seeking the land of opportunity.

Turns out, the land of opportunity is right at your fingertips — at Pinterest.com.

The Pinterest platform

Some interesting numbers show just how much of a rising star Pinterest has become. In 2015, the total number of users is expected to near 50 million, an increase of over 11 percent from 2014. While it’s clear that the social media platform is much smaller in size than Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, it’s unique user base is what sets it apart. Pinterest users willingly share products they love, home/wedding/and other plans they have been strategizing, and additional aspirations (such as design, food, clothing and more).

Its allure

According to eMarketer, “‘[Pinterest’s] growth may be more limited than other services, simply because what you do on Pinterest—find and pin things that you like—isn’t necessarily something that large numbers of people may want to do…[But] in a year when marketers are starting to worry about ‘dark social’ platforms where most conversations are private, there’s a polar opposite—Pinterest.’” And that’s what makes Pinterest so alluring and full of possibilities.

Another look

Here are some even more interesting stats about Pinterest. Over one-quarter of a social media users are active on Pinterest, while 18.1 percent of internet users will log into Pinterest and “pin” or “repin” something every month. In just four years, experts predict that the Pinterest user base will grow to over 59 million, accounting for a full 30 percent of the total social media users in the U.S. Additionally, a huge portion of the platform’s users are female, of significant note if your primary audience profile is women. While male users are growing on the platform, experts expect the total number of male-gendered users to reach only 20 percent by 2019.

Pinterest abroad

U.S. users are not the only ones captured by the Pinterest frenzy. Abroad, more and more men are becoming interested in using Pinterest. In countries like Brazil, India, Japan and South Korea, men account for 50 percent of the user base. However, the total number of Pinterest users from abroad is just 30 percent, while U.S. users account for 70 percent.

The deciding factor

If your business is still on the fence about whether or not to use Pinterest, after considering your demographic (is it U.S.-based and female? Then you should be using Pinterest), take note of the social platform’s search appeal. Pinterest is uber-search-friendly, as users on the platform can follow other users and pin images to their boards, the search results are highly distinctive and offer unique value, compared to other social media platforms. Some experts predict that Pinterest will eventually give Google and Amazon.com a run for its money in terms of search, as opposed to remaining a direct competitor to Twitter or Facebook.

For social media, businesses should consider the added value of a Pinterest presence, and create a marketing campaign that capitalizes on the unique female audience, the active, engaged nature of its users, its growing foreign user base, and search capabilities.