Verification: 66bac36f901ab4ff Pinterest vs. Instagram: Which One Is Best For Business?
top of page
Search

Pinterest vs. Instagram: Which One Is Best For Business?

Updated: Jun 20, 2023

Understand the difference between Pinterest and Instagram today and pick one!

Pinterest and Instagram have been very successful in the United States since they were released in 2010. The platforms enable companies to present their brands or products through eye-catching images and profit from influential followers, making them attractive alternatives to Facebook and Twitter.



This debate has been ongoing for more than a decade; one of the biggest debates in our marketing industries for business. After reading this article, you will know what platform is best for building brand awareness for your business.


Which one is the right fit for your business when you are thinking about advertising?


The long and short answer is both are great for business but you will need SEO to get the best results for your marketing efforts.



We will discuss how search engines work, the right type of content you will need to create to increase your visibility in the search queries, and how different photos and videos are used on these two advertising networks.


People visit these sites to view high-quality content. If you want any attention at all, you need to have high-quality photos on both.


Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast for more insightful marketing episodes.


We will cover the following topics to help you make an informed decision:

  1. What is Pinterest marketing?

  2. What are the best practices for marketing through Instagram?

  3. What are the best practices for marketing through Pinterest?

  4. Is Pinterest just like Instagram?

  5. What are effective products you can advertise on Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual search engine that allows users to post pictures and images that other users can then “re-pin”, or re-post onto their own individual boards. Instagram is a social networking platform that allows users to post pictures and images that other users can then “repin”, or re-post onto their own individual boards.




What is Pinterest marketing?


Pinterest, a visual search engine, is not like other social media platforms. Marketing is the first step to increasing visual aid where we know that 97% of searches is unbranded. Instagram, on the other hand, is known for branded content and influential marketing.



What are the best practices for marketing through Instagram?


Most of the time, Instagram users are scrolling through their timeline feeds or story feeds where interaction, engagement, and retention play a huge role in connectivity. This gives your business a great placement holder to promote your products and services consistently where user interaction is at a high peak.


Instagram users like blueish images getting 24% more engagement than reddish ones. Pinterest uses red hues; they get more re-pins than other colors.


Research by Mashable found that Instagram posts with smiling human faces got 38% more engagement than those without. This is a great point to note when advertising your business either through organic or paid strategies.


One key takeaway to consider is that Instagram thrives on instantaneous delivery of high-engaging content with a strong call-to-action that Instagram users can relate to and engage with almost immediately.


Source: Pinterest


What are the best practices for marketing through Pinterest?


Pinners are well known for mostly inspiration to take action.


Search engine optimization (SEO) will impact the search engine result to favor your content over someone else's content on the result pages.


Consider adding search-intent keywords to your Pinterest meta title, meta description, alternative text (alt text), destination link, and in-text graphic.


Link building is one great asset when publishing images and videos to your keyword-specific boards. This will allow the users to give you more watch time as they visit your landing pages to learn more about what they initially searched for. Pinterest is a great place to let new and returning visitors experience your brand when they find your compelling content as they scroll.




A fun fact to consider is that most images that end up on Google images contribute to 23% of click-through rates and a majority of media files are indexed from Pinterest images, and blogs with featured images, just to name a few.



Is Pinterest just like Instagram?


These two powerful platforms have their unique differences and each of them can be used simultaneously to expose your brand.


Pinterest and Instagram are two visual content platforms. Pinterest prioritizes links and sharing, while Instagram doesn’t even have this as a feature. Instagram currently is the only platform that doesn’t allow you to share links in posts but you can add links to Instagram via story stickers.


Pinterest vs. Instagram comparing two advertising networks can be highly daunting but you can this pro tip here: post your content on Instagram or Pinterest, and embed the supporting media content to your blog.


Source: Pinterest



What are effective products you can advertise on Pinterest?


Pinterest users are 23% more likely to repin an image if there is a human in the picture than if there is not. The captions and descriptions of your content should reflect this. Captions and text in images can help demonstrate value and increase re-pins.


These two platforms are opposite in the way they prefer their users to post content. Pinterest users prefer close-ups and multiple dominant colors, while Instagram prefers images with a lot of background.


Both platforms have a shopping feature where businesses can interest, impact, and engage with their target audience using Instagram stories, Instagram reels, Instagram guides, Idea Pins, carousel Pins, legacy Pins, video Pins, or product Pins.


Frequently Asked Questions


Which one is right for your business, Pinterest or Instagram?


It will depend on your overall marketing strategy but picking a visual search engine over a social media platform will be the best bet for your business in the long run.


How can I do Pinterest marketing or promotion?


Listening to podcasts like We Don't PLAY or enrolling in marketing courses can greatly increase your knowledge base on how to get started with promoting your business online.


Can anyone tell me how Pinterest works for marketing?


Yes. There are case studies in the course that can give you more insight on how to market your business successfully. You can also join our community to receive emails about how to use SEO for your business.


How do I make money on Pinterest?


You can make money by publishing articles with affiliate links, selling products and services that you own, or sponsoring placements where prospective clients can advertise on your platform.




Conclusion on Pinterest vs Instagram


Understanding the major differences between these two image-sharing platforms will allow you to tailor your brand awareness models for the search engines to work in your favor when dealing with high-quality photos and videos based on the type of content you are publishing for your desired target audience.


Use this chance to enroll today in Pinterest marketing courses.

Which differences between these two platforms surprised you the most?


bottom of page