Almost everyone has an Instagram and Pinterest account, but not everyone knows what the main differences are between them. On the surface, both platforms may seem similar. They each promote aesthetic photos and videos, but that is where most of the similarities end. Now let’s dive into Instagram vs Pinterest!
Instagram vs Pinterest: What Makes Each Platform Unique
Social Media
Instagram is a social media platform – pretty obvious, but that does make it different from Pinterest. We use Instagram to interact with our friends, family, influencers, and favourite businesses. We can message people on the platform, and the content we share tells a story of our lives that people can follow along with. This is a way for people to engage and keep track of people and companies that are important, and it’s a way for businesses to connect with their customers.
Show Up on Instagram Daily
Whether it is multiple times a week or every single day, it is important for businesses to show up on Instagram consistently because content only lasts for a day or two. With the Instagram algorithm – the one that everyone loves – there is potential that not all of your followers will see every post. It is important to constantly be on the app creating new content to be showing up on your customer’s feeds.
Hashtags
Instagram loves hashtags. This is one of the best ways to get your content in front of people who do not follow you on Instagram. Hashtags are searchable and people can follow specific ones so it is a great way to show up in more people’s feeds!
Engage with Your Community
Engaging with customers is one of the most important aspects of Instagram that many businesses don’t fully utilize. This app is a great way for businesses and customers to interact and share reviews, products, and inspiration. There are so many ways to engage on the platform including commenting on posts, tagging content, resharing user generated content, and messaging customers which helps gain trust and loyalty.
Post Updates and Announcements
Instagram is the platform that you want to post about upcoming events, giveaways, sales, store hours, trends, and all the content that is important for a short period of time.
Larger and More Diverse Audience
It is safe to say that Instagram has a very large and very diverse audience. No matter the age or gender, almost everyone has an Instagram account. This wide audience is great for businesses because it is practically guaranteed that their target audience is on the platform.
Search Engine
Did you know that Pinterest is a search engine? Yes, just like Google but for media! People on the app can search for specific content and refine their searches to get the exact content that they are looking for which is a great way for consumers to discover your brand.
Links
Pinterest prioritizes sharing links, unlike Instagram. You can share links directly to products, blogs, social media platforms, or pages on your website. This is a great way to get a customer to access information quickly and easily which can lead to more clicks, website visits, and even more conversions.
The Lifetime of a Pin
A single pin can have a lifetime of months or even years. Instead of content only showing up on feeds for a few hours (like Instagram), pins will live on and circulate with certain trends and seasons. This means your time spent creating and pinning is put to good use, and that pins can gain traction and engagement even months or years after you’ve pinned them.
Save for Later
Pinterest is unique in that the platform is built around saving content. While you may save posts to collections on Instagram, it is not the purpose of the platform and is more cumbersome to access. On Pinterest, you can create many boards and save content you see or content that you create. This means that customers are more likely to go back to existing pins that they love, and they have a higher chance of making a purchase from their saved pins.
Used for Inspiration and Discovery
This is where people come for inspiration. Pinterest is the home of all visuals for people to discover recipes, home goods, crafts, wedding inspo, the latest fashion trends, and anything else you can imagine. Since this is a place for discovery, people using Pinterest are open to new products and companies.
Evergreen Content
Since we have already established that pins can live for months and years, it is important that all the content being pinned on Pinterest is evergreen and can survive long lifespans. It is not the platform to announce a sale, because a person may not see the pin until months after the sale is already over. Aesthetic photos and videos of products, informational blogs about education or recipes, and any other content that is timeless are perfect for this platform.
Thanks for Reading Instagram vs Pinterest!
Did you know these differences between the platforms? Message us to let us know which platform you prefer!
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