We’re in visual age and as a business, often times you are selling the “image” first and the product second. So if image is everything, are you engaged on the social media visual channels that provide the best imagery punch? Enter the visual throwdown: Instagram vs Pinterest.
We are often asked when developing a social media strategy for our clients if their business should be engaged on Pinterest or Instagram. The answer? That depends.
”Your Instagram feed, with appropriate hashtags, can provide a valuable representation of what your business is capable of. “
Instagram has been around for a couple of years and according to stats published on their site, has over 100 million monthly active users, 40 million photos per day and 8500 likes per second. This type of volume and engagement cannot be ignored. If you are a business brand that is constantly creating new, potentially engaging or unique visual content, Instagram may be a great forum for your creative output. Maybe you’re a kayak guiding business, exploring new locations every week. Your Instagram feed, with appropriate hashtags, will provide a good representation of what your business is capable of and the types of experiences guests can expect. Tied in with the bigger Facebook family, Instagram is a powerful tool to share unique experiences.
”The visual sharing, or pinning, is so simple it’s becoming for many a way of creating a visual bucket list of items to purchase or places to go.”
Image Courtesy: Nielsen reports
What about the new kid on the block Pinterest? With a unprecedented growth trend, what does this visual crack cocaine offer for the business brands out there? According to a Pew Internet research report – 15% of online adults say they use Pinterest, a similar usage as Twitter (16%). The Pinterest user base is predominantly seen as white, female and affluent. In the travel industry, this is the vacation or travel decision maker. If that is your industry, then these are the people you want to engage with. The visual sharing, or pinning, is so simple it’s becoming for many a way of creating a visual bucket list of items to purchase, places to go, or desires. You can learn alot about people’s interest in a short time spent browsing Boards.
Which One Fits Your Business?
They way people share in Pinterest is different than Instagram. It appears that Instagram is for the creator and Pinterest is for the curator. In the travel industry it could be seen as the difference between the operator who delivers the service using Instagram, and the travel agency or Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) sharing those images through Pinterest.
Do you use Pinterest or Instagram or both? Why do you use that channel and what have you found the most success with? Please comment below.
About Us: The Web Advisors are a small group of professional marketers who work hard to meet client specific business goals. As every client is unique, we accomplish this task by implementing the most appropriate strategy. This may be by leading a website overhaul, managing paid or natural search marketing campaigns, implementing conversion strategies or training in house staff members.