Pinterest vs Instagram for business | Which one to choose in 2024

The main strategy used by all social media platforms is to show users their products or services. Because of this, each has different features that business owners can use to determine which social media platform is best for them.

This blog will tell you about the suitability of Pinterest vs Instagram for business. Pinterest and Instagram actually require similar strategies, but many business owners struggle to decide which is the best fit for their brand.

We can say that Instagram is more popular for sharing personal photos, while Pinterest is more popular for sharing ideas.

Pinterest vs. Instagram for small business: What’s the difference?

Pinterest vs Instagram for business has various similarities and differences. On both platforms, the main part consists of visuals. That is, the better the visuals, the more followers and post impressions. So let's see the differences between Pinterest and Instagram for small businesses.

The main reason

Why some people prefer Instagram for small businesses is while others think of Pinterest as a social media tool to build an audience faster. For example, you can take a picture of the restaurant you went to and share it on Instagram.

Followers on Instagram can like or comment on it. The Pinterest algorithm is a little different. You can take pictures of the restaurant you visited and share them as a design idea. So people will search Pinterest using keywords, and hundreds of related ideas will come up.

Let's say that when you enter keywords like DIY projects, you will come up with ideas related to that. On Instagram, this process is different. In the Instagram search section, by using hashtags, they can find posts matching the topic they are looking for.

On Pinterest, users find the topic they are looking for using Pinterest keywords. Therefore, it is better to include these keywords while keeping the Pinterest caption as short as possible.

Audience

To understand which is better Instagram vs Pinterest for business, you need to research the audience there. Instagram has 1.44 billion monthly active users. Also, Pinterest has  445 million monthly active users.

Women make up the majority of Pinterest's audience (76.7%), and these users frequently come in search of recipes, fashion tips, and visual inspiration. According to Pinterest's self-service advertising tools, 76.7% of its users are women, making up the majority of its audience.

Instagram's readership is more equally divided, with 50.7% men and 49.3% women. Users can find personalized content on Instagram based on their specific interests on the Instagram Explore page, where 83% of users find new products and services.

The age group of 35 to 44 is closely followed by 25 to 34-year-olds, who make up approximately 40% of Pinterest's audience. The majority of Instagram's audience is between the ages of 25 and 34, which is a similar age range.

As you can see from this difference between users, Pinterest vs Instagram for business is something to be aware of when choosing which one to use. For example, if your products or services appeal more to women, then you should use Pinterest for sales.

However, this is not a hindrance to your making money on Instagram. You can be active on both platforms. But don't forget what your product is and what requirements it has.

Hashtags

Instagram hashtags are the main helpers of posts. To increase your Instagram engagement, you must use hashtags. Thanks to this, you will increase your Instagram reach.

People can find you faster, especially when you write the right and relevant hashtags on the posts. But on Pinterest, it's different. You don't need a lot of hashtags for people to find you.

On Pinterest, hashtags are also used, although they don't benefit the content. Pinterest provides appropriately labeled Pins in search results. Although you can sort by categories, this platform doesn't use location- or community-based hashtags.

Links

One of the biggest differences between Pinterest and Instagram is linking to posts. Link insertion is only possible on Pinterest, and on Instagram, you cannot insert any links into posts.

To post a link on Instagram, you need to post it in your Instagram bio. So you can tell your followers on the Instagram captions, for example, you can get the link to the product in the bio. You can also post a link in the Instagram stories. If you want to share these stories continuously with your followers, you can include these stories in the Instagram story highlights section.

However, you can post any product, blog, and website link on Pinterest. That way, when people enter your pin, they'll be redirected to your website. This is a great opportunity to boost your website traffic.

Desktop vs. Mobile

The use of a device is another difference between Instagram and Pinterest. Instagram is primarily designed to be used on mobile devices. On the desktop version of the platform's website, you can still view images, but there are no uploading options. To upload content to Instagram, you must use the mobile app.

You may browse and post images on Pinterest using the mobile app and the desktop browser. It runs perfectly in both directions.

Pinterest might be a better choice if your target audience uses social media mostly on their desktops. However, this may not be a major effect, given that most age groups use smartphones often. It all depends on your audience.

Video Content

Instagram reels are a great option for video content. You can now create a professional reel with various Instagram reel effects and share it with your followers.

When choosing between Instagram and Pinterest for your business not too long ago, this may have been a key deciding factor because Pinterest did not accept organic video content on the platform. That's now changed.

With Pinterest updates recently introducing improved video-sharing tools on the platform for creators and companies, Instagram and Pinterest are starting to resemble one another more. A video tab, lifetime analytics, and video Pin scheduling have all been included.

Storytelling

One of the best platforms for storytelling can be Instagram. It is true that, although we emphasize visuality here, people can easily express their thoughts in Instagram captions. So they can write their thoughts captions on Instagram, and Instagram carousel.

Here it is necessary to take into account Instagram's limits and the opinion of the audience. Your audience may like to read shorter posts, so you should learn to make your points more concise. If you have many ideas, you can complete them in the first comment.

For Pinterest, this logic is slightly different. Here you can share your thoughts with your Pinterest followers by putting them into a visual.

Algorithm

The algorithm is one of the main differences between Pinterest and Instagram.

Pinterest algorithm: Pins on Pinterest usually last longer than on social media. One of Pinterest's main benefits is this. According to sources, pins can last up to 4 months, making the content timeless. You may sometimes continue to see traffic for posts that are several years old.

Instagram algorithm: Instagram posts have a much shorter shelf life. This is because t the platform's "instant" feature. Usually, the first 24 hours are when the posts get the most engagement. It is unusual for a post to receive comments and likes months after publication.

Advertising

If you want your Instagram posts to get more impressions, use Instagram ads for this. Instagram ads can get a lot of impressions on your posts and get you, followers on Instagram. By paying some amount, you can achieve this. Don't forget to mention which group of people you want to target this ad in the ad you will place.

Pinterest ads are a little different. Your audience can see "ad products" owing to their advertising. Promoted pins (single image), Promoted video pins (single video), Promoted carousels (many photos), and Promoted app pins are all forms of Pinterest advertising (to find apps).

Promoted pins are only available in selected countries, such as the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Pinterest vs Instagram for sales: What’s the difference?

Let's go on to the topic of product sales in the Pinterest vs. Instagram discussion. You can share images of your products and use your content as a way to increase sales. So, is selling on Pinterest or Instagram better?

Sell on Instagram

Instagram is a great platform for your products.

You can use the choice of using Instagram ads or organic content to sell on Instagram. You can make Instagram shop posts using organic content that let potential customers buy stuff from your Instagram posts. You can include product links in your images so that users can click on the company's website and purchase if they do what they see.

You may make product ads for Instagram that include calls to action (CTAs) urging users to buy your products. It's a great technique to get things in front of more leads who are interested.

Sell on Pinterest

Through the development of Promoted Pins or the posting of pins, Pinterest is a great platform for selling your products. You can use the stock image for your product and a link to the product listing on your website in organic pins to inspire users to make purchases.

You can include the product's price as well as its benefits in the pin description.

Pinterest shopping for Companies is a great alternative because, with Promoted Pins, you can choose to take these product pins and plto front of a more focused audience to help you reach people interested in buying from you.

Pinterest vs Instagram for eCommerce sales:  What’s the difference?

Marketers are comparing Pinterest vs. Instagram in order to determine which platform will result in more sales due to the increasing trend of social media e-commerce. On Pinterest vs. Instagram for eCommerce, let's find out which is better and which is worse.

In actuality, both platforms have started to successfully transform into eCommerce-friendly platforms created with the business owner in mind.

Instagram is the best social media platform for marketing your company. However, if you're an e-commerce brand looking to maximize your efforts, according to sources, more shoppable integrations are reportedly planned for Instagram's IG Shopping single shopping app.

Here are a few of Instagram's most interesting statistics:

• One billion people use Instagram regularly
• 90% of users follow at least one business on Instagram
• 72% of users have bought a product they saw there.

According to sources, even more shoppable integrations are reportedly planned for Instagram's IG Shopping single shopping app.

The possibility of sales from Instagram will increase as the platform offers more alternatives for eCommerce businesses to sell to their followers in a way that is completely integrated into the app.

Pinterest for eCommerce is not as convenient as Instagram. Therefore, you can start Instagram for eCommerce.

Time to choose the best😉

You need to choose the right platform for your business. For this, of course, you need to use them first. Using each platform, we should look at their statistics and analytics.

We must always be active on the platforms we test so that the data we calculate is correct and organic. If you cannot be active by sharing a post or story on several social media platforms simultaneously, use social media scheduling tools. The best scheduling tool you can use for Pinterest vs. Instagram we're talking about is Planly.

Planly is one of the best Instagram schedulers. Because, unlike other tools, Planly does not notify the user when auto-posting Instagram posts, reels, and carousels.

Also, with the Pinterest scheduler, you can schedule your pins, add them to the board you want, and post your website link. Pinterest vs. Instagram for business can be determined based on the differences mentioned in the blog to choose the best one.

You can analyze all Pinterest and Instagram posts and audiences. If you want to try Planly, buy 14 days for FREE.

Simply decide which platform you want to share with your audience, and you can use both social media as you wish.