Social media is increasingly being recognised as an effective medium for engaging with consumers. But which social network should you choose? There are plenty of options, starting with Facebook and YouTube. Now marketing experts are wondering if using other social platforms is necessary too. One of the more common questions they’re asking is: Should Pinterest or Instagram be part of my marketing mix?
The answer is yes, they should.
Why Pinterest?
Pinterest is a free social platform where users upload and save media files such as images and videos. Thus, it offers a more visual way for brands to engage with their customers. At the very least, brands can feature their products and employees and maybe even their most loyal customers.
A lot of marketers already use Pinterest as part of their marketing strategy and this doesn’t come as a surprise. Pinterest has over 100 million active users (called Pinners). While women make up the majority of Pinners, there has been a 120% increase in the number of male users in 2015. Also, two-thirds of all Pinners are under the age of 40.
Marketers favor Pinterest because users rely on it so much for their purchases.
- 93% of the Pinners use Pinterest to plan or make their purchases.
- 75% of them say it’s the best place to find something new to be interested in.
- 87% of them have bought something they liked on Pinterest.
Marketers also like how they can use analytics to track how their Pinterest marketing is working.
Why Instagram?
This social platform is very similar to Pinterest. It has roughly the same number of users, and it also enables users to share and save images and short video clips.
Marketers have found new ways of using Instagram to increase awareness of their brands. The images they upload can sometimes tell a story of the brand’s history or how it operates.
Others use Instagram to run contests for customers. Followers can also be rewarded with a special feature or with promo codes.
The social media platform can also be used to increase awareness and interest for your special events. The photos and videos you upload can show everyone what’s happening at your events. If a brand has a booth at a conference, Instagram can help attendees find the particular booth more easily.
Pros and Cons
Both Pinterest and Instagram provide you with a visual way of connecting with your customers. You don’t have to be a marketer to realise that images and videos are inherently more eye-catching than text.
More importantly, this connection seems much more personal. It helps to humanize the brand instead of being a faceless corporation.
On the other hand, it can be a lot of work to learn how to use these platforms effectively. You can expend a lot of effort into using these platforms and then you can end up failing spectacularly. One common debacle is to feature other users’ images without permission, which can lead to charges of invasion of privacy or breach of copyright.
Conclusion
You need to consider whether your existing and target customers are actively using these platforms.
It can take a while to learn how to use these social platforms properly. But with the right strategy, both Pinterest and Instagram can boost awareness of your brand and relationships with users.
That eventually leads to bigger revenues for your company.
