Instagram vs. Pinterest for Business: Which Drives Sales?
In today’s visual-first world, businesses have a powerful range of platforms to promote their products. Among the leading visual platforms are Instagram and Pinterest—two giants with unique strengths. But when it comes to driving actual sales, which one should your business choose?
This guide dives deep into how Instagram and Pinterest function for business, how they perform in converting users into customers, and which is better suited to your AAMAX business goals.
Why Visual Platforms Are Essential for Business
Visual content grabs attention, increases engagement, and builds brand recognition. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest provide a natural environment for product discovery. However, their ecosystems and user behaviors differ greatly.
Where Instagram thrives on real-time engagement and influencer culture, Pinterest is a long-game platform focused on planning and decision-making.
Instagram for Business: A Quick Overview
Launched in 2010, Instagram has evolved from a photo-sharing app to a robust marketing ecosystem with tools like Stories, Reels, Shops, and influencer partnerships. It boasts over 2 billion monthly active users, offering immense visibility and engagement potential.
Key Business Features on Instagram
- Instagram Shops: Businesses can set up a full storefront within the app.
- Reels & Stories: Great for short-form, creative, and time-sensitive content.
- Influencer Marketing: A vast pool of influencers helps promote products.
- Hashtag Discovery: Hashtags allow users to discover content beyond their feed.
- Direct Messaging: Facilitates customer interaction and support.
Strengths of Instagram for Sales
- Impulse Buying: Visually appealing content can trigger spontaneous purchases.
- Product Tagging: Easily tag products in posts and stories.
- Influencer ROI: High conversion when working with the right influencers.
- Mobile Experience: Seamless mobile shopping through Instagram Checkout.
Pinterest for Business: A Quick Overview
Pinterest, while not as socially interactive as Instagram, is a visual discovery and bookmarking tool. It serves over 450 million monthly active users, with a majority being planners and buyers—particularly in niches like home decor, fashion, wellness, and DIY.
Key Business Features on Pinterest
- Rich Pins: Enhanced pins that include metadata such as pricing and availability.
- Pinterest Shopping: Users can browse and purchase products directly.
- Promoted Pins: Ads that blend into organic search results and boards.
- Buyable Pins: Let users buy products without leaving the platform.
- Boards & Searchability: Content is searchable and categorized by themes.
Strengths of Pinterest for Sales
- High Purchase Intent: Users are in planning or buying mode.
- Longevity of Pins: Pins continue to drive traffic for months or even years.
- Search Engine Power: Pinterest functions more like a visual search engine.
- Referral Traffic: Sends significant traffic to external websites.
Instagram vs. Pinterest: Audience Comparison
Understanding who uses each platform can help determine where to invest your time and ad budget.
Instagram Demographics
- Age: 18–34 dominates the platform.
- Gender: Fairly balanced (slight lean toward female users).
- Behavior: Engages in trends, follows influencers, prefers video content.
Pinterest Demographics
- Age: 25–44 is the strongest demographic.
- Gender: Predominantly female (over 70%).
- Behavior: Uses platform for planning events, purchases, and future goals.
Sales Funnel Comparison
Let’s look at how each platform performs at different stages of the sales funnel.
Awareness
Instagram wins. With Reels, Stories, and influencer marketing, Instagram is a top choice for brand awareness campaigns. Viral potential is high, and brand visibility can scale quickly.
Consideration
Pinterest wins. Pinterest users are planners and researchers. The platform supports discovery through keyword-rich searches and idea boards, keeping users engaged for longer.
Conversion
Pinterest slightly leads. Because Pinterest users often pin products for future purchase, they come with stronger intent. However, Instagram can still convert well if paired with timely offers and influencer content.
Content Strategy: Instagram vs. Pinterest
Creating content for both platforms requires different strategies.
Instagram Content Strategy
- Prioritize video content like Reels.
- Use carousel posts to tell a story or show multiple product angles.
- Partner with micro-influencers in your niche.
- Leverage user-generated content to build trust.
- Post consistently (3–5 times per week).
Pinterest Content Strategy
- Create evergreen pins that remain relevant.
- Use infographics and vertical images (2:3 aspect ratio).
- Optimize with keywords and hashtags for search visibility.
- Pin consistently and frequently (10+ pins per day recommended).
- Focus on seasonal and niche content (e.g., holiday gift guides).
Ad Performance and Cost Comparison
Instagram Ads
- Cost: $0.40–$0.70 per click (CPC), though CPM may vary widely.
- Best for: Brand awareness, influencer partnerships, remarketing.
- Targeting: Robust due to Facebook Ads Manager.
Pinterest Ads
- Cost: $0.10–$1.50 per click, typically cheaper CPC than Instagram.
- Best for: Driving traffic to eCommerce stores, long-term content ROI.
- Targeting: Interest-based, keyword targeting, audience lists.
Which Platform Drives More Sales?
The answer depends on your product type, audience, and sales strategy.
- If you sell visually-driven products (fashion, beauty, lifestyle) and can afford fast-paced content creation, Instagram offers immediate visibility and influencer power.
- If you want long-term, organic traffic with high buyer intent and your niche aligns with Pinterest-friendly categories (home decor, DIY, wellness, wedding planning), then Pinterest may deliver stronger ROI over time.
Combined Strategy: Use Both
Many successful brands use Instagram for awareness and engagement while relying on Pinterest for traffic and conversions. If you have the resources, a dual-platform strategy offers the best of both worlds.
Measuring Success on Instagram vs. Pinterest
Track and compare performance using these key metrics:
Instagram and Pinterest are powerful platforms for driving engagement and conversions, but they operate very differently. Instagram focuses on high visual impact with real-time engagement through likes, comments, and shares. Its features like Stories and direct messaging (DMs) allow brands to quickly connect with followers and drive fast conversions, especially through Instagram Shop. However, the content lifespan on Instagram is short, usually lasting only hours to a few days, which means brands need to post frequently to stay visible.
Pinterest, on the other hand, offers longer-lasting content visibility. Pins can stay relevant and continue driving traffic for weeks or even months. Engagement is measured through saves, repins, and clicks, which often reflect purchase intent. Pinterest users typically visit with the goal of discovering and planning, leading to a slower but more intentional conversion journey.
Which Platform Is Right for Your Business?
Here’s a quick breakdown: Choosing the right platform depends on your business type and target audience behavior. For Fashion & Beauty brands, Instagram is the stronger platform due to its visual appeal and influencer-driven content. Users engage more with trendy, real-time updates, making it ideal for showcasing products and building a lifestyle brand.
Pinterest excels for DIY or Crafts and Home Decor, where users actively search for inspiration and “how-to” content. The platform’s longer content lifespan and strong searchability make it perfect for evergreen content and tutorials.
Final Thoughts
Both Instagram and Pinterest offer valuable tools for growing your business and increasing sales. The key lies in understanding your audience, crafting platform-specific content, and using each platform’s strengths to guide customers along the sales funnel.
Whether you're just starting or looking to scale, implementing a strategy tailored to these platforms can significantly boost your ROI and brand presence.
To create and execute a successful strategy across Instagram and Pinterest, consider working with professionals. Hire AAMAX for expert digital marketing services. AAMAX is a full-service agency offering Web Development, Digital Marketing, and SEO Services tailored to your business goals.
