Being a user of Instagram and Pinterest myself, I know perfectly well how useful and “cool” they can be.
It’s quite exciting to get a sneak peek into the lives of many A-listers through their photo posts. It’s enjoyable to browse through images and learn from them instead of lengthy articles. It’s an overall captivating experience to share, communicate, and inform through visual mediums.
On that note, Pinterest and Instagram can’t be found lacking.
But of late, I’ve seen some sort of “rivalry” between the two. No, this competition is not the companies that own them, but the people who use them.
Pinteresters have claimed that Instagrammers are for hipsters only and that filter options are for amateurs. On the opposite corner, Instagrammers have claimed that Pinteresters aren’t creative or dynamic enough.
This seeming feud is definitely giving a completely new meaning to social sharing and interaction. Connecting with fans and followers has never been easier or more powerful. With just a single click on your browser or smartphone, you can post real-time photos of your activities, yourself, your pets, your friends, your projects, and even random objects you see on the street.
Both have spearheaded advancements in the photo-sharing universe and have proven their mettle as both a social network and a sharing platform.
Where’s the fun in saying “both are great”?
Introducing…. Instagram
In the left corner, featuring a vintage square camera logo with rainbow accents and weighing over 100 million members, ladies and gentlemen, Instagram!
The Premise
Without aiming to take the spotlight from Facebook and Twitter, this network works to complement both. Instagram features allow convenient (even automatic) sharing on both FB and Twitter, it’s no wonder it has attracted more than 100 million users within 2 years after its launch.
The Design
Since its primary target includes smartphone users, Instagram’s main advantage is having its own mobile app for easier logging in, sharing, photo editing, and socialising. Compatible with both Android and iOS, almost no smartphone exists without having the Instagram app.
With regards to the platform, Instagram settings are very user-friendly. The camera button lets you take photos using your phone camera and filter it immediately after capturing. There are many cool filters available and you can download more by paying for a premium.
As you’re editing and applying filters, there’s a sharing button that will automatically connect to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, posting on your profile what you post on Instagram. This is definitely one of the most convenient features.
But more than that, Instagram plays with the strengths of Facebook and Twitter. Like FB, you can post statuses along with pictures, comment on others’ images, and browse through an updated Newsfeed. Like Twitter, you can follow and be followed and you can place hashtags on your posts.
Rather than competing, Instagram has absorbed and learned from what others have done and made its platform stronger. I say, kudos Instagram team!
Introducing…. Pinterest
In the right corner, featuring a simple red and white theme and weighing more than 48 million users, ladies and gentlement, Pinterest!
The Premise
I consider Pinterest to one of the bravest social networks out there. Although it does not aim to outshine Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social sharing mammoths, Pinterest is slowly but effectively sinking its teeth into the social media ladder. 48 million members in less than 3 years, that’s a feat right there (though it falls short of Instagram’s major leap forward).
The Design
With both mobile and browsing access (it now has an app for both Android and iOS), the pin-board style platform is definitely something a lot of users are finding unique, inventive, and easy. Just a simple click and you’re already pinning pictures to your own board.
Akin to the concept of Tumblr where reblogs are teeming, Repins are also the major lifeforce that drivers and connects users together. Photos are automatically linked to the original source, but with additional comments or descriptions from you.
From the Newsfeed, you can zoom in on images through a fancybox, where related images are also featured. On the right-hand side, details of the original post are featured; the Pinterester that posted it, the website that features it, and other pins from the Pinterester.
One of the things I found most attractive about Pinterest are the images. It’s really a pleasure browsing through a homepage where tons of high-res photos are displayed for my retinas.
The Verdict
And the winner is… Pinstagram! Oh, wait… Insterest!
Rivalry or not, both Pinterest and Instagram have offered, shall we say, delectable ways of sharing and finding images online. Despite being just baby networks, they’ve proven that they have claws as sharp as Facebook and Twitter and can definitely grab hold of our attention and never let go.
So which do you prefer?
6 Responses
Thanks for a great run through Rich. I’m an instagrammer myself but that’s mainly because I’ve clocked Pinterest as a thief of time, so I can’t go there. Ever.
Thanks for the feedback Belinda, glad you liked it. I’m with you – I think Instagram is much less time consuming!
Hey Belinda. Nice post. I prefer Pinterest. Mainly because I don’t have to photo things twice. I can upload my own images on to my website and then pin them. Instagram, I am taking another image and sharing it. If I’m missing something, do let me know. I’m still trying to work it all out. Oh, BYW, Pinterest traffic for me has had greater growth than FB and I am led to believe that each repin effectively creates a link to that website on which the image is found. Do you know if that’s correct? If so, that’s another reason for me to pin more than gram….as an owner of an online only boutique.
I have to admit that I can’t answer your questions Anita as I just don’t know how Pinterest works! So I’ll leave them for Rich to respond to.
I do know that Pinterest traffic outstrips a lot of other social media platforms so that doesn’t surprise me.
Thanks for commenting. I hope Rich – or another reader – can answer your questions!
Hi Anita,
I can see why you prefer Pinterest, however you don’t necessarily need to take a new photo for Instagram – you can take a photo directly via the app with a smartphone camera (and subsequently share it via the usual social media channels). That photo usually gets stored in your photo library as well (with the Instagram effects) so you should also be able to upload the Instagrammed photo from your phone. You can also receive traffic via Instagram by hashtagging your photos, and you can also place a link to your site on your profile page, so it’s a good option for marketing.
For an online boutique such as yours though, I think you’re definitely doing the right thing by optimising your Pinterest profile – Pinterest is known for being the epicentre of fashion-focused internet users, so I’m sure it would generate more traffic than Facebook. You are correct in your assumption that a new pin = a new link, and so evidently this can only be a good thing for an online store such as yours.