Find out in our in-depth analysis 'Pinterest vs Instagram: which is best for visual marketing in 2025?' the strengths and weaknesses of each platform. Compare their features, audiences and marketing performance to choose the one that will propel your visual strategy forward. Dive into the trends of 2025 and optimize your online presence today.
For several years, visual marketing has established itself as a pillar of digital strategies. Faced with information saturation and volatile attention, companies are now seeking to capture attention before even requesting reading. In 2025, Pinterest and Instagram will dominate the world of image-based social networks. Their rise is revolutionizing brands' methods, forcing them to rethink visual content creation, engagement management, and advertising approaches. For many players, choosing between these two platforms represents a decisive strategic challenge for reaching their audience, inspiring trust, and converting effectively. But behind their apparent similarities lie profound differences in functionality, uses, and commercial potential. Through this detailed cross-examination, it becomes possible to align your marketing strategy with the new industry codes, while identifying the best platform to maximize results and anticipate tomorrow's trends.
Understanding the DNA of Pinterest and Instagram in Modern Visual Marketing
To successfully implement your marketing strategy in 2025, it's essential to understand the core identities of Pinterest and Instagram. While they're often categorized as visual social networks, they don't meet the same needs or objectives for brands.
Instagram, with its 17 million active users in France, positions itself as a showcase for everyday life, lifestyle, and the moment. The platform values authenticity, creativity, and direct connection with the community. Stories and Reels allow for ephemeral moments and emotional engagement, while the traditional feed favors continuous inspiration. For brands, managing their image and building audience loyalty requires, above all, establishing a strong dialogue with users.
In contrast, Pinterest—with nearly 8 million active French users in 2025—is more of a visual and inspirational search engine. The concept of thematic boards, pins, and catalogs guides navigation toward discovery and the organization of desires. On this platform, visual marketing relies on the ability to motivate action (shopping, planning, aspiration), thus providing companies with a fertile ground for influence upstream of the purchasing journey.
- Instagram : Immediate community engagement, focus on storytelling and emotional identification.
- Pinterest : Inspiration engine, thematic organization and potential for deferred conversion.
- Sharing versus discovery: Instagram favors highlighting one's own life, Pinterest favors projects and ideas to be collected.
- Differences in formats: Stories, Reels, classic posts on Instagram; Boards, pins, video pins on Pinterest.
To illustrate this dichotomy, let's take the example of a fictitious brand, Atelier Pure, specializing in high-end minimalist decor. On Instagram, it focuses on stories revealing artisanal manufacturing and reels showcasing its products in zen interiors. On Pinterest, each new collection is carefully pinned to thematic boards (living room, bedroom, office), allowing users to plan their decor project and save each idea adapted to their personal space.
| Platform | Main use | Flagship format | Engagement speed | Example of exploitation by a brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share, inspire, unite | Stories / Reels | Immediate, conversational | Behind-the-scenes, quick tutorials, instant contests | |
| Discover, organize, plan | Pins, thematic boards | Progressive, project-oriented | Buying guides, mood boards, inspirations by trends |
Understanding the underlying nature of each platform allows you to develop a specific strategy focused on real user expectations. This differentiation is the first step in effective marketing thinking.
Brand positioning through platform choice
The choice between Pinterest and Instagram goes far beyond mere preference: it is a question of strategic positioningPinterest allows you to position yourself as a reference for ideas, propelling the brand into the world of planning and projection. Instagram, on the other hand, promotes emotional identification, desire, and serendipity, creating an emotional connection with the community.
- Branding through aesthetics (Instagram) or functionality (Pinterest).
- Deployment of differentiated strategies to engage the audience according to their native expectations.
- Influence on product perception: inspirational fantasy versus organizational or planning model.
The key therefore lies in the alignment between the brand's DNA and the intrinsic nature of the selected social network, in order to maximize return on investment and boost awareness.
Audience and usage analysis: target and activate effectively on each network
Audience knowledge is the foundation of effective visual marketing. By studying profiles on Pinterest and Instagram, it becomes easier to determine where to focus your efforts to maximize engagement and effectively target your core audience.
The figures observed in 2025 remain stable: Instagram mainly attracts young adults (53 % of 18-29 year olds use it), followed by those in their thirties (25 % among 30-49 year olds). Pinterest attracts more women (more than 70 % of its audience), with a notable penetration among 30-49 year olds (28 %) and even a strong presence among 50-64 year olds (27 %), contrasting with the youth of Instagram.
Determining the right social network means assessing the demographic, behavioral, and psychological fit of your potential customers with the selected network. Brands focused on fashion, decor, DIY, or feminine beauty will find Pinterest a pool of future customers. Lifestyle brands targeting Generation Z or millennials will favor Instagram for its trendy and viral appeal.
- B2C / lifestyle brands: Instagram for community spirit
- Feminine, inspirational, future-proof products: Pinterest to generate qualified leads
- Expert-oriented activities or tutorials: strong potential on Pinterest, particularly around the influencer marketing
| Age group | Instagram (%) | Pinterest (%) | Dominant gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-29 years | 53 | 34 | Mixed, but slightly feminine |
| 30-49 years | 25 | 28 | Feminine (Pinterest) |
| 50-64 years | 11 | 27 | Feminine, accentuated on Pinterest |
Through the example of the fictitious brand Sensoria, specializing in natural cosmetics, the choice of Pinterest allows it to capture the imagination of a female audience looking for “beauty routine” ideas and advice, while the presence on Instagram relies on partnerships with influencers and interactive story campaigns.
Behavioral expectations of each audience
Effectively activating your campaigns requires adapting to how each audience interacts with the platform. On Instagram, the search for immediacy and exclusivity involves:
- Frequent posts and engaging stories.
- One-off contests to generate quick traffic.
- Using specific hashtags to maximize visibility.
On Pinterest, the key is continuity and relevance:
- Creation of evergreen (timeless) content that is easy to pin.
- Promotion of step-by-step guides and inspiration sheets.
- SEO optimization on pin titles and descriptions.
Often underestimated, usage determines the performance of visual marketing strategies and conditions the success of branding or lead generation campaigns.
Feature Highlights and New Features: Leveraging Innovations for Visual Marketing
The features offered by Instagram and Pinterest directly shape the quality and impact of visual marketing. In 2025, the constant evolution of these platforms requires rigorous monitoring and the ability to adapt quickly. Choosing between Instagram and Pinterest requires mastering their tools and taking advantage of new features, which are vital for maximizing advertising ROI and the virality of visual content.
Instagram continues to strengthen its native options: integrating one-tap purchases into posts, augmented reality in Stories, and analytics powered by artificial intelligence. Brands have a wide range of options to capture attention: classic posts, Reels (short videos), interactive Stories, carousels, and custom filters. The ability to add product links, tag collaborators, or create mini-shops within the app facilitates instant conversion, while effectively measuring engagement and ROI.
Pinterest, for its part, is establishing itself as the ultra-targeted visual search engine. Its "rich pins" features, catalogs synchronized with the e-commerce site, and the implementation of AI tools for trend suggestions offer fertile ground for brands. By saving pins, the public can discover, compare, plan, and then buy. The platform emphasizes visual SEO, augmented reality for testing products or decor, and offers collaborative boards conducive to group idea sharing.
- Instagram : Immediate conversion, immersive experience, customizable interactions.
- Pinterest : Progressive discovery, inspirational research, extended but better targeted purchasing journey.
- Advanced personalization powered by AI on both platforms, but with more intent-driven usage on Pinterest.
| Functionality | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stories/Reactivity | Excellent, instant content | Occasional highlighting via “pinned ideas” |
| SEO | Low (hashtags, captions) | Very strong (titles, descriptions, rich pins) |
| Search engine | Basically visual | Sophisticated, embedded AI |
| Integrated shopping | Strong (stores, direct links) | Ramp-up, catalog integration |
| Collaboration | Brand/influencer partnerships | Collaborative boards, sharing ideas |
For a brand like Newsense Fashion, the simultaneous exploitation of new products allows, for example, to launch a collection on Instagram via augmented reality, while creating on Pinterest an inspiring visual guide for a capsule wardrobe, SEO optimized to appear at the top of search results.
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Automation
The rise of AI is transforming the use of social media. On Instagram, automatic editing tools, predictive engagement analysis, and trend suggestions save considerable time and enable near-instant adaptation to audience expectations.see concrete applications of AI in marketing).
- Automated publication planning.
- Optimization of visual content based on real-time behavioral analysis.
- Enhanced personalization of the user experience.
At Pinterest, AI boosts idea recommendations, optimizes the relevance of inspirational searches, and streamlines the sales funnel from pin clicks.
For any brand fully invested in visual marketing, it is crucial to dedicate a portion of the budget to training and rapid adaptation to these technologies, which will soon become the standard for digital competitiveness.
Successful Engagement and Advertising Strategies on Pinterest and Instagram in 2025
The potential of visual marketing strategies today lies in the ability to generate a genuine commitment and advertising efficiency. In this area, Instagram and Pinterest offer distinct mechanics that must be mastered to achieve your goals, whether for branding or pure conversion.
Instagram appeals for its virality and conversational dimension. Brands must prioritize sustained interaction through comments, private messages, interactive stickers, and co-creation with influencers. Reels and Stories promote proximity, authenticity, and immediacy. Sponsored formats (advertising posts and stories, collaborations with creators) allow for finely targeted audiences, thanks to a sophisticated algorithm that capitalizes on behavioral data.
Pinterest, for its part, values "silent" engagement: saving, privately sharing, scheduling, and personalized recommendations of ideas. Advertising takes the form of Promoted Pins, Shopping ads, or guided videos, natively inserted into the inspiration feed. Campaign success depends on the ability to enter the "vortex" of idea searches, often before the purchasing process.
- Instagram: interactive contests, influencer collaborations, product livestreams, event teasers.
- Pinterest: Dissemination of infographics, tutorials, visual guides, and long-lasting content tailored to specific searches.
- On both platforms: capitalizing on trends codified by AI, proactive adaptation of formats.
| Strategy | Key benefit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Contests/games | Stories, posts | Highlights in collaborative tables | Rapid mobilization (Instagram), internal virality (Pinterest) |
| Native advertising | Sponsored posts, integrated stores | Promoted Pins, Shopping | Personalized targeting |
| Influence | Viral Creator Partnerships | Inspirational ambassadors | Increased credibility through authenticity |
| Trend setting | Identification and relay of trends in real time | Showcasing trendy looks & boards | To be a pioneer of a style or idea |
Let us illustrate with the strategy of Genuine Jewel, a jewelry brand. On Instagram: weekly story contests, video collaborations with the latest fashionistas, and follow-ups via private messaging. On Pinterest: creation of seasonal boards, gift guides for Valentine's Day and Christmas, insertion of direct links to the online store, sponsored content targeting users searching for "gift ideas for women."
Optimizing advertising performance: tracking, retargeting, data analysis
In 2025, advertising performance will be refined thanks to the growing integration of analytics tools and the synergy between social networks and e-commerce. Instagram allows real-time tracking of KPIs related to each campaign (reach, engagement rate, clicks, ROI). Retargeting tools personalize offers based on browsing behavior or interaction with previous content.
- Fine segmentation of audiences according to their stage in the purchasing funnel.
- Automatic campaign optimization via AI.
- Speed of adjustment of budgets according to actual profitability.
Pinterest focuses on qualitative analysis: precise tracking of saves, recurring visits, and conversions over several weeks. The long-tail effect of sponsored pins, coupled with a repinning strategy, guarantees a continuous and lasting presence in user inspiration (explore key influencer marketing metrics).
Trends and perspectives for maximizing your visual marketing on Pinterest and Instagram
The prospective trend analysis reveals best practices for 2025 and anticipates future developments in visual social networks.
The rise of theUGC (user-generated content) is transforming the nature of engagement and redefining the notion of virality, whether it's challenges on Instagram or collaborative boards on Pinterest. Increasingly sophisticated algorithms value creativity, originality, and authenticity, which have become the new fuels for brand awareness. At the same time, collaborations with micro-influencers are becoming more widespread, offering a touch of proximity and expertise which appeals to audiences less sensitive to traditional campaigns (cf. the impact of UGC on Gen Z).
Instagram continues its transformation with greater integration of augmented reality, interactive features (advanced polls, live direct purchases), and virtual events bringing together international audiences. Pinterest, for its part, is leveraging the rise of AI-powered visual shopping, the expansion of catalogs, and the promotion of long-term or seasonal searches (wedding planning, parties, decorating projects lasting several months).
- Maximum value for authenticity and transparency.
- Investment in short video, immersive formats and interactive content.
- Development of “shoppable pin” and instant direct purchase.
- Increased synergies between Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube to reach a multi-channel audience (TikTok/Instagram comparative study).
| Tendency | Marketing impact | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra-short video | Reels, animated stories | Video pin, short tutorials | Rapid awareness, virality |
| Augmented reality | Filters, virtual product testing | Decor fittings, AR product in real decor | Immersion, purchase intention |
| Native shopping | Integrated store, live shopping | Shoppable Pins, Synchronized Catalog | Immediate conversion, fluidity |
| Collaboration/UGC | Challenges, co-creation of content | Collaborative tables, UGC inspiration guides | Deep engagement, brand advocacy |
There's also a growing synergy between e-commerce and social networks. Brands that know how to build bridges between Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube are rallying more segments, adapting their message more quickly, and dominating the visual marketing landscape.
Boost your strategy with omnichannel visual content
Diversifying content, personalizing campaigns, and leveraging automation and predictive analytics are essential levers for staying ahead of the competition. Ensuring visual consistency between Pinterest and Instagram, while leveraging the specificities of each channel, offers a major competitive advantage. The future of visual marketing lies in this ability to orchestrate immersive experiences, spark conversation on Instagram, and inspire planning on Pinterest.
- Integrate UGC to build credibility.
- Leverage AI tools to target, segment and personalize.
- Test new native formats in preview.
- Establish a clear visual charter and a unified graphic identity.
This overview, in light of recent developments, confirms the strategic importance of the choice of platform, but also the need for a complementary, agile and innovation-oriented approach, for a lasting influence on the visual marketing market.