What is the difference between Pinterest hashtags and Instagram hashtags?
What is the difference between Pinterest hashtags and Instagram hashtags?
How to use hashtags for both platforms?
With both Pinterest and Instagram focussed on the value of visual content to attract users’ attention, it’s no wonder that they are often confused and even viewed as one and the same thing. After all, you’re likely to be posting the same photo or image on both, so why not the same content writing and hashtags?
In answer to that question, let’s first take a closer look at hashtags and what they actually do.
Hashtags do everything from bulking out the caption under an image, through to attracting users based on related search terms and phrases. If you’re a wedding photographer and you use the hashtag #SummerWedding, you can expect to be found by other like-minded individuals looking for summer wedding ideas – likely a combination of Brides-to-be, event planners, and other small businesses.
Pinterest hashtags haven’t always played a role in successful marketing on the platform; in fact, up until recent years, hashtagging on Pinterest didn’t actually have any impact on the searchability of your Pin at all. Now times have changed and Pinterest has caught up to the value of the little user tools, but the way that Pinterest uses hashtags is a little different to the simple ‘#summerholiday’ descriptive value we see on Instagram.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN:
How do Hashtags work on Pinterest?
How does it differ form Instagram hashtags?
How do Hashtags work on Pinterest?
We all know what hashtags are, right? They’re basically the top words or phrases that you associate an image with, and are generally chosen based on a selection of specific words that attract your niche audience, and more generic words that could pull in a wider market.
Pinterest hashtags actually work in much the same way, and when performing a search, if the users search word features as your hashtag then your Pin will likely show up somewhere in their results. Similarly, if a user sees your post and likes what they see, they might click on your hashtag to see other related content – just like they might on Instagram.
Great! So, how should I start using Pinterest hashtags to benefit my profile?
This is where you have to forget all that Instagram taught you, about niche hashtags existing alongside more general and wider examples.
• On Pinterest, you have to be direct and avoid hashtags that could lead you down a black hole of irrelevant or random search results.
• Select Pinterest hashtags that are a bit bulkier but which provide a great outcome in search bar optimization. This could mean a more targeted hashtag, or else researching the most successful keywords which commonly relate to your search topic and including those words in your tags.
• Refer directly to the image and content that you are posting, as opposed to the topic as a whole. If you’re posting a Pin about Roses, use hashtags that refer to roses, instead of referring to flowers in general.
• Plan your Pinterest hashtags in line with existing trends, to keep content relevant.
• Use the hashtags more widely, including them in the Pin description as well as the caption. This will enhance your impact and relevance in the eyes of Pinterest.
Want to start with your Pinterest Hashtag strategy?
How does that differ from Instagram?
Well, for one thing, Instagram hashtags tell a story – a much longer story than the one you want to tell on Pinterest. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags in any one post, and many users will hit that limit with both related – and unrelated – hashtags. The key thing here is that on Instagram, it’s acceptable to hashtag words relating to the post in question, but also your brand or presence as a whole.
While this may pull all your posts together underneath a few umbrella search terms, it can sometimes be perceived as quite misleading when the hashtags appear completely unrelated to the post. On Instagram, hashtags are searchable keywords and often the search results will open a door to posts and images you may not have even imagined.
Imagine searching for the hashtag “ginger cat” and being presented with a few ginger cats and then a whole host of unrelated images that were posted by someone who once owned a ginger cat. Well, that’s kind of what it’s like on Instagram.
In short, once you understand what a hashtag is and how to pick a few key ones, you’ll easily be able to adapt your hashtagging for the appropriate platform. For those still struggling, my management services specialize in Pinterest management and enhancing your Pinterest marketing – and Pinterest hashtags – in line with you=r business strategy and goals. Get in touch to discuss further!