The Periscope Community Team presents their take on Pinterest and Instagram. Learn how your business or brand can use these rapidly-growing platforms to engage with and learn from brand enthusiasts.
3. Meet,
Pinterest (n. pin-tərist) : a virtual bulletin board that enables users to share images and links they find
interesting or inspiring. Once shared, these images become “Pins” that can be placed on thematic “boards”
that users can customize for any topic.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
4. PINTEREST’S AUDIENCE
Pinterest’s audience statistics
W 70%+
25-54 50%+
75K+ 45%+ Pinterest’s average user today.
From May 2011 to January 2012, monthly site visits grew
to nearly 12 million.
Percentage of Pinterest users accessing the site via mobile
1.6 %
browser, indicating an overwhelming majority of users
browse on PCs.
In good company. Other top sites that Pinterest users
visit. All cross-over traffic reflect visits to sites that are
known for beautiful photography and good content.
Sources: Comscore, February 2012 & Alexis.com
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
5. PINTEREST’S FEATURES
Pinterest’s features
• The Pin: The core of the Pinterest experience is the Pin, a single inspiring image or item from the Internet that is
shared with your followers.
• Boards: Users categorize their Pins into “boards” that reflect their interests. In April 2012, Pinterest allowed
users to set the cover image for each of their boards.
• Following People: Pinterest encourages users to “follow” one another, similar to Twitter. The pinterest.com
home page displays recent Pins chronologically.
• Following Individual Boards: Users are able to follow all of a user’s boards or select individual boards to cut
through the clutter.
• The Pin-It Applet: Pinterest enables users to add a “Pin It” button to the bookmarks bar of any web browser.
When a user comes across something interesting, clicking the “Pin It” button easily adds it to the user’s boards.
• Pinterest Behaviors: Users are encouraged to “Like” pins posted by the people they follow, “Repin” items they
want to showcase on their boards and “Comment” on Pins they find interesting. Only the image is Pinned, so
users expect to click-through a Pin to the original site, positioning Pinterest as a top referring traffic site.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
7. THE ANATOMY OF A PIN
Anatomy of a pin
The site from which
the Pin originated is
On roll-over of the shown in the detailed
pin, activity options view.
display, including Standard Pin View
Pin Detail View
“Repin,” “Like” and
“Comment.”
Additional share
options are
Pins with prices displayed on the
listed with “$” or detailed view.
“£” in the
description
automatically
generate price
banners.
The description of
your pin, set to a 500
character maximum.
Your profile Pinning options are
photo, display denoted in detail view,
name and board including Pinmarklet or
you pinned this the board from which
item to are all The comment section you repinned your Pin.
included in the is moved to bottom
details below the of the pin.
description.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
8. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SHARING
What makes Pinterest special?
• It’s Totally Addictive: Pins are always changing in your feed, so there’s a sense that the best Pins may pass you
by if they’re missed the first time around. Additionally, Pinterest’s structure is social to the core. It’s easy to
explore other peoples’ boards and Pins with a few clicks and get lost Pinterest exploration.
• It’s Timely: Pins are shown in a gallery chronologically. You see Pins as they happen, so there is constant
content creation happening every minute.
• It’s Aspirational: Pinterest collects your inspirations and posts them for you to revisit later as visual bookmarks
that plug-in to the way our brains are wired.
• It’s Built for Discovery: Pinterest limits a Pin’s description to 500 characters, so for recipes and other types of
Pins, it’s best to click-through and discover the full details of a Pin. This helps users discover new sites and
inspiration.
“In January 2012, the average visit on Pinterest.com lasted 97.8 minutes.”
Source: Statista.com
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
9. PIN VS POST
Why Pin over Post?
• On Pinterest, everyone is a tastemaker: Pinterest is a site that makes everyone an equal-opportunity influencer.
While other social media channels enable you to share what you are doing and where you are, Pinterest lets
you discover and share who you are and who you want to be. A freshman in her dorm room in Omaha can be
just as influential as Marie Claire fashion director Nina Garcia.
• All Pinterest users are your audience: Pinterest has an inherently collaborative core, where other peoples’ Pins
help define your own identity. Other social sites emphasize a one-way tastemaker relationship.
• Moving at the speed of a Pin: It’s expected that Pins will be shared often, so the amplification of your Pins
results in a social experience that builds your own personal brand more than circulating a post to your existing
audiences.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
10. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SHARING
Pinterest do’s & don’ts for brands
• DO: Take the time to establish your boards, identity and strategy and fill your boards with starter Pins before
connecting with followers and opening your Pinterest presence to public scrutiny.
• DO: Follow people. Connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts to your Pinterest account to find your brand’s
existing fans and followers.
• DO: Use your followers as an informal focus group. Don’t just engage with them, listen to what they are saying
through their Pins and boards. A lot of insight can be gained by keeping a finger on the pulse of your Pinterest
followers.
• DON’T: Just post your own products, services or offerings. This isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a mandate. If
Pinterest catches wind of you doing this, you may be removed as a user. Pinterest is all about inspiration – not
self-promotion, it’s a soft sell.
• DO: Organize your pins into boards that represent your core values as a brand and surprise and delight your
followers. Start off with Pinterest’s default boards to get you started, but as you discover and Pin new items,
create new boards that fit into new themes. The possibilities are endless.
• DON’T: Create boards that are too specific. You’ll never fill them.
• DO: Write descriptions of your Pins and credit your sources, including the name of the recipe, artist or product.
This will help your Pins show up when other users search for related topics.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
11. THE FUTURE OF PINTEREST
What does the future hold?
• Pinterest is emerging as the top social commerce referral site,
ranking fifth behind Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Yahoo.
• Pinterest has quickly become one of the most popular social
media portals for consumers to visit prior to visiting retailers’
websites. It has already surpassed Google+ in driving retailer site
traffic.
• Estimated unique visitors to pinterest.com increased by 329%
from September to December 2011.
• As websites continue to add Pinterest to their social integration
toolkit, Pinterest’s user base will continue to grow and refer traffic
to retailers’ sites and beyond. Nonprofits and micro-lending
organizations like Kiva are using the tool to showcase the people
who are helped by their organization.
• Although a date hasn’t been set, Pinterest will launch publically,
open its doors to all users and establish more concrete guidelines
for brands and users. Currently, no safeguards exist to prevent
users from “squatting” on brand names.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
13. BRANDS ON PINTEREST
Chobani
• Builds unexpectedly compelling boards
that don’t necessarily relate to selling
yogurt, but sell an aspirational lifestyle.
Their boards represent the core values of
their brand: simplicity, fitness, health,
flavor and travel, including a board for
their slogan “Nothing But Good” which
has nearly 6,000 followers.
• Provides clever ideas that helpusers to
make healthy choices in their everyday
diets by using Chobani yogurt.
• Interacts with its followers and repins
their pins.
• Provides parents with kid-friendly ideas
on their “Chobani Champions” board.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
14. BRANDS ON PINTEREST
Martha Stewart
• Martha is active on Pinterest, with
great boards full of Martha’s “Good
Things.”
• Martha extends the Pinterest
experience to her site, where all of her
recipes include “Pin It” buttons along
the side. More often than not, people
share via Pinterest over the other
options like StumbleUpon, Google+,
Facebook and Twitter.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
15. BRANDS ON PINTEREST
Warby Parker
• Much like Chobani, Warby Parker is
selling a lifestyle. They post gorgeous
photos of cities around the world as
inspiration, as well as boards that
showcase things related to glasses:
sunny spots, books and city sights.
• They assert themselves as style leaders
by posting boards heavily influenced by
style.
• As a vendor of accessories, they post
other accessories that may go well with
glasses in their “In Good Company”
board.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
16. BRANDS ON PINTEREST
McDonald’s
• McDonald’s has a small following on
Pinterest, but their account is fairly new.
• McDonald’s boards represent a well-
rounded snapshot of their brand,
including charitable efforts, global menu
items, restaurant locations, sponsorships
and partnerships.
• McDonald’s actively engages with their
followers by commenting and adding
Likes to Pins.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
17. START PINNING
How to use Pinterest in 5 steps
• Get invited. Pinterest is still in private beta. Find somebody you know
on Pinterest and get an invite. Yes, still. Brand names are being
squatted.
• Follow people. Travel-down the inspiration rabbit hole and follow
people on Pinterest. Connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts to
find friends that are already on Pinterest.
• Start Pinning. Find what you love and pPn them to your boards.
Evolve your boards as your content evolves.
• Pin It Buttons can be easily added to your site to encourage pinning
behavior. Pinterest makes it easy for brands to pull the necessary
code in the “goodies” section of their website.
• Search for what people have already pinned related to your brand.
You might be surprised.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
18. Your friends in the Community department
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
19. Meet,
Instagram (n. in-stə-gram): An iPhone and Android photo sharing application that allows users to share
photos with friends. After photos are taken, users may select from a variety of filters to add patina and
vintage flair to their photos.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
21. So, what is Instagram?
• What it’s for: Instagram is the perfect tool for transforming
your humdrum photos into art by applying filters to make
your pictures look the right amount better. Great for the
budding photographer, hipster or just the average person
who wants to communicate their lifestyle in beautiful vintage-
style photos.
• Constant content: Every second of every day, Instagram’s
servers process 26 photo uploads and a new account
activation.
iPhone app"
• The biggest and the best: Instagram has earned the title of
the largest mobile-only social network.
Android app"
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
22. Instagram’s Audience
On April 3, 2012 Instagram became available for Android
devices in addition to iPhone devices. Since the release of the
Android app, Instagram’s userbase has grown by nearly
1,000,000 users a day.
40,000,000+
Active users as reported in April 2012. Recent growth of the mobile
application is attributed to the release of the iPhone 4S with its
faster processor and better camera and the Android application.
On April 9, 2012 Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion with
the promise that the application will continue to operate as a
stand-alone experience.
Sources: techcrunch.com
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
23. Anatomy of a user or brand’s profile
Photos are shown in
gallery form or may be
viewed in large form in a
scrolling list if you select
When viewing a the list view button at the
user’s profile, the center top of the app.
number of photos
posted, number of
followers and
number of people
they’re following is
listed at the top.
Instagram’s app has
navigation buttons in the
The center section of dock at the bottom of
the profile includes a the screen. From left to
“follow” button, the right they are the home
users’ profile and a screen, recent popular
link to their website if images, take and upload
they have provided an image, news feed
one. This information (including Likes,
can be edited at any comments and follower
time.
news) and settings.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
24. Anatomy of a posted photo
The user’s profile
picture and
username is front
and center.
Additional share
functionality is included,
including the ability to
tweet or flag the photo
for review. Clicking this
button on your own
photos allows you to
The number of
delete, share via Twitter,
Likes, and
Tumblr and Facebook,
comments are
copy the image URL or
organized below the
email the photo.
photo, as are the
buttons to Like or
comment.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
25. Instagram’s features.
• Following Accounts: Much like Twitter, you follow friends and
strangers and view their photo uploads in a feed. Instagram makes
it easy to connect other social channels like Facebook and Twitter
to your Instagram profile to find friends and brands already using
the service. You may also search through your phone’s contacts to
find users.
• #hashtags are recognized and linked so that related photos can be
browsed. Users can do this by clicking hashtags in their feed or by
searching through Instagram and discovering for themselves.
• Users can Like, and Comment on photos, as well as tag the
location and search for other photos tagged, based on
Foursquare’s database of locations. Using a strong database like
Foursquare ensures that all socially-active businesses may already
have photos associated with them.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
26. What makes Instagram special?
There are other photo apps out there. What made Instagram adoption faster than Hipstamatic and ShakeIt?
• The Instagram API: They may not even have a full website yet, but Instagram’s API puts almost everything on
Instagram out there for you to use. Tap into the API and pull photos by location, hashtag or user account.
• Simple Sharing: The user interface makes taking, filtering and sharing photos easy.
• It’s Free: Both the app and the photo filters are free. Forever.
• All of your (iPhone) friends are there. Or they will be. With 26 new users signing up every second, it’s only a
matter of time.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
27. DO’S AND DON’TS
Instagram do’s and don’ts for brands
• DO: Learn the shortcuts. You can tap twice on any photo in your feed to Like it quickly. If you want to change a
photo caption (hey, spelling mistakes happen) or delete a spammy comment, simply navigate to the photo, click
the “comment” button and swipe left to right to delete individual comments.
• DO: Follow the Instagram blog. They post app updates, tips (like those above) and other fun information.
• DON’T: Just post a single kind of photo – followers will get bored of the monotony. Instagram does the hard
work of making your photos look extra interesting, so just keep you eyes peeled for inspiration and cool things
around you that represent your brand’s identity.
• DO: Tag the location of your photos. Instagram taps into the Foursquare API for their locations, so just about
everywhere you go, there will be an album of photos other users are contributing to. If your business is location-
based, periodically review the photos that are tagged there and send a Like or comment as a shout-out.
• DO: Hashtag! On Instagram, users can search for photos by hashtags. As an added bonus, when photos with
hashtags are shared via Twitter, the hashtag links are carried over.
• DON’T: Take a photo of everything. Be selective. There’s an informal two latte per month limit.
• DON’T: Like everything in your feed. This isn’t a popularity contest.
• DO: Use Instagram to give behind-the-scenes looks at new products or announcements.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
29. BRANDS ON INSTAGRAM
Boston Celtics
• The Celtics give their followers center
court tickets by posting up-close and
personal photos of team members and
game activities from the floor.
• The Celtics have a ravenous fanbase,
currently topping 80,000 fans.
• The Celtics tag all of their photos at TD
Garden – where the Celtics play – and
have used follower-posted photos posted
at games during their in-game
entertainment on Jumbotrons.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
30. BRANDS ON INSTAGRAM
General Electric
• GE launched an Instagram-based
contest to find the next GE
“Instagrapher” by urging followers to
share photos that represent GE’s core
values: moving, curing, powering and
building.
• GE selected a winner from more than
3,000 entries using the hashtag
#GEinspiredME to win a first class trip to
the United Kingdom to tour GE facilities
and earn the title of GE’s Instagrapher
(valued at $11,000).
• GE cross-promoted their Instagram
contest by creating a Facebook album of
the hand-selected best photo
submissions so fans could vote for their
favorites.
The winning photo"
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM
31. GET STARTED
How to use Instagram in 5 easy steps
• Grab your phone and download the app.
• Follow people. Find friends of your brand by connecting
your Instagram account with Facebook and Twitter.
• Snap some photos and discover your favorite filters. Fill your
Instagram feed with at least a few pictures before following
users and give them something to Like.
• Use #hashtags and tag a location for your photos. This will
help users find your photos more easily.
• Explore your #hashtags and locations, and follow like-
minded friends.
SOCIAL STUDIES: PINTEREST & INSTAGRAM