How Instagram Can Grow Your Pinterest Account

In this blog post we’ll discuss the following:

• How the Pinterest algorithm works
• Ways to reshare content on Instagram
• How to repurpose Instagram content on Pinterest

If you've been on Pinterest for a while, you know that it's a powerful tool for driving traffic to your blog or website. And if you don’t have a presence on Pinterest, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to grow brand awareness and recognition. Pinterest is responsible for generating 90% of all the social media shares on the internet. Those social shares can create massive website traffic. 

Pew Research found that Pinterest ranked fourth after YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram in 2021, with 31% of U.S. adults claiming to have used it. Its usage in the U.S. is higher than on platforms like LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Twitter.

But did you know that you can use Instagram to grow your Pinterest following? By promoting your Pinterest account on Instagram, you can get more eyes on your pins and even more traffic to your site. 

In this article, we will explore a few ways to repurpose existing Instagram content for Pinterest to grow your account in less time (and with considerably less effort), turning your Pinterest account into a powerful marketing tool.

The Pinterest algorithm

The three core elements of a strong Pinterest strategy are consistency, video content, and Idea Pins. Instagram can help you implement those with the power of cross-promotion and repurposing. 

Pinterest requires consistency for growth and, as such, requires loads of new content plus the tedious editing of old content to make sure it's search engine optimized and appealing to the audience you're targeting. 

While this work can be laborious and time-consuming, the results are well worth it, as the Pinterest algorithm will reward you. If you struggle to come up with new content to Pin to your boards, there is another way to grow your Pinterest audience without putting in so much hard work—let Instagram do the work for you.

Repurpose Instagram grid posts

Get more bang for your buck and simultaneously grow your Instagram and Pinterest audiences, by publishing your content on Instagram first. 

The Pinterest algorithm rewards originality. Pinterest users look for new ideas, inspiration, and products, so make sure your Pins are super fresh and add value.

According to Pinterest, the best-performing pins have three things in common: beautiful, engaging, and actionable. In that order. This makes graphics the perfect format for you to get discovered on Pinterest.

Create content followers will save

Saving is a native intent on Pinterest, so smart creators are increasingly producing Instagram content with the intention to get users to save it to their collections.

You can easily repurpose memes, educational content, and even quotes you create for Instagram to maximize exposure AND create fresh content for Pinterest. Make repurposing efficient and effective by using the same caption and title for both platforms.

You can even create a board all about your Instagram saves: topics like recipes, daily outfits, and creative shoots work exceptionally well. This method will also redirect people who click on your Pin to your Instagram account, with the added benefit of boosting Instagram's reach.

How to share Instagram posts on Pinterest

Log in to your Instagram account on your desktop, navigate to your Instagram profile and select the post you’d like to share. Simply copy the URL of the post and the link as a new pin to your Pinterest board. 

When creating a new graphic for Instagram, the best practice is to resize a copy of the same visual item compliant with the best sizes. As a reminder, Portrait Pins recommended size is 735 x 1,102 px.

Pro Tip: You can create beautifully branded content for the channels that matter to you with a selection of features from UNUM Design. Access to private grid layouts are where you and your team can design and plan posts—away from social media chaos. 

Repurpose short-form video on Pinterest

Video content is one of the most effective ways to reach new followers. According to a study by Wyzowl, from 2020, people share videos at twice the rate of any other content form, with 84% of people persuaded to buy a product or service based on a video. 

Video Pins stand out from the crowd because they automatically start playing on your desktop when they're halfway on the screen. The movement will catch their attention and encourage them to stop scrolling.

However, it can be highly time-consuming. Pinterest Video specs recommend square (1:1) or vertical (2:3, 9:16). Videos of 30 seconds to one minute work best, but they can go up to 30 minutes in length.

Repurpose IG Reels as Pinterest Video Pins

Creating fresh video content for Pinterest can feel overwhelming, so here's where Instagram Reels can come in handy—share your Instagram Reels on Pinterest! Your Reels will contain the Instagram watermark. If you want to appear native and avoid watermarks, you have two options:

• Save a draft of your IG Reel and repost it on Pinterest without sound
• Reshare posted Reels without watermarks using a third-party app like Snap Insta

By repurposing your Reels for Video Pins, you create content primed to catch your audience's attention. Recipes, tutorials, and mini-vlogs are excellent examples of successful Reels and short-form video content to repurpose on your Pinterest account.

Repurpose Instagram Stories as Pinterest Video Pins

You cannot share Instagram Stories directly as Video Pins. But here’s the trick—you can convert your Stories highlights into Instagram Reels, save them as drafts and reshare them directly as Video Pins. 

Repurpose IG carousel posts as Pinterest Idea Pins

You may have learned by now that you can save time and please the Pinterest algorithm by creating content once. One of the most coveted features on Pinterest right now is Ideas Pins. 

Since Idea Pins are now front and center of the in-app experience and your profile, the format has changed the way users interact with content. Moreover, Pinterest will notify you when users you follow have posted a new Idea Pin!

With Idea Pins, you can share up to 20 pages of video or image content that will display on mobile in a full-screen stream view. The aspect ratio for Idea Pins is 9:16, so you will need to download your carousel post and resize it to fit the portrait-style layout of Pinterest. 

Aim to create 1/3 Idea Pins per week by repurposing your current Instagram current to see your following and engagement boost.

Pro Tip: You can even enrich the existing content by adding voice-over recording or ghost mode transition tools (perfect for those before-and-afters!) For how-tos and tutorials, Pinterest will also allow you to add detailed pages for instructions or ingredients. 

Cross-promote unique Pinterest content

You can also promote your Pinterest account on Instagram to grow your Pinterest audience. I recommend choosing one type of content or format that is unique to Pinterest as a platform like Video Pins or Idea Pins. 

Reshare Idea Pins as Instagram Stories

Pinterest Ideas Pins are the format currently being pushed on the platform. Come up with a series of unique Idea Pins such as how-tos or tutorials only found on your Pinterest account and share a part of the series on Instagram to entice your followers to find you on Pinterest.

Idea Pins' most recent export option allows creators to share content beyond Pinterest—the platform released a new update in 2022 that allows users to download and share their Idea Pins on other social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. 

If you currently have a big following on Instagram, you can easily repurpose this Story-like content with your existing Instagram community. Of course, it will be watermarked as Pinterest native content. Add a Link Sticker to encourage your audience to follow you on Pinterest. 

Work smarter and boost Pinterest Growth with Instagram

By repurposing your existing Instagram content and scheduling it ahead of time, you can successfully grow your Pinterest following by being more consistent with your posting and tapping into trending formats like Video and Idea Pins. 

Consistency is critical when it comes to Pinterest. Pin scheduling helps you not be tied to your computer or phone all day, so you can set—and stick to—those boundaries. 

With UNUM, you can create beautiful content, access insights, collaborate with your team and schedule your content in a few simple steps to your boards on auto-pilot. Everything you create and add will sync across all your devices and be accessible by your entire team.

Use the Media Library and the Space feature as they allow you to upload posts to Pinterest (or other social sites) and map out when you want to post them. All of your media assets for your social accounts are in one app.

Utilizing these methods will help you attract new followers who will be more likely to engage with your pins. With a little bit of effort, you can quickly grow your Pinterest following and reach a larger audience in less time.

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UNUM is your best tool for planning, creating a strong Pinterest strategy, and beyond. Plus, a library of UNUM video and photo editors will up your Pinterest game in a few simple steps. Signup today for a free account.

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[Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels]