In today’s digital landscape, there are so many platforms to consider when choosing the best place to launch a social media campaign. Whether you’re a seasoned specialist or beginner, understanding the nuances of each platform can make this decision a bit easier.

These past few weeks, I’ve taken to the internet to find out how to leverage certain platforms for my social media campaign, Moment in Matchbook. My goal was to pick one mainstream platform for popularity, and one evergreen platform for long lasting reach. Thus, we have Instagram and Pinterest. Here’s what I learned about their recommended best practices:

Instagram

Visuals

According to Hootsuite’s social media essentials guide, Instagram is a highly visual platform. When creating content, prioritize strong, vibrant, and high-quality design elements that captivate users. Your objective is to create appealing content that not only catches the eye, but also effectively conveys your message.

Hashtags

The Instagram algorithm loves hashtags. To establish your brand or theme, engage with popular yet specific hashtags that add character to your posts. Maintain consistency across your content in terms of the hashtags and quantity used, ideally including 3-5 per post for optimal results.

Carousels

The algorithm also favors carousel posts. When crafting your content, be sure to include more than one slide to drive engagement. Hootsuite reveals that “if a user doesn’t engage with a carousel post the first time they see it, Instagram shows them a different image from that post the next time” (“Create Engaging and Effective Social Media Content,” 2024).

Pinterest

Educate

The key takeaway from my Pinterest research is the importance of catering to your audience. HubSpot’s Ultimate Guide to Pinterest Marketing informs us that the algorithm feeds on educational visuals. Content such as infographics, how-to guides, and external links can significantly boost your reach and engagement.

Evergreen

Unlike other major platforms, Pinterest success isn’t driven by quantity, virality, or shock value. HubSpot recommends avoiding such content and instead focusing on evergreen, timeless material. On Pinterest, success hinges on inspiration, relatability, and quality.

Week 2 Content

To incorporate these best practices into my social media campaign, I created three Instagram carousel posts this week. Focusing on striking visual elements, I designed a cohesive three-column cover that connects seamlessly when viewed together. The initial images captivate the audience, while the subsequent slides deliver the core content.

Here are my platform mockups for both Instagram and Pinterest, featuring this week’s and last week’s content.

I then repurposed the content for Pinterest, making sure to highlight the educational elements in each design. I’ve included the visuals from my second post of the week below (fifth post overall).

Per usual, I documented my creative and research processes for the week in my production journal (see below), including tasks, status, duration, and materials.

Final Thoughts

Before publishing the content to both platforms next week, I’ll be sure to include a few hashtags that communicate the purpose and overall theme of my campaign. 

As I continue to create content for Instagram and Pinterest, I’ll remain mindful of integrating these insights into my strategy. By focusing on quality, relevance, and engagement, I aim to maximize the impact of Moment in Matchbook as a consistent brand.

Stay tuned over the upcoming weeks as I share more updates on my journey and insights gained through this creative process.

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Works Cited

Baker, K. (2022, May 17). The ultimate guide to Pinterest marketing. HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31147/the-ultimate-guide-to-mastering-pinterest-for-marketing.aspx

Create engaging and effective social media content. (2024, June 26). Hootsuite. https://help.hootsuite.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403597090459-Create-engaging-and-effective-social-media-content#know-your-post-anatomy-0-0