Facebook is a social media platform that allows users to connect with their friends and family, share updates, and participate in groups.
It was launched in 2004 and has since become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with billions of users.
Pinterest on the other hand is a visual bookmarking and discovery platform that allows users to find and save ideas for projects, hobbies, and interests. The platform was launched in 2010 and is now becoming a popular platform where people find and share inspiration and ideas. Pinterest is primarily used by a younger, more female-skewed audience and is known for its focus on design, fashion, and home decor.
Social media influence on the UK
Social media platforms have had a significant influence on the UK in several ways. These platforms include Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube,
Facebook, and Pinterest. In todays article, we will only discuss Facebook and Pinterest and why you should quit Facebook and switch to Pinterest.
Some of the potential impacts of social media in the UK are communication and connection, marketing and advertising, news and information, political engagement, and impact on mental health among others.
What is the difference between Facebook and Pinterest?
Facebook and Pinterest are two distant social media platforms with different focuses, audiences, features, and even user experiences. The main difference between Facebook and Pinterest is the way they are used and the type of content and interactions they facilitate.
The differences mentioned earlier are discussed below.
a). Focus
Facebook is mostly used for connecting with friends and family, sharing updates, and participating in groups. Pinterest on the other hand is used for finding and saving ideas for projects, hobbies, and interests.
b). Audience
Facebook has a broad audience and is used by people of all age groups while Pinterest tends to have a younger, more female-skewed audience and it may be more appealing to people who have an interest in design, fashion, and home decor.
c). Content
Facebook is known for its mix of user-generated content (such as updates, photos, and videos) as well as ads, sponsored posts, and news articles. Unlike Facebook, Pinterest is more focused on images and ideas, which can make it more visually appealing.
d). Features
Facebook features give you the ability to post updates, share photos and videos, send and receive private messages, share content from another website, create events and invite others to attend.
Pinterest on the other hand allows you to save “pins” (images and ideas) to boards, search for content using keywords and hashtags, and share pins on other social media platforms or via email.
e). User experience
The design, layout, and overall user experience vary on Facebook and Pinterest.
What are the similarities between Facebook and Pinterest?
Although these two platforms are different, they have some similarities which are discussed below.
a). A user can create a profile and share content.
Facebook allows users to share content in form of posts, photos, and videos, while Pinterest allows users to share content by creating boards and saving “pins” to those boards.
b). Both offer paid advertising options
The two platforms offer paid advertising options for businesses and organizations looking to reach a specific audience.
c). Both platforms offer community features
The two platforms have features that allow users to connect with people with similar interests.
Reasons to quit Facebook and switch to Pinterest in the UK
Although switching from one social media platform to another is a personal decision, there are several benefits to quitting Facebook and switching to Pinterest in the UK.
We have discussed some of the reasons below.
a). Privacy concerns
Facebook has faced criticism for collecting data from users and how it uses its user’s personal information. This is due to its targeted advertising practices and the possibility of user data being accessed by third parties without the user’s knowledge or consent.
The information collected by Facebook from its users includes name, email address, age, gender, location, and interests. Pinterest on the other hand collects less personal information and is generally considered to be more privacy-friendly than Facebook.
This may appeal to users in the UK since data privacy laws are generally more stringent in the country than in other countries.
b). Different Focus
Pinterest is focused on finding and saving ideas while Facebook is a social media platform focused more on connecting its users with family and friends.
Pinterest allows its users to search for and discover new content through its search function and by following other users or boards. It is a source of inspiration and a tool for planning and organizing projects.
On the other hand, Facebook is focused on facilitating social connections and communication rather than on discovery and inspiration.
If you are looking for a more visually-focused platform that focuses more on discovery and inspiration, then Pinterest may be a better fit for you.
c). Less Clutter
Facebook can be cluttered with a lot of content such as news feeds, advertisements, features and menus, and user behavior. The news feed is the main way through which users discover and interact with content on Facebook.
This includes posts from friends, and pages that a user follows. The news feed may be cluttered with too much content, making it difficult to find and engage with the posts that are most relevant to them.
Advertisements shown to Facebook users can also make the experience feel cluttered. Although these advertisements can be targeted to users based on their interests and demographics, some users may feel that their page is filled with too many ads.
Facebook offers a wide range of features and options, including messaging, groups, events, and more.
Some users may feel that the platform is filled with too many options and menus, making it feel cluttered and overwhelming.
The clutter on Facebook can also be a resort of user interaction with the platform.
If a user follows a large number of pages or friends or if they frequently engage with posts and comments, their news feed may appear more cluttered.
Pinterest on the other hand is focused on images and ideas which makes it feel less cluttered and more visually appealing than Facebook.
This is because it is primarily focused on sharing and discovering visual content.
Users are more likely to encounter a curated selection of images and videos, rather than a stream of text-based content.
Since users on Pinterest can follow other users, boards, or topics they are interested in, that helps personalize the content they see on the platform.
Through that, the users only see content that is relevant to them.
d). Different audience
Users interested in design, fashion, and home decor might find Pinterest more appealing than Facebook.
Pinterest also tends to have a higher proportion of female users and a younger age demographic than Facebook.
Pinterest also has more affluent users as compared to Facebook. For users who want inspirational content, then quitting Facebook and Switching to Pinterest would be a nice idea.
e). High referral traffic
Pinterest has a high referral traffic rate, meaning that it can be an effective way to drive traffic to a website or online store.
When a user clicks on a pin, they are taken to the website or online store associated with that pin, which can drive traffic to that site. This can be beneficial for businesses looking to increase visibility and reach.
The platform also has a high user engagement rate with users spending an average of 14.2 minutes on the site per session.
This means that users are more likely to explore and click on a larger number of pins and boards increasing the chances of referral traffic.
f). Long Shelf life
Pinterest Pins tend to have a longer shelf life as compared to Facebook which focuses on the latest updates.
These Pins can continue to be discovered and shared long after they are originally posted. This can help a business to get more value out of its content over time.
g). E-commerce
Everyone in the UK today is looking for a way to make money using their social media accounts.
Although both Facebook and Pinterest allow integration with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Facebook is primarily a social networking platform.
This means that not all users may be interested in looking for products on Facebook. Pinterest on the other hand is a platform that is about finding ideas for a project.
Since the platform focuses more on giving ideas on a project a user might be working on, it is easy for the user to look for products related to the project on the same platform.
Businesses can easily get clients by simply creating shoppable pins which help in driving sales through Pinterest. This makes Pinterest a better option as compared to Facebook.
Final thoughts
Both platforms can be useful for reaching potential customers and promoting products and even for personal use.
But they have different features and target audiences.
Facebook is a large social networking platform that is widely used by businesses for marketing and eCommerce.
It has a variety of tools and features for promoting products and connecting with customers, including Facebook Ads, Facebook Messenger, and the Facebook Shop.
Pinterest is a visual search and discovery platform that allows users to save and share images and ideas.
It can be a useful platform for businesses that sell visually appealing products, such as fashion, home decor, and crafts. Pinterest is particularly popular with women and has a strong focus on DIY and lifestyle content.
When deciding which platform is right for your business or personal needs, it is important to consider your personal goals, target audience, and the types of products you sell.
It may be helpful to also consider your privacy when making your decision.
One of the main reasons why Pinterest would be the best option is that you can interact with people with the same interest as you, build your online business, and at the same time avoid putting too much of your personal information out there.
However, you can decide to combine the two platforms depending on your goals and resources.
We hope this article will help you make the right decision for your personal use or even for a business.
Related: The Secret to Getting More Followers on Pinterest in the UK