Pinterest Tips & Guides | Sprout Social https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest/ Sprout Social offers a suite of <a href="/features/" class="fw-bold">social media solutions</a> that supports organizations and agencies in extending their reach, amplifying their brands and creating real connections with their audiences. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:32:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2020/06/cropped-Sprout-Leaf-32x32.png Pinterest Tips & Guides | Sprout Social https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest/ 32 32 How to win with the Pinterest algorithm in 2026 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-algorithm/ Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:00:09 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=216919 Facebook connects people and Instagram celebrates moments, but Pinterest surfaces images and ideas that help users find what they want to buy. It’s a Read more...

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Facebook connects people and Instagram celebrates moments, but Pinterest surfaces images and ideas that help users find what they want to buy. It’s a visual discovery engine that uses a social media algorithm that’s more like YouTube’s than X’s.

If you don’t know how the Pinterest algorithm works, you risk wasting your budget on Pins that never surface in search. In fact, adapting to algorithm changes was among the top challenges for marketers that year. This is just one of many social media algorithms that brands must master.

Here’s what you need to know about how ranking on Pinterest works, plus practical steps to optimize your Pins for greater visibility and engagement.

What is the Pinterest algorithm?

Pinterest’s algorithm is the engine that powers its network. In other words, it’s the “special sauce” that determines which Pins land in the places that matter: search results, home feeds and “related Pins” recommendations. A combination of eye-catching visuals, text overlays and user engagement fuels these signals.

As social media search becomes more competitive and visual-first, Pinterest stands out as a network for brands that understand discovery. That’s because, unlike other social media networks, Pinterest acts as a visual search engine that delivers ideas, products and inspiration when people are ready to buy. In fact, 85% of weekly Pinterest users say they’ve purchased something from a Pin. And according to Sprout Social’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, more than half of consumers say that Pinterest feels more positive than other social media networks.

Sprout Social’s data shows that 51% of consumers “feel that Pinterest is more positive than other platforms.”

Underneath the Pinterest hood, machine learning takes the wheel. The network’s algorithm tracks what users click, save and engage with. It then learns from those patterns and predicts what they’ll want to see next. As a result, Pins that match genuine interest naturally rise to the top.

How the Pinterest algorithm works: 4 key ranking signals

Pinterest’s algorithm follows a simple logic: reward high-quality, fresh content that resonates. For this, it weighs four main signals—quality, engagement, relevance and freshness—to decide which Pins deserve visibility. Here’s more on how this process works:

1. Pin quality

Pinterest measures each Pin’s quality and engagement, as well as how well a Pin captures attention and drives action over time. It also looks at how many people save your Pins, zoom in on images or click through to your site. As a result, the Pins that keep generating interest, rather than peaking once and disappearing, rise higher in results.

Simply put, high-quality Pins have the following qualities:

  • Visually compelling: The most successful Pins use high-resolution, vertically oriented images or videos.
  • Engaging: High-ranked Pins generate saves, comments, zooms and click-throughs.
  • Popular: The algorithm prioritizes Pins that keep generating interest, regardless of their age.

2. Pinner Quality

The algorithm also considers your account’s overall behavior, or your authority as a creator, to assess reliability. This includes signals like how frequently you post, whether you save your own content and how audiences respond to comments. The network rewards active, consistent contributors.

According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, engagement is the top KPI that leaders use to measure social success. On Pinterest, stronger engagement lifts your Pinner Quality and signals to the algorithm that you’re a trusted creator. In other words, the algorithm favors creators whose Pins consistently spark meaningful action over those who post irregularly or rely mainly on repins.

Sprout Social’s data shows that overall engagement is the top way that marketing leaders measure social media success.

3. Relevance

Relevance indicates whether your content reaches the right audience at the right moment. This is where keywords are critical. Pinterest’s algorithm scans titles, Pin descriptions, board topics and linked domains to understand intent and match Pins to what users are searching for. It also measures topic relevance, or how closely your content aligns with each user’s established interests.

A Pin about sustainable decor, for example, performs best when it does the following:

  • Includes relevant keywords
  • Lives on a matching board
  • Links to a domain that reinforces the same theme

4. Recency and freshness

Pinterest wants to show users new ideas. That’s why the algorithm gives fresh Pins an early visibility boost, especially when they pick up engagement quickly.

Pinterest values a living ecosystem of ideas, not a static catalog. As a result, a steady flow of new URLs will strengthen your domain quality while also improving the visibility of your evergreen Pins over time.

Best practices to optimize your pins

Pinterest stats show that users save more than 1.5 billion Pins every week, which makes this social network one of the most powerful discovery engines in social. But to stand out, brands need to capture a combination of creativity and consistency.

This is where strategy meets art: Pairing search-driven thinking with scroll-stopping design helps you create Pins that perform. Every visual choice, caption and keyword sends a signal to the algorithm about your content’s quality and intent. Small refinements add up here, especially when they align with Pinterest marketing best practices.

Here are a few tactics you can use to help your content stand out in search and feeds:

Master keyword research for Pinterest

Pinterest behaves like Google since search intent drives discovery and keywords power visibility. This is why the most effective brands on Pinterest approach keyword research with a social-first mindset. The approach is similar to SEO but more heavily considers how people browse and save ideas.

To perform your own keyword research for Pinterest SEO, use the network’s autocomplete, related Pins and trending searches to find the language that your audience already uses. High-intent, long-tail keywords carry more weight than broad terms here, especially when they appear naturally in titles, descriptions and hashtags.

A strong Pin also includes the following information:

  • A clear title that contains the keyword and states a clear benefit (for example, “Summer outfit ideas for work”)
  • A detailed Pin description with context and two or three keyword phrases
  • Relevant hashtags that are specific to the content

Keyword-rich Pins enhance visibility, especially for e-commerce brands. They also surface extra details like pricing or product information, which drive more click-throughs and signal value to the algorithm.

Create engaging Pins: Video, idea and rich Pins

Research indicates that people retain a staggering 95% of a message they see in a video compared to just 10% from text. This is why video Pins and Stories tend to hold attention longer, which helps the algorithm recognize stronger engagement.

To try it out for yourself, test these high-engagement Pin formats:

  • Static Pins: A staple on Pinterest, these Pins are perfect for clean, eye-catching visuals that stop the scroll. They perform best when designs are simple, text overlay is clear and images tell a story at a glance.
  • Video Pins: Short, vertical videos of products and tutorials capture moments and stories beyond the static image. They also encourage longer watch times and repeat views.
  • Idea Pins: This multi-page format (formerly Story Pins) is excellent for step-by-step guides or collections. Additionally, the algorithm heavily favors these Pins for building engagement.
  • Rich Pins: These Pins automatically sync information from your website to your Pins (like price, availability, ingredients or article headlines). This adds a layer of context that the algorithm loves, which makes your Pins more relevant and trustworthy.

Pro tip: Dynamic content also makes your brand feel more human. With it, instead of just showing a product, you can let audiences see it in action.

 

Optimize your posting cadence

Post timing affects how quickly your Pin gains engagement. Pins that perform well in the first few hours signal quality to the algorithm, which can further extend their visibility. This early traction also leads to wider distribution across the network.

That’s why timing Pins for when your audience is most active helps your content reach more people. To identify those windows when users are most likely to engage with your Pins, lean on insights from your analytics or Sprout’s ViralPostⓇ feature.

Sprout’s engagement chart shows the days and times with the highest and lowest global user engagement on Pinterest.

Post consistently with a Pinterest content calendar

Consistency on Pinterest matters too. That’s because the algorithm notices how often you show up, not just what you post.

A consistent posting cadence builds your Pinner Quality and indicates that your brand contributes reliably to the network. When your Pins follow a clear theme too, you’ll help the algorithm understand your niche and recommend your boards to the right target audience.

A content calendar makes this kind of consistency easier by turning your Pinterest presence into a growing library of ideas rather than just a pile of one-off uploads. Over time, that rhythm will help both your audience and the algorithm know what to expect from your brand and keep users coming back for more.

Measuring and adjusting your Pinterest strategy

Pinterest’s search algorithm is always evolving, so your strategy should too. Staying relevant now means paying attention to what’s working, testing new formats, spotting early shifts and adjusting before performance slips.

This kind of adaptability depends on measurement, but that’s where many teams hit a wall. According to Sprout’s data on social media ROI, 97% of marketers say they can communicate the value of social media to their brand, but only 30% feel confident about proving their return.

Using Pinterest’s built-in business account analytics alongside Sprout’s cross-platform insights helps social teams close that loop. By analyzing performance and iterating on what resonates, marketers can spot shifts early, experiment with new creative and refine their Pinterest strategy as the algorithm evolves. After all, the brands that treat iteration as part of their process, not a reaction, are the ones that stay ahead.

Below are three more ways to further fine-tune your Pinterest strategy:

Track metrics with Pinterest analytics

Pinterest analytics reveal what’s really powering your visibility with metrics like impressions, saves, Pin clicks and click-throughs. These show how your content connects with people and where engagement starts to fall off.

Each metric also tells part of the algorithm’s story:

  • Impressions measure reach.
  • Saves show interest.
  • Clicks signal conversion potential.

Performance isn’t about big numbers alone, though. Understanding which boards, topics or creative styles sustain engagement also helps you refine your focus. When certain formats consistently outperform others, for instance, that’s a sign that the algorithm has found a strong relevance between your content and your audience.

Use A/B testing on Pin types

Optimizing your results on Pinterest starts with testing. To do this, compare formats like static versus video or carousels versus Story Pins to see how your audience interacts with your content. Insights from these tests will highlight what catches and sustains their attention.

Sprout’s tagging feature simplifies this process by labeling posts for direct comparison across campaigns. This makes it easy to identify high-performing patterns and helps you decide where to invest your creative energy. When trends start to take shape, building on them helps your Pins gain momentum and increasingly grows their visibility.

Stay updated on algorithm changes

Even small tweaks to Pinterest’s algorithmic ranking logic can shift what performs almost overnight. It’s the teams that notice those changes early that will be able to maintain strong visibility while others struggle to catch up.

As an early warning system, use social listening tools to surface trends and detect shifts in language, imagery and search behavior across social and the web. Reporting dashboards then translate those signals into measurable data points that guide next steps. Sprout’s combination of listening and reporting in this area also helps social teams pinpoint new opportunities and catch drops in performance.

prout’s word cloud shows social listening data for “matcha,” including “drink,” “to-go,” “morning” and “espresso.”

How Sprout helps you succeed on Pinterest

Behind every strong Pinterest strategy is a system that keeps everything organized, consistent and measurable. That’s what Sprout does—it helps teams plan smarter, post on time and see what drives results with clarity, rhythm and data that elevates your content in Pinterest’s algorithm.

Here’s how you can use Sprout Social to achieve your Pinterest strategy goals:

Plan and schedule Pins with publishing and calendar tools

Sprout’s social media publishing and calendar tools give you one central place to plan across Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok and the rest of your social media ecosystem. Seeing the full picture in this way will help you align your timing, creative direction and campaign pacing.

This cross-channel visibility also reduces guesswork and helps you manage recurring content, reuse high-performing assets and stay agile without losing structure. Fewer moving parts here mean stronger Pinner Quality and a workflow that scales as your brand grows.

Optimize timing with ViralPostⓇ

Visibility depends largely on timing, which is why Sprout’s ViralPostⓇ is so important. This feature studies engagement patterns across your audience and recommends when content is most likely to perform well. That way, instead of relying on trial and error, you can let the data guide your scheduling so every Pin gets a fair shot at discovery.

Sprout Social’s scheduling tool shows ViralPostⓇ optimal send times, with starred time options for publishing.

Then, when your Pins go live during peak windows, they’re more likely to earn early engagement. This, in turn, helps the algorithm recognize high-quality Pins and extend their reach across the home feed and related search results. As a result, you’ll end up with a more consistent, predictable rhythm for publishing.

Measure success with Premium Analytics

Every platform promises insights, but few deliver a complete view of ROI. Sprout’s Premium Analytics dashboards, however, connect activity with outcomes. This makes it easy for social practitioners to see which Pins drive traffic, which boards sustain engagement and which creative themes convert best.

Performance tracking becomes simpler when everything lives in one view, whether that’s comparing results across channels, tracking growth over time or identifying where to adjust. That’s why clear analytics transform data into decisions that directly improve visibility and impact.

Inform your Pins strategy with social listening

Trends on Pinterest often start on other networks, like TikTok and X, or in the broader culture. Sprout Social Listening monitors these conversations across the web, helping you spot emerging keywords, seasonal themes and creative directions before they peak on Pinterest.

Instead of guessing what to Pin, you can use these cross-platform insights to shape ideas that resonate. This ensures that your Pinterest content calendar is always relevant and ahead of the curve, which allows you to create Pins that meet demand, rather than just react to it.

Master the Pinterest algorithm with a data-driven approach

Winning on Pinterest is about consistency, not hacks or luck. The brands that rise are those that treat Pinterest like the visual discovery engine it is and refine their approach through testing, data and creativity. That way, every insight becomes a building block for stronger performance, from keywords that convert to visuals that hold attention.

Sprout’s features turn this process into an optimization engine with clear data and easy visualization. This helps you spot what’s working, adjust quickly and keep the momentum going.

Ready to see how your Pins and repins perform more clearly, fine-tune your strategy, and keep your content visible where it matters most? Request a Sprout demo today to learn more.

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Pinterest videos: A complete guide for 2026 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-videos/ Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:56:25 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=199984 A picture is worth a thousand words—but on Pinterest, a video could be worth far more. As one of the fastest-growing social media networks, Read more...

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A picture is worth a thousand words—but on Pinterest, a video could be worth far more. As one of the fastest-growing social media networks, according to Statista, Pinterest has evolved significantly.

One of the platform’s biggest innovations was the introduction of Pinterest videos in late 2018, which now play a major role in Pinterest marketing. Thanks to their vibrant storytelling powers and rich visuals, Pinterest videos don’t just catch the eye—they get people to buy. According to Sprout’s The Content Benchmarks Report, the percentage of video content is increasing overall. So, if you’re looking for new ways to turn interest into sales, video Pins may be the answer.

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about Pinterest videos and why they deserve a spot in your social media strategy.

What is a video Pin?

A video Pin is a visual bookmark on Pinterest that features a single video asset and is designed to surface in home feeds, search results and related Pins. They play automatically in users’ home feeds and include cover images to capture users’ attention. You can also enhance video Pins with text overlays, simple animations and branding elements.

Card defining video Pins. It says A video Pin is a visual bookmark on Pinterest that features one video or multiple videos and images. They play automatically in users’ home feeds and include cover images to capture users’ attention.

Much like Instagram and TikTok, Pinterest videos are designed with the mobile experience in mind. To perform well on Pinterest, video Pins should prioritize vertical aspect ratios such as 2:3 or 9:16, which align with how users naturally browse the platform.

Unlike sound-first platforms, Pinterest videos are often consumed with audio off, making strong visuals and on-screen text essential for engagement. For example, videos on Instagram and TikTok frequently rely on trending sounds or songs. But due to the network’s Autoplay function, Pinterest videos often play without sound on desktop and mobile. As a result, Pinners must prioritize visual resources—such as high-resolution footage, stunning imagery and text overlays—to effectively engage with users.

Why you should be creating Pinterest video Pins

Using Pinterest for business offers a range of benefits, all of which strengthen your overall social media strategy. Whether you’re a local service provider or a global e-commerce brand, these are a few reasons to embrace the power of Pinterest.

Boost brand awareness

Pinterest is built for discovery.

Pinterest search behavior is primarily exploratory, with the majority of searches focused on ideas, inspiration and solutions rather than specific brands. Typically, Pinners search for ideas and inspiration rather than specific companies. As a result, Pinterest plays a key role in introducing users to new products, brands and categories during the discovery phase of the customer journey.

Drive website traffic

Pinterest enables you to add links to your Pins, making it easier to drive website traffic. Whether it’s your blog, a product page or a booking form, you can tell users exactly where you want them to go next.

With a business account, you can also review how many people click these links via Pinterest analytics.

A Sephora Pin promoting scented products like shower oil and perfume, with the text overlay ‘Viral Fragrance Must-Haves’

Increase engagement

Pinterest reaches hundreds of millions of users globally, many of whom actively use the platform to plan, save and shop with intent. This engagement doesn’t just apply to likes and comments, either—it covers conversions as well. Pinterest users are more likely to take shopping-related actions compared to users on many other social platforms, making the channel especially valuable for commerce-driven brands.

Pinterest videos are especially compelling. Pinterest videos consistently demonstrate strong viewability and completion rates, particularly when content is optimized for vertical viewing and early visual clarity.

Close more sales

Learning how to sell on Pinterest could increase your revenue. Pinterest remains a key player in the social commerce ecosystem, particularly for brands focused on discovery-led shopping experiences.

Pinterest also accesses some of the world’s highest earners. In the United States, Pinterest reaches 40% of households with a combined income of over $150K. Pinterest continues to attract users with strong purchasing power, especially in categories like home, fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

With more disposable income, Pinners can (and do) spend more than the average social shopper. Pinterest users tend to demonstrate higher purchase intent and longer consideration cycles compared to many other social platforms.

Pinterest video best practices for brands

To start reaping these rewards for your business, here are a few Pinterest video best practices to follow.

Stick to optimal lengths and formats

When creating video Pins, brands can choose from several supported aspect ratios, with vertical formats delivering the strongest performance.

Pinterest supports multiple video dimensions, including 2:3 (1000 × 1500), 9:16 (1080 × 1920) and 1:1, depending on creative needs. Vertical 9:16 videos create a more immersive mobile experience by filling more of the screen during scrolling and playback. Both organic and paid video Pins support vertical formats, though certain immersive placements are reserved for ads.

Here are the specifications for each option:

A chart showing Pinterest videos' optimal lengths and formats and other specifications

Repurpose your content

Repurposing your videos from other social media networks allows you to work smarter, not harder.

One of the key benefits of repurposing your content for Pinterest is the consistency it offers. Consistent messaging across social media accounts builds brand recognition, conveys authenticity and fosters customer loyalty.

Repurposing content also saves time. Instead of shooting, editing and formatting videos for each platform, you can use the same resources on multiple channels. For example, footage created for Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts can often be adapted for Pinterest with minimal edits. That’s exactly what luxury luggage brand BÉIS did to promote its limited-edition Wicked collection. The brand posted the same video to announce the launch on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.

A Pinterest video promoting BÉIS’ Wicked collection, featuring pink and green suitcases, handbags and cardholders.

Reformatting this content for Pinterest is simpler if you use a third-party video editing tool such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Canva or CapCut. These tools allow you to resize your videos for Pinterest without compromising resolution or including watermarks.

Prioritize accessibility

To ensure inclusivity, Pinterest videos must be accessible to all users. For example, adding captions to your videos ensures your content is easily understood, even if it isn’t heard.

Your visuals also need to be accessible. Use high-contrast color combinations (ideally a 4.5:1 ratio), particularly in your text overlays so your text is visible to everyone, including people with visual disabilities.

Include a call to action (CTA)

Whether it’s to buy a product, book a consultation call or sign up for a newsletter, the goal of Pinterest videos is to get people to take a specific action. By communicating that desired activity with a call to action (CTA), you’ll make your Pinterest videos more effective.

Organic video Pins allow outbound links, while CTA customization is limited, making on-screen text and descriptions critical for clarifying next steps. To customize your CTA, feature it in your description copy or text overlay.

For Pinterest video ads, you can choose from any of the following CTA texts:

Chart showing Pinterest video ads CTA texts

Track video performance

Reviewing key metrics—such as engagement rate, save rate and average play time—is the best way to understand which videos resonate with your audience and which don’t.

Pinterest’s video-specific metrics are ideal for informing future video ideas. Pinterest analytics provides video-specific metrics such as average watch time, video completion rate and saves, helping brands understand content quality beyond impressions.

You can then use this data to optimize your content strategy. For instance, you may notice that a video receives a high volume of views for 95% of its duration. To leverage that engagement, you could follow the same editing style, feature the same collaborator or turn the video into a series to explore relevant topics.

Use templates to streamline your workflow

Of all Pinterest content tips, using templates is one of the most effective. By using templates, you can produce more Pinterest videos with less time and effort. These templates—such as those available on Canva—already feature eye-catching designs, text overlays, elements and animations. You simply need to edit them so the video aligns with your brand.

A Canva webpage featuring Pinterest video Pin templates that marketers can repurpose for their next designs.

Affirm is one of the best brands on Pinterest making the most of templates. In many of its Pins, the brand includes text at the top and a colored block at the bottom featuring its logo. Using the same format doesn’t just streamline content creation but also provides cohesion. Such uniformity helps audiences instantly recognize your brand and know what to expect, fostering trust and loyalty.

Affirm’s Pinterest account, which features multiple Pins using the same template to showcase different travel destinations.

How to post a video on Pinterest

Creating and sharing a video on Pinterest is simple. Here are the steps to follow when posting natively from a desktop or mobile device.

How to upload a video to Pinterest from desktop

To create a video Pin on desktop, follow the steps below:

  • Log in to your Pinterest account.
  • On the left-hand menu, click Create. For business accounts, you’ll need to click on the hamburger button. Under Create, select Create Pin.
  • Click on the upload window, then select up to 10 videos from your computer.

Note: Each video you select will create a new Pin. To feature multiple images and videos in one video Pin, you’ll need to use the Pinterest mobile app.

  • Add some information about your video Pin, including its title, description and link.
  • Click Done.
  • Click Publish.

How to upload videos on Pinterest from mobile

To create a video Pin on mobile (Android or iOS), follow the steps below:

  • Log in to your Pinterest account on the Pinterest app.
  • Press the + icon at the bottom of your screen.
  • Click Pin.
  • Select up to 10 videos from your phone or click the camera icon to record a new video.

Note: If you select multiple images and videos, they will be compiled in one video Pin.

  • Click Next.
  • Use the menu at the bottom of your screen to edit your video, add text or incorporate other effects.
  • Click Next.
  • Add some information about your video Pin, including its title, description and link.
  • Click Create.

Stay discoverable and competitive with Pinterest videos

With a large, engaged and high-earning audience, Pinterest is brimming with opportunities for brands. Whether you want to boost brand awareness, increase sales or stand out among competitors, Pinterest videos can help you connect with this unique audience and achieve these goals.

To make your Pinterest videos as impactful as possible, use Pinterest analytics. Its data will shed light on the content that’s compelling and connecting with your audience. Using these insights, you’ll be better able to replicate this success and watch your brand thrive.

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How to use Pinterest to grow your brand in 2026 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-use-pinterest/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:00:59 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=213557 Pinterest is home to a creative, buyer-ready community, making it an ideal network to include in your social media marketing strategy. Pinners save 1.5 Read more...

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Pinterest is home to a creative, buyer-ready community, making it an ideal network to include in your social media marketing strategy. Pinners save 1.5 billion posts weekly, and over 50% of these users see Pinterest as a network they can shop on.

That makes Pinterest a strategic place to position yourself as the go-to solution at the moment of purchase intent. Find out how to set up an account with actionable data, and how the network can help your brand connect with users to drive growth.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest ranks as the 16th largest social media network in 2025, but it’s far more than that. It’s also a visual search platform where users can find creative ideas and inspiration, and plan for purchases.

With its high-intent environment, Pinterest is the perfect place for a brand to build a presence and feature its products. Think of Pinterest as a digital bulletin board where inspiration meets action.

For example, users can search for a term like “best running shoes” and discover visual posts. They can then collect these posts by saving them in a Board. They can also purchase an item by clicking on the post’s link for more information.

Pinterest search results for “best running shoes” show various shoe lists and style boards.

Source: Pinterest

Who uses Pinterest (and what are they looking for)?

Pinterest users log in with a purpose: to plan, shop and take action, not just browse. But that’s just one part of understanding its community.

One unique trait, for example, is that the Pinterest user base skews female and has a big influence on younger generations. Here are some key statistics about Pinterest’s users:

In the data below, Pinterest provides even more details:

  • US influence: Pinterest reaches 46% of US users 18–24 years old, 40% of 25–34 year olds and 39% of 35–44 year olds.
  • High-income demographic: The platform has reached 40% of US homes with a yearly income of $150,000 or more.
  • Positive purchasing experience: According to users who post weekly, 80% get their inspiration from shopping on the platform.
  • Brand discoverability: Findings show that 96% of the most popular searches don’t include a brand.

As the platform continues to grow, brands on Pinterest can increase their discoverability for buyer-intent communities by investing in keyword-rich purchasing search terms.

Pinterest terms you should know

Pinterest’s bulletin board–style setup has shaped its own culture, and with it, generated a few unique terms you’ll want to know. Here are a few of them:

  • Pins: All posts within the platform
  • Video Pins: Content in the form of videos
  • Pinners: Active Pinterest users who share and post on the platform
  • Boards: A user’s collection of Pins
  • Save (formerly Repin): When a Pinner visits another user’s Board and Pins a post
  • Idea Pins: A multi-page, video-focused post that works like social media stories
  • Rich Pins: A Pin with synced information from your website to add more context to the post (with three types: product, recipe and article)––for business accounts only
  • Group Board: A collaborative collection of Pins with multiple contributors
  • Board Section: Sub-boards for large Boards with thousands of Pins that need more organization
  • Home Feed: A personalized feed with Pins based on users’ interests and engagement

The best way to get a feel for Pinterest’s culture is to dive in, set up an account and start engaging with other Pinners.

How to create a Pinterest account

Getting started with Pinterest is quick and simple. Visit Pinterest, and on the right side of the page, you’ll see the login widget.

Pinterest’s Sign Up widget asks for an email and password.

Source: Pinterest

If you want to open a personal account to get to know the network and audience, follow these steps:

  • Under the login options, choose Not on Pinterest yet? Sign up.
  • Add in your email, password and birthdate.
  • Press Continue.
  • Pick your interests.

Pinterest’s onboarding flow shows a questionnaire asking what you are in the mood to do.

Source: Pinterest

  • Select three Pins you like so Pinterest can build a feed for you.
  • Review your Home Feed and engage with Pins.

How to create a Pinterest business account

Unlike personal accounts, Pinterest business accounts give you access to advanced analytics and more brand visibility.

Here are some key advantages of a business account:

  • Ability to claim your domain to boost credibility and increase your visibility
  • Improved discoverability with keyword insights that help you reach your audience
  • Power to promote your content with Pinterest ads while collecting audience insights like interests and locations
  • Access to analytics on clicks, saves and impressions to refine your content strategy for better results
  • Ability to integrate your account with Etsy, Shopify and other shops to optimize sales
  • Access to Rich Pins to create more engaging, interactive content that drives action

These business features put you in charge of how your brand gets discovered, builds credibility and drives growth on Pinterest.

Creating a business Pinterest account is similar to a regular account, but there’s a small difference. When you go to the standard sign-up page as before (see above), instead of clicking on Not on Pinterest yet? Sign up, choose Are you a business? Get started here! Then, follow these steps:

  • Fill in your email, password and birthdate.

Pinterest’s Sign Up widget for business accounts shows fields asking for an email and a password.

Source: Pinterest

  • Answer the questions Pinterest asks about your business.

An onboarding questionnaire that asks users to describe their business, with options like “Consumer goods” and “Agency”

Source: Pinterest

  • Follow the prompts to enter your business name, country and website. Pinterest will then ask you for your business goals (like increasing sales), your focus and if you’re interested in running ads.
  • Afterward, you can choose a strategy, such as sharing ideas, expanding your audience or showcasing your brand.

If you’re new to Pinterest, start by sharing your ideas. This step will help you get to know the visual search platform and engage with Pinners.

An onboarding questionnaire asks “Where would you like to start?” with options like “Grow your audience.”

Source: Pinterest

Sprout tip: Claim your website early by connecting a domain to your account. This will give you more insight into how users interact with your Pins and profile. 

 

How to convert a personal Pinterest account to a business account

If you’re already a Pinner with a personal profile, don’t let that hard-earned credibility go to waste. Converting your personal account into a business account lets you keep your Boards and following while unlocking tools that amplify your reach and results.

Here’s how to convert your personal account to a business version:

  • Log in to your Pinterest profile.
  • Choose the More options link at the bottom left of the home page.
  • Click Settings and then Account management.
  • Choose Convert to a business account and then click Convert.
  • Answer Pinterest’s questions about your business.
  • Confirm and verify the conversion.

How to link your Pinterest account to Sprout Social

Sprout brings your Pinterest strategy to life by connecting publishing, collaboration, listening and reporting in one place, helping your team move from ideas to execution quickly.

Once you have a Pinterest business account, you can connect it to Sprout to manage your Pinterest marketing strategy. Here’s how:

  • Log in to your Sprout Social account and click on Account and Settings, then Connect a Profile.
  • Choose the Group your profile belongs to within the In Group dropdown.
  • Connect your Pinterest account.
Pinterest’s integration widget within Sprout, with a “connect” button
  • Choose the Go to Pinterest option.
  • Answer the questions to finalize your connection to Sprout.

How to use Pinterest for beginners

By tapping into curiosity and contributing to the platform, you can connect with your target audience and grow your brand. Here’s a guide on how to become a true Pinner and engage with your target audience.

How to search and browse on Pinterest

On your home screen, use the search bar at the top to look for content. For example, you might type in “dog treats” to find products and ideas for your pet. After searching, you’ll see dozens of Pins.

Pinterest search results for “dog treats” show Pins and images about frozen and homemade treats.

Source: Pinterest

For more precision, filter your options by videos, Boards or products.

You can also select additional keywords under your search bar. For example, for dog treats, you could select “homemade,” “pumpkin” or “banana yogurt peanut butter frozen.” These segmented search terms highlight popular niches you can target.

If you see a post you like, Pin it. You can also click on each Pin and engage with the post by commenting on or liking it.

Sprout tip: Not sure where to start? On the left side menu bar, click the explore icon and choose a category to discover terms and ideas by topic. 

 

How to create a Board and organize your Pins

As you collect and post dozens of Pins, your experience may begin to feel messy. Thankfully, there’s a better way to organize your Pins: Boards.

These groupings help you categorize Pins for your followers. Pinners enjoy Boards because they can explore their niche interests in a single, curated place.

Follow these steps to build your own Boards:

  • Click on your profile picture on the top right of your home page. On the profile page, you’ll see your saved Pins.
  • Look for the + sign on the right side of your page, toward the top.

The “Saved ideas” Pinterest interface shows Boards labeled “DIY,” “Kombucha” and “Writing.”

Source: Pinterest

  • Choose Board.
  • Add the title. Make sure the name is keyword-specific to attract your target audience.
  • Add collaborators for influencers, social media team members and ambassadors to contribute to the Board.
  • Respond to the prompt: Pinterest will ask you to pick some of your Pins to start the Board. You’ll then see your Board page.
  • Click on the three-dotted menu line to Edit the Board. Then, add a keyword-rich description.

For your more complex Pinterest Boards, you can create Board Sections. Here’s how:

  • Click the + icon and choose Section at the bottom of your Board
  • Enter the name of the subcategory and click Add.
  • You can now organize your Board by choosing key Pins and moving them into the appropriate section.

How to save and create your first Pin

Pins let you save your favorite ideas and build your own library of inspiration. Here’s how to create (and save) your first one.

Saving a pin

When you see a Pin you like, choose the Board you want to add it to by using the drop-down menu next to Save. Then click Save.

Bigger Bolder Baking’s Pinterest post for frozen yogurt dog treats

Source: Pinterest

Creating a pin

  1. Click the + button on the left menu of your home page.
  2. Choose or drag the file you want to add.
  3. Include the title, description, a link, your specific Board and targeted topics and products.

When you add your title and description, keep keywords in mind. Pinterest is a visual search engine, so users will use popular terms to find your content. Your posts should include relevant terms to increase their discoverability.

Now that you know your way around Pinterest, you can embed it into your search and social media strategy.

Why Pinterest matters for your social strategy

Sprout’s Social Index shows that 93% of consumers want brands to keep up with internet culture. Pinterest is where those trends take shape, making it a strategic space for social teams to stay relevant and connect with their audience.

A bubble chart shows the percent of consumers with profiles on major social networks, led by Facebook at 90%.

Another trend to watch is how Pinterest plays a role in evolving social media habits. According to Sprout’s 2025 Content Benchmarks Report, 86% of social media users will increase or maintain how much time they spend on social media.

Unlike many other platforms, Pinterest’s content doesn’t fade away after the first few days you post. It’s a long-term growth channel with search-driven discovery. Each Pin is an evergreen asset. Your posts remain relevant not only in search results but also in Pinners’ Boards and curated selections.

As users spend more time on social media, your evergreen Pins serve as potential touchpoints. When someone searches for an idea, pain point or product category, you’re likely to show up for your targeted terms with those Pins.

Pinterest also provides KPIs that you can use to measure success. Here’s how it can directly support your core business objectives:

  • Brand awareness: Track impressions and reach to see how many Pinners discover your content in feeds, search and related content.
  • Website traffic: Analyze Pin clicks and outbound link clicks to measure how effectively your content drives traffic to your website.
  • Lead generation: Treat saves as an intent signal. It’s proof that your content impacted users.
  • Sales and conversions: Measure Pinterest conversions to see how many purchases, sign-ups and other actions occur after users interact with a Pin.

How to craft Pinterest content that converts

Pinterest content creation is a growth lever. Each post should focus on quality and relevance even more than volume. To improve your success, when you’re designing your Pinterest content calendar, ask yourself what would provide the most value first. Avoid focusing on how many posts you can push out.

Here’s what the best brands on Pinterest do:

1. Build Boards that reflect your brand and SEO strategy

New accounts benefit from focus. To get the most out of your strategy, start with a set of Boards built around your highest-value keywords—no more than 10.

Also, work with your SEO team to unify the top keywords with your overall strategic goals. Focusing on Boards with search intent helps you get the most ROI out of your effort.

Pro tip: Use Pinterest Trends to find popular keywords and products on the platform.

2. Write descriptions with search in mind

To align with search intent and keywords, strategically craft all your titles and descriptions for Pinterest SEO for both Boards and Pins.

For example, if you sell ergonomic computer accessories like keyboards, mice and monitor arms and your target audience is remote-work employees, you should keep descriptions short, specific and relevant. Here’s an example:

  • Board name: Comfortable Keyboards for Work from Home
  • Description: Explore our collection of keyboards for remote work offices. These keyboards reduce wrist strain and improve productivity so you can work like a pro. Discover every style: old world, minimalist, vibrant colors and more.

The Board’s key focus is keyboards for remote work employees, and it highlights buyer-intent keywords like “keyboards for remote work” and keyboards with minimal “wrist strain” that improve “productivity” and feel “comfortable.” These terms often appear when users search for comfortable remote work keyboards.

Additionally, include relevant hashtags to improve discoverability and align your content with trending searches. Each post should also have a clear CTA to your product, website or gated content. That way, you can drive users down your marketing funnel.

Here’s a good example from a personalized gift company:

A pin that shows a product image of someone lighting a candle

Source: Pinterest

The search intent, keywords and description clearly show that this Pin is for students or parents who want to give a candle to their teacher in the UK.

In contrast, here’s a weak example from a lifestyle brand:

A Pin shows different colored candles on a black background with promotional copy.

Source: Pinterest

This post has a few missed opportunities:

  • Generalization: “Candles to sell” isn’t specific enough. The target audience is also unclear (what kind of candles, what style and who would you sell them to?).
  • Poor description: There are grammatical errors, and the description doesn’t include keywords other than “sell” and “candle.”
  • No compelling CTA: Besides a button, the post gives readers no reason to learn more.

A better option would be posting something like this:

  • Title: How to Make and Sell Luxury Beeswax Candles on a Budget
  • Description: Create beeswax candles to sell at your local farmer’s market, to neighbors and online. We’ll show you the ingredients and tools you need, plus 35 different recipes and a business plan. Get the free ebook today and start selling candles as a side business.

In this improved approach, the focus is on luxury beeswax candles for people on a budget who want to sell in their community. Keywords like “side business,” “beeswax candle,” “recipes” and “business plan” increase the chances of discoverability.

3. Design Pins that stand out

Design matters just as much as your copy, and that’s especially true with Pinterest. The social network offers many different styles and formats for your Pins. It’s important to use best practices both for Pinterest and social media marketing trends.

Create Pins for successful performance by following these best practices:

  • Use videos: Sprout’s Content Benchmarks Report found that “across networks and industries, the percentage of video content is increasing overall.” Make sure to use Video Pins to benefit from these trends.
  • Focus on quality and connections more than post frequency: The Benchmark Report also found that social media teams slightly decreased posts in 2024, but average engagements increased by nearly 20%. This divergence shows that creating meaningful content, rather than increasing frequency, produces more impact.
  • Implement recommended Pin dimensions: Best practices aim for 1000 x 1500px for images and a 2:3 vertical aspect (Pinterest’s preferred format, particularly for ads) for successful results.
  • Create Pins with modern designs: Each design should be clean and legible, with brand-aligned colors and bold, easy-to-read letters and typography.

4. Post during the best times

While Pins are typically evergreen, the time you post on social media can also help you get that first boost of impressions and reach. The best times to post on Pinterest are daily at 1 p.m. For specific days, post on weekdays for best results and expect lower engagement on the weekends.

5. Use Idea Pins and product tagging for engagement

Idea Pins leverage social trends like video-first content, voiceovers and step-by-step topics, like in a typical social media “story.” Mixing formats like video, voiceovers and step-by-step visuals turns your Pins into immersive experiences—perfect for tutorials, unboxings and how-to content.

For example, a coffee shop could post an Idea Pin on how to make a latte with a maple leaf design in the milk.

Here’s another example by Solid Starts, a brand and app focused on infants and eating:

Idea Pin introducing squash to babies

Source: Pinterest

Product tagging also helps with conversion. These tags contain information like product details, pricing and availability, all within the same post. Using both Idea Pins and product tagging, you can blend narrative posts with reality and commerce tactics, like featuring a product and promoting purchases.

How to use Pinterest efficiently with Sprout Social

Using a social media management tool can help you build your Pinterest campaigns, measure them and tie your results to business growth. Sprout, for instance, simplifies collaboration and consistency for your brand on Pinterest. Here’s how:

1. Schedule and publish Pins

With Sprout, publishing a Pin is simple. Click Compose and choose your Pinterest profile. Then, add your image, the Board and URL for your Pin. If you don’t have a Board for that target topic yet, no worries. You can create one with Sprout.

Sprout’s interface for creating a Pin, with helpful error messages asking users to pick a Board

Once you fill in your information, you can queue and automate your Pins using the same form. Sprout’s optimal send times lets you post at the best times for maximum reach.

These Pinterest publishing steps help you implement best practices automatically and provide multi-platform contextual reporting that ties to real business outcomes.

2. Collaborate across teams

Pinterest marketing is a team effort, which is why Sprout makes sure you have all the features you need to publish winning Pins.

Use Sprout’s shared Publishing Calendar and Asset Library to schedule and plan your campaign. Sprout’s Message Approval Workflows also streamline the management process for your team by simplifying the submission and review of all messages. That way, it’s simple to review and approve messages before they go live.

You can also set permissions and roles so each team member has access to the right profiles and actions. Here’s what assignments look like:

Sprout’s roles dashboard shows profile permissions and access level options.

3. Repurpose content for Pinterest

If a post performs well on your blog, Instagram, TikTok or other social media network, chances are it’ll resonate on Pinterest too.

Here’s how you can use Sprout’s Asset Library and cross-posting capabilities to repurpose your content and tailor it for Pinterest:

1. Identify a top-performing post, then open Compose and select your Pinterest profile.

2. Click to customize the post per network to tailor the copy and crop media just for Pinterest.

3. Use Generate by AI Assist (on the Professional plan) to write a caption from a top-performing or existing post in your brand voice for Pinterest’s audience.

Sprout's AI Assist helps you draft Pinterest Pin captions

4. Before publishing, Preview how it will look, then choose Schedule by Network and use Optimal Times to time it right.

5. Add Tags to track performance in the Tag Performance Report and double down on what works.

4. Integrate AI insights into your Pinterest strategy

Sprout pulls all your data and turns it into actionable insights. Its AI-powered recommendations reveal what’s working so you can refine your Pinterest content for measurable growth. At the same time, AI Assist takes care of manual tasks within compositions to save you time.

Here’s a snapshot of how Sprout works with your insights.

  • Pinterest integration: You can connect your Pinterest business profile with Sprout. This allows you to easily publish Pins, as well as measure the performance of each post and overall account. Additionally, you can compare Pinterest results with your other social media channels.
  • Reporting and metrics: Sprout’s Pinterest Profile Report gives you a performance overview with various metrics like engagement and reach over time. You get these results all in one place, which makes reporting and proving ROI to stakeholders much easier and more accurate.
  • Publishing tools and scheduling: Use Sprout to compose Pins, attach images, set Board and destination URLs, and schedule content. With these features, you can easily collaborate with your team across social channels.
  • AI and automation tools: Sprout offers AI Assist to help you craft attention-grabbing copy. Plus, its AI automation solution pulls from historical data and uses large-language models (LLMs) to optimize insights, content suggestions and trends.

Measuring success with Pinterest analytics

Pinterest analytics inform how well you’re reaching your audience and what you can do to improve. Below are some key best practices to help you measure Pinterest success.

Use key Pinterest metrics to track results

As a social media professional, you have a unique opportunity to prove ROI with accurate data and insights. If you have a business account on the platform, you can track your metrics through Pinterest analytics. The dashboard provides valuable insights to track your following and pinning success.

To access Pinterest analytics, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your business Pinterest account, then click the accordion menu icon on the left of your screen.
  2. Go to Analytics and choose the Overview option.

While Pinterest’s analytics feature offers a helpful foundation for social media tracking, it doesn’t give you a holistic view that ties all your platform initiatives to business goals. However, Sprout’s Premium Analytics does, with a more in-depth view of your data in the context of your entire social media strategy.

For example, easily analyze profiles by network, build cross-network dashboards and custom reports, and use interactive charts and graphs for detailed insights.

With Premium Analytics, you can tailor your reports for stakeholders, use AI Assist to inform your strategy and choose the specific metrics you want to track. The example below shows how you can filter and analyze your data:

A dashboard shows filters and a line graph for metrics and helpful analytics within Sprout’s platform

Pinterest analytics show how your content performs, and Sprout’s Premium Analytics takes it further by tying your strategy to real business impact. Here are the key metrics to track:

  • Impressions: The number of times your content shows in users’ feeds or searches (which indicates strong visibility and SEO effectiveness)
  • Video views: How many times users watch your videos (the higher the duration, the more it proves deep engagement)
  • Clicks: The number of times users click on your Pins or links (which suggests effective user interest)
  • Saves: How many times users Pin your content to their Board (which shows proof of interest and offers insight that shows you’ve inspired users and provided useful information)
  • Conversions: Actions your users take because of your social media content, like a purchase or sign-up (a sign that you’re achieving business goals)

You can access these metrics and more data within Sprout’s Pinterest Profile Report. Then, compare all your platform-specific reports with the Profile Performance, Post Performance and Tag Performance reports.

Identify what resonates with your audience

Analytics guide your strategy when you compare which Pins, Boards and comments resonate most with your audience.

While Sprout’s Listening doesn’t use Pinterest as a source, you can discover content themes from other platforms and use them to inform your Pinterest content. This tactic saves you hours of manual tracking and research.

Report ROI to leadership

Pinterest insights are powerful on their own, but when you combine them with real-time data from other social networks, you get the full picture to shape your strategy. With clear reports, you can tie your social media efforts to business outcomes.

For example, you can use a customized dashboard and export-ready visuals to win stakeholder buy-in and attribute your content to metrics like leads, conversions and reach.

Here’s what the Profile Performance report looks like:

Sprout’s profile performance report shows engagement metrics and network activity trends.

Pinterest trends to watch in 2026

Pinterest is already a powerful way to connect with your audience, and new trends are shaping where it’s headed next. Here’s what to watch.

The rise of visual search

The search landscape has expanded beyond traditional engines like Google to include LLMs, social networks and platforms like Pinterest.

Not only has the where people search changed, but it’s the how too. According to Amazon’s visual search data, the company has seen a 70% year-over-year rise in visual searches. With these trends, Pinterest becomes a uniquely positioned platform to meet visual and social media search demand.

Because Pinners use the platform to search visually for ideas and products, social media marketers can leverage these community habits to share engaging content (like videos, infographics and images), meet search intent and drive connections.

Video-first content

Build your Pinterest strategy with video-first content in mind to meet rising video consumption trends. Idea Pins and Video Pins are great options to meet this video demand and connect with your audience.

Ideas include product unboxings, social media influencers trying out your product and marketing campaigns that focus on showing DIY or trendy use cases for your products.

Shoppable content and in-app commerce

Sprout’s Social Index states that 28% of consumers make impulse purchases each month because of social media. And since 81% feel compelled to buy several times a year, in-platform shopping looks to be the trend in the coming years.

As a result, your brand needs to show up where consumers are, especially when they’re ready to buy. By engaging with Pinners, posting your Pins and curating Boards with keyword-rich, buyer-intent strategies, you’ll meet Pinterest shoppers where they are.

Turn Pinterest into a growth engine for your brand

As Pinterest continues to meet the growing demand for visual search and community, you can meet target audience demand and engage with your community. But you don’t have to try new strategies in the dark.

Sprout gives you the tools to publish and analyze your Pins, all within collaborative workflows and dashboards. Using Sprout’s all-in-one social media management features, you can grow your reach on Pinterest, along with your other social media platforms, and meet business goals for a positive ROI.

Publishing Behavior dashboard for Pinterest, showing Pins per day as a bar graph

Sign up for Sprout Social’s free trial today to see how you can tap into Pinterest’s visual discovery potential and drive your social media efforts to trackable business results.

The post How to use Pinterest to grow your brand in 2026 appeared first on Sprout Social.

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Pinterest SEO: 8 steps to master the visual search engine https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-seo/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:27:43 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=215418 Pinterest isn’t just a place for inspiration. It’s a visual search engine that shapes how people find products, ideas and brands. With Gen Z Read more...

The post Pinterest SEO: 8 steps to master the visual search engine appeared first on Sprout Social.

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Pinterest isn’t just a place for inspiration. It’s a visual search engine that shapes how people find products, ideas and brands. With Gen Z and other high-intent users turning to Pinterest to shop, optimizing your profile for both in-platform and external search makes it a powerful part of your social media search strategy.

Below, you’ll learn the essential steps to use Pinterest SEO to capture intent, build authority and connect with your target audience where they’re actively engaged.

What is Pinterest SEO?

Pinterest SEO is the practice of optimizing your Pinterest profile, Pins and boards for search discoverability. The network has become its own search engine as Pinners search for ideas, products and inspiration. But it also feeds search engines like Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo. Today, LLMs, AI snippets and other emerging tools are starting to surface Pinterest content. As these capabilities evolve, brands have a significant opportunity to use Pinterest to strengthen visibility across both social and AI-powered search.

By investing in Pinterest SEO, each Pin, interaction and a bit of traction you gain helps reinforce your E-E-A-T signals (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) across search algorithms.

A search for the keyword phrase “cat collar ideas” shows Pinterest first in the SERP.

Pinterest is a visual-first search engine

Unlike many traditional search engines, Pinterest offers a visual-first experience. Users aren’t just searching for terms to find information. They also use Pinterest as part of their creative process, looking for inspiration, tutorials and products that meet their needs.

Here’s a Pin from Jones + CO Modern Mercantile, which features its face serum in an attractive display that appeals to its audience’s aesthetic preferences:

A Pin that shows three MERA face serums (Clarifying, Hydrating and Balancing) on stone blocks with fabric.

Source: Pinterest

The visual search experience reflects a shift in user behavior, especially among younger generations. Consider these Pinterest statistics about Gen Z habits:

  • Gen Z makes up 42% of Pinterest’s monthly user base, which is especially significant since Gen Z spending power is expected to quadruple by 2030.
  • According to Pinterest, Gen Z searches increase by 30% each year.
  • Pinterest also notes that Gen Z users are 1.3 times more likely to make an online purchase each week.

These Pinterest trends reveal the opportunity your brand has to connect with audiences where they like to browse, plan and shop, while also supporting your broader SEO efforts.

Why Pinterest SEO is important for brands

As of 2025, 578 million active users visit Pinterest each month. According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, 42% of consumers have a profile on Pinterest. This buyer-focused community makes Pinterest a powerful tool for content marketing, e-commerce and search-intent strategies.

Here are some key reasons Pinterest works so well as part of a strong SEO strategy:

Audiences are searching on Pinterest

While Pinterest supports SEO across engines, it’s become a powerful network for internal search. Users often begin the buyer’s journey here as they look for ideas and products. Posting Pins through this top-of-the-funnel search channel helps you inspire your audience and guide them to action via CTAs within your posts.

Thankfully, with Pinterest marketing, you don’t have to guess what users are searching for. Pinterest data provides insights into search terms for keyword research, allowing you to create and optimize content aligned with user interests. Here’s a peek at some of the top trends and Pinterest keywords in the US:

Pinterest Trends dashboard showing rising US searches like back-to-school outfits, fall outfits and nails

SEO funnels are shifting away from Google alone

It’s not just SEO professionals who know search has changed. Your non-techy relative might use ChatGPT to find a recipe, and your best friend may rely on Google’s AI snippets to identify cold symptoms. As the traditional Google-first search funnel starts to fade, standard search engine optimization is evolving into search everywhere optimization. And Pinterest plays a central role in that shift.

According to SEO expert and uSERP co-founder Jeremy Moser, “Pinterest is unique because it structures visual content around intent-rich queries, essentially acting like a search engine built for discovery. From an AI perspective, that makes it incredibly valuable. When ChatGPT and other LLMs generate answers, Pinterest often appears as a source because boards and Pins are organized semantically: They combine keyword-optimized titles, descriptions and image context in a way that’s machine-readable. That means well-optimized Pins can influence not just Pinterest search visibility but also how AI systems interpret and return results on visual trends, lifestyle queries and even product discovery prompts.”

As Moser points out, Pinterest’s high-intent searches and crawlability make it a great opportunity for your social search strategy. Pinterest also offers analytics so you can track and measure results to prove ROI.

Here’s an example showing a user asking for kitchen backsplash ideas, and the AI returning a Pin as a source. That visibility could benefit a brand selling backsplashes or a local installation company looking to drive leads.

Query saying “What are some kitchen backsplash ideas for a farm style house” and a Pinterest reference

The most important Pinterest SEO ranking factors

Several factors influence how your Pinterest content ranks. Here are a few Pinterest SEO tips to help strengthen your strategy:

Engagement signals that boost authority

The more that users engage with your posts, the more you’ll support E-E-A-T and build authority. Nat Miletic, founder of Clio Websites, a Calgary web design and SEO agency, explains the connection. “Publishing meaningful content […] on Pinterest strengthens expertise by demonstrating knowledge, supports authoritativeness by growing a visible following and builds trustworthiness. […] Platforms like Pinterest, LLMs and search engines can more easily connect the dots about your brand, which supports stronger rankings and visibility.”

Analyzing the “dots” that Miletic references starts with tracking engagement signals like saves (formerly Repins), clicks and comments. These indicators tell crawlers your content meets search intent.

Pro tip: Optimize each Pin with a keyword-rich title and use relevant terms in the Pin description.

 

Here’s a Video Pin from SDCTS, an apparel brand, featuring high-waist pants. It’s a good example of how to gauge engagement, boost authority and refine your digital marketing strategy for Pinterest SEO. It received 25 crawlable comments about the product, and users saving it signals value and increases reach.

A Video Pin of a person modeling high-waist yoga pants in a minimal living space

Source: Pinterest

Profile and board optimization

When building your profile, be sure to include relevant keywords that can appear in Pinterest search results and across other search engines.

Another way to optimize your profile is by creating boards. Pinterest boards are curated pages where you can collect and organize Pins. Think of them like library stacks with different areas devoted to a certain focus or genre. For example, a pet food brand might have boards like “Organic dog foods” and “Top dog treats.” If a board gets too large, you can create sections for micro-categories such as “dog treats for sensitive stomachs” and “dog treats for large dogs.”

Each board is an indexable page that provides opportunities to add keyword-rich titles and descriptions that improve search performance. Creating highly targeted boards increases your chances of showing up in results for specific needs.

Keyword strategy for Pins and descriptions

The right keywords aren’t just effective for boards. They also help keep your Pins discoverable long after publishing. Since Pinterest content is evergreen, Pins continue to surface in search as users engage with and collect them over time. To increase your visibility and long-term reach, remember to use keywords in your titles, descriptions and alt text.

Sprout tip: Optimize for performance by refreshing your titles and descriptions quarterly using trending insights from Sprout Listening. While this capability doesn’t pull trending chatter from Pinterest in particular, it does provide relevant keywords and topics across your other networks to inspire discovery for Pinterest keywords. 

8 best practices to improve your SEO on Pinterest

To grow your impact through Pinterest, include these key Pinterest SEO best practices in your marketing strategy:

1. Optimize your Pinterest profile and board descriptions

Your Pinterest profile should clearly communicate who you are, what you offer and whom you serve. For example, a bio description for a casual apparel brand might read:

“Comfortable apparel for active men who love nature. Get breathable shirts and flexible shorts for jogging, hiking and everyday outdoor activities.”

This brief description incorporates SEO keywords and signals while addressing these interests and needs:

  • Active men’s lifestyles
  • Nature
  • Comfortable clothing
  • Jogging and hiking

Your bio is just one opportunity to enrich your SEO. You can also optimize board titles and descriptions by focusing on the subcategory you want to feature and weaving in keywords that reinforce your brand positioning and topic authority.

Sprout tip: Open or convert to a Pinterest Business Account to access full Pinterest analytics capabilities and custom Pin formats, such as Rich Pins.

If you’re just getting started with the platform, our guide on how to use Pinterest covers the basics of profile setup.

 

2. Create visually compelling Pins that drive engagement

Since Pinterest is a visual search engine with a creative user base, you’ll want to publish appealing and engaging Pin designs. Pinterest offers a variety of formats for creating interactive, design-forward content, such as:

  • Image Pins: A single featured image; the classic Pin that hosts a visual appealing image to share on your feed. With a business account and being in the ad market, you can also do a carousel of images or videos.
  • Video Pins: A single video that plays automatically or multiple videos and images in one Pin. You can make them interactive by adding effects like text overlay, stickers and more.
  • Rich Pins: A Pin type available through a business account that lets you sync website information to content like recipes, articles or products.
  • Product Pins: A Pin type that shows products that are available to buy. When the user clicks, or taps a product Pin, they are directed to your product web page.

Each Pin should have fresh, modern visuals. If you use text, make sure the Pin title is clear, concise and doesn’t overwhelm the graphic. Prioritize value and give users a reason to engage.

Most importantly, make your Pins relevant to your audience. According to Sprout’s 2025 Content Benchmark Report, consumers prefer relatable, authentic and entertaining content, underscoring that quality matters more than volume.

3. Use Sprout’s tagging workflows to measure performance

Each Pin you publish should inform your SEO strategy. But tracking your progress, comparing it across organic and paid efforts and reporting business outcomes to stakeholders can be a challenge.

With Sprout’s Pinterest integration, you can tag posts to measure and report on your performance. For example, with the Post Performance Report and dashboard, you can track all your multi-channel social posts in one place and create comparison reports to communicate their results. Here’s an example of an outbound report:

Sprout’s Cross-Network Performance Summary dashboard showing impressions, engagements and more

4. Balance organic and paid strategies

Ads may not directly affect social media SEO, but paid and organic strategies work together to drive engagement and Pinterest saves. For example, Pinterest ads can help boost brand reach and awareness, indirectly supporting discoverability. Insights from both approaches also reveal emerging trends and consumer intent, helping inform your SEO strategy.

To avoid having your paid and organic strategies feel siloed, it’s helpful to develop unified reports that connect them. Sprout, for instance, lets you build reports for your organic Pinterest metrics and compare them to your other social media channels. Then, you can use Pinterest Analytics to look at your organic and paid strategies side by side.

5. Publish high-quality, original content consistently

According to the Index, originality leads to better results than simply posting for volume. Users crave authenticity and meaningful connections, and those experiences outperform fleeting trends. Since Pinterest supports longer-lasting content, the more relevant and intentional your Pins are, the more sustained engagement you’ll see.

6. Leverage Pinterest boards for keyword-rich engagement

Make keyword-rich, buyer-intent descriptions a priority in your Pinterest strategy. Boards and Pins have the potential to appear in both Pinterest and external search engine results.

By creating well-optimized boards with relevant Pins, you build indexable content that strengthens your authority and relevance in your target topic areas.

7. Optimize post timing with AI-driven insights

The first few minutes after publishing are often the most important, as strong early engagement signals value to Pinterest, increasing your reach and supporting your SEO.

Using Sprout’s ViralPost®, you can maximize engagement by posting when your audience is most active. Its AI insights provide optimal send times based on activity, allowing you to schedule your Pins for the best ROI. Here’s how easy it is to schedule posts:

sprout social optimized timing

8. Build social signals with cross-channel amplification

Adding Pins in your blogs, newsletters and other online assets helps circulate your website content, encouraging organic sharing and impacting overall visibility. This can increase brand awareness, drive direct engagement and even lead to backlinks.

Some SEOs argue (and case studies support) that increased time on a page can positively influence how well your content ranks on Google. Amplifying your content on Pinterest can drive traffic from qualified users, increasing both engagement and rankings.

Sprout’s Publishing Calendar makes it easy to coordinate the cross-channel effort to share web pages from Pinterest and cross-post to other networks, like this:

Sprout’s publishing calendar provides filters for post types, tags and profiles

How to measure Pinterest SEO success

Each Pinterest SEO initiative should support credibility to strengthen E-E-A-T signals to Google and improve business outcomes. Use these two KPI categories to measure results and SEO success:

Pinterest search results:

  • Saves signal that your content is resonating with audiences and is discoverable.
  • Click-through rate shows if your descriptions, visuals and Pins effectively motivate searchers to take action.
  • Keyword reach indicates whether your SEO strategy is targeting the right terms.
  • Impressions reveal how often your content appears on Pinterest users’ screens, which also informs discoverability.

Overall SEO KPIs:

  • Pinterest referral traffic indicates whether your audience is discovering your website through Pinterest searches.
  • Pinterest page rankings for Google keywords indicates how popular your Pins are and the extent of visibility your Pins may be getting in Google search results.
  • Domain authority (a Moz metric) can be used to estimate how strong your website’s authority is in the eyes of Google, with a higher score making it easier to rank on SERPs and within AI-generated results.
  • Visibility in LLM and AI search results highlights how Pinterest SEO contributes to your discoverability across AI-powered tools.

Sprout’s Premium Analytics, an add-on capability to the Reporting suite, provides unified dashboards and advanced reporting capabilities that let you filter data and focus on the metrics that matter most. These insights make it easier to align your SEO strategy with measurable business goals.

Transform Pinterest SEO into measurable business impact

Search is no longer limited to a single platform. With discovery happening across channels, SEO has expanded and become harder to track. By simplifying workflows and connecting engagement to real outcomes, you can turn Pinterest into a meaningful driver of visibility and results.

Sprout Social helps you manage all your social media networks, including Pinterest, so you can meet your audience where they like to search.

Try Sprout’s 30-day free trial to learn how you can build a Pinterest SEO strategy that helps get your content discovered.

The post Pinterest SEO: 8 steps to master the visual search engine appeared first on Sprout Social.

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Your Pinterest influencer marketing blueprint https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-influencer-marketing/ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:00:47 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=215016 Forget chasing trends. Pinterest is where people plan them weeks, sometimes months, before anyone else catches on. That future-focused mindset makes Pinterest a powerful Read more...

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Forget chasing trends. Pinterest is where people plan them weeks, sometimes months, before anyone else catches on. That future-focused mindset makes Pinterest a powerful space for influencer marketing, even if brands aren’t quite sure how to tap into it.

Pinterest works differently than other social networks. It functions more like a digital mood board than a newsfeed. It’s the place where people look for inspiration on everything from kitchen remodels to capsule wardrobes to holiday wish lists. Pins also have a long lifespan. A single piece of content can resurface for months, even years, driving traffic and conversions long after a campaign ends.

This article breaks down why you should try Pinterest influencer marketing and how to build impactful campaigns that drive measurable results. You’ll see what makes creator content perform over time and how top brands in food, fashion, home and beauty are using Pinterest to grow.

Why Pinterest matters for influencer marketing

Few social networks connect curiosity and intent as seamlessly as Pinterest. With over 553 million monthly active users and a 23% year-over-year audience growth rate, it’s one of the fastest-growing social networks, second only to Instagram.

Pinterest also brings a set of characteristics that make influencer marketing especially effective.

A search engine for inspiration

Pinterest functions like a visual search engine. In an independent Adobe study, 73% of respondents said Pinterest’s visual search results outperform traditional search and 36% of respondents start their searches on Pinterest instead of Google or Bing. Users here are actively searching, saving and organizing ideas, giving brands the chance to reach high-intent shoppers while they’re planning what to buy or do next.

A different kind of user intent

Every social network fulfills different user needs. According to Sprout’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, Instagram is where people scroll to connect with friends and unwind. TikTok is the go-to for short-form entertainment and trend discovery. Facebook is a hub for news, local updates and customer service interactions. And Pinterest is a space to source and collect fresh ideas without the noise of other networks. At this year’s ZCon, influencer Nia Soux even called the network her “happy place” and finds it relaxing.

Content that lasts

Pinterest rewards patience and quality. A strong Pin can keep circulating as users save, search and share it across the platform. Pinterest reports that high-quality content often reappears seasonally as people return to plan new projects. That steady rediscovery can turn a single campaign into a long-term source of engagement and traffic.

A direct line from idea to purchase

Features like Shoppable Pins, product tags and built-in links shorten the path to checkout for Pinterest users. A Nielsen analysis found that Pinterest campaigns deliver a 32% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) than other digital platforms, making it a high-performing channel for sponsored content.

Seasonal discovery

Sprout Social’s Q4 2025 Pulse Survey found that 45% of social users are most likely to turn to social media for holiday gift ideas, second only to physical stores. This number rises among Gen Z (63%) and Millennials (51%), two groups highly active on Pinterest. Not only that but, 80% of social users plan to use social media as much if not more to find gifts this year compared to 2024.

Where social users are most likely to turn for holiday gift ideas

Pinterest captures this intent earlier than most platforms. Some 96% of searches are non-branded, indicating that people are open to discovering new products and creators. Another 31% of users create gift lists as early as October, and they spend 12% more during the holidays than non-users. These patterns show how early planning turns into purchasing decisions, giving brands and influencers a head start in the buying journey.

All these insights point to one thing: Pinterest users and content behave differently from other networks. People come here with a plan, searching for something specific, like what to make for dinner or how to decorate a room. When influencers share helpful content, such as recipes or DIY guides, they meet their audience right at that moment of action.

Additionally, since Pins live longer and most searches are non-branded, influencer content here works more like evergreen SEO. As long as it aligns with what people are searching for, a single campaign can attract new audiences and deliver results long after it goes live.

How brands can build a Pinterest influencer marketing strategy

Diving into Pinterest influencer marketing without a strategy is like assembling IKEA furniture without the manual. Even if you have all the right pieces—creative concepts, clear goals, brand-aligned influencers—you need a plan to make them fit together.

From finding the right creators to turning inspiration into measurable results, this section breaks the whole process down step by step.

1. Define and align your goals

Before you pick influencers or plan content, decide what you want to get out of it. More traffic? More sales? More people discovering your brand? Your goals shape every choice that follows.

Once you know what you’re aiming for, connect your Pinterest campaigns to your bigger marketing efforts. If you’re focused on driving purchases, partner with influencers who create how-to content or product Pins people can shop from, like seasonal decor tutorials or quick recipe videos that link directly to ingredients. If you’re building awareness, look for thought leaders and trendsetters who are already starting conversations in your niche.

When your goals and partnerships work together, your Pinterest influencer strategy becomes part of a bigger picture that supports the rest of your marketing.

2. Budget for influencer partnerships and paid amplification

A solid influencer marketing budget sets the foundation for a smooth campaign. Research the types of influencers you want to work with and what their rates typically look like. Pricing will vary based on follower size, engagement and the type of content you want, so gather a few examples before finalizing the numbers.

Once you secure your partnerships, plan for paid support. Turning top-performing influencer Pins—like a shelf styling guide that’s getting a lot of saves—into ads helps extend their reach and keep engagement growing well beyond the initial launch. Even a small boost can make a big difference, especially when you promote Pins that already show strong organic performance.

3. Find and vet Pinterest influencers

Finding the right influencers is more about fit than follower count. First, outline what matters most to your brand, such as their niche, content style, engagement rate and audience demographics. This will be your criteria for evaluating potential partners.

Then, use Pinterest itself as a research starting point. Search for keywords and categories related to your products or services to find influencers who appear in relevant results. A sustainable fashion brand might look for influencers who post eco-friendly outfit ideas and use keywords like “capsule wardrobe” or “slow style.” Check what competitors and similar brands are doing and note which partnerships seem to drive strong engagement.

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing Influencer Profile

To speed up the process, use influencer marketing tools like Sprout Social Influencer Marketing. Its AI-powered discovery and vetting features can help you quickly identify potential partners and analyze whether their content topics, reach and engagement align with your campaign goals.

4. Start your partnerships on the right foot

When you reach out to influencers, personalize your message. Reference their content, explain why they’re a fit and share what you hope to achieve together. Influencer partnerships are a two-way street. Clear communication and mutual respect at the start set you up for smooth campaigns later.

Once you’re aligned, create a clear influencer marketing brief that outlines your goals, key messages, approved visuals and example Pins. Think of it as a roadmap, not a script. Influencers know what resonates with their audience, so leave space for their creativity. Striking a balance between brand direction and influencer voice will lead to better content and campaigns that feel authentic to everyone involved.

5. Track key metrics to prove ROI

Data is what turns a good Pinterest marketing campaign into a repeatable one. Once your influencer content is live, track key metrics like website traffic, outbound clicks, conversions and Pin saves. Saves are especially telling as they signal long-term interest and can drive long-term traffic.

Also, compare the performance of your influencer Pins to your brand’s organic content. Which visuals, formats and keywords get the most engagement? These insights will help you spot what’s connecting and what deserves paid support or repurposing across other channels.

Lastly, use all this data to calculate ROI. Combine campaign costs with measurable outcomes, such as conversions or revenue driven by tracked links. The more you tie performance back to business impact, the easier it is to prove the value of Pinterest influencer marketing and build the case for bigger campaigns in the future.

Best practices to maximize engagement and conversions

It takes more than pretty pictures to get noticed on Pinterest. The brands that see results blend creativity with strategy, fine-tuning for search, experimenting with content formats and building strong partnerships with influencers of all sizes. When all those pieces come together, every Pin works harder.

Here’s how to get it right:

Optimize for search

The right keywords help your Pins show up when users search for everything from “modern home office ideas” to “easy weeknight dinners.”

Start by researching trending topics and common search phrases in your niche. Pinterest Trends and the platform’s search bar suggestions are great places to spot what people are already exploring. Once you have a solid list, weave them naturally into your Pin titles, descriptions and Board names.

Small details go a long way. A Pin titled “Cozy fall outfit ideas” will likely perform better than one labeled “My favorite looks.” Clear, searchable language tells Pinterest exactly where to surface your content. Over time, those consistent keyword signals help your Pins stay visible longer and reach people who are ready to take action.

Use high-converting content formats

Each content format on Pinterest plays a different role in moving people from discovery to action. Think of them as tools in a creative toolbox, each one built for a different job.

  • Idea Pins work best for storytelling and education. Use them for tutorials, DIYs or step-by-step guides. They’re great for building awareness and trust.
  • Video Pins catch attention fast. Keep them short, visually striking and ensure they work with or without sound. Use captions or text overlays to make your message clear within the first few seconds.
  • Shoppable Product Pins close the loop. Tag products directly in the Pin so users can move from “I love that” to checkout in a few taps.

Together, these formats give you room to experiment. Mix them into your content plan, test what drives the most engagement and adjust based on performance.

Embrace micro- and nano-Influencers for authentic reach

What micro-influencers and nano-influencers lack in follower count, they typically make up for in engagement and trust. They also often specialize deeply in one area, which helps their content feel more useful than promotional.

Start by identifying creators whose content already aligns with your niche. A UK homeware brand might collaborate with a London-based DIY creator known for renter-friendly upgrades. An Australian travel company might work with a nano-influencer who documents hidden-coast road trips and local weekend escapes.

These partnerships often deliver more meaningful results for less budget, giving brands a chance to test creative ideas and gather insights before scaling up. Plus, their Pins blend seamlessly into search results, sparking saves and clicks from people genuinely interested in their niche.

Cultivate long-term influencer relationships

The more consistently your brand shows up through trusted influencers, the more familiar and credible it feels to audiences. Long-term partnerships help you build that kind of trust.

Start by nurturing influencer relationships beyond a single campaign. Keep in touch with influencers who perform well and involve them in your planning process. When creators understand your goals and brand story, their content feels more natural and their audience starts to recognize your brand as part of their regular inspiration feed.

For example, a US furniture retailer might work with the same interior design influencer across multiple seasonal collections. Or a UK food brand could partner with a recipe creator throughout the year to highlight new product launches.

These types of ongoing collaborations help influencers tell your brand’s story in a steady, believable way.

Integrate Pinterest influencer marketing into your social strategy

Pinterest shouldn’t live in a silo. Share influencer content across your other social channels to expand visibility. Repurpose top-performing Pins for ads or your website, making sure you have the proper rights in place.

An activewear brand, for example, might post a behind-the-scenes look at a new collection on TikTok, point followers to Pinterest for outfit ideas and workout styling boards and turn influencer try-on videos into ad creative.

Coordinating posts this way helps your audience see your brand in more places, more often, while keeping your content fresh and connected.

Examples of influencer campaigns from the most popular niches on Pinterest

Strong Pinterest campaigns start with a clear match between what your brand represents and what people already engage with. Here’s a look at how Pinterest influencer marketing partnerships come to life across different niches.

Home decor and DIY

Based in the Pacific Northwest, interior designer Emily Henderson (533.7K Pinterest followers, 5M monthly views) teamed up with Wayfair for a Halloween décor campaign that turned seasonal styling into shoppable inspiration.

Her static Pin (“How one Wayfair order can get your yard ready for Halloween”) paired a moody front porch reveal with a blog post linking directly to Wayfair products. With elevated eerie touches, Emily’s content showed how influencer-led seasonal campaigns can drive both engagement and conversions without losing brand polish.

Pinterest influencer Emily Henderson teamed up with Wayfair for a Halloween décor campaign (“How one Wayfair order can get your yard ready for Halloween”)

Fashion and beauty

Washington, D.C.–based style blogger Chi Chi of Supplechic (27.2K followers, 81.6K monthly views) partnered with fashion brand VICI for a try-on haul that brought personality to Pinterest’s shopping experience.

Her video Pin featured multiple outfits, bold text (“Vici Dolls Haul, use code CHICHI30”) and honest sizing notes. With targeted keywords like “vacation outfits” and “wedding guest looks,” the collaboration blended authenticity and discoverability.

Pinterest influencer Supplechic partnered with fashion brand VICI for a try-on haul

Food and recipes

Brisbane-based nanoinfluencer Grace Vlcek (19 followers, 11.1K monthly views) brought an effortless charm to a campaign with ALDI Australia.

Her “Dinner Party” video, repurposed from Instagram (where she boasts 3.1K followers), highlights the supermarket’s Limited Time Only range with the caption, “POV: You said yes to hosting the dinner party and Aldi understood the assignment.”

The casual tone and quick cuts made the content feel natural to Pinterest’s feed. It’s a sharp example of how brands can reuse influencer content across platforms while keeping it native and relatable.

Pinterest nanoinfluencer Grace Vlcek campaign with ALDI Australia.

Travel

Austin-based travel influencer SweetLikeOyin (19K followers, 10.5K monthly views) partnered with Bahamas Tourism for a multi-slide Idea Pin that doubled as a visual travel guide.

Her “Travel with Me to The Bahamas” post showcased everything from travel requirements to swimming with dolphins and visiting the famous pig beach. The campaign captured both adventure and practicality, giving followers a reason to save it for their next trip.

Pinterest influencer SweetLikeOyin partnered with Bahamas Tourism for a multi-slide Idea Pin that doubled as a visual travel guide.

Health, wellness and fitness

Miami-based influencer Jocelyn (@chasingcarpediem) collaborated with Lululemon ahead of a local 10K run, sharing a Shoppable Product Pin that featured her unboxing new gear.

With clickable product tags and genuine enthusiasm, the Pin seamlessly tied community storytelling to commerce. Jocelyn’s collaboration highlights how wellness influencers can blend lifestyle content and shoppable features to drive engagement from audiences planning their next event or goal.

Miami-based influencer Jocelyn (@chasingcarpediem) collaborated with Lululemon ahead of a local 10K run, sharing a Shoppable Product Pin that featured her unboxing new gear.

Playing the long game of Pinterest influencer marketing

Pinterest influencer marketing takes time, but the payoff’s worth it. The how-to videos and seasonal ideas you post today can still drive engagement months and years from now. That’s the real value: content that keeps working while you focus on what’s next.

Keep experimenting and refining as you go. Test new formats, track performance and partner with creators who make your brand feel like a natural part of the feed. The more you learn from what works, the stronger your results get.

To keep growing and secure more support for bigger, bolder campaigns, you need to prove ROI. That’s where having the right framework makes all the difference. Download Sprout’s Influencer Marketing Toolkit for proprietary data, proven workflows and practical templates to help you measure impact and plan your next campaign with confidence.

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Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs [Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat] https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-specs-guide/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-specs-guide/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2025 22:11:41 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=105118/ Last Updated: August 28, 2025 Staying relevant and capturing your audience’s attention is a constant challenge for marketers. And now that brands rely on Read more...

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Last Updated: August 28, 2025

Staying relevant and capturing your audience’s attention is a constant challenge for marketers. And now that brands rely on video content more than ever, it’s critical to use the correct social media video specs and advertising video sizes.

To simplify marketers’ efforts, we created a complete guide of every single social media video spec and advertising video dimension.

Before we start, here are some additional resources that keep the information in one place:

Social Media Video Specs & Ad Sizes By Network

We’ve gathered data on each social network’s specific video sizes and specs. Simply click the links below to jump to your desired network:

Start your free trial

Facebook Video Specs

Facebook video is consumed at higher rates each year, so it’s no wonder why so many marketers search for the correct Facebook video specs.

There are simply so many types of videos you can share on Facebook and the platform updates its design frequently. Each video format has different dimensions and specs, which can make it confusing to know whether or not you’re uploading the correct format for organic or paid posts. Follow the specs below to optimize your posts.

Facebook Videos Specs

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook in-feed video

The most common type of video on Facebook comes from shared posts. This type of video lives in your Facebook Feed, and can be shared by brands or your friends. While it’s not as easy to get organic reach on Facebook, it’s still a viable way to share video.

Note that in June 2025, the Videos tab on Facebook was renamed to Reels. This decision makes it easier to post video content on Facebook. However, there may still be discrepancies between video posts and Facebook Reels. Please test this during your publishing workflow.

Facebook Video Guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 1280×720
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 10GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video length: 1 second to 240 minutes
  • Bitrate: 256kbps
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 3GB max in Sprout
  • Video length: 45 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout
  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV, AVI

Facebook Reels

illustration showing the placement of an Facebook Reel video

The convenience of cross-posting your Instagram Reels to Facebook expands the reach of your videos. This format appears organically in feeds but often gets priority on Facebook feeds.

Facebook Reels Guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 1080×1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: No file size limit
  • Recommended video formats: MP4
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 90 seconds
  • Frame rate: 24fps – 60fps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Video length: 60 seconds max
  • Supported file types: MP4
  • Frame rate: 30fps recommended in Sprout

Facebook Stories

illustration showing the view of a Facebook Story

Similar to Instagram Stories, you can post Facebook Stories to extend the reach of your posts. Users who may not follow you on Instagram will be able to view and interact with your Stories.

Facebook Stories Video Guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 1440×2560 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 9:16
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Video length: 1 second to 60 seconds
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Facebook Video Ad Specs

There are more than 10 million advertisers now on Facebook and having the right specs for your ads can be tricky. Each type of Facebook video ad is different, so let’s break down the specs for each type of video you can produce.

Facebook In-Feed Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook in-feed video ad

These Facebook video ads are the sponsored equivalent of in-feed posts, and they follow similar guidelines to in-feed video posts.

Facebook Feed video ad specs

  • Recommended ratio: 4:5
  • Minimum resolution: 1080×1080 pixels
  • Minimum height: 120 pixels
  • Minimum width: 120 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 4GB
  • Video length: 1 second to 241 minutes
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video captions are recommended.
  • Video sound is recommended.

Feed ad character limits

  • Primary text: 80 characters
  • Headline: 25 characters
  • Description: 25 characters

Facebook Carousel Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook carousel video.

Facebook Carousel video ads allow brands to showcase multiple videos (or images) and a landing page link within a user’s Facebook feed. It has grown in popularity because its unique scrolling feature allows users to see more content before clicking. In fact, Digiday estimated Carousel Ads to be 10x more effective than standard social media ads.

Facebook Carousel ad specs

  • Number of Carousel cards: 2 to 10
  • Minimum resolution: 1080×1080 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 1:1 or 4:5

Facebook Carousel video ad specs

  • Maximum file size (video carousel): 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Vide length: 1 second to 240 minutes

Facebook Carousel character limits (image and video)

  • Primary text: 80 characters
  • Headline: 45 characters
  • Description: 18 characters
  • Landing page URL required

Facebook Collection Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook video ads collection.

The Facebook Collection ads showcase multiple images and a main video above it. This is perfect for displaying multiple products (or various colors of a single product) plus a video. The ad type has been popular so far with retailers and clothing companies as an instant storefront or lookbook.

Using a collection ad created an Instant Experience, which is a full-screen landing page that will drive engagement and nurture interests to your content. Instant Experiences can use the Storefront, Lookbook or Customer Acquisition templates. Alternatively, you can build your own!

Facebook collections ads video Guidelines

Note that the first media asset in your Instant Experience is used as the cover image or video.

  • Minimum resolution: 1080×1080 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1 or 9:16
  • Maximum file size: 4GB (Video);30MB (Images)
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Instant Experience required

Character Limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Headline max: 40 characters
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Facebook Stories Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook Story video ad

Facebook added the Stories feature – photo or short video posts that are only available for 24 hours. In addition to user-generated organic posts, Stories ads are available to run between sets of posted Stories. While most users will be sharing immediate and organic updates from their phone’s camera, the guidelines for this format are similar for both paid and organic ad posts.

Facebook Stories video ad specs

  • Recommended resolution: 1440×2560 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 9:16
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MPV and GIF
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Facebook Stories character limits (image and video)

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Headline: 40 characters

For more information on the video specs for Facebook, visit the Facebook Help Center.

Instagram Video Specs

Instagram launched video capabilities in 2013 and quickly saw enough success to start advertising on the platform in 2015. Since then, video only continues to grow as an engaging social format. Needless to say, Instagram videos are absolutely worth the investment.

Instagram Carousel Video

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram carousel video.

Since 2015, Instagram crafted its video formats to allow three different styles: landscape, square and vertical. However, like the app, Instagram and how video is presented has evolve. Gone are the days of IGTV and Instagram Video. Video can be natively included as a post or carousel post, or they can be uploaded as Reels, but more on Reels later.

Instagram carousel video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080, 1080×1350
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 60 minutes
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Sprout Guidelines

Instagram Reels

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram Reel video

Introduced in 2020, Instagram Reels are another option for your video strategy on Instagram. These short-form, easily digestible videos are becoming the preferred type of content in Instagram feeds.

Fortunately for social content creators looking to easily generate a lot of content for Instagram, most of the video specs for Instagram Reels are fairly similar to other formats on the platform.

As Instagram has started to add separate tabs for different content types, thumbnails will be cropped differently on each view. If the viewer is on the first tab that has all content types, the thumbnail will be cropped to the traditional square post size of 4:5–center your subjects and plan to avoid undesirable vertical cropping.

Instagram Reels video specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×2560 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum file size: 4GB
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Video length: Either 3 minutes or 15 minutes
    • In-app recording can be up to 3 minutes maximum.
    • Uploading standard Reels can be up to 15 minutes maximum.
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video captions is optional but are recommended
  • Video sound is optional but is strongly recommended
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 1GB in Sprout
  • Max bitrate: 5 Mbps
  • Video length: 60 seconds max

Instagram Reel cover photo size:

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1920 pixels
    • Grid view: 1080×1440 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 9:16
    • Note: Grid view will always be 3:4
    • Images will be cropped to fit a supported ratio
  • Note: You cannot edit your cover photo after you’ve uploaded it.

Instagram Stories

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram Story video.

Instagram Stories are short-form videos that display for 24-hours on your profile. Followers and users can access your Stories directly from your profile; followers have the luxury of accessing your Stories directly from their feed, where Stories for accounts they follow display directly at the top of their screen.

Instagram Stories video specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×1800 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 4:5
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 4GB
  • Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, GIF
  • Video captions are recommended.
  • Video sound is recommended.

Instagram Stories video character limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Maximum number of hashtags: 30

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon.

Instagram Video Ad Specs

Instagram’s advertising revenue has significantly increased over the last year. In fact, Instagram reportedly earned $43.2 billion in ad revenue in 2022. The push for Instagram advertising is real and marketers have to be ready to take advantage with engaging videos.

Instagram feed video ads

Instagram feed video ads appear in users’ main feeds and look like standard Instagram posts. They’re a great way to reach new audiences who are already scrolling through video content.

Instagram Feed video ad specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×1880 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 4:5
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 4GB
  • Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, GIF
  • Video captions are optional but recommended
  • Video sound is optional but recommended

Instagram Feed video ads character limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Maximum number of hashtags: 30

Carousel Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram carousel video ad

Much like Facebook’s Carousel Ads, Instagram offers a similar feature. Carousel ads allow users to see more of a product or feature than a single image or video. With Instagram, your carousel video ads can have 2-10 cards with a full-width call to action below the ad.

Instagram carousel feed ad dimensions and guidelines (images and videos)

  • Minimum resolution: 1080×1080 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 1:1 or 4:5
  • Maximum file size (images): 30MB
  • Maximum file size (videos): 4GB
  • Video length recommendation: 1 second to 2 minutes
  • Recommended image formats: JPG, PNG
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, GIF
  • Number of carousel cards: 2 to 10 cards
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Instagram carousel ads character limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Number of hashtags: 30
  • Landing page URL required

Instagram Stories Ads

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram Stories ad

It didn’t take long for Instagram Stories to feature ads within users’ story feeds. Brands can seamlessly integrate their video content between other Instagram users’ Stories.

Instagram Stories video ad specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×1800 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 4:5
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 4GB
  • Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, GIF
  • Video captions are recommended.
  • Video sound is recommended.

Instagram Stories video ads character limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Maximum number of hashtags: 30

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon.

Instagram Reels video ads

The Instagram Reels ad placement is designed to be immersive. It fits seamlessly into the user’s content discovery experience in a sound-on environment. For brands, this presents a powerful opportunity to reach engaged audiences who are looking for new and entertaining content.

Instagram Reels video specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×2560 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 9:16
  • Maximum file size: 4GB
  • Minimum width: 250 pixels
  • Video length: 0 seconds to 15 minutes
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video captions is optional but are recommended
  • Video sound is optional but is strongly recommended

Instagram Reels video ads should not contain:

  • Licensed music
  • Media that contains a face or camera effect
  • Media with a GIF
  • Media with product tags
  • View more Reels video ads guidelines on Meta for Business

Instagram Reels video ads character limits

  • Primary text: 72 characters

Pro Tip:

Leave 14% (250 pixels) at the top and 20% (340 pixels) of the bottom of your creative free of text and logos. This “safe zone” ensures your key elements aren’t covered by the profile icon or call-to-action prompts.

 

If you’re looking for further information including images, check out our complete guide to all the Instagram ad sizes.

For more information on the video specs for Instagram, visit the Facebook Help Center.

Find more information about Sprout-supported files and sizes in our Help Center.

TikTok Video Specs

TikTok has quickly gained attention in the social space. Fortunately, TikTok’s focus on easy to create and share videos means it’s not hard to start producing video content for the platform, and there are plenty of trends to inspire TikTok content creation.

TikTok In-Feed Videos

illustration showing the placement of a TikTok in-feed video.

TikTok videos are all about the ease of creation, editing and sharing, so it makes sense that specs are more or less oriented around typical mobile phone dimensions. One key trait to keep in mind if you’re trying to repurpose video content across platforms is that videos uploaded from another file source, rather than recorded on the app, can be longer than 60 seconds.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1920
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 72MB (Android users) and 278.6MB (iOS users)
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: Up to 3 minutes recorded in-app or 10 minutes when uploaded from another source
  • Frame rate: 23-60fps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 1GB max in Sprout
  • Video length: 10 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout
  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV, WEBM

TikTok Feed Ads

illustration showing the placement of a TikTok in-feed video ad.

TikTok ads are a rapidly evolving opportunity for brands. The in-feed option for paid TikTok content is fairly similar to the formatting for existing organic content. To fine-tune paid content for the best performance, be sure to consult TikTok’s business center for the latest tips.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 540×960, 640×640 or 960×540
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9
  • Max file size: Up to 500MB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3PG or AVI
  • Video length: 5 seconds to 60 seconds
  • Bitrate: 516 kbps minimum
  • Frame rate: 23-60fps

Character Limits

  • Ad description: 1-100 Latin alphabet letters and 1-50 Asian characters

Twitter Video Specs

X (formerly Twitter) is a popular space to share and interact with different social media videos. For marketers, it’s all about keeping a user’s attention with enthralling and click-worthy video content. In the sports and entertainment industry, Twitter is often the go-to for sharing video content, so it’s critical to learn the correct Twitter video specs.

Twitter Landscape & Portrait Videos

illustration showing the placement of a Twitter in-feed video.

Twitter provides two formats of in-feed video content to share with your followers: landscape and portrait. These specific formats are only available for uploading video directly to Twitter, rather than sharing YouTube or other links.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
  • Max file size: 512MB*
  • Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds*
  • Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

*Twitter Pro Media users can upload files up to 1GB and videos up to 10 minutes.

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 512MB max in Sprout
  • Video length: 140 seconds max, if uploading in Sprout
  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV

Character Limits

  • Maximum count: 280 characters.

Twitter Videos Ad Specs

illustration showing the placement of a Twitter in-feed video ad.

Looking to promote your video through paid ads on Twitter? Luckily, you can use the same exact formats from Twitter organic videos. Stick to the same specs for both organic and paid video to ensure maximum visibility.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
  • Max file size: 512MB
  • Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds
  • Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

Character Limits

  • Maximum count: 280 characters.

For more information on the video specs for Twitter, visit the Twitter Help Center.

YouTube Video Specs

As the second-largest search engine behind Google, YouTube is an essential network for video content. For marketers, YouTube is a great space to promote, educate and share video content around your brand.

As YouTube continues to grow as a destination for video content, it hosts everything from short-form promotional videos to full-length movies and TV. This means users are streaming content on all sorts of devices, which could have different levels of zoom or overscan.

While there’s no hard and fast rules from the platform on how to approach the video editing concept of “title safe” areas where text like titles and subtitles aren’t cut off, you do want to avoid placing these types of visual elements right at the edges of your video area. Read on for more specifics on each format available on YouTube.

Video Player (Standard YouTube Video)

illustration showing the placement of a YouTube standard player video.

While YouTube allows users to upload various types of media formats and use plenty of different dimensions, organically, there’s truly only one format for the video player. Organic videos should all follow a 16:9 ratio, but can be uploaded 4:3. However, the smaller ratio will automatically pillarbox the sides to still make it fit in the player.

YouTube has seven recommended dimensions and ratios for standard YouTube videos:

Video Guidelines for Non-Verified Accounts

  • Resolution:
    • 4320p (8k): 7680×4320
    • 2160p (4K): 3840×2160
    • 1440p (2k): 2560×1440
    • 1080p (HD): 1920×1080
    • 720p (HD): 1280×720
    • 480p (SD): 854×480
    • 360p (SD): 640×360
    • 240p (SD): 426×240
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 default
  • Max file size: 5GB max in Sprout
  • Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
  • Video length: Up to 15 minutes
  • Frame rate: 24, 25 or 30fps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 5GB max in Sprout
  • Video length: 15 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout
  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV

Video Guidelines for Verified Accounts

  • Resolution:
    • 4320p (8k): 7680×4320
    • 2160p (4K): 3840×2160
    • 1440p (2k): 2560×1440
    • 1080p (HD): 1920×1080
    • 720p (HD): 1280×720
    • 480p (SD): 854×480
    • 360p (SD): 640×360
    • 240p (SD): 426×240
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 default
  • Max file size: 256GB or 12 hours, whichever is less
  • Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
  • Video length: Up to 12 hours, dependent on file size
  • Frame rate: 24, 25 or 30fps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 128GB max in Sprout
  • Video length: 12 hours max, if uploading in Sprout
  • Supported file types: MP4, MOV

YouTube Shorts

illustration showing the placement of a YouTube Short video.

Introduced late 2020, YouTube Shorts have recently made its debut as another short-form video feature. These videos are a new way to watch, create and discover short-form content. Because people are watching more short-form videos globally, using Shorts is a new way to reach wider audiences to entertain or educate.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution:
    • 4320p (8k): 4320×7680
    • 2160p (4K): 2160×3840
    • 1440p (2k): 1440×2560
    • 1080p (HD): 1080×1920
    • 720p (HD): 720×1280
    • 480p (SD): 480×854
    • 360p (SD): 360×640
    • 240p (SD): 240×426
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16 or 1:1
  • Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
  • Video length: Up to 3 minutes

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center.

YouTube Video Ad Specs

Standard YouTube videos are pretty straightforward, but there are a few video ad formats to learn if you want to advertise on the network. According to data from Google, brands advertising on YouTube with Discovery ads see incremental conversions.

Skippable, Non-Skippable, Mid-Roll, Bumper Video, In-Feed Display Ads

illustration showing the placement of a YouTube skippable bumper video.

We’ve put these five YouTube video ads specs together because in the end, they all play through the standard YouTube video player. That means all of these ad types follow the same dimensions as the non-ad videos, but only differ in video length. Let’s look at each ad type:

  • Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before, during or after the content and becomes skippable after 5 seconds. This ad format is the only one allowing advertisers to monetize views from any viewing device.
  • Non-Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before the content and users must watch the full 15 seconds maximum ad (can also be added during or after video).
  • Mid-roll Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played mid-view (like TV commercials) and is only available for videos 8 minutes or longer. Ads are added either manually or automatically. Mid-rolls can be skippable, but users must watch 30 seconds or the entire ad (whichever is shorter).
  • Bumper Video Ads: This YouTube ad type is played before the content. This short 6-second max video cannot be skipped and is usually optimized for mobile views.
  • Display Ads: These ads are shown in users’ search queries and sometimes appear in the right video column when watching a video. These ads are static, which means they don’t automatically play. However, once the video is clicked, the type of content displayed can simply follow the standard video player guidelines.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (horizontal), 1080 x 1920 (vertical), 1080 x 1080 (square)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (horizontal), 9:16 (vertical), 1:1 (square)
  • Max file size: 256GB
  • Recommended video formats: MPG
  • Video length:
    • Skippable Video Ad: No maximum, but recommended 15 – 20 seconds for awareness, 2 – 3 minutes for consideration, and 15 – 20 seconds for action.
    • Non-Skippable Video Ad: 15 or 20 seconds, depending on marketing
    • Mid-roll Video Ad: 30 seconds minimum
    • Bumper Video Ad: 6 seconds maximum
    • In-Feed (Display) Video Ad: 15-20 seconds for awareness, 2-3 minutes for consideration

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center.

LinkedIn Video Specs

With the percentage of video content increasing across core social networks (i.e., Instagram, Facebook and TikTok), LinkedIn adopted the use of video on the platform. If you’re looking to incorporate video into your LinkedIn marketing strategy, then it’s important to do it with the right specs. While some technical requirements may match other networks, there are some specs that are specific to LinkedIn. As video, particularly engaging short-form content, becomes increasingly pivotal for standing out, understanding these platform-specific technical details is crucial for producing professional and compelling videos that capture attention. Ensuring your content is optimized for the busy LinkedIn feed by adhering to the correct LinkedIn video formats is therefore essential for maximizing discoverability, delivering a high-quality viewing experience, and ultimately driving engagement. For a deeper dive into crafting an overall engaging LinkedIn video strategy, exploring best practices for content creation and repurposing is highly recommended.

LinkedIn In-Feed Video

illustration showing the placement of a LinkedIn in-feed video.

While before the only video format you were able to upload was a shared video, LinkedIn has expanded its capabilities to upload your own videos into the platform.

LinkedIn video sizes

  • Resolution: 256×144 (min) and 4096×2304 (max)
  • Aspect ratio: 1:2.4, 2.4:1
  • Max file size: 5GB
  • Recommended video formats: AAC, ASF, FLV, MP3, MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MKV, WebM, H264/AVC, Vorbis, VP8, VP9, WMV2, WMV3
  • Video length: Up to 10 minutes
  • Frame rate: 60fps
  • Bitrate: Up to 30mbps

Sprout Guidelines

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max file size: 5GB max in Sprout for Company and Personal Pages
  • Video length: 10 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout
  • Supported file types: ASF, AVI, MP4, FLV, MKV, WEBM, Quicktime

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn, visit the LinkedIn Help Center.

LinkedIn Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a LinkedIn in-feed sponsored or ad video.

As of 2018, LinkedIn now offers video ads. The requirements are a little bit different than in-feed video, so be sure to consider them when developing ads for your paid campaign.

Video Guidelines

  • Recommended dimensions and resolutions:
    • Vertical (4:5): Min 360 x 450 pixels, Max 1536 x 1920 pixels
    • Vertical (9:16): Min 360 x 640 pixels, Max 1080 x 1920 pixels
    • Landscape (16:9): Min 640 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1080 pixels
    • Square (1:1): Min 360 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio:
    • Vertical: 4:5, 9:16
    • Landscape: 16:9
    • Square: 1:1
  • Max file size: 200MB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 30 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

  • Ad name: 255 characters
  • Headline: 70 characters recommended; 200 characters maximum
  • Introductory text: 150 characters recommended; 600 characters maximum

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn ads, visit LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help.

Pinterest Promoted Video Specs

Pinterest allows video upload for business accounts only, so they have specs designed for brands to get the most out of the highly visual and inspirational lifestyle content frequently shared on the platform.

Shared Video Pins and Standard Width Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Pinterest Pin video.

In addition to ads, Pinterest Business Accounts can upload organic video content. There are two formats: standard and max width video. Below are the dimensions for standard width video ads and standard Pins.

Video Guidelines

  • Aspect ratio: 1:1, 2:3, 4:5, 9:16
  • Max file size: 2GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
  • Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

Character Limits

  • Title: Up to 100 characters
  • Description: Up to 500 characters

Max Width Video Ads

Pinterest allows you to publish standard width and maximum width video ads. Maximum width videos expand across mobile users’ entire screens. These specs apply only to maximum width video ads; standard video ad specs can be found above. Note that maximum width video ads are only paid ads.

Video Guidelines

  • Aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Max file size: 2GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
  • Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

Character Limits

  • Title: Up to 100 characters
  • Description: Up to 500 characters

For more information on the video specs for Pinterest ads, visit Pinterest Business Help.

Snapchat Video Specs

Snapchat is still an active network for younger generations to share video content. Whether it’s through FOMO-inducing filters, Snapchat is a hotbed for video sharing.

Single Videos and Single Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of a Snapchat video.

This video format is the most common across the channel and is the main way users communicate back and forth through the app. However, your business can post videos to its story so others can see what your business is up to. Just follow these specs:

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1920
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 1GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds

Character Limits

  • Brand: 25 characters
  • Headline: 34 characters

Long-Form Story Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of a Snapcaht video ad.

Snapchat currently offers one main video format for ads, which is known as the Story Ad. However, the Snapchat Story Video Ad is what users see in between viewing users’ Stories.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1920
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 1GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds

Character Limits

  • Brand: 25 characters
  • Headline: 34 characters

For more information on the video specs for Snapchat, visit the Snapchat Ads Help Center.

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Always up-to-date guide to social media image sizes https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:10:00 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=60583 Last Updated: August 27, 2025 In social media, visual “content isn’t just king—it’s the whole kingdom.” Whether you’re sharing a behind-the-scenes video, a stunning Read more...

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Last Updated: August 27, 2025

In social media, visual “content isn’t just king—it’s the whole kingdom.”

Whether you’re sharing a behind-the-scenes video, a stunning product shot, or a relatable meme, the power of your brand’s story is often told through images and videos. Your visual identity is frequently the first interaction a potential customer has with your brand, and a strong visual strategy is what makes that first impression memorable.

Creating compelling visual content is only half the battle. Each social network has its own unique set of image and video specifications, and it can be challenging to get your content to look its best everywhere.

That’s where having the right tools and knowledge comes in. A free social media image resizing tool like Landscape can help resize a single image for all social networks.

landscape animation gif

Along with our resizing tool, we’ve created this comprehensive guide to Instagram ad sizes and specs.

Before we get into it, here are some additional resources:

Easily manage your multimedia content with Sprout

With Sprout’s Asset Library, you can streamline your publishing and asset management by storing all your images, videos and text in one centralized location. This makes it easy to create, organize, edit and publish on-brand, visually engaging posts for any connected social network.

Start Your Free Trial

Social Media Image Sizes by Network

Use these links to navigate to the specific social media image sizes for each network:

Facebook Organic Image Sizes

With 3.06 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the world’s largest social network. For that reason alone, it’s important to have attractive and engaging images that are optimized for the platform.

Remember that different devices, whether it’s mobile or desktop, render differently. Make sure that you are choosing dimensions based on where you want the majority of viewers to see your image.

Learn more about Facebook image sizes

Get specs and tips for implementing the best visual content on Facebook with these guides:

Facebook Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook Profile image.

Say cheese: your profile picture represents you or your brand on Facebook. This is the round photo that appears on your timeline layered over your cover photo. Your profile picture will also appear when you post to other walls, comment on posts or when your profile is searched.

Facebook profile picture image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 320×320 pixels
  • Minimum file size: 180×60 pixels
  • Displays:
    • 176×176 pixels (desktop)
    • 196×196 pixels (smartphones)
    • 36×36 pixels (most feature phones)
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG
  • Profile pictures are cropped to a circle

Facebook Business Page Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook Business Profile image.

Facebook changed its Profile image for Business Pages to appear to the left side of the screen. The new look helps Facebook Business Pages follow a similar appearance as personal accounts. However, the dimensions are the same, but the photo appears on the page slightly different.

Facebook Business Page profile image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 320×320 pixels
  • Minimum file size: 180×60 pixels
  • Displays:
    • 176×176 pixels (desktop)
    • 196×196 pixels (smartphones)
    • 36×36 pixels (most feature phones)
    • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG
  • Profile pictures are cropped to a circle

Facebook Profile and Business Page Cover Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook Business or Regular Profile cover image.

Your Facebook cover photo will only appear on your Facebook timeline, and it stretches across the entire screen, which gives you more freedom to choose something creative or supplement your profile picture. Where your profile picture might be a good choice for a picture of you or a brand logo, use this space to post something that speaks more toward you as an individual or as a brand.

Facebook profile and Business Page cover photo image guidelines

  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Minimum required size: 400×150 pixels
  • Recommended image size: 851×315 pixels
  • Mobile display size: 640×360 pixels
  • Max file size: 100kb
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG
  • Notes:
    • The left side of your cover photo will be covered by your profile picture. On mobile, it could be 75% of your profile picture will overlap into the cover photo.
    • Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file
    • Business Page dimensions are exactly the same as personal accounts.

Facebook Shared Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook shared image.

A shared image is one of the most common forms of sharing on Facebook. These images will always appear on your timeline, and ideally they will show up in most of your followers’ News Feeds — though with the Facebook algorithm determining which content will be served, it’s unlikely that everyone will see your post. The more people engage with your post, the more likely it is that the rest of your followers and their followers will see that activity.

Facebook shared image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1350 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG, GIF
  • Appears in feed at a max width of 470 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1)
  • Appears on page at a max width of 504 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1)

Sprout Guidelines:

  • Same as above, except:
  • Max number of images per post: 10 in Sprout

Facebook Shared Link

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook shared link image.

Another great tool in your Facebook belt is the ability to share a link. It’s very similar to posting a shared image, but it gives you even more fields to work with. You can choose to create a shared link with a small square image to the left and text on the right, or with a larger rectangular image on top with text underneath.

Facebook shared link image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1350 pixels
  • Displays:
    • 479×246 pixels (desktop)
    • 320 pixel width (mobile)
  • Minimum size: 200×200 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Facebook will scale photos under the minimum dimensions. For better results, increase image resolution at the same scale as the minimum size.

Facebook Event Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook event image.

Facebook Events help capture the attention of users and cut through the noise on Facebook. Reminders are sent to your audience and having a good space with an even better image is important. Make sure you have the right dimensions down for a Facebook Event cover photo.

Facebook Event image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1920×1005
  • Facebook will scale down to minimum dimensions: 400×150 pixels
  • Facebook recommends for best results, choose photos that are 400×150 pixels.

Facebook Fundraiser image

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook fundraiser image.

Facebook has added the ability to create a fundraiser for charitable organizations or personal causes. The cover photo for these fundraisers slightly varies from a typical Facebook cover photo, with a minimum size of 400×150. The best experience across many display types will come from a higher resolution image, though.

Facebook Ad Image Sizes

Looking for Facebook ad sizes?

Facebook ad formatting can be even more complex than organic posts, so for more guidelines, check out our complete guide to every Facebook ad size!

 

Facebook Feed ad image size

Facebook Feed ads appear natively alongside posts from a user’s friends, family and followed Pages. This placement is ideal for capturing attention as users scroll through their daily updates.

Facebook Feed ad image specs

  • Recommended ratio: 1.91:1 to 4:5
  • Recommended resolution:
    • 1:1 ratio: 1440×1440 pixels
    • 4:5 ratio: 1440×1800 pixels
  • Minimum height:
    • 1:1 ratio: 600 pixels
    • 4:5 ratio: 750 pixels
  • Minimum width: 600 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 30MB
  • Aspect ratio tolerate: 3%
  • Recommended image formats: JPG, PNG

Facebook Story ad image size

Facebook Stories ads are full-screen, vertical ads that appear between organic Stories. This immersive, ephemeral format is perfect for grabbing user attention with visually compelling content.

Facebook Stories ad image specs

  • Recommended resolution: 1440×2560 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 9:16
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 30MB
  • Recommended image formats: JPG, PNG

Find more information on the image sizes for Facebook, visit the Facebook Help Center.

Learn more information about Sprout-supported files and sizes in our Help Center.

Instagram Organic Image Sizes

Instagram is one of the most popular photo-sharing social networks. It’s the best place to showcase your visual creativity, even down to making a compelling grid out of the way your photos’ thumbnails display in sequence.

Instagram Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of an Instagram profile image.

Instagram is based on visuals, which should be an indication of how important it is to follow these image size guidelines. Ensure your profile image is recognizable so users can find you even easier through search or explore.

Instagram profile picture image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 110×110 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 1:1, 4:5

Instagram Feed and Carousel image sizes

Illustration showcasing the location of an Instagram post image.

Because Instagram is all about sharing visual content – both images and videos – that appear in your followers’ feeds, it’s important to use higher resolution photos. Once you have your images perfectly sized, understanding the different features and formats will help you optimize your content to reach the widest audience and post on Instagram effectively.

Whether you’re posting natively in the app, via desktop or through a social media management tool, these guidelines below will help you put your best foot forward.

Recently, the network introduced new Instagram post sizes to match native 3:4 aspect ration photos. This size is native for most phones, and now will be presented in the image’s native size rather than being stretched to fit.

Instagram post sizes (feed and carousel images) guidelines

  • Recommended image size:
    • Image size: 1080×1080 pixels or 1080×1350 pixels
    • Grid view: 1012×1350 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 1:1 or 4:5
    • Note: Grid view will always be 3:4
    • Images will be cropped to fit a supported ratio
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG and PNG
  • Maximum number of images per post: 20 images

Sprout Guidelines:

  • Same as above

Instagram Post Thumbnails

When someone goes to your page, they’ll be presented with all of your content arranged in rows of thumbnails. These smaller renditions of your images and videos will expand when clicked and include a place for people to comment.

Instagram post thumbnails for image guidelines

  • Thumbnails will appear at 161×201 pixels
  • Recommended image width: 1080 pixel
  • Feed aspect ratio: 3:4

Instagram Reels image sizes

Instagram Reels are short, entertaining videos that are central to discovery on the platform. The cover image you select is the first thing users will see in the Reels tab and on your profile grid, making it crucial for encouraging views.

Instagram Reel image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1920 pixels
    • Grid view: 1080×1440 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 9:16
    • Note: Grid view will always be 3:4
    • Images will be cropped to fit a supported ratio
  • Note: You cannot edit your cover photo after you’ve uploaded it.

Pro Tip:

Pro tip:

Leave 14% (250 pixels) at the top and 20% (340 pixels) of the bottom of your creative free of text and logos. This “safe zone” ensures your key elements aren’t covered by the profile icon or call-to-action prompts.

 

Instagram Stories image sizes

Illustration showcasing the location of an Instagram Story image.

Instagram Stories are a popular source of visuals on the app. There are both video and image options available to publish. And while this feature was originally meant to be ephemeral, it’s possible to upload your own content and build a strategy around Stories engagement.

Instagram Story image guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 1080×1920 pixels
    • Safe area: 1080×1610 pixels
  • Minimum resolution: 150×150
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16

Sprout Guidelines:

  • Same as above, except:
  • Aspect ratio: 4:5 to 1.91:1 for Story Images published through Sprout

Instagram Ad Image Sizes

For those looking for more info on Instagram ad sizes, including video specs, check out this guide!

 

Instagram Feed image ads

Instagram Feed ads are seamlessly integrated into the user’s primary browsing experience, appearing as they scroll through photos and videos from accounts they follow.

Instagram Feed ad image specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×1440 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 1:1
    • Minimum aspect ratio: 4:5
    • Maximum aspect ratio: 1.91:1
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 30MB
  • Recommended image formats: JPG, PNG

Instagram Story image ads

Instagram Story ads are full-screen, vertical ads that appear between users’ organic Stories. This highly engaging format is designed for temporary, interactive content that captures immediate attention.

Instagram Stories ad image specs

  • Minimum resolution: 1440×2560 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 9:16
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 30MB
  • Recommended image formats: JPG, PNG

LinkedIn Image Sizes

With more than 1 billion members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Where other social networks may be good drivers of traffic and customers, LinkedIn is a great place for you to source great employees and to connect with other industry leaders. We’ve outlined the appropriate LinkedIn image sizes for you to use on your personal profile or Business Page.

LinkedIn Personal Profile Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn profile image.

LinkedIn started using a new layout for personal profiles and kept the box logo with company pages (more on that below). However, the personal profile dimensions for LinkedIn is very straightforward. This is the main image that represents you on your personal profile. So anytime someone takes a look at your profile for some quick info, this is the prominent image that represents you. It’s important to get the size right.

LinkedIn personal profile image guidelines

  • Minimum image size: 268×268 pixels
  • Recommended image size: 400×400 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Cover Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn cover image.

LinkedIn’s background image is a newer feature for your personal profile. It’s a little bit trickier to find something that really fits that space well, but if you get it right, your profile will look great.

LinkedIn cover image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1584×396 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Company Logo Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn company logo image.

One of the two brand logos that you should be uploading to LinkedIn is the standard company logo. This is the bigger of the two and is going to show up right next to your brand name on your LinkedIn homepage. This image also appears in the “Companies you may want to follow” section. The more enticing the photo, the more likely you’ll gain followers.

LinkedIn Company logo image guidelines

  • Minimum image size: 268×268 pixels
  • Recommended image size: 400×400 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Company Cover Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn cover image.

Unlike the personal background image, the company or standard business background image covers the entire top of the page. The image appears much larger than the personal dimensions, giving businesses a bit more space.

LinkedIn Company cover image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1128×191 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Post Specs with a Shared Image or Link

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn shared image.

These sizes work best for LinkedIn post that share a photo or a link with an image to a blog post or article to your company page’s feed. Use these LinkedIn post specs to help guide you as your test different LinkedIn post ideas and test your results.

LinkedIn shared image post spec guidelines

  • Recommended image sizes for square images: 1080×1080 pixels
  • Recommended image sizes for landscape images: 1920×1080 pixels

LinkedIn shared link image guidelines

  • Recommended image size for links: 1200×627 pixels, based on mobile scaling
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

Sprout Guidelines:

  • Same as above, except:
  • Maximum number of images per post: 9
  • Maximum image size: 5MB
  • Supported file types: JPG, PNG, GIF (250 frame limit)

LinkedIn Life Tab – Main Image & Company Photos

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn life tab image.

The Life tab on LinkedIn company pages lets you provide a more in-depth look at the day to day experience of your company’s employees. Currently, the two types of images you can upload here are the main image, which serves as a hero and highlight to your page, and the horizontal scrolling gallery of other company photos beneath.

LinkedIn Life tab image guidelines

  • Recommended size for main image: 1128×376
  • Recommended size for company photos: 900×600
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG
  • The Life tab only appears on the mobile app, and not the mobile web version of LinkedIn, so exact display sizes will vary by device. Upload the recommended size for the best experience.

Find more information in the LinkedIn Help Center.

LinkedIn Carousel Ads

A LinkedIn carousel is a slideshow-style post that allows readers to “swipe” across slides and read content. This LinkedIn ad type supports images for users to swipe through. Posts can include up to 10 slides and each image can have a link attached.

LinkedIn Carousel ad guidelines

  • Recommend file size: 10MB
  • Max image size: 4320×4320 pixels
  • Recommended individual image size: 1080×1080
  • Recommended individual image aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Recommended image type: JPG, PNG, GIF (non-animated only)

Pinterest Image Sizes

Pinterest Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of a Pinterest profile image.

When setting up your Pinterest account you have the option to do so using Facebook, Google or email. If you choose Facebook or Google, Pinterest will pull in the profile image that you have set there.

If you’re using email, or would prefer to use a different photo, you can do that too: just upload a square photograph (the larger the better) and Pinterest will resize it to fit. Like other social sites your profile picture on Pinterest should be something closely tied to you or your brand.

Pinterest profile picture image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 165×165 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 10MB
  • Recommended image type: JPG and PNG

Pinterest Pin Sizes

Illustration showcasing the location of a Pinterest Pin image.

When adding a pin to your board, it’s important to remember that Pinterest puts a limit on the width of the image but not the length. This gives you the opportunity to add a photo that’s square or one that will scale to be even taller. Just remember to make sure you’re creating large images because they add more value, not just because you can.

Pinterest Pin sizes image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 735×1102 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 2:3
  • Recommended file size: 20MB max
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG, GIF
  • Note: Larger are resized to display at a width of 238 pixels with scaled height in feeds.

Sprout Guidelines:

  • Same as above, except:
  • Maximum number of images per post: 1
  • Maximum image size: 10MB
  • Supported file types: JPG, PNG, GIF

Text Guidelines

  • Title character count: 100 characters max
  • Textbox character count: 250 characters max

Pinterest Board Display

Illustration showcasing the location of a Pinterest Board grid image.

Creating boards is one of the most important things that you can do on Pinterest. Not only is it important to choose a photo that is enticing to your audience, it’s important to choose one that’s relevant to that particular board.

Pinterest Board display image guidelines

  • Final display: 222×150 pixels (large thumbnail)
  • Final display: 55×55 pixels (smaller thumbnail)

Find more information in the Pinterest Help Center.

TikTok Image Sizes

With 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has grown considerably over the last few years. With nearly half its users under the age of 30, TikTok is becoming the social platform for younger target audiences.

TikTok Profile Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a TikTok profile image.

All TikTok users have the option to upload a profile image to their accounts. This is the perfect opportunity for businesses to showcase their personalities through branding or to highlight a specific campaign.

TikTok profile image guidelines

  • Minimum image size: 200×200 pixels
  • Recommended file type: JPG, GIF or PNG

Looking for more TikTok specs? Our Always-Up-To-Date Video Specs guide can answer those questions.

Twitter Image Sizes

With 436 million monthly active users, Twitter is one of the social media networks that your customers will most often use to discuss your brand.

X (fka Twitter) Profile Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a X (Twitter) profile image.

Your X profile photo is the main image that represents you or your brand across the network. It’s going to be seen across the site in a number of places by a number of people so make sure it’s of the highest quality. Here’s the places your profile photo will be visible on the site.

  • On your page: The largest display of your profile picture is on your homepage and can be viewed by your followers as well as individuals who stumble upon your page.
  • In-stream: A smaller version of your profile picture appears in a follower’s X stream every time you Post or are Reposted.
  • Who to follow: Your profile picture is also going to appear next to a link to your page in the “Who to follow” box. This is located directly to the right of your X stream on desktop. Choose a recognizable image here.

X (fka Twitter) profile photo image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 400×400 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 5MB
  • Image types include: JPG, GIF or PNG

X (fka Twitter) Header Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a X (Twitter) header image.

Your header photo is the image that spans the top of your X profile page. It’s quite a bit larger than your profile photo so make sure to save it at the highest resolution possible. Because you have more room to be creative with this picture and it will likely be the first thing your visitors see, make it something captivating.

X (fka Twitter) header image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1500×500 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 5MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG, GIF or PNG

X (fka Twitter) In-Stream Photos and Shared Links

Illustration showcasing the location of a X (Twitter) shared image or link image.

X users can attach photos to any of their Posts. Depending on whether you’re attaching one or many photos or sharing a link, the way photos crop and display in stream will vary slightly.

Fortunately, in 2021, X made waves with #TwitterCropIsGone, eliminating the sometimes-unfavorable automated cropping for vertical images that had often become the subject of memes and in-jokes among users of the platform. Extremely wide or tall images with unusual dimensions may still get cropped, but for most images in standard 4:3 or 16:9 dimensions, you won’t have to worry as much about centering subjects around automated cropping.

The following are some best practices to get an optimal result, and you can also preview the end result in Sprout’s Compose window before you publish.

Recommended sizes for images by types of Posts:

  • Recommended image sizes:
    • Minimum: 600×335 pixels
    • Landscape: 1024×512 pixels (minimum) and 1600×900 pixels (recommended)
    • Square: 1080×1080 pixels
    • Portrait: 1080×1350 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Maximum file size:
    • 5 MB for JPG, PNG
    • 15 MB for GIFs
  • Maximum number of images per post: 4 images

Sprout Guidelines:

  • Same as above

Find more information on in-stream photos at the X Help Center.

Find more information about Sprout-supported files and sizes in our Help Center.

YouTube Image Sizes

YouTube has more than 2.5 billion unique users every month and is available on hundreds of millions of devices. Millions of brands have already realized that YouTube is a great opportunity to reach their fan-base.

YouTube Channel Profile Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a YouTube profile image.

YouTube allows you to select different profile image borders, but the dimensions stay the same. Ensure your YouTube has a profile image set up before you select your border.

YouTube Channel profile image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 800×800 pixels
  • Minimum image size: 98×98 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 4MB
  • Recommended image files: PNG or GIF (no animations)

YouTube Channel Cover Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a YouTube cover image.

Spice up your YouTube channel with some “channel art.” When users click through your YouTube videos to your channel, some appealing images could entice them to stay on your page longer and watch more of your videos.

YouTube Channel cover photo image guidelines

  • Recommended file size: 2560×1440 pixels
  • Minimum file size: 2048×1152 pixels
  • Safe area for mobile and web (without text and logo cropping): 1546×423 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 6MB
  • Recommended image files: PNG or GIF

Across Different Devices

There are a lot of different platforms and devices that users can stream YouTube on so it’s important that you review your creative across devices and confirm that the most important parts of your image, such as text or logos, are displaying legibly in the “safe zone” noted above.

Find more information in the YouTube Help Center.

YouTube Video Uploads

Uploading your content to YouTube is the one of the most important parts of establishing your presence on the site. Videos can tell viewers something about you as a person, or it could show off something that your business might offer.

YouTube video guidelines

  • Videos must maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio. Smaller videos such as 4:3 will be pillarboxed to fit.
  • YouTube Shorts must maintain a 9:16 aspect ratio and 1920×1080 pixels.

For more on the specifics of YouTube video optimization, or to size video on any other social network, check out our complete guide to social media video specs.

Google My Business Image Sizes

Google My Business has become an essential platform for businesses with local, brick-and-mortar presences to gain visibility and conduct their review management strategy.

Types of Images for Google My Business

  • Logo: Your recognizable logo image. May not be available for all types of businesses–see Google guidelines for more detail.
  • Cover photo: A photo of your business that will typically be the first one shown. Choose a photo that gives the best overall representation of your place of business for this photo.
  • Business photo: You can use your other business photos to highlight different elements of your business or offices and help show off what local visiting customers should look for when they stop by.

For all three types of images, Google’s official guidelines recommend the below specs for the best appearance on the platform.

Google My Business image guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 720×720 pixels
  • Minimum resolution: 250×250 pixels
  • File size maximum: 5 MB
  • Image file type: JPG or PNG

The post Always up-to-date guide to social media image sizes appeared first on Sprout Social.

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25 must-know Pinterest stats for marketers in 2025 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-statistics/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinterest-statistics/#respond Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:35:09 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=67042 Pinterest is a visual social media platform that many people use for planning projects and finding inspiration. This makes it an excellent network for Read more...

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Pinterest is a visual social media platform that many people use for planning projects and finding inspiration. This makes it an excellent network for different types of brands and industries to connect with their audience. Wondering if Pinterest could be a good fit for your brand? You’ll want to look at some key Pinterest statistics to find out.

Having a basic understanding of social media statistics gives you an idea of the type of people who use the platform and how they use it. This helps you decide how the Pinterest fits into your overall social media strategy.

We’ve put together 25 essential Pinterest stats on demographics, behavior and more to inform your efforts. Let’s take a look.

Pinterest stats every marketer should know

1. Pinterest is the 15th most-used social media platform

When it comes to users, Pinterest is the 15th most popular social media platform worldwide as of April 2024. The first four are, of course, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram. (WhatsApp and Instagram are tied for third place.)

While Pinterest may not be as giant as some of the other social media networks, that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. In fact, The 2025 Sprout Social Index™ found that 42% of consumers have a profile on the platform. This puts it among the top 10 social platforms where consumers have a profile.

2. 1 in 3 Pinterest shoppers have an income of over $100k

Pinterest is a platform that’s perfectly poised for social commerce. Because one-third of the platform’s users have an annual income of over $100,000, they’re ready to buy when they browse the platform for products. That’s why luxury brands want to flock to marketing on Pinterest, making it the number one platform for shopping luxury.

3. Pinterest generated $1.15 billion in revenue in Q4 of 2024

In spite of Pinterest not having as many users as some of the bigger social networks, it continues to see a steady rise in revenue. In Q4 of 2024, it finally hit the billion-dollar mark, generating $1.15 billion in revenue.

All this to say, Pinterest is a profitable platform, which means it’s stable. It’s a good idea to invest in a Pinterest marketing strategy so you can take advantage of this platform.

4. Pinterest’s annual trend predictions have an 80% success rate

Every year, Pinterest publishes a new “Pinterest Predicts” report. The report includes forecasts of upcoming trends based on user searches and behavior. Because the platform’s data is so reliable, this report has had an 80% success rate for five years in a row.

This makes Pinterest incredibly useful for tracking how your audience’s interests are changing.

Pinterest’s 2025 trend predictions include things like:

  • Fisherman aesthetic
  • Castlecore aesthetic
  • Sea witch-inspired makeup looks
  • Maximalism in décor and fashion
  • Cherry-inspired makeup and menus
  • Nesting parties for new parents
  • Rococo revival for weddings and parties

Check out the full 2025 predictions list to see if your brand can take advantage of any upcoming trends.

Pinterest user statistics

5. Pinterest has 553 million monthly active users

Pinterest has over half a billion monthly active users. This is a small fraction of Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users, but Pinterest is steadily growing year after year (we have a stat for that, too).

6. Pinterest sees a 23.2% year-over-year growth

Pinterest has always had a healthy growth rate, but 2024 was particularly impressive. As of January 2024, the platform saw a 23.2% year-over-year audience growth rate. This puts it at the second spot among the fastest-growing social media platforms, after Instagram.

For reference, Facebook is still growing but at a rate of 3.1%.

chart showing the year-on-year audience growth of different social media platforms as of January 2024

7. Almost 90 million users are located in the U.S.

If you run a U.S.-based business, Pinterest might be a great option for you. The U.S. audience is by far Pinterest’s largest, with 89.9 million of its 553 million users located in the U.S. (16.2%).

The next four most popular countries for Pinterest are as follows:

  • Brazil: 38.93 million users
  • Mexico: 24.68 million users
  • Germany: 19.33 million users
  • France: 17.33 million users

8. Pinterest users seek positive inspiration and education

Pinterest has a reputation for being one of the more positive social media platforms. Users also seek out this type of positivity when interacting with brands on the platform.

Our 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report supports this. In fact, positive inspiration and education are the top reasons for brand interaction on Pinterest. So brands should create informative and educational content to positively inspire their audiences.

9. Pinterest users believe the platform fosters authenticity

With personalized Feeds and curated Boards, Pinterest is a place where people can truly be themselves. In fact, 68% of monthly Pinners believe they can be their authentic selves on the platform.

This makes it an ideal social network for brands to foster an authentic connection with their audience. Targeting niche interest groups is a great way to build a strong brand community on the platform.

Pinterest usage statistics

10. 78% of users say Pinterest makes them feel positive

According to a Morning Consult study, the vast majority (nearly 8 in 10) of Pinterest users get a positive feeling from using the platform. Plus, another study showed that browsing Pinterest for a healthy dose of inspiration can help prevent burnout and stress.

Our 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report further corroborates these findings. It found that 51% of all social users feel Pinterest is more positive than other social media platforms. Among Gen Z, this number rises to 60%.

circles depicting positive and negative responses with text that reads "more than half (51%) of all consumers feel that Pinterest is more positive than other platforms"

There are so many benefits of Pinterest, but the fact that its users are happy and at peace has to be a major one.

11. 85% of weekly users have made a purchase from Pinterest pins

Pinterest users are shopping on the platform—a whopping 85% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase based on a pin they saw from a brand. Plus, the Morning Consult study also found that 55% of Pinners see the network as a place to shop.

This is great news for brands wanting to drive purchases through Pinterest. Creating boards that feature your products can inspire people to buy from you.

Pinterest audience and demographics statistics

12. 69.4% of users are women

The Pinterest user base has always skewed female, although there’s been a slight increase in male users. Almost 70% of Pinterest users are women, with 22.6% of users men and 8% of users unspecified or identify with another gender. If women are a big part of your target demographics, Pinterest is a great platform to find them.

13. Pinterest’s biggest audience segment is women aged 25-34

The largest portion of Pinterest’s audience is Millennial women aged 25-34, with that segment accounting for 20.4% of its global audience. The second largest segment was women aged 18-24, taking up over 19% of the user base.

14. Pinterest has 26.1 million Gen Z users

According to projections, the platform should have around 26.1 million Gen Z users in 2025. This would account for around 4.7% of its entire user base. This is up from 16.4 million in 2020 and 25.1 million in 2024, showing that Gen Z consumers are continuing to join the platform.

Further, the 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report found that Pinterest is most popular with Gen Z, Millennials and women.

Pinterest advertising and marketing statistics

15. Pinterest ads have a higher ROAS than other platforms

Pinterest ads have been shown to deliver significantly higher return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to other platforms. A Nielsen analysis found that Pinterest had a 32% higher ROAS than other digital platforms. Get more bang for your buck by promoting Pins on Pinterest.

16. Users save more than 1.5 billion Pins per week

Pinterest users are pinning more than 1.5 billion Pins each week to more than 10 billion Pinterest boards. These users are planning home decor, recipes, product inspiration and more.

17. Pinterest ads cost $0.00 – $2.00 per conversion

Advertising on Pinterest is relatively cost-effective. Businesses typically spend between $0.00 and $2.00 for each conversion. Meanwhile, clicks cost even less, with 26% of companies spending between $0.00 and $0.10 per click.

Pinterest traffic and engagement stats

18. Pinterest averages over 1 billion monthly visits

Pinterest.com received 1.3 billion website visits in March 2024, making it one of the more popular websites in the world. This means its users are visiting the site an average of 2 or more times per month.

19. Over 36% of Pinterest’s web traffic comes from the U.S.

Pinterest is most popular in the U.S., so it makes sense that over one-third of its traffic is coming from the country. The next four countries that visit Pinterest.com most often in order are Brazil, the Russian Federation, India and Colombia.

chart showing the country-wise distribution of desktop traffic to Pinterest.com as of March 2024

20. 96% of searches are unbranded

Nearly all searches on Pinterest are unbranded. This means people are searching for things like “brown sofa” or “floral wall art” rather than specific brands. This presents a great opportunity for your brand to be discovered. Pinners aren’t loyal to a single brand and instead are hoping to find new brands and products they can buy from.

21. Pinterest saw a 50% year-over-year increase in buyable items being saved to boards

Pinterest is making a conscious effort to make its platform even more shoppable. The platform’s efforts haven’t been in vain as it now sees a 50% year-over-year increase in shoppable Pins being saved to boards. With more than half of Pinterest’s users seeing the platform as a place to shop, these buyable items make it even easier.

Pinterest stats for businesses

22. 80% of weekly users find inspiration on the platform

According to Pinterest, 80% of weekly Pinners feel inspired by the platform’s shopping experience. This may involve finding purchase inspiration or discovering new products and brands.

Because of this, Pinterest is the perfect platform for businesses to inspire buying decisions. Promote your products through eye-catching Pins and informative guides to reach potential buyers.

23. Pinterest drives tailored product discovery

Just like other social media algorithms, Pinterest works to personalize the user experience. This means that users see Pins tailored to their unique interests and behaviors.

So it’s no wonder the platform drives tailored product discovery. Pinterest also shared that 84% of weekly Gen Z users discover products fitting their taste and style while shopping on Pinterest.

This ultimately makes Pinterest a strategic social network for brands that are trying to get their products in front of Gen-Z-ers.

24. Shoppers on Pinterest spend twice as much as shoppers on other platforms

Pinterest users spend 2x as much when shopping on Pinterest than they do when shopping on other social media platforms. Don’t be shy about putting your products out there when it comes to Pinterest. Demographic data shows that Pinterest users have a higher income and are spending more on their shopping sprees.

This illustrates the value of investing into marketing on Pinterest, especially for brands who sell products with a higher price point. This includes furniture and designer clothing or accessories.

Use strategic social selling with the latest Pinterest tools to exponentially drive sales.

25. 1 in 4 consumers want more brands to use Pinterest

According to the 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, a quarter of social media users want more brands to use Pinterest. This is largely due to the optimistic and refreshing nature of the platform.

This trend is even more pronounced in Gen Z users, with 31% wishing more brands used Pinterest.

In fact, having a Pinterest presence could work wonders on your brand image. The platform’s positive vibe could offer a “halo effect” for brands.

Inspire and sell with these Pinterest stats

As a social network that positively inspires, Pinterest could make a huge difference in your brand image. Not to mention, it’s also an excellent platform for reaching young audiences and driving sales. Make the most of these Pinterest statistics to understand how the platform adds value for your brand. Then build a powerful Pinterest marketing strategy to get the most out of it.

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What to post on each social media platform: Your guide to content success https://sproutsocial.com/insights/what-to-post-on-each-social-media-platform/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/what-to-post-on-each-social-media-platform/#respond Mon, 09 Dec 2024 22:14:15 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=146183/ Posting the same content everywhere is an outdated strategy. What works on Instagram might fall flat on LinkedIn. That viral TikTok trend? It could Read more...

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Posting the same content everywhere is an outdated strategy.

What works on Instagram might fall flat on LinkedIn. That viral TikTok trend? It could feel completely out of place on X (formerly Twitter).

Each platform has a unique audience, with distinct behaviors and preferences. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are also different content types and algorithms to navigate.

To make the most of each platform, you need to tailor your content. Doing so is the only way to stand out from the competition and drive actual engagement and conversions.

In this post, we’ll show you exactly what to post on each social platform. We’ll also share tips on creating engaging content and how to use data to improve your strategy.

Should you tailor your content for each social media platform?

Absolutely! Optimizing content for each platform can get you significantly better results.

People use social media platforms for different purposes. Matching their intent and expectations can help you drive more engagement on your posts.

For example, The 2025 Sprout Social Index™ reports that Facebook and Instagram are among the top platforms where consumers make direct purchases. For all consumers, Facebook is the most used platform for purchases (39%), followed by TikTok (36%) and then Instagram (29%).

So while showing off your products can get you results on the these platforms, posting a lot of promotional content might not be ideal on X (Twitter).

Download the report

But does that mean you need to create unique content every single time? Not at all.

Sometimes, cross-posting on multiple platforms can work like a charm.

For example, brands often post the exact same videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels as these two platforms often have overlapping audiences, trends and video size requirements.

In other cases, you can repurpose your content to extend the life of assets you’ve already created instead of starting from scratch.

Repurposing is when you edit your existing content to optimize it for different channels or audiences. For example, you could:

  • Crop a long infographic into bite-sized charts to share as a carousel on LinkedIn.
  • Trim a 30-minute YouTube tutorial into short “quick tip” Reels to share on Instagram.
  • Share individual stats and insights from your research report on X (Twitter).

Repurposing is a great way to boost engagement on multiple platforms and longevity of your existing content without spending extra resources on brand new content.

By understanding what type of content works well on each platform, you can easily find ways to tweak existing content for max engagement.

What type of content to post on each network

If you’re trying to find the best content types for each platform, you don’t have to do it alone.

Luckily, Sprout Social has done the research for you. Below, we’ll share specific findings from our 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report so you know what exactly works on different social media platforms and which formats to steer clear of.

We’ll also share post ideas and examples from real brands (like yours) nailing it on social.

Facebook

Nearly half of all Facebook users interact with brand content daily. Surprisingly, most of them prefer simple text posts over flashy content types like videos.

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on Facebook: text posts, static images, short form video (under 15 seconds), short form video (between 15-30 seconds), gifs and memes.

Brands doubling down on Facebook marketing will be relieved to know they don’t need to invest heavily for creating engaging content on the platform. On Facebook, less is definitely more.

Facebook is also the go-to platform for customer care, especially among Millennials, Gen X and Boomers. Sharing authentic, conversational content that encourages feedback and discussion can get you great results on the platform.

Screenshot of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Facebook post.

Source

Add static images to your posts or share short videos (under 15 seconds) every now and then to keep your content spicy, promote your brand and encourage interaction.

Instagram

As a visual-first network, Instagram obviously favors images and videos. But the platform has come a long way since it started out as just a photo-sharing app.

Right now, short videos (under 15 seconds) perform the best for Instagram marketing, followed by static images, longer videos (15-60 seconds), influencer content and memes.

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on Instagram: short form video (under 15 seconds), static images, short form video (between 15-30 seconds), sponsored influencer content, gifs and memes.

So what types of 15-second videos can brands post on Instagram?

Think Reels that offer entertaining content, quick tutorials or behind-the-scenes peeks. Or Instagram Stories with interactive elements like polls or Q&As.

With images, there’s lots of room to get creative. Beyond professional product shots, you can find beautiful text graphics, educational content, carousels, inspirational messages and even screenshots of Tweets from brands all over Instagram.

Dunkin Donuts Instagram post of an X post jumping in on the demure trend.

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Keep up with the latest Instagram trends to create relevant content your audience will definitely want to engage with.

LinkedIn

A more professional-oriented network, LinkedIn is great for building yourself up as a thought leader. Text posts and static images perform best for LinkedIn marketing, and video seems to be less important than on other platforms.

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on LinkedIn: text posts, static images, short form video (under 15 seconds), short form video (between 15-30 seconds), user-generated content.

But don’t rule video out completely. With LinkedIn’s new vertical video feed, we might see more short-form videos on the platform than ever before.

Also, if you’re just sharing company updates and posting photos of team events, you’re not using LinkedIn to its max potential.

LinkedIn users want to see more educational content, community engagement and customer support from brands, not overly promotional posts.

An example of an educational LinkedIn post from Sprout Social

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Some engaging LinkedIn post ideas include user-generated content, tips and industry insights, like the example from Sprout Social above. Remember to encourage discussion on topics your audience cares deeply about by asking questions and responding thoughtfully to comments.

Pinterest

Because Pinterest is used often as a way to collect ideas, content that is informational, educational or inspirational works well for Pinterest marketing.

In fact, this is exactly why Pinterest is a haven for finding recipes, DIY tutorials, seasonal ideas, style guides, gift guides and similar content.

A holiday gift guide on Pinterest

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Pinterest’s default dimensions of vertically long are eye-catching—think infographics, high-quality image covers and mood boards. Overlaying that content with a headline will make your Pin stand out.

TikTok

Bite-size videos rule on TikTok—not surprising since that’s the only content format the platform currently supports. However, the length of your videos matters.

Sprout’s research shows short-form videos between 15-30 seconds get the highest engagement on TikTok, followed by very short videos (under 15 seconds) and then slightly longer videos (31-60 secs).

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on TikTok: short form video (between 15-30 seconds), short form video (under 15 seconds), sponsored influencer content, long-form content (more than 60 seconds.

So, what should you post on TikTok anyway?

Short, snappy videos that either entertain or educate work best – in other words, edutainment content.

The platform is also Gen Z’s favorite destination for catching up on news and finding new products, so consider working with TikTok influencers to show off your product’s best features.

Example of user generated content on TikTok.

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TikTok’s algorithm rewards creative and engaging content, which gives brands the perfect opportunity to experiment with humor, storytelling and viral trends. Even serious brands can find success by showing their playful side.

Threads

Meta’s newest platform, Threads, is still finding its footing but shows promise with a focus on conversational content. It offers brands a chance to connect more deeply with their audience with entertaining and educational content.

A post from Sprout Social's profile on Threads. The post asks for ways to keep creative juices flowing for social content and people respond to the thread.

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Right now, text posts get the most engagement on Threads, followed by static images and short-form videos (under 15 seconds).

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on Threads: text posts, static images, short form video (under 15 seconds), long form video (more than 60 seconds), short form videos (between 15-30 seconds).

Interestingly, some users also enjoy watching long-form videos (60+ seconds) on the platform, which offers new possibilities for brands to share powerful, in-depth stories.

X (formerly Twitter)

Despite the rebrand, X remains the go-to platform for news, real-time updates, entertainment and education for its userbase. With nearly half (48%) of social media users with an X profile, men are significantly more likely to have a profile than women.

Text posts (formerly known as “Tweets”) still perform the best on X (Twitter).

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on Twitter (X): text posts, static images, short form video (under 15 seconds), short form video (between 15-30 seconds), gifs and memes.

But static images and short-form videos follow closely, so don’t be afraid to experiment with supporting visuals on your posts in your X marketing strategy.

Notion tweet example on X (Twitter)

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YouTube

When it comes to YouTube marketing, the rules are a bit different.

Here, the longer your content, the more engagement it’s likely to get.

Our Content Strategy Report shows videos longer than 60 seconds perform the best on the platform.

Data visualization showing the types of brand content social media users are most likely to interact with on YouTube: long form video (more than 60 seconds), short form video (between 31-60 seconds), short form video (between 15-30 seconds), short form video (under 15 seconds)

But the success of long-form videos hasn’t stopped YouTube from joining the short-form video club. YouTube Shorts have been around for a while now, and they’re getting more popular.

In fact, that’s probably why the second and third most engaging content types on YouTube are short-form videos between 15 seconds to 3 minutes long.

Here are some types of videos your brand can post on YouTube:

  • Case study videos
  • Tips and tutorials
  • Webinars and video podcasts
  • Interviews with clients
  • Brand story videos
  • Detailed product demos

Here’s how Semrush shares educational SEO content on its YouTube channel.

Example of a thematic playlist on YouTube for SEMrush.

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Tips for creating engaging content across platforms

Social media users want to see more content from brands, but their standards are higher than ever. You can no longer get away with posting generic, promotional content everywhere.

Each platform demands a unique approach. But at their core, they all share some common principles of effective content creation.

Here’s how to craft engaging content that works across platforms while staying true to each network’s distinct characteristics.

Know your audience

Your audience doesn’t just use different platforms—they use them with different intentions. Understanding these behavior patterns can help you engage them on every platform.

For example, a Millennial lawyer might read industry news on LinkedIn, look for shopping inspiration on Instagram and watch entertaining videos on TikTok. As a brand targeting this audience, you now know what content to post on each channel.

And where would you find this valuable info? Social media analytics, of course.

Study your analytics to find out when your audience is most active and what content drives engagement on each platform. Use these insights to create tailored content that matches their  platform-specific habits and expectations.

Use high-quality visuals

While you don’t need professional equipment for every post, you do need to meet basic standards of clarity, composition and lighting. This is especially relevant to image-focused platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.

Posting blurry photos or dark, shaky footage with muffled sound on any platform will not get you engagement. It can actually harm your brand by making you look unprofessional.

Plus, it’s competitive out there. If users have to spend too much time and energy to understand or enjoy your content, they’re just going to watch something else.

At the very least, invest in basic photography skills and simple editing tools. If you’re going to use external assets, pay for higher quality instead of going for the free, low quality version.

Embrace video

If video isn’t already a big part of your social media content strategy, this is your sign to pivot.

According to our 2025 Content Benchmarks Report, video content continues to be a top pick across platforms for social users. Not to mention, the percentage of video content is increasing overall. Facebook and Instagram saw a 3% increase, and X saw a 2% increase in video content. This suggests that brands that are ahead of the curve are already leaning into video.

Remember to tailor your videos to match each platform. While short, vertical videos dominate TikTok and Instagram, you might want to stick to longer videos for YouTube.

Be consistent

If you want to win on any social platform, you need to work with its algorithm. And most (if not all) social media algorithms reward consistency. Posting regularly also keeps your audience engaged and your brand top of mind.

But consistency isn’t just about posting frequency. It’s also about maintaining your brand voice and content quality, regardless of where you post or how often.

Rather than trying to share 10 posts daily everywhere, choose a realistic schedule you can stick to. It’s better to share one high-quality post per day than multiple half-hearted ones.

Use storytelling techniques

Every piece of content should tell a story, even a simple product photo.

Stories work because they create emotional connections. They help people see themselves in your content, whether you’re solving a problem or sharing a journey.

Each platform offers unique ways for your brand to tell these stories. On LinkedIn, this might mean sharing your client’s success story with your brand. On Instagram and TikTok, it could be a 15-second video showing the before and after of your product in use.

Storytelling adds more depth to your content. When you build a strong narrative that resonates deeply with your target audience, engagement naturally follows.

Engage authentically

Your audience can spot fake engagement from a mile away. If you want to build trust and loyalty, you need to put in the effort to genuinely connect with your audience.

Respond to comments, questions and messages quickly and thoughtfully. Join relevant discussions and add real value instead of just promoting your brand.

Authenticity also means adapting your tone to each platform’s culture while staying true to your brand values. For example, look at how Duolingo maintains its playful voice across TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube.

How to use data to drive your content strategy for each network

Okay, so now that you know you should change your content based on audience and network, what do you do next?

Start by looking at your analytics and reports for each channel. This data will uncover which content and post types are successful in your brand’s content strategy.

While each platform natively offers some basic analytics, using a third-party tool like Sprout Social can help you dig deeper, analyze cross-platform metrics, pick up on trends and apply those insights to grow your engagement.

Let’s look at how Sprout can help you use data to drive your content strategy across different social media platforms.

Monitor cross-platform analytics and performance

Sprout provides detailed metrics on impressions, reach, engagement and audience demographics for each platform. This helps your business understand what’s resonating with your audience and create tailored content to match those needs.

But you don’t have to jump between individual platform analytics for this data. Our Post Performance Report brings all your data into one centralized dashboard to give you a clear picture of your performance on multiple channels.

Sprout Social's Post Performance Report

You can dig deeper by filtering through video, text, photo and link posts, and sort them by impressions, engagement and clicks.

Identify top-performing content

Sprout’s Post Performance Report isn’t just great for consolidating your data in one place. It also makes it easy to spot your best content across platforms, especially when you sort your posts by reach or engagement.

You can also create network-specific reports to identify your top content on each channel, such as Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn. Which videos get viewed the most? Which posts received the highest number of likes and comments?

Sprout Social's Instagram report showing top posts and stories

Beyond noting the type of content, also look to see if there are any similar features of the top content: dimensions, voice, style, graphics, type of filter, photo composition, etc. Repeat this for each network and see where the differences are.

Discover trending tags

Want to stay ahead of the conversation? Sprout’s listening tools show you exactly what your audience is talking about right now. Pick up on trending topics, hashtags and mentions to join the conversation and create timely, relevant content for each platform.

Sprout Social's listening topic summary report

For example, a skincare brand on Instagram might discover that #skintok posts surge on Sunday nights during skincare routines.

Then dive deeper into your own content performance with our Tag Performance Report.

Tag your posts by campaign, theme or content type across all networks, and spot exactly what works where. For example, tagging “Holiday Campaign” posts might reveal spikes in engagement for specific visuals or copy.

Sprout Social's Tag Performance Report

Connect the dots between trending conversations and your best-performing content, and use these insights to optimize your strategy for each platform.

Use AI and data-driven recommendations

Sprout goes beyond just reporting by offering AI-powered recommendations for what to post and when to post it so your content gets max engagement.

Use our Generate Posts by AI Assist feature to quickly create tailored content. It can analyze your top-performing posts to generate fresh ideas that match your brand voice.

If you like an idea, send it to Compose to edit and schedule. Then use our Enhance by AI Assist tool to brainstorm engaging caption ideas to go with your post.

Sprout's Enhance by AI Assist caption suggestions

It gets better.

If you’re scheduling content on any platform and aren’t sure about the best times to post, you can see suggestions for Optimal Send Times based on historical data.

Have audiences in different time zones? Hand over your final drafts to our ViralPost technology, which will automatically publish your queued posts at peak engagement times.

Unlock the power of platform-specific content

Tailoring content to each social media platform is not an option—your audience demands it. People use social platforms differently, and brands need to adapt if they want to maximize engagement and ROI across all channels.

The guide above will help you understand what types of content work best on each social platform. Remember, not every content format (or platform) will work for you, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Experiment with different types of content and continuously track performance to learn and improve your strategy. If you need help, use our free assessment tool to determine the best social media content mix for your brand.

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The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/2024-social-content-strategy-report/ Mon, 09 Sep 2024 22:13:49 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=index&p=192541 The post The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report appeared first on Sprout Social.

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