What Is The Difference Between A Pin And A Repin On Pinterest?

Good Morning one and all!

I am back with a new post in this continuation of my series on Pinterest. “What Is The Difference Between A Pin And A Repin On Pinterest?: is a frequently asked question. Purposefully omitted from our FAQ about Pinterest guide because I thought it deserved a thorough answer!

Pinning and repinning play a pivotal role in the whole Pinterest experience. Users can set up boards which are like visual digital folders and pin and repin to them.

On Pinterest, a “pin” and a “repin” refer to two different actions related to saving and sharing content on the platform.

Through pinning, you’re essentially crafting a personalized gallery where you can neatly tuck away anything that captures your imagination – be it yummy recipes, fashion, automobiles, or finance (and the list does go on.)

So what is the difference between a pin and a repin anyway?

So It Starts With…What Is A Pin?

A “pin” is the term used for saving an image or a video to one of your Pinterest boards.

When you find content on Pinterest or from external websites that you want to save or bookmark, you can create a pin by clicking on the “Save” button usually located near the image or video. You can also do this through the mobile app or by downloading the chrome extension.

You’ll then be prompted to choose which board you want to save the pin to, and you can also add a description and additional information to it. Essentially, pinning is the process of adding content to your own collection.

Tip: Pinterest wants mostly Fresh Pins

So A Repin Is,

A “repin” is when you see a pin that has already been shared by someone else (Third party content ) on Pinterest, and you decide to save that same pin to one of your own boards.

In other words, you’re re-sharing or re-saving content that you found interesting or valuable, or just generally liked.

When you repin, the original source of the pin remains the same, but it now appears on your own board as well. This action allows you to curate content that aligns with your interests and passions.

Repinning is also a way of digitally applauding someone else’s fantastic discovery and saying, “This is so awesome, I want it in my collection too!”

It’s about curating your space with content that resonates with you, and simultaneously forming connections with fellow content creators.

What Else Should I know?

OK so no one actually asked that question but you should because there is more to tell. lol Here we go.

*Pins and repins can receive likes, comments, and reactions from other users, fostering interaction and engagement within the Pinterest community. This interaction can lead to more discoverability for the content, as popular pins often gain wider visibility.

For example the following screen shot shows analytics for a pin I literally just pinned to Pinterest

Current stats for an older pin

*Pinterest’s algorithm takes into account the pins and repins of the original pin to recommend related content to users, creating a cycle of discovery and engagement.

*Pinterest is a visual search engine, so pinning and repinning revolve around the visual appeal of images, videos, and infographics, making Pinterest a platform uniquely centered on aesthetics. Remember this when creating and designing your pins.

Pin vs Repin: Is It Better To Pin Or Repin, Or Does It Actually Matter?

It does in fact matter.

Your Pinterest account should have more fresh pins than repins.

Repins help when trying to establish a new board because adding these pins helps Pinterest understand what your board is about (along with your board description) and shows related pins. You can also save 3rd party content to build up engagement on an old board. 

Most of your pins should be fresh pins. Fresh pins: This means new a new image for each pin, a new pin. It can be a new blog post or an old one. As long as it’s a new image, it’s “fresh” in the eyes of the Pinterest algorithm. 

Tip 1: If you are trying to create fresh pins, instead of repinning a third party pin, go to the website and pin directly from the source. This creates a fresh image. You can do this with your own website by installing the save plugin. You can also use the app.

Tip 2: Do not make pins that lead back to your home page. Pinterest cannot distinguish the home page from every other page on your website. This may trip the spam alert and get your account suspended!

Summary

To sum all this up, the key difference between a pin and a repin on Pinterest is that a pin refers to the initial action of saving content to your own board, while a repin refers to the action of sharing and saving someone else’s content (3rd party content) to your own board.

It is better to add new “fresh” pins over repins but repins are still important when establishing a new board.

Have any question? Comments? Leave a reply and I will get back to you soon.