Advertising on Pinterest

In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, businesses have an abundance of social media platforms at their disposal to reach potential customers. With TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter dominating the market, businesses need to carefully evaluate each platform’s features and benefits to determine which one aligns best with their marketing strategy. Amongst these, Pinterest has emerged as a unique player in the advertising space, providing businesses with a visually stunning platform to showcase their products and services. Its advanced targeting options, highly engaged audience, and cost-effective advertising options make it an attractive choice for businesses looking to drive engagement and conversions.

What is Pinterest?

Founded in 2010, Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to discover and save visual content on boards. Users can create boards on topics ranging from fashion, food, travel, and more, and save images and videos related to those topics. Users can also search for content related to their interests and save them on their boards for later viewing. As part of our own creative process, the team at TwentyThree.Five uses Pinterest for inspiration and learning. Pinterest has over 450 million active users worldwide, with a majority of its user base consisting of women. However, this demographic is shifting, with more men and younger users joining the platform; in fact, male pinners and Gen Z pinners are up 40% year-over-year. As of 2021, Pinterest has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. The platform is known for its high level of user engagement, “That’s why Pinterest drives 10x higher branded searches off platform, compared to others.” Additionally, Pinterest’s advanced targeting options and affordable ad costs have made it a valuable tool for businesses looking to reach their target audience through visually stunning ads.

Why Should Businesses Consider Advertising on Pinterest?

1. It's a Highly Visual Platform:

Pinterest is a highly visual platform, making it an ideal platform for businesses with visually appealing products. With Pinterest’s emphasis on visual content, businesses have the opportunity to showcase their offerings in a visually stunning way, helping them stand out from the competition. Not only does Pinterest allow businesses to showcase their products visually, but it also enables them to tell a story through their pins. Brands can create boards that tell a story about their products or services, creating an emotional connection with their target audience. Additionally, with Pinterest’s advanced analytics tools, businesses can track the performance of their ads and make data-driven decisions about how to optimize their campaigns for better results.

2. The Targeted Reach:

One of Pinterest’s biggest advantages is its advanced targeting options, which allows businesses to reach their ideal audience based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors. This makes it easier for businesses to connect with the right people at the right time, increasing the chances of conversion. Through Pinterest’s targeting options, businesses can tailor their ad campaigns to specific segments of their audience, including retargeting users who have previously engaged with their brand. Moreover, Pinterest’s recent integration with Shopify allows businesses to create shoppable pins, making it easier for users to purchase products directly from the platform. Though most of our clients prefer WordPress websites to fit their needs, we work with many clients to maximize their Shopify websites for Pinterest, Instagram, and other platforms. With its unique features and advanced targeting capabilities, Pinterest can be an effective tool for businesses looking to drive engagement and increase conversions.

3. It's Cost-Effective:

Compared to other advertising platforms, Pinterest ads are relatively affordable, giving businesses a cost-effective way to reach their target audience. This is especially important for small businesses with limited budgets who are looking for ways to maximize their advertising spend. Additionally, Pinterest ads can have a longer shelf-life than ads on other social media platforms, as pins can continue to be discovered and shared by users for months or even years after they are posted. This can result in a higher return on investment over time, making Pinterest a smart investment for businesses looking to build brand awareness and increase long-term engagement. With its cost-effective and long-lasting ad formats, Pinterest is a powerful tool for businesses looking to maximize their advertising dollars.

4. It Drives Engagement:

Pinterest has a highly engaged user base, this means businesses have the opportunity to connect with users who are actively seeking out inspiration and ideas related to their products and services, increasing the chances of engagement. Moreover, Pinterest’s emphasis on visual content encourages users to save and revisit content that resonates with them, making it a valuable platform for businesses looking to build brand loyalty and repeat engagement. Additionally, Pinterest’s community-based approach enables businesses to connect with users who share similar interests, increasing the chances of building a passionate and engaged audience around their brand.

Is Pinterest the Right Platform for Your Business?

1. Beware of Limited Ad Formats:

Pinterest currently offers only a few ad formats, including Promoted Pins, Promoted Video Pins, and Promoted Carousels. While these ad formats can be effective, they may limit creative options for businesses when it comes to designing their ads. Despite the limited ad formats, businesses can still get creative with their ad campaigns by leveraging the platform’s unique features, such as rich pins, which provide users with additional information about a product or service, and Story Pins, which allow businesses to create engaging visual stories. Additionally, businesses can experiment with different targeting options and ad formats to find the best approach for their brand and audience. By testing and optimizing their ad campaigns, businesses can find ways to stand out and drive engagement on the platform.

2. The Competitive Landscape:

As more businesses start to advertise on Pinterest, the competition for ad space is increasing, making it more difficult to stand out. This means businesses need to be strategic in their approach to advertising on the platform, creating visually appealing and engaging content that resonates with their target audience. To rise above the competition, businesses can also leverage Pinterest’s tools and features to enhance their ad campaigns, such as Pinterest’s “Trending” section, which can help businesses identify popular topics and keywords to target. Additionally, businesses can experiment with different ad formats, targeting options, and bidding strategies to find the most effective approach for their brand and budget. By staying up-to-date on industry trends and constantly optimizing their campaigns, businesses can achieve success on Pinterest and stand out from the crowd.

3. The Fairly Limited Demographic:

While Pinterest has a highly engaged audience, it may not be the best fit for all businesses, as it tends to skew towards a predominantly female demographic. However, as mentioned earlier, this demographic is changing, with more men and younger users joining the platform. To reach a wider audience, businesses can leverage Pinterest’s targeting options to reach users outside of their typical demographic, such as targeting interests or behaviors that are popular among other demographics. Additionally, businesses can create content that appeals to a broader audience, such as featuring diverse models or showcasing products that appeal to a wider range of interests. By taking a creative and strategic approach, businesses can expand their reach on Pinterest and attract new customers.

Tips for Advertising on Pinterest

1. Create High-Quality Visual Content:

Pinterest is a visual platform, so it’s essential to create visually appealing content that resonates with your target audience. Use high-quality images and videos that showcase your products or services in the best possible light. In addition to high-quality visuals, consider incorporating text overlays or graphics to make your content more informative and engaging. This can help to catch the attention of users scrolling through their feeds. It’s also important to ensure that your content is relevant to your target audience and fits within their interests and aesthetics. By creating content that aligns with their preferences, you increase the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

2. Leverage Pinterest's Targeting Options:

Pinterest’s advanced targeting options allow businesses to reach their ideal audience based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors. Use these targeting options to ensure your ads are seen by the right people at the right time. To effectively leverage Pinterest’s targeting options, it’s important to first understand your target audience and their behaviors on the platform. Conduct research to identify the keywords, topics, and boards relevant to your target audience, and use them to inform your targeting strategy. Additionally, regularly monitor and analyze your ad performance to adjust and optimize your targeting as needed.

3. Test Different Ad Formats:

While Pinterest offers only a few ad formats, it’s important to test different formats to see what works best for your business. Try Promoted Pins, Promoted Video Pins, and Promoted Carousels to see which format drives the most engagement and conversions. Consider experimenting with different creative elements in your ads as well, such as varying the call-to-action or adding text overlays to your images. You may also want to test different ad placements to see which ones perform best for your business. By testing and optimizing your ad campaigns, you can improve their effectiveness over time.

4. Monitor Performance and Adjust:

As with any advertising campaign, it’s important to monitor performance and make adjustments as needed. Use Pinterest’s analytics tools to track the performance of your ads, including impressions, clicks, and conversions. Use this data to make informed decisions about how to optimize your campaigns for better results. It’s also essential to set clear goals for your advertising campaigns before launching them on Pinterest. Determine what you want to achieve, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting sales. This will help you track progress and evaluate the success of your campaigns. Additionally, stay up to date with changes to Pinterest’s advertising policies and algorithms to ensure your campaigns comply with their guidelines and continue to perform well.

Use Keywords and Descriptions:

Pinterest uses keywords to help users discover content related to their interests. Use relevant keywords in your ad descriptions to increase the chances of your ads being seen by users who are interested in your products or services. In addition to using relevant keywords in your ad descriptions, it’s important to also include clear and concise descriptions that accurately reflect your products or services. Avoid using vague or generic descriptions that could confuse or mislead potential customers. Another tip is to use hashtags to help your content be more discoverable. This can increase the reach of your ads beyond just your followers and can help attract new customers. Don’t forget to also take advantage of Pinterest’s visual search feature, which allows users to search for content by image. By using clear and descriptive images in your ads, you can increase the chances of your content being discovered through visual search. Lastly, consider using Rich Pins, which allow you to include additional information in your Pins such as product details and pricing. This can help make your Pins more informative and useful for potential customers.

Be Creative:

Pinterest can be a game-changer for businesses that want to showcase their offerings in a visually stunning way. Thanks to its emphasis on visual content and its advanced targeting options, businesses can reach the right audience at the right time and increase the chances of conversion. It’s worth noting that while Pinterest has a highly engaged user base, it may not be the best fit for all businesses, especially those with a different target demographic. Therefore, before investing in Pinterest ads, it’s important to assess if this platform aligns with your overall marketing strategy. Additionally, businesses can benefit from partnering with a trusted marketing agency like TwentyThree.Five, which can help them create high-quality visual content, test different ad formats, monitor performance, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their campaigns. By following these tips, businesses can leverage the power of visual advertising on Pinterest and maximize their ROI.

Pinterest users are looking for inspiration and ideas, so it’s important to be creative in your approach to advertising on the platform. Use visually stunning images and videos that tell a story and evoke emotion to capture the attention of your target audience. To succeed on Pinterest, businesses must be creative in their approach to advertising. With a highly visual platform and engaged audience, it’s important to create visually stunning content that stands out and inspires users. This can include using eye-catching images and videos, incorporating storytelling elements, and experimenting with different ad formats. By being creative in their approach, businesses can capture the attention of their target audience and drive engagement and conversions on the platform.

Work with us

At TwentyThree.Five, we believe that working with a local marketing agency is the best way to achieve your marketing goals and grow your business. With our expertise in digital marketing, creative services, and community involvement, we can help you to reach new customers, build your brand, and succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. With our expertise and commitment to providing personalized service, TwentyThree.Five is the perfect marketing partner for businesses of all sizes. If you’re ready to start a project and take your marketing efforts to the next level, contact us today. We look forward to helping you achieve your marketing goals and grow your business!

start a mission

Ready To Launch?