Pinterest has grown from a simple image-sharing platform into a powerful visual search engine and discovery network. For businesses, this means an opportunity to reach engaged users through Pinterest Ads. This guide will walk you through everything a beginner needs to know about Pinterest advertising – from understanding what Pinterest Ads are and why they’re valuable, to setting up your first campaign step-by-step, and crafting a solid advertising strategy. We’ll cover both the technical setup and the strategic thinking behind successful Pinterest campaigns. By the end, you’ll know how to leverage Pinterest’s advertising tools to drive traffic, build brand awareness, and even generate sales.
Pinterest is unique compared to other social networks because users come here actively looking for ideas, inspiration, and products. They often plan future projects or purchases by saving Pins. Advertising on Pinterest allows your content to appear as Promoted Pins right where people are searching and browsing for things they care about. This native integration of ads means a well-crafted ad can feel as helpful and inspiring as organic content. With the right strategy and setup, even a newcomer can tap into Pinterest’s highly engaged audience.
In the sections that follow, we will break down the basics of Pinterest Ads, guide you through setting up the necessary tools (like a business account and tracking tag), outline how to plan your campaign strategy, and then delve into the nitty-gritty of creating and managing ads. Whether you’re aiming to increase website traffic, promote a product, or build brand recognition, Pinterest offers a range of ad formats and targeting options to meet your goals. Let’s start by understanding what Pinterest Ads are and how they function.
Understanding Pinterest Ads
What Are Pinterest Ads?
Pinterest Ads are paid promotional posts on Pinterest, often appearing as regular Pins with a small “Promoted” label. In practice, they look and behave almost like normal Pins that users save, except that advertisers pay to have them shown to a wider or more targeted audience. These ads can appear in a user’s home feed, search results, and even in category feeds or related Pin carousels. When a user clicks a Promoted Pin, they are usually taken directly to the advertiser’s website (for example, to a product page or a blog), rather than just seeing a close-up of the Pin. This allows businesses to drive traffic and actions (like sign-ups or purchases) from Pinterest to their own site.
Pinterest Ads function on a bidding system like most digital ad platforms: you set a budget and bid for your Pin to be shown to certain audiences. The ad delivery is often optimized by Pinterest’s algorithm based on your chosen objective (for instance, driving clicks versus brand awareness). Despite the behind-the-scenes mechanics, the key thing to remember is that a Promoted Pin should be compelling and relevant enough that users engage with it just like any other content. The better your ad fits the interests and needs of the audience, the more effective it will be.
Why Advertise on Pinterest?
Pinterest is not just another social media site – it’s fundamentally a platform for discovery and ideas. People on Pinterest are often planning for real-life projects: think of users pinning wedding inspirations, home renovation ideas, fashion trends, recipes, or gift ideas. This planning mindset means users are actively seeking products or solutions, making them more receptive to commercial content. Advertising on Pinterest lets you place your brand and products in front of users at the moment they’re looking for something similar.
Some key benefits of Pinterest Ads include:
- High user intent: Pinterest users often have purchase intent. They use Pinterest to discover new products or plan purchases, so a well-targeted ad can capture people who are ready to buy or at least interested in the ideas you offer.
- Longevity of content: Pins (including ads) have a longer lifespan than posts on many other platforms. A good Pin can continue to circulate and gain saves over time. Even if your ad campaign ends, people who saved your Promoted Pin might keep sharing it, extending its impact.
- Visual appeal and engagement: Pinterest is all about visuals. If you have a product or content that is visually appealing, Pinterest can showcase it in the best light. Eye-catching images or videos naturally draw attention on the platform, which can lead to higher engagement rates.
- Focused targeting: Pinterest offers unique targeting options like keyword targeting (showing ads based on what users search for) in addition to interest and demographic targeting. This means you can reach people by the specific topics or keywords they are actively engaging with.
Another reason to use Pinterest Ads is the seamless integration with organic content. Ads on Pinterest don’t feel as intrusive because they appear as part of the discovery feed. If your ad is relevant, it feels like just another useful Pin. This can lead to better user responses compared to platforms where ads interrupt the user experience. Additionally, Pinterest’s audience has grown to over 500 million monthly active users, covering many demographics and niches. It’s especially popular among audiences interested in categories like home decor, DIY, fashion, food, beauty, and fitness, to name a few. If your business aligns with any popular Pinterest category, there’s a ready audience waiting.
Pinterest Ads vs. Other Social Media Ads
When developing an advertising strategy, it’s useful to understand how Pinterest Ads compare to other platforms like Facebook/Instagram, Google Ads, or Twitter (now X) ads. Pinterest Ads have some unique characteristics:
- Discovery over social interaction: Unlike Facebook where users primarily connect with friends or see updates, Pinterest users are exploring ideas. This means ads can be a natural part of that exploration. On Pinterest, an ad providing a new idea or product is often welcomed as inspiration rather than seen as a distraction.
- Searchability: Pinterest functions partly like a search engine. Users type keywords to find Pins. Your Pinterest Ads can leverage this by appearing in search results through keyword targeting. This is more similar to Google Ads (where you bid on search keywords) than to typical social feed ads. It gives you a chance to capture people actively looking for what you offer.
- Visual format: All Pinterest content is visual. Other platforms mix text and visuals, but on Pinterest, the image (or video) is the star. This forces advertisers to focus on high-quality imagery and design. The advantage is that a great image can capture attention more effectively here. On the flip side, you can’t rely on lengthy text in the ad itself (descriptions exist but are secondary), so your visual really matters.
- Long-term engagement: As mentioned, a Pin’s lifespan is longer. On Facebook or Twitter, an ad is fleeting in the feed and gone in a day. On Pinterest, users can save your Promoted Pin to their boards. That means even after you stop paying for promotion, that Pin could live on in boards and continue driving free engagement or traffic. In essence, Pinterest blurs the line between paid and organic content longevity.
- Lower competition in some niches: Pinterest advertising is still underutilized compared to giants like Facebook or Google. Depending on your niche, you might find less competition for ad placements, which can mean lower costs (cost per click or cost per action) for you. This is not universally true for all categories, but many advertisers discover they can get more results for the same budget on Pinterest if their content fits the platform.
However, Pinterest Ads are not meant to replace other channels but to complement them. Pinterest shines in the inspiration and consideration phase of the buyer’s journey. A user might discover your brand on Pinterest, save your Pin, visit your site, and perhaps later convert via an email or another platform. So, it’s one piece of a multi-channel strategy, but a piece with unique strengths. Understanding these differences will help you tailor your approach and set realistic expectations for your Pinterest campaigns.
Setting Up Your Pinterest Business Account for Advertising
Before you can launch any campaigns, you need to have a Pinterest Business Account. Pinterest requires businesses to use a business profile (not a personal profile) for advertising access and analytics. Setting up a business account is straightforward, and if you already have a personal Pinterest account, you can simply convert it or create a linked business profile.
Creating a Pinterest Business Account
To create a business account, go to Pinterest and either convert an existing account to business or sign up directly as a business. You’ll provide details like your business name, website, and choose some topics of interest related to your brand (this helps Pinterest tune your recommendations). The business account dashboard will look a bit different from a personal one, giving you access to Pinterest Analytics and the Ads Manager.
Once your business account is active, take a moment to complete your profile. Add a profile picture (your logo or brand image), write a clear description of your business, and include your website URL. It’s also highly recommended to claim or verify your website within Pinterest settings. Verifying (claiming) your website means adding a snippet of code or a meta tag to your site, which proves to Pinterest that you own it. This step unlocks features like website analytics and ensures your logo might appear on any Pins from your site.
Navigating the Pinterest Ads Manager
With a business account, you can access the Pinterest Ads Manager (sometimes called the Business Hub). From your Pinterest home screen (when logged in as a business), you’ll see a menu or a button for Ads. Clicking that will drop down options such as “Overview”, “Reporting”, and “Create Ad.” To start making an ad, click on Create ad or Create campaign in this Ads menu.
The Ads Manager is where you’ll configure campaigns, set targeting, budgets, and choose the Pins to promote. On your first visit, Pinterest may guide you through setting up billing information (a credit card or other payment method) before you can launch any ads. Ensure you provide a valid payment method and set your country and currency correctly. You might also want to set an account spending limit as a safety measure, especially when you’re starting out, so you don’t accidentally overspend.
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Ads Manager interface. It typically has sections for Campaigns, Ad groups, and Ads (Pinterest structures its campaigns in these levels, similar to other ad platforms). You will also find a reporting section where you can see metrics once your campaigns run. Don’t worry if it feels overwhelming at first – we will go through the campaign creation steps in detail later. The key is knowing where to click to start a campaign and where to find your results.
Installing the Pinterest Tag for Tracking
One crucial setup step before running conversion-focused campaigns is installing the Pinterest Tag on your website. The Pinterest Tag is a snippet of JavaScript code (often called a pixel) that you add to your website to track actions that Pinterest users take after clicking on your ads. It allows you to measure conversions (like sign-ups, add-to-carts, or purchases) and build audiences for retargeting.
To get your Pinterest Tag, go to the Ads Manager and find the Conversions or Tag section. Pinterest will provide you with a piece of code (the base code). You need to place this base code on every page of your website, just before the </head> tag in the HTML. If you’re using platforms like Shopify, WordPress, or others, you might have plugins or built-in integrations to add the Pinterest Tag easily without touching code.
In addition to the base code, Pinterest allows you to set up event codes for specific actions you care about. For example, you can add a checkout event code on your order confirmation page to track purchases, or an add-to-cart event on the cart page to track when someone adds a product to their cart. These event tags piggyback on the base code to log specific events. Setting these up is a bit technical, but Pinterest’s documentation guides you through events like PageVisit, Signup, Lead, AddToCart, and Checkout. If you’re not ready for this yet, you can still run ads without event tags, but you will be limited to objectives like traffic or awareness rather than conversion optimization.
Installing the Pinterest Tag is highly recommended even for beginners, because it unlocks more advanced advertising capabilities down the line. It enables conversion campaigns (where Pinterest optimizes delivery to people likely to convert) and retargeting (showing ads to people who have already visited your site). After adding the tag to your site, use Pinterest’s Tag Manager or the Pinterest Tag Helper (a Chrome extension) to check that it’s firing correctly. Once verified, you’re all set from a technical standpoint – your account is now ready to run campaigns and track results.
Crafting an Effective Pinterest Ads Strategy
Having the technical setup ready is only half the equation. Equally important is developing a clear strategy for your Pinterest Ads. This means thinking about what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it using Pinterest’s platform. A solid strategy will guide your choices for ad type, creative design, targeting, and budget. Below, we break down the key strategic elements to consider before launching campaigns.
Aligning Ads with Your Marketing Goals
Every successful ad campaign starts with a clear objective. Pinterest will actually ask you to select a campaign objective when you create a new campaign (for example: brand awareness, video views, traffic, app install, or conversions). But even before that point, you should clarify what your goals are. Are you trying to drive a high volume of visitors to your blog or site? Are you aiming to increase sales for an online store? Perhaps you want to grow brand awareness for a new product line? Your goal will influence everything from the type of ad you choose to the budget you allocate.
For beginners, it’s often wise to start with a single primary objective. Brand awareness campaigns (sometimes called impressions or reach campaigns) will show your Pins to lots of people to get your name out there. Traffic (also called consideration) campaigns optimize for link clicks, sending users to your website. Conversion campaigns optimize for actions like signups or purchases (these require the Pinterest Tag to be properly installed). If you have an app, app install campaigns encourage people to download it. Matching the correct objective to your desired outcome is crucial. For example, if sales are your priority, a conversion campaign (once your tracking is set up) might be more efficient than a simple traffic campaign, because Pinterest will try to show the ad to people likely to buy, not just click.
Also consider the metrics that matter for your goal. If running an awareness campaign, you’ll be looking at impressions and reach. For traffic, you’ll watch clicks and click-through-rate (CTR). For conversions, you’ll track things like sign-ups, checkout completions, or conversion rate. Knowing what success looks like will help you optimize later. Make sure to define a few key performance indicators (KPIs) up front that align with your objective.
Understanding Your Pinterest Audience
Next, think about who you want to reach on Pinterest. Understanding your audience on this platform might be slightly different than on Instagram or Facebook. Pinterest’s user base skews towards people looking for ideas and often has a strong representation of women (though men and other demographics are increasingly present too). What interests do your potential customers have on Pinterest? For example, if you sell fitness apparel, your audience might be browsing for workout routines, health tips, or athletic outfit ideas. If you have a home decor business, your audience is likely looking at interior design inspiration, DIY renovation Pins, and so on.
Spend some time researching Pinterest itself to gather insights on your audience’s behavior. Use the Pinterest search bar to type in keywords related to your niche and see what suggestions pop up – those suggestions are popular searches that can reveal user intent. You can also use Pinterest’s Trends tool (available to business accounts) to see what topics are trending over time and during each season. Pinterest Analytics in your business account will, after you’ve posted content or run some ads, show data about who is engaging with your content (like demographic info and the interests of your audience). This data can validate if you’re reaching the right people.
Think about the stage of the buying journey your audience might be in when on Pinterest. Often, users are in a discovery or planning phase – maybe not ready to buy this second, but open to saving ideas and purchasing soon. This means your advertising content should be tailored to inspire and inform, not just to directly sell. You might, for instance, promote a blog post with “10 DIY Wedding Decor Ideas” if you sell craft supplies, catching users who are planning a wedding and might later buy your products. Aligning your message with what the audience wants to see on Pinterest will make your ads much more effective.
Researching Keywords and Interests for Targeting
One powerful aspect of Pinterest Ads is the ability to target by keywords – similar to search engine advertising. If you know what terms people might search for in relation to your product or service, you can bid to have your ads appear in those searches. Start by listing out keywords relevant to your business. Put yourself in the shoes of your customer: what would they type into Pinterest if they were looking for what you offer? Use Pinterest’s search suggestions as mentioned, and also consider using external keyword tools or Pinterest-specific research tools to expand your list. Aim for a mix of broad and specific terms. For example, broad could be “living room furniture” while specific might be “mid-century modern sofa”.
Besides keywords, Pinterest lets you target by Interests. Interests are predefined topic categories (like “Home Decor”, “Travel”, “Beauty”, “Men’s Fashion”, etc.) that Pinterest curates based on user behavior. If your business falls neatly into one of these, interest targeting can quickly get your ads in front of people who regularly engage with that topic. For example, a baking supplies store might target the “Food and Drinks > Baking” interest category to reach avid bakers.
During your strategy planning, decide which targeting method (or combination) suits your goal. Keywords can capture active searchers, while interest targeting can passively reach people in discovery mode. You can also target by Demographics (such as age, gender, location, language) and by Devices (say you only want mobile users or only desktop users). Furthermore, with the Pinterest Tag installed, you unlock Audience targeting options like retargeting visitors who have been to your site, or creating “actalike” audiences (Pinterest’s version of lookalikes) to find people similar to your existing customers.
Research is key. Use Pinterest as a user would: search your keywords, observe which Pins come up and which seem popular (lots of saves or comments). This will inform not only your targeting keywords but also the kind of content you’ll need to compete in those searches. Jot down popular search terms, and consider using them both for targeting and to incorporate into your Pin descriptions (since Pinterest’s algorithm also uses your Pin’s description text for relevancy).
Creative Planning and Content Strategy
A Pinterest Ads strategy isn’t just about who you target; it’s also about what you show them. Creative planning is essential. You should design your Promoted Pins to both stand out and fit in with Pinterest content. That means high-quality visuals with scroll-stopping appeal, but also relevance to Pinterest trends and user interests.
First, decide on the format of your creative (image, video, or a combination like a carousel – we’ll discuss formats in the next section). Different objectives may benefit from different formats. For example, a video ad might be great for a recipe demonstration or a fashion how-to, whereas an image Pin might suffice for a simple product shot with a text overlay. Think about what format can best convey your message.
Next, brainstorm the content of the Pin itself. Pinterest users prefer content that is helpful or inspiring. If you’re selling a product, rather than just showing the product on a white background, consider showing it in context (e.g., a piece of furniture styled in a room, a garment being worn in an outfit, a before-and-after using a DIY tool). If you’re offering a service or digital product, you might need to get creative with imagery – perhaps use infographics, attractive typography, or screenshots in an appealing way.
Branding is important but should not overwhelm the creative. Include your logo or brand name subtly on the Pin (many brands put a small logo in a corner). Use colors and fonts consistent with your brand to build recognition. But make sure the overall Pin still focuses on the value or idea you’re sharing, not just a big logo. The content should offer something to the viewer (information, inspiration, etc.), with branding as a footer.
Also plan for your Pin’s title and description. While the image/video grabs attention, the text can persuade someone to click. Pinterest allows a title and a description for each Pin (though on some mobile views only part of this text is shown). Use the title to state a clear benefit or hook (“Easy 20-Minute Workout Routine” or “Cozy Winter Outfit Ideas”). In the description, include a call to action or additional details (“Shop the items to recreate this look” or “Visit our site for the full tutorial”). Incorporate relevant keywords naturally in the description to improve ad relevancy for those search terms.
Budgeting and Bidding Considerations
When strategizing, you should also outline your budget and how you plan to bid. If you’re new, it’s prudent to start with a moderate daily budget that you can afford to spend while you learn what works. Pinterest will let you set either a daily budget (e.g., $10 per day) or a lifetime budget for campaigns (e.g., $300 for the entire campaign runtime). Daily budgets ensure you spend at a steady pace, while lifetime budgets give Pinterest flexibility to spend more on high-traffic days and less on others, as long as it averages out within your timeframe.
Decide how long you want your initial campaign to run. A good test campaign might run for at least 1-2 weeks to gather enough data, but not so long that it spends too much before you can evaluate performance. If it’s seasonal (say promoting a holiday sale), obviously align it with those dates. You can always pause a campaign early if needed.
For bidding, Pinterest often has an automatic bidding option where their system will adjust your bids to get the most results for your budget. This is recommended for beginners as it simplifies the process. If you choose manual bidding, you’ll need to set a max CPC (cost per click) or CPM (cost per thousand impressions) depending on your objective. For example, you might decide you’re willing to pay up to $0.50 per click. Manual bidding gives you more control but requires some knowledge of what a competitive bid is. If you bid too low, your ads might not serve much; too high and you might overspend. A safe approach if you try manual is to start with Pinterest’s suggested bid range (they often give guidance if you choose manual) and then adjust if needed after seeing results.
It’s also smart at the strategy stage to allocate budget across different campaigns or ad groups if you plan to test multiple approaches. For instance, you might split your budget between two campaigns: one targeting keywords and another targeting interests, to see which performs better. Or allocate some budget for a retargeting campaign while the rest goes to prospecting new audiences. Laying out this plan prevents you from putting all your eggs in one basket.
Leveraging Organic Pinterest Presence
Finally, consider how your paid Pinterest strategy will complement your organic Pinterest activity. If you have not done so, set up some boards and start pinning content (both your own organic pins and relevant repins) to build a presence. When users see your Promoted Pin and click through to your profile, a well-curated Pinterest profile with boards and content helps establish credibility. They might follow you or engage with your other pins, creating a more lasting connection beyond the single ad.
In terms of strategy, you can use organic pins to test what content resonates before putting money behind it. If a particular pin you posted organically is getting a lot of saves or clicks, that’s a good candidate to promote as an ad, since it clearly has appeal. Moreover, running ads can boost your organic performance indirectly – as more people engage with your content via ads, it can lead to more saves and further spread, which then continue as organic traffic even after the campaign.
Keep a consistent content strategy: the style and themes of your ads should align with what you post organically. Pinterest rewards consistency and quality. Seasonal content is big on Pinterest, so plan campaigns around seasonal trends (for example, if you’re in fashion, you might prepare campaigns for “Summer Outfit Ideas” or “Holiday Party Looks” at the appropriate times, alongside organic pins on those topics). The combination of organic and paid efforts will maximize your visibility on the platform and provide more data to refine your approach as you grow.
Pinterest Ad Formats and Types
Pinterest provides a variety of ad formats to choose from, each with its own advantages. As a beginner, you’ll likely start with the simpler formats like standard image Pins, but it’s good to be aware of all the options as your strategy grows. Different formats can be matched to different goals and creative ideas.
Standard Promoted Pins (Image Ads)
The most common format is a standard Promoted Pin, which is essentially a single image Pin that you pay to promote. If you already have Pins on your boards, you can turn any one of them into a Promoted Pin through the Ads Manager by selecting it during ad creation. Standard Pin ads feature one image (or a single animated GIF) along with your title, description, and destination link. They appear in users’ home feeds, category feeds, and search results just like any normal Pin, except for the small “Promoted by [Your Business]” label.
Standard Promoted Pins are effective for a wide range of objectives. They keep things simple: one great image, a bit of text, and a call-to-action. They work well for driving traffic or awareness. When someone taps a standard ad, they are taken directly to your chosen URL (instead of a close-up of the Pin). This is great for driving e-commerce product page visits, blog reads, sign-ups, etc. Standard Pins can be static images or even animated (Pinterest supports GIFs), but if you want to use actual video files, those fall under the video Pin format.
Video Pin Ads
Video Pins are another eye-catching ad format. Instead of a static image, you use a video clip for the Pin’s creative. Video ads auto-play in the Pinterest feed (muted by default, with sound only if the user taps for it). This motion can really help capture attention as someone scrolls through a sea of images. Video Pin ads also have the “Promoted” label and can appear in the same places as standard pins.
With video, you can demonstrate products (e.g., how to use a kitchen gadget), tell a story (a quick before-and-after transformation), or show multiple angles in a short time. Pinterest allows various video lengths, but shorter videos (e.g., 6 to 30 seconds) tend to perform well since users are in browsing mode. Ensure the first few seconds have a strong visual hook, because that’s when you’ll grab or lose the viewer’s interest. Like standard Pins, clicking a video ad can take the user to your website (or to the app store for app install campaigns). Some video ads can also expand to a larger view if clicked on, playing sound if the user enables it.
One tip: since many users will watch without sound, use captions or on-screen text if dialogue or voice-over is part of your video. Also, choose an attractive cover image (thumbnail) for your video, as that’s what users see before it plays or if there’s any loading delay.
Carousel Ads
Carousel ads allow you to have multiple images within a single ad that users can swipe through (on mobile) or click through (on desktop). Pinterest Carousel Ads can contain 2-5 images (called cards). Each card can have its own title, description, and even a different landing URL if you want (for example, showcasing different products that each link to a specific page).
Carousel Promoted Pins look like a regular Pin with a series of dots underneath indicating multiple cards. They are useful when you want to showcase a collection or tell a sequential story. For example, a furniture brand might use a carousel to show a sofa in different styled rooms, or a travel company might have a card for each step of an itinerary. Swiping through carousels can increase engagement time with your ad as users explore the multiple images.
From a strategic perspective, use carousel ads when one image isn’t enough to convey your message. They can highlight variety (multiple product colors or styles), detail (product shots + lifestyle shots), or narrative (step 1, step 2, step 3 of a process). Remember that if someone saves a carousel Pin, all the images/cards get saved together, so the whole set of content can keep circulating.
Shopping Ads (Catalog Pins)
If you have an e-commerce store with many products, Shopping Ads on Pinterest are a powerful way to automatically generate ads from your product catalog. To use Shopping ads, you’ll need to set up your product feed in Pinterest by connecting your online store’s catalog. Pinterest provides integrations for platforms like Shopify, or you can upload a data feed file with all your product info (product titles, images, prices, etc.). Once your catalog is linked and your products are ingested by Pinterest, you can run a “Catalog Sales” objective campaign.
Shopping Ads look similar to standard Pins but are pulled from your product information (image, price, title, description) that you provided in the catalog. They often have a price displayed and will update automatically if your product info changes (for example, if a price drops or if an item goes out of stock, the ad for that item will pause). The benefit is scale and relevance: you might have hundreds of products and you can let Pinterest dynamically show the right ones to the right people via their algorithm, rather than manually picking each Pin to promote.
For beginners, setting up a catalog might require some additional work, but once it’s done, Shopping ads are relatively easy to run. Pinterest does a lot of the heavy lifting in targeting – it will use your product categories and attributes to match ads to user interests and searches. These ads are great for e-commerce brands that want to drive direct product sales. When a user clicks a Shopping Ad, they go directly to the product page on your site to potentially buy that item.
Collections Ads
Collections are an ad format designed for mobile devices where a main hero image (or video) is paired with several smaller secondary images – essentially showcasing a collection of items together. The top part is a large creative (often a lifestyle image or a video), and underneath it in an expanded view are smaller images that typically represent products featured in the main image. For instance, a collection ad might show an image of a fully furnished living room as the hero, and the secondary images below could be the individual products in that room (sofa, lamp, coffee table, rug, etc.).
In the Pinterest feed, a Collections Ad will appear as a single image (the hero) with a few thumbnail images beneath it giving a preview of the additional items. It invites users to tap to see more. Upon tapping, they’ll see a fullscreen experience with up to 24 secondary images. Each of those images can be clicked to go to its own product page or destination.
Collections ads marry inspiration with shopping – they let you tell a visual story and then provide direct access to the items in that story. These are excellent for lifestyle brands and retailers. They do require you to have a catalog set up because the secondary images are typically pulled from your product feed (the hero image you upload, but the product images can be auto-sourced from your catalog based on what you tag in the hero). If you don’t have a catalog, you could still manually craft a collection ad by picking the hero and each secondary creative, but having a catalog makes it much more scalable.
Idea Pins and Other Emerging Ad Formats
Pinterest is continually evolving, and new creative formats appear from time to time. Idea Pins (formerly known as Story Pins) are multi-page Pins that allow creators to share a series of images or videos in one Pin (similar to the story format on other platforms). While Idea Pins began as an organic feature, Pinterest now allows advertisers to promote Idea Pins as Idea Ads. Idea Ads let you engage users with more immersive, tappable content. They can be especially effective for tutorials, step-by-step guides, or showcasing multiple products in a sequence. As an ad, an Idea Pin shows with a “Promoted” label and can reach a wider audience beyond your followers.
Additionally, Pinterest has experimented with interactive formats like Quiz Pins (where the Pin can ask a question and show different results or products based on a user’s answer) and Showcase Pins (which combine multiple swipeable frames, each able to link to a different page of your website). These formats are more advanced and may not be available to all advertisers or in all regions yet. They typically require special creative preparation and objectives.
As a beginner, you don’t need to use these advanced formats right away. But it’s good to know they exist – as you become more comfortable with Pinterest Ads, you can try out Idea Ads to tell richer stories or use interactive pins like quizzes to create personalized experiences. Always keep an eye on Pinterest’s updates for advertisers; new formats can offer creative ways to engage your audience, and being an early adopter sometimes yields better performance due to novelty. For now, mastering the basics (image, video, carousel, shopping, collections) will give you plenty of tools to run effective campaigns.
Creating Your First Pinterest Ad Campaign
Now it’s time to put everything into action. In this section, we’ll go through the process of building a Pinterest Ads campaign from start to finish. Pinterest offers an Automated ad creation option for simplicity and a Manual option for more control. We’ll describe the manual setup (since it gives full insight into each setting), but if you choose automated, note that Pinterest will handle some of these decisions for you. You can still follow along – the main difference with automated campaigns is that Pinterest will auto-select your targeting and optimizations, requiring you to input fewer details.
Step 1: Start a New Campaign in Ads Manager
Log into your Pinterest business account and navigate to the Ads Manager (Business Hub). Click on the option that says Create ad or Create campaign. Pinterest will first ask you to choose a campaign creation mode. Here you decide between the automated quick setup or the manual advanced setup. For learning purposes, select the manual (advanced) option so you can see all available settings. (If you are using the automated mode, Pinterest will still walk you through a similar flow, but some steps will be simplified.)
Once you proceed, you may be prompted to name your campaign and set a campaign-level budget or spending limit. Give your campaign a descriptive name (something like “Spring_Sale_Traffic” or “BrandAwareness_May2025” – names are for your reference only). Setting a campaign spending limit is optional; it caps the total spend across all ad groups in the campaign.
Step 2: Choose a Campaign Objective
Next, you’ll select your campaign objective. This was discussed in the strategy section – it’s basically telling Pinterest what you want to achieve so it can optimize and charge you accordingly. In manual setup, you might see a list of objective options such as Brand Awareness, Consideration (Traffic), Conversion, Video Views, or Catalog Sales. Pick the one that aligns with your primary goal. For example, choose Conversion if you want purchases or sign-ups (and have the Pinterest Tag set up to track them), or choose Consideration/Traffic if you mainly want to drive clicks to your site.
In the automated campaign mode, you might see a simplified choice like “I want to drive more sales” versus “I want people to click on my ad” (which correspond to a conversion objective vs. a traffic objective). In manual, you have the full range of objectives. After selecting the objective, Pinterest might remind you about any prerequisites (like the Tag for conversions or a catalog for catalog sales). Confirm you have those ready if needed, or select a different objective that doesn’t require them.
Step 3: Define Your Target Audience and Ad Group Settings
After the objective, the next stage typically involves setting up an Ad Group. Ad groups allow you to have different targeting or budgets within one campaign. If you’re starting out, you can just use one ad group per campaign for simplicity.
In the ad group settings, you’ll configure who you want to see your ads and where/when they see them. Key settings include:
- Targeting Options: Choose how to target your audience. You can target by Audiences, Demographics, Interests, and Keywords. For a new advertiser with no existing customer lists or visitors (audiences), you’ll likely focus on interests and keywords. You’ll see a field to input keywords – enter those relevant to your ad (as researched in your strategy). You can also browse and select Interests; for instance, you might select the interest “Home Décor” if you’re advertising furniture, or “Food and Drinks > Vegetarian Recipes” if promoting a vegetarian cookbook. Additionally, set any demographic filters: gender (Pinterest often allows targeting “Female”, “Male”, or “Unspecified”), age ranges, locations (countries, or even specific regions/metro areas), and languages. If your business only serves certain areas, make sure to include or exclude locations accordingly. If you installed the Pinterest Tag and have some site traffic, you could also create a retargeting audience (e.g., people who visited your site or added to cart) or an actalike audience similar to your customers; however, as a beginner these might not be available until you gather some data from your site and Pinterest Tag.
- Placements: Pinterest may give an option to choose where the ads will appear – typically “Browse” (which covers the home feed and related Pins) and “Search”. By default, both are selected to maximize your reach. “Browse” means your ads show as people scroll their main discovery feeds or see related content under pins, and “Search” means your ads can appear in search results for relevant keywords. You can opt out of one if, for example, you specifically only want your ads to show up when people search (and not in their home feed), but generally it’s recommended to use both for broader exposure.
- Device: If relevant, you can target specific device types (like only mobile phones, only tablets, or only desktop). Most campaigns should target all devices unless you have a reason to narrow it down (for example, if you’re advertising a mobile app, you might want to target only mobile devices).
- Ad Group Budget & Schedule: In manual setup, Pinterest lets you set budgets at the ad group level (in addition to or instead of a campaign budget). Decide how much this ad group can spend. You can specify a daily budget (e.g., $10/day) or a lifetime budget for the ad group (e.g., $300 over the entire duration). Also set the schedule: either continuous (start immediately and run indefinitely) or a fixed start and end date. For a time-sensitive promotion, put an end date. If continuous, remember to come back and pause the campaign when you want to stop spending.
- Bidding Strategy: Depending on your objective, you will either pay per click, per impression, or per conversion action. Often Pinterest will handle this automatically once you choose the objective (for example, a traffic campaign will default to paying per click). If given a choice, you can usually select an automatic bid versus setting a custom bid. Automatic is easiest – Pinterest will try to get you the most results for your budget. If you opt for manual bidding, input the maximum you’re willing to pay per desired action (like $0.50 per click, or $5 per 1000 impressions, etc.). Pinterest typically provides a suggested range for bids to guide you. As a beginner, leaning on automatic bidding at first is wise; you can experiment with manual bids once you have a baseline of performance data.
These settings define the core targeting of your campaign. Take your time with them – they directly impact who sees your ads and how quickly your budget spends. If you’re unsure, it’s usually better to start broad (multiple related interests, a wider age range, both placements, etc.) and refine later based on results. Pinterest will show an estimated audience size as you adjust targeting, so use that feedback; if the audience number is very low, you may need to broaden something.
Step 4: Select or Create Pins for Your Ad
Now choose the creative – the Pin or Pins that will actually be shown as your ad. Pinterest will prompt you to pick an existing Pin from your profile or to create a new Pin on the spot. If you already created some Pins as part of your preparation (say, you uploaded product images or a blog graphic to one of your boards), you can select one of those. Otherwise, you can upload a new image or video here.
When selecting a Pin for the ad, remember the format guidelines we discussed. If you’re using a Carousel or Collection ad, you might need to select multiple images. For a single-image or video ad, just choose the single Pin. You’ll see a preview of how the Pin looks in the ad format. Ensure the title and description fields of the Pin are filled in with the messaging you want (you can edit them if creating a new Pin during this step). Also make sure the destination URL is correct – this is where users will go when they click your ad. It could be a specific product page, a dedicated landing page, or a blog post depending on your goal.
If creating a new Pin, upload your image (or video), enter the title (up to 100 characters; make it concise and attention-grabbing), a description (up to 500 characters; note that typically only the first 50-60 may show before a user clicks for more), and add the destination link. You will also need to assign it to one of your boards (even promoted Pins live on a board on your profile – you can use a secret board for ads if you prefer to keep them separate from your public boards). For formats like Carousel, you’ll upload multiple images and provide each card’s title/description and link. For Collections, you’ll choose the hero media and link, then add product Pins for the secondary slots (usually pulling from your catalog if available).
Pinterest also offers an Ad Preview during this step so you can see how your Promoted Pin will appear on different devices. Double-check that everything looks good – for example, the image isn’t cut off in a weird way, and any text overlay is readable on mobile. If something is off, adjust it now (for instance, you might edit the Pin or choose a different image) before proceeding.
Step 5: Review and Launch Your Campaign
After setting targeting and choosing your Pin creative, you’ll reach a review stage. Pinterest will summarize your campaign settings: objective, budget, schedule, targeting details, and the Pins selected. Carefully review all details to ensure there are no mistakes (like an unintended high budget, or a typo in your URL). Typos in your Pin description or title can also be corrected before you publish.
At this point, Pinterest might also show any warnings or recommendations. For example, if your bid is very low, it may warn that your ads might not get much distribution. If your targeting is extremely narrow, it might flag that as well. Address any issues that come up or knowingly accept them if they align with your intentions.
If everything looks correct, you’re ready to go. Hit the Launch (or Publish) button to submit your campaign. Congratulations – your Pinterest Ad campaign is now created! Note that your ads might not start running immediately; Pinterest often reviews new ads to ensure they meet community guidelines and ad policies (for example, checking that the content isn’t misleading or offensive, and that the landing page works properly). This review process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a day. You’ll see the status of the campaign in Ads Manager (e.g., “Under review” initially, then “Active” once approved and running).
Step 6: Monitor Performance and Adjust (Post-Launch)
Once your campaign is up and running, the work isn’t over. It’s important to keep an eye on how your ads are performing and be ready to make adjustments. In Ads Manager, you’ll get real-time or near real-time data on impressions (how many times your ad was seen), clicks, click-through rate, saves (if people saved your Pin), and if you have conversion tracking set up, you’ll see actions like checkouts or sign-ups that resulted from the ad.
Check in on your campaign at least once a day, especially during the first week. Look at key metrics relative to your goal. If something looks off – for example, a very low CTR (meaning people see the ad but aren’t clicking) – that could indicate the creative or targeting isn’t resonating. Maybe your image isn’t compelling enough or maybe you’re reaching an audience that isn’t interested. In that case, you can consider adjustments: trying a different image or video, tweaking the title/description to better match your audience, or refining your targeting to focus on a different set of interests or keywords.
Likewise, keep an eye on spend. If your campaign is spending too quickly and not yielding the desired results, you might lower your daily budget or pause the campaign to rethink your strategy. If it’s spending very slowly (e.g., you’re not reaching your daily budget at all), perhaps your bid is too low or your targeting is too narrow – you could broaden the targeting or increase your bid slightly to reach more people.
Pinterest’s dashboard provides tools for analysis as well. Use the Reporting breakdowns to see performance by various dimensions. For instance, you can break down results by keyword to see which search terms are driving the most clicks or conversions, or by interest group to see which audience segment is most responsive. This data helps you optimize: if you find certain keywords performing much better, you could allocate more budget to them (or add more Pins targeting those); if some are performing poorly, you might remove or replace those keywords.
Remember that changes to your campaign (like editing targeting or creative) can take a little time to propagate and show effect. And user behavior on Pinterest can be a bit delayed – someone might see your ad today and save it, then come back and click it a few days later. So, evaluate performance over several days rather than hour-by-hour.
In summary, monitoring and tweaking is a vital part of the campaign process. In the next section, we’ll cover some broader best practices and optimization techniques to improve your Pinterest Ads performance over the long run.
Pinterest Ads Best Practices and Optimization Tips
To get the most out of your Pinterest Ads, follow these best practices and continuously optimize your campaigns. Digital advertising is not a “set and forget” endeavor – especially on a dynamic platform like Pinterest. By refining your approach, you can improve performance over time. Here are key tips to keep in mind:
Use Eye-Catching, Vertical Imagery
Pinterest’s interface is designed for vertical content (Pins are typically oriented vertically, with a 2:3 aspect ratio being ideal, such as 1000 x 1500 pixels). Use high-resolution, vertical images for your ads so that they occupy more screen space and stand out in the feed. Vertical images have been shown to perform better than horizontal ones on Pinterest. Make sure your visuals are bright, clear, and in focus. Use colors and composition that catch the eye – for instance, a bold color pop or a striking contrast can draw attention as users scroll.
Incorporate text overlays wisely. A short phrase on the image (like “50% Off” or “Step-by-Step Tutorial”) can provide context at a glance. Pinterest users often engage well with Pins that have a bit of text overlay to explain what the content is, but keep it concise and ensure it doesn’t clutter the image. Always maintain your branding on the image (use a small logo or your brand colors/fonts) so that your content is recognizable, but avoid covering too much of the image with logos or text. The image should first and foremost be appealing and relevant to the user.
Write Clear, Keyword-Rich Titles and Descriptions
Don’t underestimate the power of a good title and description on your Pin. Even though Pinterest is visual-first, the text helps the algorithm understand your content and helps users decide to click. Craft a clear, compelling title for each ad Pin that tells users what they’ll get if they click. For example, “Healthy 15-Minute Dinner Recipes” is more enticing and specific than “Quick Cookbook”. Front-load important words in your title because on mobile, longer titles may get cut off.
In the description, include additional info or a call-to-action: e.g., “Discover easy recipes for busy weeknights. Click to get the full recipes on our site!” Use relevant keywords naturally in the description so your Pin is more likely to appear in searches for those terms. However, avoid hashtag stuffing – unlike some social platforms, hashtags are not crucial on Pinterest and can look out of place. One or two relevant hashtags are fine if they feel appropriate, but in general Pinterest’s search algorithm will use your keywords whether or not they have a #, so focus on writing in natural language.
Keep the tone of your copy in line with Pinterest’s inspiring, helpful vibe. You should sound encouraging and solution-oriented (think: “You can do this, and our content will show you how”). Encourage action subtly, for instance “Find your style…” or “Learn more…”. Always ensure the information in the title/description matches the landing page content so users feel rewarded for clicking (no bait-and-switch).
Leverage Video and Rich Media
As mentioned, video content can significantly boost engagement. Use video Pins when appropriate to capture attention. Ensure that your video has captions or text overlays to convey the message without sound, and that the most exciting or valuable content appears in the first few seconds. Try different video lengths to see what works best, but generally short and sweet (e.g., under 30 seconds) performs well.
Don’t shy away from Pinterest’s newer formats like carousel or collections if they fit your campaign. These interactive formats can increase the time users spend with your ad. For example, a carousel can encourage users to swipe through multiple images, which means they’re engaging longer and absorbing more of your message. A collection ad can entice someone to tap and browse multiple products in a single ad experience. While these might take a bit more effort to set up, they can pay off with higher engagement or sales if used strategically.
If you have the capability, test out Idea Ads for content that lends itself to multiple pages (like a how-to guide or a recipe with several steps). Because Idea Pins are relatively new, advertising with them might face less competition and they offer a fresh experience to users. Always keep an eye on how each format performs – you might find that your audience responds especially well to videos over static images (or vice versa), and then you can adjust your creative strategy accordingly.
Continuously Test and Refine
One of the biggest keys to success in digital advertising is A/B testing and iteration. Rather than launching one ad and sticking with it no matter what, try multiple variants and let the data inform you which is best. On Pinterest, you can test different creatives (image A vs image B), different headlines, or even different targeting configurations. You don’t have to change everything at once; run controlled experiments by varying one element at a time. For instance, you could duplicate your ad or ad group and change only the Pin image to see which image yields a higher click-through rate.
Similarly, experiment with Pinterest’s features: you might run one campaign using the automated targeting (letting Pinterest optimize who sees it) and another campaign where you hand-pick specific keywords and interests, to compare results. Test various bidding strategies as you get comfortable – if you started with automatic bidding, maybe try a manual bid in a new ad group to see if you can achieve a lower cost-per-click. Over time, these tests will help you optimize both cost efficiency and overall performance.
Make sure to give each test enough time to gather data. Because of Pinterest’s longer user engagement cycle (people might save a Pin and take action later), an ad’s performance might build up over several days. Don’t be too hasty to turn off an ad; let it run long enough to collect a meaningful amount of impressions and clicks (unless it’s spending a lot with absolutely no results – then you might pause and re-evaluate sooner). Use the insights from your tests to refine your next campaigns: focus on the imagery that works best, the messages that resonate, and the targeting that yields the highest returns.
Optimize Your Landing Pages
Getting a click on your Pin is only half the battle – what happens after the click is just as important. Ensure that the page you’re sending traffic to is relevant, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly. Pinterest users are often on mobile devices, so if your landing page isn’t optimized for mobile, you risk losing them immediately. Test your Pin’s link on a phone to see how quickly it loads and whether it’s easy to navigate.
The content of the landing page should match the promise of your Pin. If your Pin advertises “15-Minute Dinner Recipes,” the click-through URL should take users directly to those recipes, not to a generic homepage or a random blog post. Consistency between the Pin and the landing page builds trust and makes it more likely the user will stay and possibly convert (sign up, purchase, etc.). If you’re collecting leads or selling something, make sure the call-to-action on your landing page is clear and prominent (it should be obvious how to get the offer, sign up, or buy the item you featured).
Track what users do on your landing page through analytics (Pinterest Tag events, Google Analytics, etc.). High bounce rates or low time-on-page from Pinterest traffic can signal that the landing page content isn’t resonating or matching what users expected. This feedback can indicate either the ad targeting is off (bringing the wrong people) or the landing page needs improvement. Optimize things like page load speed, clarity of information, and overall design to better convert the traffic you’re getting from Pinterest.
Analyze Results and Optimize
Make it a habit to regularly dive into your campaign performance data and Pinterest Ads analytics. Pinterest provides metrics like impressions, clicks, CTR, saves, and conversion events (if your Tag is tracking conversions). Look at these in the context of your campaign goals. If something like CTR is low across the board, maybe the creative needs a refresh or the targeting is too broad. If you’re getting plenty of clicks but no conversions, something might be amiss on the landing page or in the audience targeting for conversions.
Pinterest also allows you to break down performance by various dimensions. Use these reports to uncover insights. For example, check the performance by device – are most of your clicks or conversions coming from mobile? If so, ensure the mobile experience is top-notch and consider focusing your ads for mobile users. Check performance by creative (if you have multiple Pins in one ad group, see which Pin gets the most engagement or lowest cost per click). You can then allocate more budget or similar creative effort to the top performers.
Keep an eye on the time of day or day of week that you get the best results. Pinterest usage might spike in the evenings or weekends for your target demographic. If you notice patterns, you can use ad scheduling to concentrate your budget during those high-engagement periods. For instance, you might find that your home decor ads do best on Saturday mornings when people are relaxing and browsing for project ideas.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to pause and pivot. If an ad, an audience, or a strategy isn’t working after you’ve given it a fair test and some tweaks, pause it and try a new approach. Sometimes certain products or content just won’t resonate on Pinterest as you hoped – and that’s okay. Use what you learned to adjust your strategy. Maybe you need to target a different audience segment, or perhaps your next Pin needs a completely different style of image. The key is to learn from each campaign. Over time, you’ll build up knowledge of what designs, messages, and tactics drive the best results for your particular business on Pinterest. The platform may also evolve, so stay updated on new features or trends within Pinterest (such as new ad formats or shifts in user behavior).
By following these best practices and maintaining a mindset of continual optimization, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Pinterest Ads. The combination of strategic planning, creative excellence, and data-driven adjustments is the formula for success. With a thoughtful approach and persistence, even a beginner can run effective Pinterest advertising campaigns and reap the benefits of this unique platform. Good luck, and happy Pinning!
