When formulating a paid content promotion plan, you may consider the more prominent digital media platforms. For example, you may utilize Facebook marketing tools, Instagram posts or a Google Ads campaign. But there are also compelling reasons to consider advertising on Pinterest.
Pinterest has a highly active and targeted user base, and Pinterest ads can often lead directly to purchases. Although it has unique requirements and restrictions, Pinterest advertising can become an essential part of your marketing plan with some knowledge and planning.
We’ll take an in-depth look at Pinterest’s advertising options and how a Pinterest ad campaign can benefit your digital marketing strategy.
If you scroll through Pinterest, you may notice various types of pins, including pins from people you know and suggested pins.
Promoted pins are another pin type. They’re essentially paid Pinterest ads that target specific demographics, locations, keywords, devices and more, helping brands increase visibility and drive sales.
In addition to promoted pins, Pinterest has introduced more advertising options.
In addition to Pinterest, other social media sites that are best for visual content are YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
Pinterest offers some distinct benefits for brands that use the platform as part of their marketing plan.
To maximize your Pinterest advertising investment, consider the following best practices.
Pinterest is a visually driven site, and you never know which images will resonate with your audience unless you try a variety. Once you get your campaigns running, don’t just leave them there. Test out different variations, including varied imagery, photos with text or without, new keywords, higher or lower bids, and new audiences.
Eventually, you’ll find that sweet spot where you’re getting exactly the return you want.
Pinterest allows you to use direct calls to action (CTAs) in a pin’s description, so something like “sign up today” or “download the free guide” will work. However, don’t be too “salesy,” or your pin won’t get clicks. Users come to Pinterest for appealing imagery and creative ideas, not to be slammed with advertisements.
The platform allows you to associate up to 150 keywords per promoted pin, but that doesn’t mean you have to use that many. Most users recommend adding at least 30 keywords and, of course, ensuring they’re relevant to your pin and the page where users will land if they click. Targeting irrelevant keywords will hurt your click-through rate and conversion rates, and result in wasted ad spend.
While not as advanced as those on some other social platforms, Pinterest’s targeting options allow you to show pins to users based on their location, device, gender and language. Take advantage of these different audiences, and send your pins to the right users at the right time. Together with the keywords you set up, you’ll be able to appear to the people most likely to convert.
Since you pay for clicks only, it’s not a bad idea to bid a little more when you first start so that you can see your return. You’ll be able to start with a higher number of conversions, which could increase your ad’s relevance even when you do lower the bid. Experiment with a few different options to optimize your clicks and conversions.
Social media marketing can boost brand awareness, generate more leads and help you develop a personal relationship with customers.
Along with Pinterest advertising best practices, you need to be aware of what not to do when advertising on Pinterest.
While you can get away with direct CTAs in the description, they’re not allowed in the image. However, you can include a “soft” CTA as an overlay on the photo. For example, “check one more thing off your list” or “make today matter.” You’ll want to be careful here because if it’s too upfront, Pinterest might not approve your pin.
It’s tempting to send users to a landing page where they will convert, but Pinterest won’t approve your pin. Its guidelines explain that the platform values the idea that when users click on a pin, they can find the information they’re looking for without putting in their personal information. Instead of a landing page, try sending them to a blog post where the landing page is easily accessible.
The way Pinterest is designed almost guarantees that if you use a horizontal or landscape image, it will never be seen. Long, vertical images are suited to the platform’s design, so the longer, the better. Ensure users won’t have to scroll down to see the whole thing. Upload colorful, eye-catching photos that communicate a message of what users can expect if they click.
If Pinterest detects that you’re sending users to a page that redirects, they may shut down your pin. The goal is to make the user experience as smooth and easy to understand as possible; redirects interrupt the flow when someone clicks. Check the URL before you order your ad, and ensure you have a direct path to where you want consumers to arrive.
Even though hashtags are allowed on Pinterest, the platform isn’t a huge fan of seeing them in ads. They look spammy, and since you can add keywords to your campaigns, you shouldn’t need them. Pinterest will let you have a few, so it shouldn’t be a problem if you want to add your company’s specific hashtag or promote one with your campaign.
Pinterest advertising isn’t yet as pervasive as advertising on Facebook and Twitter, but the platform has seen exponential growth and may be an untapped space for brands seeking new audiences interested in specific contact types.
Pinterest’s user base will continue to grow as the platform expands, introduces new features and improves its capabilities for both advertisers and users.
The nuances of Pinterest advertising require an eye for design and an understanding of its users, but by utilizing effective Pinterest advertising strategies and tactics, you can drive qualified leads to your site.
Pinterest do’s | Pinterest don’ts |
Do continually adjust your campaigns. | Don’t use CTAs in the image. |
Do use CTAs in the description. | Don’t use a “hard wall” landing page. |
Do use relevant keywords. | Don’t use horizontal images. |
Do use targeted audiences. | Don’t use redirect links. |
Do bid aggressively. | Don’t use hashtags. |
Greg Shuey contributed to the writing and research in this article.