Pinterest ads strategy for successful campaigns
Pinterest combines push and pull marketing, which gives the platform unique opportunities for advertisers. Users discover content through their home feed (push), but also actively search for inspiration (pull). This mix makes Pinterest a valuable channel in your digital marketing strategy. In this article we discuss how to develop an effective Pinterest Ads strategy for every stage of the marketing funnel.
The right campaign structure for Pinterest
Pinterest has a longer customer journey than platforms such as Google or Meta. Users often look for inspiration first before they make a purchase. This means your funnel strategy needs to take this into account.
Awareness campaigns (TOF)
Awareness campaigns focus on increasing your visibility and brand recognition. They form the top of your funnel. For these campaigns, Video Pins and Standard Pins are particularly effective, combined with broad interest targeting and general keywords. You measure your performance using impressions, saves and engagement. Your strategy should focus on broad keywords such as “home inspiration” or “summer outfits”. In this phase, focus on visually appealing content that fits current trends. Storytelling through carousels or videos works particularly well to attract attention.
Consideration campaigns (MOF)
These campaigns are aimed at increasing engagement and traffic to your website. Video Ads, Collection Ads and Standard Pins work well in this phase, where you target engaged audiences, more specific keywords and remarketing. Your most important KPIs are clicks to your website and CTR.
Your strategy should focus on more specific keywords such as “buy wooden dining table”. Collection ads are effective in this phase for showing multiple products. Also experiment with text overlays on images to emphasise your USPs.
Action campaigns (BOF)
Action campaigns are designed to maximise conversions and sales. Shopping Ads, Standard Pins and Dynamic Retargeting are the right formats for this. Focus on dynamic retargeting of website visitors and measure your success by conversion rate and ROAS.
For these campaigns you work with exact keywords and clear calls to action. Shopping ads offer a direct purchasing experience and are therefore perfect for this stage of the funnel.
Give your campaigns at least 4 weeks to run properly. The Pinterest customer journey is slower than on other platforms – users can come back and convert months later.
Audience targeting on Pinterest
Pinterest offers various targeting options to reach your ideal audience.
Keyword targeting
Pinterest is essentially a search engine, which makes keyword targeting essential. Add keywords to your ads and use a mix of broad match, phrase match and exact match.
You can find relevant keywords via Pinterest's search bar by looking at the suggestions. Pinterest Trends is also valuable for seasonal keywords. SEO tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush can provide additional insights.
Interest targeting and custom audiences
Pinterest has predefined interest categories such as “Home Decor” and “Fashion”. You can combine these with keywords for strong targeting. You can also build custom audiences based on website visitors, users who have interacted with your pins, and lookalikes of your best customers.
With the Pinterest Tag you can use dynamic retargeting. This lets you reach visitors who viewed products but didn't buy them. You show them dynamic shopping ads featuring exactly the product they looked at earlier.
Keyword optimisation for Pinterest Ads
Pinterest works as an SEO-driven platform. Your ads are found based on search queries, so optimisation is crucial.
Include relevant keywords in your ad settings, pin description, image name and pin title. In the pin description, keywords should be worked in naturally, while in the pin title you can focus on the most important keywords.
Pinterest uses synonyms and variations, so add several variants such as “summer outfit inspiration” and “summer clothing trends”.
Responding to trends and seasons
- Pinterest is highly seasonal. Users often search for seasonal content and trending topics.
- Consult Pinterest Trends regularly to identify relevant trends. Create content around seasons and holidays, and combine evergreen content with trend-driven pins. Start testing new trends early to give your pins time to rank.
- An important tip is to upload seasonal ads 6-8 weeks in advance. This gives the algorithm enough time to distribute your content.
Pinterest ad formats
Pinterest offers various ad formats, each with its own strengths.
Standard Pins are a good option for branding and broad visibility. These pins look like regular pins but are marked as an ad. Video Ads are perfect for awareness campaigns – use short, catchy videos to attract attention and tell your story. Collection Ads are ideal for showing multiple products and increasing engagement. Users can browse through different items. Shopping Ads are aimed directly at conversion. Link your product catalogue to create dynamic product pins.
Best practices for Pinterest creatives
For optimal results you should use vertical images in a 2:3 ratio. Text overlay can help increase CTR, but make sure your calls to action are clear. Opt for light and warm colours in your visuals and avoid standard stock photos that don't come across as authentic.
The power of Pinterest advertising
Pinterest combines the best of Google and Meta: search intent with visual discovery. For success on Pinterest it's important to build a strong funnel, apply smart targeting, respond to trends and seasons, optimise your ads for keywords, and create visually strong content that fits the Pinterest style.
With this approach, Pinterest can grow into an effective conversion channel, especially for e-commerce, fashion, interior and lifestyle brands. The combination of inspiration and intent makes the platform unique in the digital marketing landscape. Need help? Get in touch with us.