If you're thinking about advertising on Pinterest and want to know the benefits of Pinterest ads, then this blog post is for you! We'll explore seven reasons why Pinterest ads work.
Do Pinterest Ads Work?
Do Pinterest ads work? Maybe. But Pinterest ads are not for everyone. Pinterest ads can be complicated because you need to know how Pinterest ads work. Pinterest has a lot of moving parts that require attention. Pinterest is different in terms of how it approaches campaigns. Pinterest currently offers campaign options that focus on awareness, consideration, and conversion objectives - but these terms may not be what you are used to from other social media sites.
Therefore, it may lack some of the advantages of other social media platforms. If you are a local business looking to promote your products or services to potential customers in your geographic region, Pinterest ads will help your business far more than simply posting organically on Pinterest alone.
Reasons Why Pinterest Ads Work
1. One reason why Pinterest ads work is that they are visual and pinner-friendly content, which will increase engagement! Think: Friends of the algorithm!
2. Additionally, pinnable images can go viral on Pinterest so often those are the best pins to promote! The ideal image size for Pinterest ads is 1000 x 1500 pixels but it varies depending on what type of product or service you're advertising. You can go longer. Product pins will automatically default to the square product image size.
3. With advertising, the same audience-boosting power of Pinterest still applies! If someone takes an action after seeing your Pins (re-pin, like) then THEIR audiences and followers will see your stuff, too. Audiences upon audiences!
4. Additionally, Pinterest ads are designed to ENHANCE the pinner experience, not interrupt. You know how you scroll on Instagram or Facebook and suddenly some random ad pops up? It MAY have some value to you but it still interrupts you as you are checking in on friends or engaging with your community.
Pinterest is different. Pinterest shows ads to pinners that complement their searches - so that the ad is "additive" (no pun intended!) and not a distraction or an interruption. You don't have to worry about being THAT marketer on Pinterest!
5. When you create your ad, be sure to make people aware of what you're advertising by adding an informative description about your product or service in each pinnable picture, and in the description. This will ensure that when someone clicks on the pinned link they'll be made fully aware of exactly who you are and what will happen after the click.
6. Another reason why Pinterest Ads Work is because there's more room on Pinterest for smaller brands. Pinterest has made it possible for smaller shops to gain greater exposure on Pinterest through their Verified Merchant Program and shopper-friendly platform.
7. Additionally, when pinners search for a solution on Pinterest, it's usually a "non-branded" search. For instance, they may search summer dress instead of a brand-name department store. Therefore, it makes it easier to compete for those keywords!
How to use Pinterest ads for your business
One of the best ways to use Pinterest ads is to utilize Pinterest's $100 ad credit that's available to new businesses on the platform and often, businesses who haven't advertised for 90 days.
Make sure you install the Pinterest Tag on your website!
You can create a new pin or choose a well-performing pin to promote. The pinnable image should then link to your website, or somewhere where people can find out more about what you are selling.
There are several different Pinterest ad formats that Pinterest offers. The first thing you need to do is decide what type of Pinterest ad you want to have. Pinterest currently offers campaign options that focus on awareness, consideration, and conversion objectives - as we touched on earlier, these terms may not be what you are used to from other social media sites.
If someone is scrolling through their feed they will see more pictures - or "pinnable" images as opposed to text-based posts like Facebook or Twitter. Additionally, Pinterest users may use Pinterest for inspiration rather than looking at your products right way. They want ideas for things that their friends might like which means you need to think about how people browse Pinterest to reach them effectively!
How effective are ads on Pinterest?
You can create a campaign that allows Pinterest users to pin an image from your website onto one of their Pinterest boards for others to see. This is best described as an "awareness" campaign.
You can also create a pin that links directly to your website so people can browse around and look at what you have on offer. This can be done by creating a consideration OR a conversion campaign. Pinterest suggests (although no longer requires) businesses create a conversion campaign after 50 successful conversion events. This gives the Pinterest algorithm the information it needs to help you convert with pinners on the platform.
Pinterest's new "Shop Now" button allows users who click on it will be redirected through Pinterest to your Pinterest "shop". This is a forward facing storefront on Pinterest that will lead your pinner directly to the product on your website. It feels like they are being led directly to whatever item they wanted more information about right away without having to leave Pinterest!
Benefits of using Pinterest ads
The primary benefit of using Pinterest ads is that they are a great way to promote your products and services to a global audience. They will be shown to the right people, increase awareness of your company, which will grow relevant traffic to your Shopify store and ultimately, make more sales.
Another benefit is that you can easily target a specific location or region. This way, Pinterest users will be able to see your ads in their Pinterest feeds when they are in a specific city or region.
Are Pinterest ads worth it 2022?
In addition, Pinterest advertisements have been shown to offer the highest return on investment from social media advertising.
When you advertise on Pinterest, your ads will be shown to people who are interested in similar products and services as yours. This creates a targeted audience for your Pinterest ad campaigns so that the number of clicks increases with each campaign. Thus, Pinterest advertising can help businesses grow their online business quickly by reaching potential customers at scale. For example, if you run an e-Commerce store selling handmade jewelry, Pinterest users are looking for these types of items daily.
Pinterest is now available worldwide! Your Pinterest ad campaigns will reach millions of people around the world across multiple countries including Australia, the United States - even Japan! Additionally, there are many different languages supported which means more exposure for your brand globally via pinterest's multi-lingual features.
Is it worth promoting pins on Pinterest?
Pinterest ads are not only beneficial for Pinterest users, they're also great for businesses looking to get more sales from Pinterest advertising. With an estimated 300 million+ active Pinterest users worldwide and 80% of pinners planning purchases based on Pinterest content, you'll be reaching a huge audience with your ad campaigns!
Pinterest Ads Best Practices
It is important that you always use relevant and eye-catching images for your pinterest adverts. It is also crucial that focus on making sure what you post is interesting and informative. By doing so it increases the likelihood of Pinterest users engaging with an advert which means more exposure for your brand, products, or services!
A good idea would be to include a product image along with a short description of said item. If you are pinning a product pin, the following info will be included. But for other pin types, you'll want to include information such as where to purchase the product and a relevant call-to-action. That way there are no surprises for your pinner. (It clears up any confusion on whether this is a pin to inspire them or a pin with a product they can purchase.)
The recommended size is 2:3, but thinner, vertical images are also an option. The important thing to remember hear is that most people are viewing your ad on Pinterest using a mobile phone. You want the ad to be easy to read and take up as much screen as possible.
Use Pinterest ads to show customers how your products can be used by including images of them in use! This way, you'll attract more people who are interested in purchasing the product or service because they will see their ideal lifestyle represented on Pinterest - increasing brand awareness and sales for your business.
It is also important that you try different things with Pinterest ads like testing ad copy, seeing which types of pins perform best organically etc. You want to run tests so that you know exactly what works best for your business. It's always recommended when starting out with Pinterest advertising campaigns to test multiple variables.
Drawbacks of using Pinterest ads
Pinterest ads are fairly easy to set up and have very low minimum commitment levels. There's no minimum spend, and often you can get help directly from a Pinterest ads rep to get going. However.
Speaking with a Pinterest ad rep will result in recommendations like spending $25/per day. This is not necessary and can be burdensome for small businesses. However, you must run your ad campaign for at least 14 days before making any changes, so that the algorithm has time to learn about your audience. So setting a budget you can commit to without changing anything is an important step in your set-up.
Pinterest will magnify what is already working in your business
Pinterest is a great platform for businesses who want to find new customers or people who want to re-engage with the company. You can easily run re-targeting campaigns after you install the Pinterest tag to stay top of mind for the potential customers who visit your website.
A Pinterest ad is a good way for a business to place an advertisement on Pinterest in order to attract potential visitors or viewers. The Pinterest ad will show up in Pinterest users' feeds, which often is what they are most likely going to click on when scrolling through Pinterest posts.
How do Pinterest ad credits work?
Pinterest ads are designed around Pinterest users, so anyone who is not an active pinner will probably be less likely to click on your Pinterest advertisement. Pinterest advertising campaigns may not work for every business due to this - but they are especially effective for companies or brands with a visual marketing strategy already in place!
Relevance and aesthetics of images play a major role in driving people towards engagement with pins, which can ultimately lead them down the sales funnel. However there are some things that you want to avoid when running Pinterest advertisements if possible - these could end up costing you money or wasting valuable time!
I'm curious - have you used your $100 advertising credit with Pinterest yet? If you need some help setting it up, please book a call with me here!
About the Author:
Crystal Waddell is a Pinterest expert and marketing pundit who helps creative entrepreneurs build profitable businesses using Shopify. Crystal started her own company in 2013 and went full-time with it in 2021. Her mission is to help other online business owners grow their website traffic and revenue through Pinterest Marketing and strategic SEO. Each month Crystal hosts a hands-on workshop for business owners who want to learn to use Pinterest effectively for their businesses. For more tips on growing your business with Pinterest and SEO, check out www.pinshop.com or follow @pinshopify on instagram!