How to Create Ads on Pinterest? A Step-by-Step Guide

Why Advertise on Pinterest?

Before diving into the process, it’s important to understand why Pinterest is a valuable advertising platform:

• Visual Appeal: Pinterest is an image-based platform, meaning that visually appealing ads perform better. If you have high-quality images or videos, this platform can be a goldmine for brand visibility.
• Targeted Audience: Pinterest allows advertisers to reach users based on interests, demographics, and behaviors. With the addition of keyword and shopping targeting, you can reach a highly relevant audience.
• Shopping-Friendly: Many Pinterest users are already in “buy mode” when browsing the platform. Studies show that 83% of Pinterest users make purchase decisions based on what they see on the platform.

Now that you understand why Pinterest is a great place to advertise, let’s get into how to create an ad on Pinterest.

Step 1: Set Up a Pinterest Business Account

Before you can start creating ads on Pinterest, you need to have a Pinterest Business account. If you don’t already have one, follow these steps:

1. Create an Account: Go to the Pinterest Business site and create a new account or convert your existing personal account to a business account.
2. Verify Your Website: Verifying your website helps you access Pinterest analytics, track conversions, and create rich pins. To verify your website, go to your profile settings and click on “Claim.” Follow the instructions for adding a meta tag to your website.
3. Install the Pinterest Tag: The Pinterest Tag is a piece of code that tracks actions on your website, such as sign-ups or purchases. This helps you optimize and measure the performance of your campaigns.

Step 2: Choose Your Ad Format

Pinterest offers a variety of ad formats to suit different goals. Here are the main ad types available:

1. Promoted Pins: These are regular Pins that you promote to reach a wider audience. They look like organic content, blending seamlessly into users’ feeds.

2. Video Pins: Video Pins allow you to share engaging video content that plays automatically when users scroll by. These are ideal for showcasing products, tutorials, or brand stories.

3. Carousel Pins: Carousel Pins let you display multiple images within a single ad. Users can swipe through these images to learn more about your product or service. This format is ideal for e-commerce or showcasing a series of related products.

4. Collection Ads: These ads are designed for businesses that sell multiple products. A Collection Ad showcases a lifestyle image at the top, followed by a series of smaller product Pins. Users can click to explore the products further.

5. Shopping Ads: Shopping Ads allow businesses to upload product catalogs directly to Pinterest and automatically generate ads based on the products in the catalog. This is a great option for e-commerce brands.

Step 3: Set Up Your Pinterest Campaign

1. Go to Pinterest Ads Manager: Navigate to your Pinterest business account and open the Ads Manager. Click on “Create Ad” to begin setting up your campaign.

2. Choose a Campaign Objective: Pinterest allows you to choose the goal of your campaign based on what you want to achieve. Your options include:

   • Awareness: Increase brand visibility.
   • Consideration: Drive traffic to your website or app.
   • Conversions: Encourage specific actions on your website (like purchases or sign-ups).

3. Set Your Budget and Bid: You can choose between two types of budget settings:

   • Daily Budget: The maximum amount you’re willing to spend each day.
   • Lifetime Budget: The maximum amount you’re willing to spend over the entire duration of your campaign.

   When setting your bid, Pinterest uses an auction system. You can choose between automatic bidding (Pinterest will set the bid for you) or manual bidding (you specify the bid amount).

Step 4: Define Your Target Audience

Pinterest’s targeting options help you reach the right people. You can target based on:

• Demographics: This includes targeting by gender, age, language, and location.
• Interests: Pinterest allows you to target users based on their interests, which is particularly helpful for reaching people who may already be inclined to purchase your product.
• Keywords: You can target specific keywords that users are searching for, allowing you to tailor your ads based on search intent.
• Behavioral Targeting: Pinterest also lets you target based on user behavior, such as people who have previously interacted with your website or engaged with your Pins.

Step 5: Create Your Ad Creative

Now it’s time to design your ad! Here are a few tips for creating compelling Pinterest ads:

• High-Quality Visuals: Since Pinterest is a visually-driven platform, ensure your images are high-resolution and stand out. Use bright colors, clear product shots, and clean designs.
• Vertical Images: Pinterest favors vertical images (aspect ratio 2:3 or 1:3.5). Vertical pins take up more space in the feed and tend to perform better.
• Text Overlays: Adding a short, clear text overlay to your image can help users quickly understand what your ad is about. Keep text concise and legible.
• Branding: Make sure your logo or brand name is visible to reinforce brand recognition.

Step 6: Launch Your Campaign

After you’ve completed all the necessary steps, it’s time to launch your campaign. Review all the settings, check your ad creative, and click “Launch.” Your ad will start appearing in users’ feeds and search results.

Step 7: Monitor and Optimize Your Ads

Once your campaign is live, it’s important to monitor its performance regularly. Pinterest Ads Manager provides robust analytics that lets you track key metrics like:

• Impressions: How many times your ad was seen.
• Clicks: How many times users clicked on your ad.
• Engagement: How users interacted with your ad (like saves or repins).
• Conversions: Actions like purchases or sign-ups that happened as a result of your ad.

Use this data to optimize your campaigns. You may need to adjust your targeting, creatives, or bidding strategies based on performance.

Final Thoughts

Pinterest can be an incredibly effective platform for advertisers looking to target highly engaged and motivated users. By creating visually appealing ads and utilizing Pinterest’s robust targeting and analytics tools, you can drive traffic, increase sales, and build brand awareness. Remember to continuously monitor your campaigns to ensure you are getting the best results possible.

Happy advertising!