A Beginner’s Guide to Pinterest Ads

Pinterest isn’t just another social network—it’s a planning powerhouse. More than 553 million people use Pinterest monthly, and unlike Facebook or Instagram, Pinterest users are actively searching for inspiration, ready to make a purchase. In fact, nearly 80% of weekly Pinterest users discover new brands and products on the platform, and 85% have made a purchase based on Pins from brands.

So why isn’t everyone advertising on Pinterest? Most marketers overlook Pinterest ads. They’re too focused on Facebook, Google, or Instagram. But when you advertise on Pinterest, you’re tapping into an audience with high buying intent — users who aren’t just browsing; they’re actively planning their next move.

Want your ads to stand out instead of blending in? I’ll walk you through exactly how to use Pinterest ads to connect with ready-to-buy users and drive the kind of results your competitors are probably missing.

Key Takeaways

• Pinterest ads combine social discovery with search intent, allowing you to reach users exactly when they’re actively looking to buy, plan, or find inspiration.
• Pinterest ads are affordable and flexible, with average costs around $0.10 per click, $1.50 per thousand impressions, and up to $2 per conversion.
• Multiple ad formats are available, including Standard Pins, Video Pins, Carousel Pins, and Shopping Pins, each suited to specific marketing objectives and product types.
• Optimizing visuals, consistent branding, and strategic landing pages are essential for successful Pinterest ads, as users value clarity, authenticity, and immediate value.
• Regular A/B testing and data-driven optimization help you continuously improve Pinterest ad performance and maximize ROI.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• What are Pinterest Ads?
• Benefits of Pinterest Ads
• Pinterest Ad Types
  • Standard Pins
  • Video Pins
  • Carousel Pins
  • Shopping Pins
  • Collections Pins
  • Premiere Spotlight Pins 
  • Quiz Pins
•  Pinterest Ad Sizes
• How To Create Pinterest Ads
• Pinterest Ad Best Practices
  • Optimize Your Ad Description
  • Make Sure Your Brand is Consistent
  • Strategic Landing Page Choice
  • Consider Video Ads
  • A/B Testing
• FAQs
• Conclusion

What are Pinterest Ads?

Pinterest ads are a paid media option that lets you place promoted pins in front of Pinterest’s audience. Pinterest uniquely combines visual inspiration and product discovery, allowing ads to appear both organically in user feeds and within targeted search results as users actively look for ideas or products. This approach provides your brand with visibility at the exact moment users have high buying intent—ideal for niches like home decor, fashion, beauty, and DIY.

Pinterest ads look nearly identical to regular pins, except for a clear “Promoted by” label below your brand name. Depending on your campaign setup, your ads may show up in user feeds, search results, or alongside related pins users are exploring.

Pinterest ads are generally budget-friendly. You set your own bid and budget, and average costs run about $0.10 per click, $1.50 per thousand impressions, or up to $2 per conversion. Prices shift depending on competition, targeting specifics, and your industry, so strategic budgeting matters. 

Benefits of Pinterest Ads

Pinterest ads offer marketers a unique blend of search intent and social discovery. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest users actively search for inspiration and ideas, making their purchase intent high from the start. Around 85% of users have bought products based on branded pins, that’s tough to beat anywhere else.

According to Carlos Cienfuegos, Paid Media Engineer at NP Digital, “The platform’s audience, characterized by high purchase intent and openness to new ideas, empowers advertisers to leverage robust targeting options, including keyword, interest, and visual search, to precisely reach users during critical planning phases of significant life events like home renovations or weddings.”

Another big advantage is Pinterest’s long lifespan. Pinterest Ad users engage with can keep driving traffic months after you first promote them. Pins don’t vanish quickly like tweets or Instagram stories — they continue circulating and getting discovered, delivering consistent value from your ad spend.

Pinterest provides detailed targeting options, allowing you to reach your ideal audience using interests, keywords, demographics, or retargeting based on website visitors. If you’re selling products in lifestyle categories like home improvement, fashion, beauty, or events (think weddings or birthdays), Pinterest’s targeting makes it easy to reach users at exactly the right moment.

Pinterest Ad Types

Pinterest provides multiple ad types to help you capture attention and drive action. Let’s quickly break down each one so you can pick the best fit for your goals.

Standard Pins

Source: MaryLumley

Standard Pins look exactly like regular pins, except you’ll notice a small “Promoted by” tag. They’re perfect if your goal is to showcase a specific product or direct users to your website. Keep it simple, visually appealing, and include a clear call to action. 

Video Pins

Video Pins autoplay in user feeds, typically running between 6 and 15 seconds. They’re ideal if your product benefits from demonstration or storytelling. Make your visuals engaging enough to work without sound, since most users view them muted at first. 

Carousel Pins

Carousel Pins let users swipe through multiple images in one ad. Use these when you have multiple related products, variations, or even a step-by-step tutorial to display. It’s a good way to engage users deeper without requiring additional clicks. 

Shopping Pins

Shopping Pins take users directly to a product purchase page. They’re highly effective when your goal is driving immediate sales. You can link these ads straight to your product catalog, making it seamless for users to buy directly from the platform. 

Collections Pins

Collections Pins combine a larger “hero” image or video with smaller images of related products below. They’re excellent for showcasing a product line or seasonal collection. Clicking expands the ad to show up to 24 items, encouraging more browsing and interaction. 

Premiere Spotlight Pins 

Premiere Spotlight Pins are full-width videos displayed prominently at the top of user feeds. Use these for major announcements, product launches, or branding campaigns. They’re high-impact, high-visibility, and designed for maximum reach. 

Quiz Pins

Source: MaryLumley

Quiz Pins let you engage users interactively by asking questions directly in the pin. Users respond and then get directed to personalized content or product pages based on their answers. These pins work great for creating personalized experiences and driving conversions.

Choosing the right format comes down to your objective: brand awareness, product discovery, or driving immediate sales.

Pinterest Ad Sizes

Choosing the right Pinterest ad sizes makes your Pins stand out and improves performance. Here’s what you need to know.

• Standard Pins: Vertical images with a 2:3 aspect ratio (typically 1000 x 1500 pixels). Ideal for single-image product ads or lifestyle shots.
• Standard Video Pins: Use 1:1 (square), or vertical ratios such as 2:3, 4:5, or 9:16. These sizes work great for short, engaging product demonstrations.
• Max Width Video Pins: Designed for maximum impact, these are either square (1:1) or widescreen (16:9). Excellent for branding campaigns and high-impact visuals.
• Idea Pin Ads: Vertical 9:16 aspect ratio; perfect for storytelling, how-to videos, or multi-step tutorials.
• Carousel Pins: Stick with 1:1 or 2:3 aspect ratios. Good for product collections or step-by-step processes.
• Shopping Pins: Typically 2:3 aspect ratio to highlight products clearly.
• Collections Pins: Use 1:1 or 2:3 for the main hero image or video, with additional images in square (1:1), vertical (2:3), or tall (9:16) formats. Great for showcasing multiple related products at once.

Choosing the right ad size means better user experience, increased engagement, and ultimately, more conversions.

How To Create Pinterest Ads

Setting up Pinterest ads is straightforward. Follow these simple steps to launch your first campaign:

1. Set Up Your Account: Make sure you have a Pinterest Business Account. If not, sign up or convert your existing account.
   
2. Create a Campaign: Go to your Ads Manager dashboard and click “Create Campaign.” Select “Automated Campaign” for easy setup, or choose “Custom Campaign” if you prefer advanced control.
   
3. Choose Your Objective: Select your primary goal — driving traffic, conversions, or brand awareness. Pinterest guides you with straightforward options like “Drive more sales” or “Get more clicks.”
   
4. Pick Your Ad Format and Pin: Choose your ad type (Standard, Video, Carousel, etc.) and select a pin from your existing boards or create a new one tailored to your ad.
   
5. Target Your Audience: Set your audience targeting options, like interests, keywords, demographics, or retargeting based on your site visitors.
   
6. Set Your Budget and Schedule: Establish your daily or lifetime budget and schedule your ad to run continuously or for a specific time frame.
   
7. Review and Launch: Double-check your ad details, budget, and targeting, then click “Publish.” Your campaign is live!

Monitor performance in Ads Manager, tweak as necessary, and refine your strategy over time. 

Pinterest Ad Best Practices

Pinterest ads can significantly boost your brand visibility, but success relies on executing best practices consistently. I’ll break down exactly what you should focus on to make your Pinterest marketing successful. 

Optimize Your Ad Description

Source: Heather Farris

Your ad description does more than just fill space. It’s a key factor in convincing users to click. Users on Pinterest actively look for inspiration and solutions, so your ad copy must clearly communicate the value they’ll receive from clicking, not simply what the product is.

Instead of saying “Men’s running shoes,” you might say, “Comfortable, breathable running shoes designed to help you hit your fastest mile yet.” That way, users understand the immediate benefit your product provides. Be clear, concise, and informative.

Include relevant keywords naturally to increase discoverability within Pinterest search results. Remember, Pinterest acts as a visual search engine. Write engaging descriptions that directly match the visuals in your pin, reinforcing the message and driving users to action.

Make Sure Your Brand is Consistent

Consistency in branding across all ads helps build trust and recognition with your audience. When users encounter your Pinterest ads, they should immediately recognize your brand through visuals, messaging, tone, and design.

Use your brand’s color palette, logo placement, and style guidelines consistently across all pins. The visuals should reflect the look and feel users experience elsewhere — whether on your website, emails, or other social channels. Maintaining consistency strengthens brand recognition, making users more comfortable clicking your ad and engaging further.

If your brand is known for bold colors and dynamic images, your Pinterest ads shouldn’t suddenly become muted and minimalistic. 

For example, Maybelline’s ad for Lifter Stix uses neutrals and soft beiges to promote their product. This ties in well with their overall brand look across all their cosmetic products.

Once you click on the ad, you are brought to a page with the same branding. This offers the customer a cohesive experience, cementing the brand look across channels and providing a branded look from beginning to end.

Be authentic to your existing brand identity. Consistency across channels makes your ads more memorable and trustworthy, ultimately driving stronger engagement and conversions.

Strategic Landing Page Choice

Choosing the right landing page can make or break your Pinterest ad performance. After clicking your ad, users should land exactly where they expect to find more information or complete their purchase. Sending them to your homepage or an unrelated product category causes confusion and reduces conversions.

Match the landing page directly to your ad’s messaging. If your pin promotes a specific product, take users straight to that product page. 

For example, this Bloomingdales ad showcases a resort-vibe with muted greens, browns, and neutrals.

Once you click on the ad, the website offers the same branded experience with a similar style on the top of the page and an array of resortwear to choose from as you scroll through.

For lead generation, create a landing page clearly aligned with your offer or download. Keep the messaging and visuals consistent from ad to landing page — this reduces friction and boosts conversions.

Always optimize your landing pages for fast loading and mobile responsiveness. Pinterest users primarily browse on mobile devices, and slow-loading pages cause visitors to bounce quickly. The right landing page improves your overall campaign success, helping you capture more sales and leads.

Consider Video Ads

Video pins instantly stand out in the Pinterest feed. Users are naturally drawn to movement, making video an effective format to capture attention quickly. With videos autoplaying on mobile devices, you can immediately showcase product features, benefits, or brand stories.

Keep your videos short — 6 to 15 seconds is ideal. Grab attention within the first two seconds to hook viewers. Since many users browse Pinterest with audio muted, create videos that communicate clearly without relying on sound. Include text overlays or captions highlighting key features and benefits.

Video marketing is particularly effective for tutorials, how-tos, product demos, or customer testimonials. A brief, high-quality video can significantly improve engagement and click-through rates compared to static images. If you’re serious about driving results from Pinterest, video pins are a must-have in your strategy.

A/B Testing

A/B testing is crucial to success in paid advertising. Pinterest provides built-in analytics tools within Ads Manager that clearly show how different ad variations perform, allowing you to identify which visuals, ad copy, and targeting criteria resonate best with your audience.

You can create multiple pins within a single campaign or duplicate campaigns while varying elements like images, headlines, descriptions, or landing pages. Focus on testing one element at a time to pinpoint exactly what influences performance.

Source: ContentStudio.io

Pinterest’s analytics let you track detailed metrics including clicks, saves, impressions, conversions, click-through rates (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and cost per acquisition (CPA). Reviewing these insights regularly helps you understand user behavior patterns and refine your strategy accordingly.

Keep testing, learning, and iterating. That’s how you scale results over time.

FAQs

How to run Pinterest ads?

Running Pinterest ads is straightforward. 

Finally, select or create a pin to promote, review your details, and click “Publish.” Once your ads are live, monitor and optimize them regularly in Ads Manager for the best results. You can check Pinterest’s official advertising guide for more details.

First, create or log into your Pinterest Business Account. 

Then, head over to Ads Manager and select “Create campaign.” 

Choose your campaign objective — whether it’s clicks, conversions, or awareness. 

Next, pick your audience targeting details, budget, and scheduling options. 

How much do Pinterest ads cost?

Pinterest ads work on a bidding system, meaning the costs vary based on your targeting, ad placement, competition, and your own bids. Typically, Pinterest ads average around $0.10 per click, $1.50 per thousand impressions (CPM), and up to $2.00 per conversion. You control your budget and can adjust bids to maximize performance. Costs differ by industry and audience segments, so testing and careful monitoring will help you find the sweet spot.

How to optimize Pinterest ads?

Optimizing Pinterest ads comes down to continual testing and adjusting. Focus on clear, compelling visuals and descriptions that highlight product value. Run A/B tests on different images, ad copy, and landing pages to see what resonates. Leverage Pinterest analytics to track your results closely. Improve targeting by refining your keyword strategy, audience demographics, and interests. Experiment with different ad formats like video and carousel pins to boost engagement.

Conclusion

Pinterest marketing is a valuable but often overlooked channel in social media advertising. With its uniquely engaged audience and high purchase intent, Pinterest gives you the tools to reach people right when they’re ready to act. To see real success, combine eye-catching visuals, strategic targeting, and careful optimization. 
Remember, the key is being authentic, clear, and helpful — give users exactly what they’re looking for. Start experimenting with Pinterest ads today, track your results carefully, and refine your campaigns consistently. When done right, Pinterest ads can become a powerful growth lever for your overall social media marketing efforts.