Advertising on Pinterest

Usually when we’re talking about online advertising, the majority of people will think about running ad campaigns on platforms such as Google, Facebook, or Instagram. And rightfully so! If a solid ‘full-funnel’ advertising approach is implemented, businesses are able to achieve great results on these channels.

With more than 250 million active users, Pinterest has become an indispensable part of any effective marketing plan. The platform is no longer only a social media network, but it has grown into a true visual search engine. Because Pinterest is widely used by people to gain inspiration, it has become essential for many companies to be present on this channel. Yet not every company is aware of the potential of this channel.

The platform offers companies and advertisers the chance to bring their products, services and ideas to the attention of the right target group at an early stage of the customer journey.

To help you find out if advertising on Pinterest is right for your business, hang on, we'll cover the following points in this blog:

• What are the benefits/possibilities of advertising on Pinterest      
• For whom is advertising on Pinterest interesting?      
• What are the costs for advertising on Pinterest?      
• How do you get started advertising on Pinterest? 

Advantages of advertising on Pinterest

People flock to Pinterest to plan for the future, not to scroll through photos of things that have already happened. And that forward-looking mindset is exactly what makes Pinterest such a valuable advertising platform! Pinterest users (also ‘Pinners’) are ready to take action. 

For many Pinners, Pinterest is the place where they begin the search for their next purchase. They enthusiastically browse the many pins (posts) for inspiration to help them make their decisions. Think of the redesign of living rooms, or finding a nice dress for a wedding, etc.

Pinterest is a full-funnel advertising-solution

Pinterest isn't just the channel people go to to gain inspiration, they also go there to take action.

That means they can turn to Pinterest when they want to explore (new) brands or products, when they want to compare different options, and/or when they are ready to make a purchase.

Standing out by fitting in

With the majority of the social media channels, ads are more likely to be perceived as 'intrusive' and 'bothersome'. Although this often has more to do with the relevance of the ads in relation to the target groups that are targeted, it is also due to the fact that social media advertising generally falls under ‘push marketing’.

In other words, your ads are usually placed (pushed) in users' feeds, without them actively looking for it at that time. This is different with Pinterest (and Google).

One thing that makes Pinterest such a unique advertising platform is because the ads are actually part of the content that Pinners actively search for. So businesses’ ads are a ‘native’ addition to the user experience.

Bring your online brand experience to life online

Because the content on Pinterest is mainly focused on visuals, it gives enterprises the platform and makes the possibility of a strong brand experience to their audiences create. 

As the focus of the content posted on Pinterest is mainly placed on visuals, it provides businesses and brands the opportunity to create a strong and positive online brand experience. 

This is not only essential for companies that sell exclusively online, but also for companies that now receive less 'foot-traffic ' to their brick and mortar stores due to the current situation.

Creating good brand experience is important, as positive experiences enable companies to build a deeper connection with their target audience. A positive brand experience can mean the difference between being chosen over another brand or completely missing out on sales!

For whom is Pinterest advertising interesting?

Successful advertising means effectively reaching the right target audience at the right time and in the right place. To find out whether advertising on Pinterest is suitable for your business, it is important to know who uses the platform.

Does your brand of business fit anywhere in these industries, or do you see your target audience? If so, advertising on Pinterest is definitely worth the time and effort!

Needless to say, it’s also important to keep an eye on the online trends, because your vertical may not be listed here yet, but your target group may have already established themselves on Pinterest.

Cost of advertising on Pinterest

Right, we get it: It’s nice to hear all about the opportunities of advertising on Pinterest, but it's also vital to know what it may cost.

• A plus: In general, advertising on Pinterest is a bit cheaper than advertising on other social media channels. According to Pinterest, ads deliver a 2.3x lower cost per conversion compared to ads on other social media channels.

As with advertising on other channels, you’ll have to determine the maximum amount of ad budget you are willing to spend yourself. 

For advertising on Pinterest, costs are often calculated on a cost-per-click basis, or on a cost-per-1,000 impressions basis. The way in which the budget of a campaign is calculated depends on the chosen campaign goal.

How to get started with advertising on Pinterest

Advertising on Pinterest can be done in two ways: By completely immersing yourself in the techniques & data and doing it yourself, or by leaving it to an advertising specialist, like the team at The Next Ad. Advertising specialists have done the trick before and know all the do's & don'ts like the back of their hand.

Whatever the choice may be, the first thing you'll need to do is to create a Pinterest business account. Fortunately, creating a Pinterest business account is free and done quickly!

Creating a business account

Do you already have a personal Pinterest account?

• If you already have an existing Pinterest account, you can easily convert it to a business account. However, you should keep in mind that your previous pins and activities will still be visible on the business account!
  
• If you don’t want to convert your personal account, you can also choose to connect the Pinterest business account to your personal account. Then you can log in to your business account with the same login details as your personal account and easily switch between the two.
  

Don't have any Pinterest account yet?

• Not a problem! You can also just create a new business account. This may take a little more time to set up, but a better choice if you want to keep private and business completely separate.

Once you have created a business account, it is important to verify your website. That way Pinterest knows that you actually own that website, which in turn helps in the reliability of your account.

For a detailed guide on creating a corporate Pinterest account, click here.

Use Pinterest ads in combination with other channels

The Pinterest tag keeps track of what actions people take on your website after seeing your ads on the platform. Add the Pinterest tag to your website to get a better understanding of your target audience and their behaviour, and enable yourself to calculate your return on ad spend (ROAS).

When you add the Pinterest tag to your website, you can discover which ads are driving the most conversions and what people are doing on your website! 

If you want to learn how to add the Pinterest tag to your website, click here.

Pinterest advertenties inzetten in combinatie met andere kanalen

This is something we truly can’t stress enough at The Next Ad. 

Any brand or company that seriously wants to be involved with online advertising and also wants to get the best possible result, will have to be active on multiple channels and ensure that the use of those channels is aligned (with a cross-channel approach). 

Maximise visibility and results by using the right content, for the right target group, on the right channels. A cross-channel advertising approach finds and uses the best balance for using your ad budget in between channels for the best return on your investment.

Naturally the extent to which this is possible differs per company, and also depends on the amount of budget, manpower and expertise that is available. But using a cross-channel advertising approach is crucial to online success!

Doing it yourself or with the help of a specialist?

Doing it yourself

Implementing advertising on Pinterest can be quite a complicated thing to do. That is why it’s important to thoroughly immerse yourself in all the possibilities and methods before you start. 

If you do have the knowledge and time to do it yourself, there are many articles that can help you further in setting up your first campaign. 

More information about advertising on Pinterest can be found here.

A partnership for better results

Are you interested in advertising on Pinterest, but do you lack the knowledge or man hours? If so,  the option to work with an advertising specialist is definitely for you!

Not only will you be assured to have the best people working for you, but it also means that your ads are scaled efficiently and performance is properly measured.

Our team of experts can surely help you with this! Together we create a strong foundation and ensure that your story is spread as widely as possible with the aim of (for example) increasing your awareness and/or increasing turnover.

If you are curious about our exact methods, workflows and what we can do for your company, you can always send us a message via the chat or via our contact form. We are here to help!