The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Pinterest Ads

Pinterest Ads are often underestimated in ecommerce marketing, but their ability to drive results at every stage of the marketing funnel—from building awareness to driving conversions—makes them a powerful tool for brands.

While many view Pinterest as purely a top-of-funnel, awareness-building channel, this article will demonstrate how it can be a game changer at every stage of the customer journey. With its vast user base, predominantly female demographic, and search-driven nature, Pinterest offers ecommerce brands a unique opportunity to reach and engage high-intent users.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to get started with Pinterest Ads, best practices for ad formats, advanced targeting techniques, and strategies for optimizing ad spend and leveraging analytics. 

Whether your goal is brand discovery, product consideration, or driving final conversions, Pinterest can help you achieve measurable results. 

Getting Started with Pinterest Ads

Pinterest offers ecommerce brands a significant opportunity to engage a vast audience, especially with its predominantly female user base (around 70%) and its unique ability to function across the entire marketing funnel—from awareness to conversion. To leverage this platform effectively, follow these foundational steps when launching Pinterest ad campaigns:

Set Up Pinterest Tag and Enable Enhanced Matching

Begin by setting up the Pinterest tag on your website. This tracking code monitors key actions, such as purchases, add-to-cart (ATC), and page views, which allows for data-driven campaign optimization. Make sure to place the tag on all relevant pages to ensure you’re capturing the essential actions that align with your campaign goals.

Additionally, enabling Enhanced Matching improves attribution and targeting across devices, which is especially valuable as Pinterest users often browse on mobile and complete purchases on desktop.

Sync Your Product Catalog

For ecommerce brands, syncing your product catalog with Pinterest is crucial—particularly for dynamic ad formats like catalog or collection ads.

This integration allows Pinterest to pull real-time product data, such as pricing and availability, ensuring your ads reflect accurate, up-to-date information. If your catalog is already set up on platforms like Google Shopping or Shopify, the process is seamless.

Additionally, you can create product groups or automatically leverage existing groups to get more granular with the products shown to specific audience segments, allowing for more personalized and targeted campaigns.

Test Events and Conduct a Test Purchase

Before launching your ads, ensure all tracked events (like adding to cart or making a purchase) are functioning correctly. 

Conduct a test purchase to confirm your Pinterest tag is capturing conversions properly, preventing data loss and reporting errors that could impact campaign performance.

Ad Formats and Best Practices

Pinterest offers a wide range of ad formats designed to cater to different campaign objectives, whether it’s building brand awareness or driving conversions. While each format has its unique specifications, there are general best practices that can enhance the impact of your ads across the board:

General Creative Best Practices

• Use Bold, High-Quality Visuals: Pinterest is a highly visual platform. Ads with clear, vibrant images that resonate with the platform’s aesthetic will perform better. Ensure your visuals are clear and aligned with Pinterest’s design standards.
• Keep Text Minimal: Minimize the use of text on images to let visuals do most of the talking. If necessary, ensure the text is concise and legible, especially on smaller screens.
• Clear Branding and Strong CTAs: Always feature your logo prominently to enhance brand recognition. Strong calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Shop Now” or “Get Inspired” should be easy to spot and encourage immediate user interaction.
• Optimize Promoted Pins by Boosting High-Performers: Monitor the performance of organic Pins, and if certain Pins perform well, boost them to increase their reach. Link all Pins to relevant landing pages to guide users from discovery to conversion.
• Test, Test, Test: Continuously A/B test your creatives, CTAs, and messaging to discover what resonates most with your target audience. Regularly updating your ad creative keeps engagement high and avoids ad fatigue.

Ad Format Overview

Standard Image Ads

Standard image ads showcase a single product or key visual, making them ideal for awareness and conversion campaigns.

• File Type: PNG or JPEG
• Max File Size: 20 MB (desktop), 32 MB (in-app)
• Aspect Ratio: 2:3 (1000 x 1500 pixels); larger ratios may get cut off in user feeds.
• Character Count: Title up to 100 characters (first 40 may show in feeds), Description up to 500 characters.

Standard and Max-Width Video Ads

Video ads are ideal for dynamic storytelling. Standard-width video ads match regular Pin sizes, while max-width video ads span the entire mobile feed for a more immersive experience.

• File Type: MP4, MOV, M4V
• Max File Size: 2GB
• Length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes (recommended: 6-15 seconds for optimal engagement)
• Aspect Ratio: Square (1:1) or vertical (2:3, 4:5, 9:16)

Carousel Ads and Collection Ads

Carousel ads allow users to swipe through multiple images in a single ad, perfect for featuring multiple products. Collection ads combine a hero image or video with smaller product images, making them ideal for curated collections.

• Carousel Ads: Up to five images; great for showcasing different product features or variations.
  • File Type: PNG or JPEG
  • Max File Size: 20 MB per image
  • Creative Quantity: 2 to 5 images per carousel
  • Aspect Ratio: 1:1 or 2:3
  • Character Count: Title up to 100 characters, Description up to 500 characters.
• Collection Ads: A hero image/video with secondary images; perfect for product discovery or telling a brand story.
  • File Type: PNG, JPEG for images; MP4, MOV for videos.
  • Max File Size: Images up to 10 MB, Videos up to 2GB.
  • Aspect Ratio: 1:1 or 2:3 for the hero creative, 1:1 for secondary creatives.
  • Creative Quantity: 1 hero creative (image or video), 3 to 24 secondary creatives.

Idea Ads and Quiz Ads

Idea ads allow you to combine multiple videos, images, and text in a single Pin, encouraging deeper interaction. Quiz ads, on the other hand, offer a fun, interactive format where users can engage with questions and answers directly within the ad. These formats are ideal for capturing initial attention and engaging users at the top of the funnel.

• Idea Ads:
  • File Type: PNG, JPEG for images; MP4, MOV for videos.
  • Max File Size: Images up to 32 MB, Videos up to 2GB.
  • Aspect Ratio: 9:16 for full-bleed images and videos.
  • Character Count: Title up to 100 characters, Description up to 500 characters.
• Quiz Ads:
  • File Type: PNG, JPEG for images; MP4, MOV for videos.
  • Max File Size: 32 MB
  • Aspect Ratio: 2:3 for title and result Pins.
  • Character Count: Title up to 100 characters, Questions up to 96 characters, Answers up to 48 characters.

Showcase Ads

Showcase ads are swipeable, multi-layered cards that allow advertisers to highlight different features within each card. These ads work well for campaigns that need to communicate more complex messages or showcase a variety of products. Use showcase ads to tell a layered brand story. Focus each card on a key feature or product benefit, and link out to deeper content for users who want to explore further.

• File Type: PNG, JPEG for images; MP4, MOV for videos.
• Max File Size: 32 MB
• Aspect Ratio: 2:3 for title Pin, 1:1 for features.
• Creative Quantity: Up to 4 cards, each containing up to 3 features.
• Character Count: Text overlay: 10 words max; Features: 50 characters max.

Targeting Techniques and Audience Segmentation

Pinterest’s advanced targeting options and audience segmentation tools allow for highly effective, full-funnel advertising. By understanding the platform’s unique targeting capabilities, you can maximize ad relevance and engagement.

Keyword and Interest Targeting

Since Pinterest is highly search-driven, including relevant keywords in your ad copy will help the algorithm show your Pins to the right users. By incorporating 75 to 100 relevant keywords, you can ensure your content surfaces when users are actively searching for products or ideas similar to yours. 

Interest targeting, based on user behavior, further refines your reach by showing ads to users within relevant categories, such as fashion, home, or beauty.

Expanded Targeting

To scale your campaigns, Pinterest offers Expanded Targeting, which broadens your reach beyond predefined audiences.

Pinterest’s algorithm leverages visual signals and engagement patterns to deliver ads to users who may not be in your direct targeting but are likely to engage based on their behavior.

Audience Insights and Continual Optimization

Pinterest provides rich audience insights, enabling advertisers to review and refine targeting strategies based on key demographic data, such as age, location, and engagement. 

Conduct regular reviews to identify high-performing segments and allocate more budget toward those areas. Continual optimization, driven by testing new creative assets and adjusting targeting parameters, is crucial for long-term success.

Audience Segmentation and Retargeting Strategies

Pinterest offers robust tools for segmenting audiences, enabling advertisers to tailor their messaging for different groups based on behavior, demographics, or past interactions. By leveraging these audience segmentation options, you can maximize ad relevance and ROI.

• Pinterest Tag-Based Segmentation: Using the Pinterest tag, you can create custom segments based on specific user actions such as product page visits, add-to-cart events, or purchases. This allows you to target users who have shown interest but haven’t yet converted, offering you the opportunity to re-engage them with relevant messaging.
• Custom and Actalike Audiences: Pinterest allows advertisers to create custom audiences based on email lists or website visitors, and even expand reach with lookalike audiences that share similar behaviors to your current customers.
• Testing Retargeting Timeframes: Different users convert at different speeds, so create separate campaigns for users who visited your site within the last 30 days and those who visited within the last 90 days, etc. Testing different time frames allows you to find the most effective segment and allocate budget accordingly.
• Klaviyo Integration: Integrating with tools like Klaviyo allows you to synchronize customer lists and target specific segments, improving the relevance of your campaigns.

Optimizing Ad Spend and Budget Allocation

To maximize ROI on Pinterest, allocate your budget strategically across the different stages of the funnel. Here’s how to optimize your ad spend:

Focus on High-Impact Campaigns

By consolidating campaigns into fewer, larger ones with multiple ad groups, Pinterest’s algorithm can learn faster and allocate your budget more efficiently.

Broader targeting within fewer campaigns also helps reduce CPM (cost per thousand impressions) and CPA (cost per acquisition), ultimately expanding audience reach.

Diversify Your Creative Mix

Use a diverse creative mix to engage users at different stages of the funnel. For cold audiences, leverage attention-grabbing creatives, such as lifestyle concepts, to build awareness. 

As users move through the funnel, incorporate multiple images that highlight multiple products and use cases to drive engagement.

For conversion-focused efforts, focus on the product details and use clear CTAs like “Shop Now” to drive action. Aligning your creatives with the appropriate funnel stage helps to boost both click-through and conversion rates.

Full-Funnel Budget Allocation

A full-funnel budget allocation strategy ensures you’re investing appropriately at every stage of the customer journey:

• Top of Funnel (Awareness): Allocate around 20% of your budget to awareness campaigns with broader targeting.
• Mid-Funnel (Consideration): Dedicate 30% to retargeting users who have interacted with your brand but haven’t converted. Dynamic retargeting and collection ads work well here.
• Bottom of Funnel (Conversion): Reserve 50% of your budget for conversion-focused ads targeting high-intent users. Use standard video or image formats to drive final purchases and reduce CPA.

Incrementality Testing

To ensure your campaigns are driving incremental sales, conduct incrementality testing. This helps you understand whether conversions are truly a result of your ads or if they would have happened regardless. 

If certain campaigns—especially those targeting cold audiences—show low incrementality, consider shifting more budget toward mid-funnel or conversion-focused efforts.

Leverage Third-Party Attribution Tools

While Pinterest provides valuable analytics, third-party attribution tools like Triple Whale offer deeper cross-channel insights. 

Post-purchase surveys can also provide useful data on how customers discovered your brand, helping you fine-tune your budget allocation strategies.

Leveraging Pinterest Analytics for Optimization

Pinterest’s analytics platform gives advertisers the real-time data they need to optimize campaigns for better performance. To make the most of these insights, focus on key metrics for each stage of the funnel:

Awareness Campaigns

• CPM (Cost per Thousand Impressions): Measures the cost to reach 1,000 people. Lower CPMs help scale brand awareness efficiently.
• Reach: Indicates the number of unique users exposed to your ad, helping you measure the scope of your brand visibility.
• CPC (Cost per Click): A critical metric for driving engagement, helping you gauge cost-effectiveness in acquiring clicks.

Consideration Campaigns

• CTR (Click-Through Rate): Tracks how many users click on your ad, showing how well your creative and messaging resonate with your audience.
• Add to Cart (ATC): A key indicator of purchase intent, measuring how many users actively consider buying your product.

Conversion Campaigns

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): The most crucial metric for conversion campaigns, measuring the revenue generated for each dollar spent. Positive ROAS indicates profitable campaigns.
• CPA (Cost per Acquisition): Tracks how much you’re spending to acquire a customer. Lower CPA helps drive higher profitability.

Maximizing Pinterest Shopping Ads

Pinterest Shopping Ads are a powerful way to drive product discovery and conversions. Here are strategies to optimize your Shopping Ads:

Test and Optimize Product Groups

Promote different product groups, such as top-sellers, seasonal collections, or new arrivals, to see what resonates most with your audience. Focus more budget on high-performing products to maximize ROI.

Dynamic Retargeting and Catalog Ads

Leverage dynamic retargeting by showing users products they’ve previously interacted with. Catalog ads work seamlessly with retargeting to personalize the user experience and drive conversions. Make sure to refresh product feeds regularly to maintain accuracy in pricing and availability.

Utilize Collection Ads for Full-Funnel Success

Collection Ads, which feature a hero image or video followed by product images, are highly effective for driving engagement. Pair these ads with dynamic retargeting to guide users through the full funnel, from awareness to purchase.

Leveraging Trends and Seasonal Opportunities

Staying ahead of trends and leveraging seasonal opportunities allows ecommerce brands to boost engagement, drive conversions, and maximize their full-funnel strategy. Here’s how to capitalize on Pinterest trends and seasonal moments effectively.

Pinterest provides valuable tools to help brands stay on top of emerging trends:

• Pinterest Predicts: This annual report highlights upcoming trends based on user behavior, allowing advertisers to align their messaging and visuals with what’s resonating with Pinterest users.
• Pinterest Trends: A real-time tool that tracks popular searches and keywords. Regular monitoring of these insights lets brands adjust campaigns to stay relevant.

While seasonal ads can create spikes in engagement, maintaining a balance between evergreen content and time-sensitive ads is key to sustained performance. 

Seasonal campaigns should highlight relevant themes, such as autumn colors for fall or holiday décor for winter, while evergreen campaigns keep your brand visible year-round. This strategy ensures consistent engagement, with seasonal layers added during peak moments for an extra boost.

The Key to Successful Pinterest Ads

Success on Pinterest isn’t about following a rigid formula; it’s about recognizing the unique way its users interact with content. This means leaning into Pinterest’s strengths: a highly visual, discovery-driven environment where consumers actively seek out ideas and inspiration before making purchasing decisions.

Ultimately, the key to success lies in testing, optimizing, and innovating. Pinterest is a dynamic platform that rewards creativity, personalization, and adaptability. By continually refining your approach and staying ahead of trends, your brand can thrive and build lasting connections with a highly engaged audience.

About the Author: Olivia Meyers is a Sr. Media Strategist at adQuadrant. She is known for scaling e-commerce brands across various industries and managing millions of dollars in ad spend across social platforms. Outside of work, you’ll find her hanging out with her Mini Schnoodle and Leopard Gecko while listening to Taylor Swift. She also enjoys hiking, watering her plants, or finding the next best boba shop.