Pinterest Marketing: Best Practices

If you’re not using Pinterest for business already, it’s time to reconsider!

While many brands were busy focusing their marketing efforts on Instagram and Facebook, Pinterest has grown into a powerful platform that you can leverage to set yourself apart from the competition.

According to eMarketer, 47% of U.S. social media users go to Pinterest to find and shop for products. In comparison, 15% used Facebook and 11% used Instagram.
Weekly Pinners are used to online shopping, they are 1.25x more likely to buy multiple items.
49% of weekly Pinners have a household income over 100K
83% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase based on Pins from brands

These stats suggest that you can tap into the platform’s massive and engaged user base and influence their purchase decisions.

Here’s a quick guide to help you understand the Pinterest best practices you should follow to effectively leverage the platform:

Use Vertical Formats

80% of Pinners view Pinterest on mobile. With this big stat in mind, make sure to occupy maximum vertical screen real estate! An aspect ratio 2:3 or a bit taller works best (600 x 900, 600 x 1560 max).

Be Straight and to the Point

You have approximately 2 seconds to catch someone’s attention! People use Pinterest for new ideas and inspiration, so aim to grab their attention as quickly as possible with actionable content and ideas.

Overlay Text, But Not Too Much!

Bring images to life with text overlay, but remember to keep it simple. Text overlay can help convey your message at a glance with something fun and catchy.

Use Video

We’re visual people, so a fun and engaging video will help grab attention! The video should be short and to the point—don’t forget to lead with an attention-grabbing hook. Pinterest is mostly a sound-off platform so don’t rely on audio, focus on images and motion.

Incorporate Your Logo

This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s worth mentioning! One rule of thumb here is to never mix a product shot with your logo—it can get a little overwhelming. When using a logo, a small logo can help guide users to your brand easily and unobtrusively.

Call-To-Action

Motivate the user to take action with a clear CTA (i.e. Visit, Sign Up, Shop Now). With a reason to act and with a clear value proposition, the users will know how your product can fit into their lives.

When creating your Pinterest marketing campaigns, here are a few more things to keep in mind:

Test various formats (static, carousel, video, max width video).
Create relevant content.
Plan ahead—holidays, seasons, sales, etc.
Keep your landing page relevant.
Use Pinterest catalogs for remarketing—dynamic remarketing makes it easy to show products that past website visitors added to their cart, for example. Or use collection ads to show the whole collection in one pin.
Select the most relevant campaign objective (brand awareness, video views, traffic, conversions, shopping catalog).
Use automatic bidding when available—Pinterest will manage bids to get the lowest cost per result while also spending your entire budget.
Separate interest targeting and keyword targeting when possible. Create different campaigns for each to test what works best for your brand. Or combine the both if it works best to narrow your audience.

Wrapping Up

Pinterest visitors have a clear goal in mind: to find inspiration. It’s the ideal place for brands to promote their products and raise awareness to help people decide what they want to try.

As the platform grows its offer for brands and advertisers, Pinterest is claiming a spot in many marketers' social media mix—and it's not hard to see why! If you’re interested in starting a Pinterest marketing campaign, feel free to reach out—our team of Pinterest experts can’t wait to connect with you!