Pinterest is not just another social media platform; it’s a visual search engine that offers notable opportunities for marketers in 2024. Unlike TikTok’s fleeting trends or Instagram’s influencer-driven content, Pinterest users are planners with purchase intent, making it the perfect place to influence decisions early. Read on to learn why Pinterest advertising is a must-have in your marketing toolkit this year.
Pinterest has evolved from a simple social media site into a dynamic visual search engine. With nearly half a billion users worldwide, it’s where people go to find inspiration and discover new products and services. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest users are in discovery mode, making them more receptive to brand messaging.
Key points about Pinterest’s audience:
• Gen Z prominence: 42% of monthly active users are Gen Z.
• Gender: 70% of users are female.
• Popularity: Most popular in the US and the Netherlands (as a % of the population).
• Other key markets: US, UK, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, France, and Canada.
Audiences find Pinterest useful for inspiration. For example, when you search for “sofa” on Google, you’ll see the most popular sofa images, but Pinterest takes it a step further. A sofa search on Pinterest not only shows trending sofa images but also lets you explore various materials, shapes, and colours. This makes Pinterest an excellent tool for researching current trends and finding inspiration for your next project.
While TikTok thrives on viral videos and Instagram focuses on influencer-driven content, Pinterest is all about long-term discovery and planning. Users come to Pinterest with intent, searching for ideas and inspiration for future projects, purchases, and experiences. This makes Pinterest ideal for brands aiming to capture audience interest early in the decision-making process. Its advertising tools allow for precise targeting and a longer shelf life for content, perfect for sustained engagement.
As well as focused audience intent and the paid advertising targeting options, other reasons to include Pinterest in your media mix include:
1. Visual content reigns: Pinterest’s focus on visual content taps into the trend of images and videos, which our brains process faster than text. This trend is especially strong among Gen Z.
2. E-commerce growth: The surge in e-commerce, accelerated by the pandemic, makes Pinterest an excellent platform for online businesses. It drives more sales per click than other social media platforms, and Shoppable Pins streamline the path from discovery to purchase.
3. Low competition: Many businesses, including those in high-performing niches like fashion, underutilise Pinterest. This lower competition, coupled with a more affordable ad auction, offers a valuable opportunity to stand out and achieve cost-effective marketing.
Pinterest is suitable for many different industry verticals, including:
• B2B: Use visually appealing Pins to showcase industry insights, product features, and case studies. Use Pinterest’s targeting to reach audiences by interests, job titles, and industry.
• Travel: Inspire wanderlust and drive bookings with destination guides and travel packages.
• E-commerce: Use Pinterest’s shopping features for direct purchases. Integrate localised visuals, currency options, and shipping info for a seamless global shopping experience.
• Weddings and events: Capture brides-to-be with ideas for wedding dresses and décor. Highlight pinnable concepts for parties like birthdays and baby showers.
• Finance: Educate and engage audiences on financial planning and investment opportunities. Use Pins to drive traffic to informative content and financial tools.
• Health and wellness: Promote fitness routines, healthy recipes, and wellness tips through visually appealing Pins.
• Food and beverage: Showcase recipes, cooking tips, and food trends. Use high-quality visuals to attract foodies.
• Home and garden: Highlight DIY projects, home improvement tips, and gardening ideas.
• Fashion and beauty: Feature the latest fashion trends, beauty tutorials, and product launches.
• Education: Share educational resources, study tips, and online courses.
• Technology: Highlight tech innovations, product demos, and how-to guides.
• Automotive: Showcase new car models, maintenance tips, and driving experiences.
Pinterest offers a range of paid advertising tools, consistently adding to their toolset. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Pinterest’s paid media tools for international marketing success:
1. Understand your audience
Pinterest’s analytics tools offer invaluable insights into user demographics, interests, and behaviour patterns. Use Pinterest’s Audience Insights to understand your target market and refine your content strategy based on performance data across different regions.
2. Set goals and objectives
Determine clear objectives for your Pinterest ad campaigns to guide your strategy. Example objectives could include:
• Brand awareness: Introduce your brand to new audiences.
• Video views: Increase video play counts and viewer retention.
• Consideration: Boost engagement with Pins and outbound clicks.
• Conversions: Drive checkouts and sign-ups on your website.
• Catalogue sales: Organically promote your products to users browsing for inspiration.
3. Localise visual content
Creating culturally relevant visuals is crucial for international campaigns. Work with Local In-Market Experts to research cultural nuances, traditions, and holidays in your target regions to incorporate these elements into your visuals. A free useful resource like Oban’s Global Marketing Calendar can help you to identify key dates by market.
4. Explore targeting capabilities
Pinterest offers advanced targeting options that allow you to narrow down your audience based on various criteria, including interests, keywords, location, and language.
5. Test creative ad formats
Pinterest offers various ad formats, which you can experiment with to see which works best for your brand and audience. Formats include:
• Idea Pins: Combine videos, images, text, and lists in one Pin.
• Try on Product Pins: Use augmented reality to virtually try products before buying.
• Pinterest Collection Ads: Feature one large image with up to 24 smaller images underneath.
• Pinterest Carousel Ads: Swipe through multiple images in a single Pin for storytelling or showcasing products.
• Promoted Pins: Appear in relevant feeds, functioning like regular Pins but on a cost-per-click basis.
• Shopping Ads: Display a single image with a direct purchase option.
• Product Rich Pins: Automatically sync with your website to show the latest product details, including pricing and availability.
6. Keep up with Pinterest Trends and Pinterest Predicts
Use the Pinterest Trends tool to see current and upcoming popular topics. This tool helps you enhance your campaigns by tailoring your ad copy, hashtags, and images to align with what’s trending among Pinterest users. You can filter trends by interests, keywords, age, and other criteria. Also, check out Pinterest Predicts, which forecasts upcoming trends for the next year. Similar to the Pinterest Trends tool, it gives brands a competitive advantage, particularly when sponsoring a Pinterest Predicts trend. This sponsorship option grants a Special badge on your ads.
7. Test and optimise
Implement multivariant tests to compare different versions of your ads and identify what works best. Test different visuals, headlines, descriptions, and audience segments to optimise your campaigns.
8. Analyse performance
Regularly analyse the performance of your Pinterest campaigns using the platform’s analytics tools. Focus on key metrics such as engagement rate, click-through rate (CTR), and conversion rate to evaluate the ROI of your campaigns.
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Pinterest is a powerful tool for brands aiming to expand globally through paid ads. Its visual discovery and targeting drive engagement, conversions, and loyalty in diverse markets. Contact Oban to find out how we can help you navigate the international digital marketing landscape.
How effective is Pinterest for B2B marketing in 2024?
Pinterest is highly effective for B2B marketing due to its visual nature and user intent. B2B companies can use Pinterest to share visually appealing Pins that highlight industry insights, product features, and case studies. By using Pinterest’s targeting capabilities, businesses can reach specific audiences based on interests, job titles, and industries, promoting valuable content such as whitepapers, webinars, and gated content to capture leads.
What makes Pinterest different from other social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for marketing?
Pinterest users are typically in a discovery mindset, seeking ideas and inspiration for future projects and purchases, unlike TikTok and Instagram which focus on quick, trend-driven content. This makes Pinterest ideal for long-term engagement, capturing audience interest early in the decision-making process, and providing a longer shelf life for content.
What are some effective strategies for e-commerce businesses on Pinterest in 2024?
E-commerce businesses should use Shoppable Pins for direct purchases, localised visuals for international appeal, Promoted Pins for increased visibility, and Pinterest Analytics to monitor performance. Regular testing can help identify the most effective strategies to boost sales and engagement.
Oban International is the digital marketing agency specialising in international expansion.
Our LIME (Local In-Market Expert) Network provides up to date cultural input and insights from over 80 markets around the world, helping clients realise the best marketing opportunities and avoid the costliest mistakes.
