Pinterest for small businesses | Pinterest ad examples we love

Nahla Davies is a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed—among other intriguing things—to serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix, and Sony.
Nahla Davies
Up your game on Pinterest and use Pins to inspire and promote your small business. Here are Pinterest ad examples we can’t get enough of.

Pinterest has evolved from its humble beginnings over a decade ago as a way for users to share new ideas about nearly anything you could think of. Now, Pinterest is a platform where aspirations come to life. Users are empowered to try something new and make bold moves to reach their goals.

Pinners are open to inspiration and ready to invest in their intentions —whether that be through a DIY project, a unique product, or a premium service. Pinterest’s 454 million monthly active users could very well be your brand’s newest customers. That's why Pinterest is the perfect advertising channel for small businesses.

Time to up your advertising game on Pinterest. 


Why advertise on Pinterest? 

While many people still associate Pinterest with wedding pin boards and stay-at-home parents, Pinterest has become a worldwide hub for creativity and inspiration. Instead of posting blurbs or photos with captions like other social media platforms, Pinterest gives users the opportunity to create a webpage bookmark, or a Pin, that takes them back to the things they love. 

For small business owners, that means a direct link to your website and your products. 

Many pinners use the app specifically for shopping purposes. In fact, almost half of all activity on Pinterest is related to shopping. This makes Pinterest a great platform for sellers as well. For example, a pin is one hundred times more spreadable than your average tweet and it can drive 3x more traffic to your website than other social media platforms. 

One of the reasons behind this growth is due to its recent expansion to in-app purchases. Pinners can now shop and make purchases without ever leaving the app, ensuring PCI compliance and data privacy. With a business account, you can easily upload your catalog and start selling on Pinterest. 


What are Pinterest Idea Pins? 

There are numerous ways that businesses can advertise using Pinterest, including Idea Pins. Pinterest Idea Pins can be used to record multiple videos, images, lists and custom text all in one Pin. 

While they are similar to other pins in that they can easily be pinned to your boards, Idea Pins will also be displayed on your profile. Small businesses can use idea pins to curate a collection of products, improve targeting and tell their story in a whole new way.


Promoting your Pins (and how to do it) 

Promoting Pins on Pinterest is a great way to get your Pins in front of the right audience without the typical hassle of social media marketing posting and community building. Promoting your Pins on Pinterest is an easy and effective process to get your pins noticed by the right people. 

Pinterest uses a CPC (cost-per-click) advertising model where businesses will set a daily advertising budget and the platform helps Promoted Pins get discovered. Advertisers only pay when Promoted Pins are clicked on, which helps generate leads and create sales. 

Part of creating a successful promoted pin is to select the right keywords to get your ad noticed. An optimized keyword strategy can help increase traffic to your landing pages and increase clicks on your Promoted Pins. Pinterest allows you to use up to 150 keywords per promoted pin so that you can really hone in on your target audience. 

Here’s how to start promoting your pins:

  1. Choose a pin to promote. Pick one that is already seeing active engagement for best results. Then select “Promote.”
  2. Add your landing page, select keywords, set your budget and schedule your campaign. 
  3. Add your business and billing info, hit “Save," and voila — your Pins are Promoted!


How to make Pinterest ads 

Creating digital ad campaigns requires extensive knowledge, expertise and resources that most small business owners don’t have access to. Those who are able to hire a developer to optimize their ad campaigns may still need to fill in some gaps. Most developers possess under five years of experience, so finding a developer experienced in social media marketing can be a challenge. 

Luckily, there are other ways to create Pinterest ads even if you have no knowledge of advertising. Vimeo Create takes the guesswork out of creating ad campaigns with customizable templates designed for Pinterest. Even small business owners can create professional video ads for Pinterest.

Pinterest offers plenty of avenues for small businesses to advertise and promote their brands. Idea pins, Collection pins, and Video pins can all be used to create captivating Pinterest ads. The key is to keep Pinterest’s specs at the forefront of your campaign design in order to make aesthetically pleasing pins that Pinners will want to add to their boards. 

Use a combination of video, images, music, text, and color to refine your pins and develop Pinterest ad campaigns that take your brand to the next level.  


Pinterest ad examples we love (from real small businesses!)

Shydeia Caldwell is a great example of how to create successful ads for pinterest. Using Vimeo create, she has been able to achieve a high level of editing capabilities and creative control without having to outsource or hire experienced talent. 

A shamanic practitioner, spiritual entrepreneur and co-founder of Black Girl Magick, she uses video in social media campaigns to connect and inspire her audience. Her goal? Have better engagement with her audience.


Some inspo for your next Pinterest video Pin 


Tell a story

Lifestyle ads convert customers by creating an emotional connection with audiences. This ad template uses a casual approach with modern elements to speak to their customers. 


Show off your product collection 

Pinterest is the perfect place to show off your new designs and products. Use a combination of multiple videos and bold text to draw attention to new arrivals, special releases and deals.


Shoutout a small biz 

One of the most valuable features of advertising on Pinterest is the ability to connect with others and create a community around your brand. Use pins to uplift other small businesses and creators to help both parties get in front of more Pinners. 


Share a simple message 

Vivid. Bold. Straightforward. Ads like this can be used to say exactly what you want with customized visuals and bold text. 


Use content to connect 

Exciting transitions with interesting shapes and textures are great for drawing attention to your pins. Bloggers, creators, and other small business owners can utilize Pinterest ads to introduce more people to your blog or ecommerce site. 


Build buzz 

Build hype and anticipation about your newest drops with ads using bold text and ambiguous imaging. Interesting filters, colors and other elements can be used as clues for consumers to dissect as they wait for the countdown to end. 


Wrapping up

Using video ads and promoted pins is a great way to up the ante and take your brand to the next level. Pinterest is the perfect place to find new customers that are open to trying new products and interested in new content. The best part is that you don’t have to be an advertising professional to create powerful ads that reach your target audience. 

With the right tools, advertising on Pinterest is a snap. 


Frequently asked questions 

  • What are Pinterest ads?
  • Pinterest Ads, or Promoted Pins, are pins created by advertisers and small businesses that are targeted toward users based on their interests, past activity and behavior on Pinterest. 
  • What’s the best way to advertise on Pinterest? 
  • The best way to advertise on Pinterest is through the use of video in your pins. Videos capture the attention of your audiences and stand out against collections of images and text. 
  • How much do Pinterest ads cost?
  • It depends on your advertising objective! These are some common ranges based on objective:


Create stunning Pinterest videos.

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