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Pinterest Ads 101: A Checklist for Your First Campaign

March 10th, 2022 / 1 Min Read

Content Marketing Manager @ AdRoll

Your Facebook and Google ads are chugging along smoothly. Now it’s time to get started on a platform with some of the lowest cost-per-clicks (CPCs) you can find: Pinterest.

Don’t write off Pinterest as just a place for DIYers and home chefs — Pinterest shoppers spend twice as much per month than users on other platforms.

Here’s everything you need to know about paid ads on Pinterest, plus a checklist for your first campaign.

The Ultimate Pinterest Ads Checklist

✅ Create a Pinterest Business account.

✅ Set up your profile and connect it to your ecommerce store.

✅ Make sure your Pinterest tag is set up correctly.

✅ Determine your Pinterest ad objective

Idea Pin: Short video segments or a series of <20 graphics, similar to Instagram Stories
Try On Product Pins: A virtual “fitting room” experience using augmented reality (you’ll need to work with a Pinterest account manager to get started)
Collections Ad: Either a featured video or image with three supporting media pieces (delivered to mobile users only)
Carousel Ad: Resembles organic Pins
Promoted Pins: A “boosted” existing Pin
Shopping Ad: A single image or video pulled from your product catalog

✅ Check that your creative follows the proper ad specs.

✅ Choose your budget and bidding approach (custom or automatic bidding).

✅ Select your campaign duration and run dates.

✅ Create your target audience (age, gender, location).

✅ Upload the creative, headlines, and copy for your ads.

Consider adding a text overlay to your images to help users quickly understand your message.
Use Pinterest’s trends page to see what’s currently popular.
For titles, only the first 30-35 characters will show up in users’ feeds, so make them count.
Ensure your video ads work with the sound turned off — add captions and text for silent storytelling.
Vertical images on Pinterest perform better than square ones.
Add your brand name or logo to your images or videos whenever possible.

✅ Launch your campaign!
✅ Monitor your results continuously with Pinterest Analytics to identify optimization opportunities.

Don’t stop here: Check out how AdRoll’s integration for Shopify can help you achieve even more of your brand goals.

Originally published on March 10th, 2022, last updated on March 10th, 2022.