Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to discover, save, and organize ideas and inspiration for various topics, such as fashion, home decor, recipes, and more.
It is a place where people can share their interests with like-minded individuals—and that's what makes it so valuable as an advertising tool.
When you advertise on Pinterest, you're targeting an audience of people who already have similar interests to the ones you want to reach. This means that when they see your ad, it will speak directly to them and resonate with them in a way that other forms of advertising may not be able to do.
An Introduction to Pinterest: Understanding the Platform
Pinterest is a great place to find new and inspiring content. It's also a great place to find new and inspiring businesses, people, and brands.
If you're looking for some inspiration, you can check out the popular pins on Pinterest by searching for the hashtag #popular. You'll see a curated selection of pins that are popular among users, making it a great way to find new and inspiring content.
Pinterest has a lot of features, but one of our favorites is Pinterest Today.
Pinterest Today
By using Pinterest today, users can explore new trends in different categories, find inspiration for their own projects, and discover new brands, products, and services that align with their interests.
Pinterest Today is a great way for businesses to showcase their products and services to a wider audience, as it allows them to reach new users who are actively searching for content related to their niche. Additionally, by understanding what is popular among users, they can create content that aligns with current trends, which can help increase engagement and drive sales.
Pinterest Lens
Another great feature that Pinterest offers is Pinterest Lens. Pinterest Lens is a cool feature that allows you to search for items by taking a photo of them. You can use it to search for anything from furniture and clothing to food, games, or even cars!
If you are looking to buy something and want to get an idea of what it looks like in your home before you purchase it, then this feature can help you find out if the item will fit in your space or not.
It's also great if you're trying to buy something specific but don't know exactly what it looks like. With Pinterest Lens, you can take a picture of an object and then search for it on Pinterest.
The Growth of Social E-commerce
Pinterest has been around for a while, but in the last two years, they’ve been introducing some major new features that are making their advertising platform more competitive than ever.
The first was Lens, which is essentially a visual search engine that uses machine learning to find products based on a single image. The second was Shop the Look, which allows users to shop for products directly from a pin of an outfit, home decor, or even a recipe.
In addition to these new features, Pinterest has also added support for video and carousel ads.
It boasts an active user base of over 325 million people, and 72% of these users say that they’re inspired to make a purchase when they see something on Pinterest. This makes it an ideal platform for eCommerce marketers who want to convert more customers and increase their return on investment (ROI).
Let's explore the different ad placement strategies to optimize your Pinterest video advertising efforts on the platform.
Pinterest Advertising Specifications and Placement Options
Pinterest has always been a female-dominated platform; 60% of its users are women. But recent growth has been driven by men, Millennials, and Gen Z.
Video Pins and Ads are a feature on Pinterest that allows businesses and users to share and promote video content on the platform. Video Pins are regular pins that include a video, and they can be used to share product demonstrations, how-to videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and more. They can be saved to boards and can be discovered through search and browsing, just like regular pins.
Video Pins and Ads
Video Ads are a form of sponsored content that appears in users' feeds, search results, and in the "Explore" section of the app. They can be used to promote products, services, or campaigns, and they can be targeted to specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. They come in different formats:
- Promoted Video Pins: They are regular video pins that are promoted to reach a wider audience.
- Cinematic Pins: They are full-screen video ads that play automatically when a user scrolls through their feed.
- Story Pins: They are interactive video ads that allow users to swipe through multiple pages of content.
For Video Pins, the recommended specs are:
- Video file format: .mp4, .mov and .gif are the recommended file formats.
- Video resolution: Minimum resolution of 600 x 600 pixels and a maximum resolution of 4096 x 4096 pixels.
- Video length: Video pins should be between 2 seconds and 30 seconds.
- Video aspect ratio: The recommended aspect ratio is 1:91:1 and 2:3 (vertical) for Cinematic Pins.
- File size: The maximum file size is 2GB.
- Audio format: Stereo audio is recommended and the audio must be in the video file.
For Video Ads, the recommended specs are:
- Video file format: .mp4, .mov and .gif are the recommended file formats.
- Video resolution: Minimum resolution of 600 x 600 pixels and a maximum resolution of 4096 x 4096 pixels.
- Video length: Promoted video pins should be between 2 seconds and 30 seconds. Cinematic Pins and story Pins can be longer, up to 240 minutes.
- Video aspect ratio: The recommended aspect ratio is 1:91:1 and 2:3 (vertical) for Cinematic Pins and story Pins.
- File size: The maximum file size is 2GB.
- Audio format: Stereo audio is recommended and the audio must be in the video file.
It's important to keep in mind that Pinterest's ad specs and guidelines may change over time, so it's always a good idea to check the platform's help center for the most up-to-date information.
Maximum Width Video Ads
The maximum width for video ads on Pinterest is 4096 pixels. This is the maximum resolution for a video ad on the platform. It means that the width of the video should not exceed 4096 pixels, otherwise the video may be rejected or not displayed properly.
Having a maximum width of 4096 pixels ensures that the video is of high quality and will be displayed clearly on all devices, including high-resolution devices such as tablets and large desktop monitors. This is important to keep in mind when creating your video ad, as a low-resolution video may appear pixelated and not be as engaging to users.
It's also worth noting that the aspect ratio of the video should be 1:91:1 or 2:3 (vertical) for Cinematic Pins and Story Pins. This will ensure that the video is displayed correctly and not distorted on the platform.
By following the maximum width guidelines for video ads on Pinterest, businesses can ensure that their video ads are of high quality, are optimized for the platform, and will be engaging for users.
You can also hire affordable video production services to help you with these video ads. A corporate video production company knows the best practices in video ads production, so you’ll get the highest ROI of your marketing.
Pinterest Premiere
Pinterest Premiere is designed for businesses of all sizes, from small businesses and startups to large enterprises.
It provides businesses with access to a dedicated account manager, exclusive tools and features, and custom training and support.
With Pinterest Premiere, businesses can take advantage of advanced targeting options, such as audience insights, demographic targeting, and interest targeting, to reach the right audience at the right time. Additionally, businesses can also make use of exclusive ad formats, such as Cinematic Pins, Story Pins, and Shop the Look, to create engaging, interactive, and visually appealing content that stands out in the user's feed.
It is a great way for businesses to take their advertising on Pinterest to the next level and drive better results from their campaigns.
Best Practices of Pinterest Ads
Here are some best practices for creating successful Pinterest Ads:
- Use visually appealing images or videos: Pinterest is a visual platform, so make sure your ads stand out by using high-quality images and videos that are relevant and engaging to your target audience.
- Use keywords in your ad copy: Use keywords in your ad copy that are relevant to your products or services, as this will make it easier for users to find your ads when they are searching for related content.
- Use targeting options: Make use of Pinterest's targeting options to reach the right audience, such as demographics, interests, and behaviors.
- Utilize Pinterest's ad formats: Use Pinterest's ad formats like Promoted Pins, Cinematic Pins, and Story Pins to create interactive and visually appealing content that stands out in the user's feed.
- Use calls to action: Use calls to action in your ad copy or images to encourage users to take a specific action, such as visiting your website or making a purchase.
- Test and optimize: Test different ad variations and optimize your campaigns based on the performance data. This can help you to identify which ads are performing well and which are not, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Monitor and analyze your campaign performance: Use Pinterest's analytics tools to monitor your campaign performance, analyze data, and make data-driven decisions to improve your ROI.
By following these best practices, businesses can ensure that their Pinterest Ads are effective, and efficient and reach their target audience effectively.
How to create a successful campaign using Pinterest Video Ads?
#1 Utilize Pinterest Trends
Pinterest Trends is a feature on the platform that allows users to discover and explore popular and emerging trends on Pinterest. It is a curated selection of popular searches, pins, and boards that are relevant to a user's interests. The feature is updated regularly, so users can always discover new and trending content that is relevant to their interests.
Pinterest Trends can be a great way for businesses to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and to create content that aligns with current trends. The trends are displayed on a map, which allows users to explore what's popular in different regions around the world.
#2 Utilize Pinterest Predict
Pinterest Predicts is a tool that allows users to see what's trending on Pinterest, and it can help you predict what types of content will be most popular among your audience.
You can use this tool to analyze how your content is performing, see what people are searching for, and discover new ways to connect with your target audience.
#3 Feature On-screen Talent
If you're looking to further connect with Pinners, you may want to consider featuring on-screen talent in your video creative.
This can be a great way to connect with viewers on a deeper level and show that there are real people behind your product or service.
On-screen talent can help build trust and credibility for your brand, as well as humanize it.
#4 Think Creatively
Think of Pinterest as a social network for visual content. It’s important to keep in mind that your video will be competing with a lot of other content on Pinterest, so set yourself apart by creating something that’s entertaining, informative, or otherwise engaging.
Make sure you have a clear message that ties everything together in your video: what is the main point of this story? What is the takeaway? And how does that relate back to the product or service you're advertising?
#5 Create Shoppable Content
Pinterest is an incredibly versatile platform. It can be used to find inspiration for every aspect of your life—from what you should wear to work tomorrow to what kind of wallpaper you should put in your bathroom. And it's no surprise that the platform is used by many as a shopping destination.
To enhance the purchasing experience for its users, Pinterest has introduced new features that allow users to link products in Boards, Search, and Pins, thus simplifying the buying process.
Bottom Line on Pinterest Advertising
Over the past 13 years, Pinterest has evolved from a platform for inspiration to a visual search engine that businesses can use to increase brand awareness and drive conversions from a diverse group of consumers.
Pinterest is a powerful tool for standing out in a crowded market, expanding your reach, and making an impact in today's competitive digital landscape. By approaching it with a focus on innovation and creativity, businesses can create captivating video content that will give them an edge in the ever-changing digital world.
Despite its evolution, Pinterest has remained true to its original mission of fostering creativity. Therefore, it's important for brands to align their presence on the platform with this ethos. As users turn to Pinterest to spark their imagination, brands can capture their attention by leveraging the storytelling capabilities of video marketing.
You can also lean on to a promotional video production company to take care of your video ads and other video contents for your business.