In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, Pinterest has emerged as a unique and powerful platform, particularly for engaging Gen-Z audiences.
At a time when customer acquisition and digital ad costs are skyrocketing, brands are increasingly looking for platforms with the potential for organic growth and an engaged Gen Z audience.
Understanding Pinterest’s appeal to Gen-Z
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready noted that Pinterest is “aging down,” attracting younger users in contrast to other maturing consumer internet applications that typically “age up.”
Gen-Z sees Pinterest as a distinct destination from other social media apps, valuing it for its inspirational and discovery-focused nature. This demographic is drawn to Pinterest’s visual search engine-like qualities, allowing them to explore interests, discover new trends, and curate personalised content.
Gen-Z users are 70 per cent of all collage creators, and collages, in general, are three times more engaging than other posts on Pinterest, according to the company.
Capitalising on visual discovery and inspiration
Pinterest’s core appeal lies in its ability to function as a visual discovery tool. Brands should harness this by creating visually compelling content that resonates with Gen-Z’s desire for inspiration and creativity.
This means investing in high-quality, aesthetically pleasing images and videos that align with trending themes and interests, which you can find in Pinterest’s trend reports.
The introduction of features like shoppable carousels and collages presents a fantastic opportunity for brands to showcase their products in dynamic and engaging ways, making it easier for users to discover and interact with their offerings. Pinterest users tend to take a bit longer to make a purchase, but when they do: they buy several things at once because they’ve curated a whole board of ideas.
Flowwow launched its Pinterest account in the beginning of the summer 2024. During this time, we achieved results of 40 thousand unique views monthly, almost 5 thousand subscribers and 500 organic transitions to the site per month. And all this with only 80 pins.
Leveraging user-generated content
Gen-Z values authenticity and relatability, often trusting the opinions of peers and influencers over traditional advertising. Brands can capitalize on this by encouraging user-generated content (UGC).
By promoting campaigns that invite users to share their own experiences with products, brands can create a community-driven atmosphere that fosters trust and loyalty. Featuring UGC in brand profiles and promotional materials not only boosts engagement but also provides a steady stream of fresh, authentic content that resonates with this audience.
A particularly effective use of paid partnerships is a type of collaboration in which the creator creates content to promote a brand or its products and receives a financial reward. This is analogous to cross-promotional posts on Instagram. This way, the reach and growth of subscribers become many times greater.
Optimising for search and keywords
Pinterest operates much like a search engine, making keyword optimisation crucial for visibility. Brands should conduct thorough keyword research to understand the terms Gen-Z users are searching for and incorporate these keywords into their pins, boards, and descriptions.
This strategy enhances discoverability and ensures that content reaches the right audience. Additionally, using hashtags relevant to trending topics can further increase the chances of appearing in users’ searches.
On Pinterest, several segments are distinguished (for example, flowers, sweets, and gifts). For each segment, the most popular queries are selected, up to three words deep. Each pin is fully optimised: a title with large keys, a description with smaller ones, and alternative text from another segment are added to attract a larger audience to the account.
Embracing Pinterest’s new ad formats
While organic growth is a significant advantage of Pinterest, brands shouldn’t ignore the potential of its evolving ad formats. In 2023, Pinterest introduced more new ad formats than ever before, driving a 38 per cent increase in ad engagement in Europe and an 11 per cent decrease in ad costs.
On July 3, Digital Media Services (DMS, a Choueiri Group brand) declared a partnership with Pinterest, with the intention of expanding the brand’s digital advertising solutions to key Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets.
Highlighting the potential for new monetization avenues and the transformative impact on clients’ brand narratives. By integrating these ad formats strategically, brands can amplify their organic efforts, reaching a broader audience and maximizing their return on investment. Experimenting with features like promoted pins, video ads, and shopping ads can provide valuable insights into what resonates best with the Gen-Z demographic.
Create ad groups, as this is where several campaigns take place. In the group, you need to set the budget, deadlines, target audience and bids for ads. Creating multiple ad groups allows you to study the appeal of your content to different users. You can target specific ad groups to specific audiences to understand who is most interested in your Pins and products.
As Pinterest continues to innovate and attract a younger audience, it presents a golden opportunity for brands to connect with Gen-Z in a meaningful way.
In doing so, they can achieve organic growth, build lasting relationships with a key demographic, and stay ahead in the competitive landscape of social media marketing.
By Irina Tatarinova, Brand Director at Flowoww.
