If I were starting Pinterest ads in 2022, going into 2023, here are the things I would not do. As a Pinterest agency owner, I’ve learned a lot of things about running ads on Pinterest, and here’s what you should know. Let’s dive in! 

# 1. I would not run ads before having my profile foundations established

You should have your profile at least built out very minimally using your top content to pin to boards related to the content. You should also have your display name, and your bio filled out and a profile banner at the top. This will establish you as a legitimate brand promoting on Pinterest and make you look a little less skeezy. 

Why is this important? Pinterest’s algorithms are suggestion based, much like other platforms. So once someone engages with your Pinterest ad, they are more likely to see your organic content. And if you have no organic content, they’re not going to see it natively in their feeds, and then you are losing out on potential. 

So do not skip populating your top content on Pinterest at least a little bit when you’re starting Pinterest ads. 

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#2. I would not start running ads without my Pinterest pixel on my website for at least 90 days 

This is not black and white. You must have it on there for 90 days, or you can’t run ads. However, the clients we have run ads for in the past and currently see a better return on ad spend when they have their Pinterest pixel on their website well before they plan to run ads. 

So if you need to learn how to install your own Pinterest pixel on your website, I have a playlist about installing Pinterest tags, you can click here, and I will take you right on through that tutorial.

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#3. I would not start running Pinterest ads with too low of a budget

Let me give you an example. I started my own Pinterest ads about two months ago again. I routinely run Pinterest ads throughout the year to:

• test new features
• test my own products, funnels, landing pages, etc. 

So I first started my Pinterest ads at $5 a day to validate the imagery. I wanted to see what images would win out in the Pinterest algorithm, and then later, I bumped my budget to $15 a day as I began to scale the campaign. 

Now, another reason you don’t want to start your Pinterest budget too low is that Pinterest is going to take time to deliver those ads to audiences. So the lower you start your budget, the less likely your ads will be seen by the people you want to see them. So don’t start your budget too low. Pinterest is not going to have enough to work with starting Pinterest ads. 

There is a new feature rolling out. They are beta-testing it on new accounts that have never run ads before. It caps you at a minimum of $15 per day to run Pinterest ads. They have a budget selection you can choose from, and you cannot start ads for less than that when you first launch them. 

Now that doesn’t mean you can’t go back and remove the budget later or lower the budget later. But to start the ads, they’ve got this new feature that they’re beta testing on making people choose a higher budget. It’s only going to benefit you in the future.

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 #4. I would not optimize ads too quickly

Do not optimize your ads too quickly.  Suppose you are optimizing your Pinterest ads too quickly and removing interests, keywords, and targeting demographics before 14 days on Pinterest. In that case, the platform and the algorithm are going to have a tough time figuring out who to show your pins to and who’s the most interested in your Pinterest image and your ad. 

So, I do not suggest doing any interest or targeting-based optimizations until about day 14.  By days 10 to 14, you can start changing little things like demographics, but do not optimize your Pinterest ads too quickly. 

Now, there’s a small caveat to this, and I’ve been doing this more frequently, which is changing my Pinterest images more quickly. So in the first seven days, if I notice a Pinterest image just isn’t getting to that 1% click-through rate I want it to be at, then I will add in new images. 

Now I like to leave myself room, so I only ever start campaigns with about three images, and I give myself enough budget to go up to five images. If I notice those three are not performing, I’ll add another one on about day seven.

So there is a lot of nuance to this, and a lot of decision-making will go on behind the scenes based on click-through rate and performance overall. However, optimizing too quickly can kill your campaign when starting Pinterest ads.

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 #5. I would not wait to optimize your landing pages and email lists

I would not wait too long to optimize your landing pages, your listings in your store, and your e-mail list sequences.

• If your ads are performing according to Pinterest’s best practices.
• If you’re getting a 1% or higher click-through rate.
• If you’re getting people to sign up for your freebie or buy products.
• But you’re just not able to get the result that you need to scale.

In that case, chances are it has something to do with your landing page, your email sequences, your shop listings, and things like that. 

So make sure you pay attention to where people are falling off.  Use tools like Hotjar to help you heat map your site so you can see what people are doing when they land on your website. Begin optimizing one thing at a time. Do not optimize everything all at once, or change the whole landing page. Start slowly and tweak wherever you’re sending them. That way, you can convert more people as you get more people in there.

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 #6. I would not run ads to a product that has not been validated

When I say product, I also mean digital products and freebie offers, anything for content creators, but also for e-commerce. Suppose you are running Pinterest ads to something that has not been validated organically, that people are not purchasing organically. In that case, you are going to be paying for data to see who is going to convert. 

There are two schools of thought on this. You can test with ad money to determine what audience and product will convert the best for you. But if it’s already converting organically, then that would be something I would be more likely to run ads to. 

“I will not take clients for Pinterest Ads if they do not have a validated product and offer because I do not want to waste your time trying to figure out what will convert.”

I will not take clients for Pinterest Ads if they do not have a validated product and offer because I do not want to waste your time trying to figure out what will convert. Money and time matter. 

The more money I have to spend to figure out what’s going to convert for your business, the more money you’re going to have to make and the more you’re going to have to make up. Chances are, if it’s not already validated organically, you may not have the budget or time to waste. 

So I will not run ads for clients that do not have a validated organic selling offer.

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#7. I would not wait too long to get help on your Pinterest ads

If you’ve begun running ads or if you’re thinking about running ads, you are probably going to need some help at some point in the near future. There are many things to consider when you’re running Pinterest ads, like optimizing the landing page conversion rate. And this is something that a professional like myself can help you identify with starting Pinterest ads. 

Within my business, I have two common ways that people will come to us and ask for help. 

• The first way is through the agency side of my business, where we will do ‘done for you services’ like a full ads audit. We will tell you where your gaps are, what optimizations you can make if the product is converting, and what your conversion rates are. Things like that can help you identify if you want to continue spending money on ads. 

• The second way you can commonly work with us is through our paid membership – Pin Profit Academy. I have a beginner’s Pinterest ad course in there, and we have a community where you can gain help and insight as well. That’s for people who want more of a do-it-yourself approach and want to run your own ads but just want to understand how to do it, a lower price point, and maybe just a little bit of help along the way. 

Those are the two common ways that we help people run ads. I would find someone that you’re comfortable with when you’re ready, and make sure you get the help that you need. So you’re not wasting money on Pinterest ads and not understanding what you need to do to make them even better. 

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Final thoughts on starting Pinterest ads for the first time

Those are the seven things that I would not do if I were starting to run Pinterest ads as a beginner or intermediate in this market. I really hope this helps you to gain better insight into what you need to do first and what you don’t need to do when running Pinterest ads going into the following year. 

If you need any more Pinterest ads advice or help, make sure to watch these videos. I will see you next week. 

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