Find creative ways to promote your business with promoted pins on Pinterest.

1. Business
Version 11/20/2015
Creativewaystopromote ideas
CreativeGuide
forPromotedPins

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AguidetocreatingPromotedPins
Pins are ideas
People use Pinterest to discover and save ideas for things
they want to do. Give a Pinner a good idea, and they’ll want
to try it. While you always want to make sure your Pins are
helpful, beautiful and actionable, this guide will help you
cater your Pins to specific advertising objectives.
Remember to use the tips below as suggestions—not
necessarily as a checklist. You may not want to always use
every tactic, but we hope this guide helps you think through
when you should.
Goals to consider
When you’re creating a Pin to drive awareness, the goal is
to have people consider the idea. That’s a bit different from
a Pin meant to capture intent and increase engagement,
which is showing people that a specific idea is achievable.
And of course, a Pin looking to drive clicks should give
Pinners a reason to take an action.
TheartofaPin
Promoted Pins for
Awareness (CPM)
With a focus on the image and
an inquisitive text overlay, this
Pin is designed to get Pinners
thinking about adopting a pet.
Promoted Pins for
Intent (CPE)
This Pin is packed with detailed
info that helps Pinners narrow
down important pet traits.
Pinners are also likely to save
such an info-rich Pin for future
reference.
Promoted Pins for
Action (CPC)
This Pin points Pinners to
a website that’ll help them
choose exactly the right breed
for them. Calls to action and a
promise of more info help drive
clicks.

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Detailed descriptions
Use the description to address any
obstacles and help people envision
themselves doing what your Pin
conveys. For example, if it’s a recipe
that looks hard, use the description to
tell them it only takes 30 minutes.
Text overlays
Pins represent ideas, so if it isn’t clear
from the image alone what a Pin is
about, you could add a text overlay
to give more context. This can be
especially useful when Pinners browse
more quickly.
Compelling images
Pinners may not take the time to read
your description, so be sure the image
is able to stand on its own. Steer clear
from images that feel overly “user-
generated” or ones that are too busy.
Lifestyle images, rather than plain
product shots, can be more effective
attention-grabbers.
ThegoalofthesePromotedPinsshouldencouragethe
Pinnertoconsidertheidea
Buildingawareness

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Tasteful branding
Your brand stands for something, so
find a way to incorporate it into your
Pin. Often, the best way to do this is by
including your product or packaging in
the photo itself. Sometimes that’s not
doable and a tasteful logo watermark
works fine, too.
Novelty
People love to discover new things
on Pinterest. If there’s an element
of novelty or newness to your Pin,
make that clear to get more people to
consider the idea.
Vertical aspect ratio
Pins are organized into columns, so
vertical Pins take up more space
in the feed and are more likely to
get noticed—particularly on mobile
devices, where most people use
Pinterest. The one exception to this is
Cinematic Pins. A horizontal Cinematic
Pin has more range of motion.
Buildingawareness

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Detailed descriptions
The best Pin descriptions are
inspirational and useful. They should
mention the most compelling aspects
of the idea, plus include any details
that’ll help someone realize this Pin’s
for them.
Text overlays
Pins represent ideas, so if it isn’t clear
from the image alone what a Pin is
about, you might want to add a text
overlay to give more context.
Compelling images
When Pinners are on the hunt for
ideas, they need information. Images
with more detail, like infographics,
visual lists or multiple products that
collectively complete an idea that lend
themselves well to getting closeups
and repins. Featuring your product in
a realistic setting (like a lamp in a living
room) can also work well.
ThesePromotedPinsshouldmakethePinnerfeelthe
ideaisachievablesotheyconsiderit
Drivingengagement

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How-tos
When people are narrowing down
their options, they like to save things
that’ll help them achieve an idea
when they’re ready to act. Featuring
instructions or a step-by-step guide
also shows Pinners that they can
actually do what you’re promoting.
Lists
People love to save Pins with lists
because they’re jam-packed with the
kind of details and info people love to
keep handy for future reference. You
can let Pinners know your Pin includes
a list by using a text overlay, outlining
details in the description or even
featuring all the products that help
complete the idea in the image itself.
Vertical aspect ratio
Pins are organized into columns, so
vertical Pins take up more space in the
feed and are more likely to get noticed
– particularly on mobile devices, where
most people use Pinterest.
Drivingengagement

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Increasingclicks
Detailed descriptions
The best Pin descriptions are
inspirational and useful. They should
mention the most compelling aspects
of the Pin and hint there is more to find
if they click through to your website.
They also use correct capitalization
and punctuation.
Text overlays
Text overlays designed for clicks lead
people to action. Consider including
information or a soft call to action that
will help a close-to-deciding Pinner
see that your business is a fit.
ThegoalofthesePromotedPinsistohavethePinner
takeanaction
Compelling images
Pictures of multiple products drive
clicks because they can speak to
different tastes. For example, showing
multiple colors of a handbag can help
people see that there are a variety of
options available, which leads them
to explore your site. Featuring your
product in use can also help drive
more clicks.

8. Business Creative Guide | 8
Increasingclicks
Tasteful branding
Your brand’s credibility can make
someone more inclined to visit your
site, so find a way to incorporate your
brand onto your Pin. Often, the best
way to do this is by including your
product or packaging in the photo
itself. Sometimes that’s not doable and
a tasteful logo watermark works fine,
too. And of course, adding your brand
to part of your Pins will help build your
overall brand awareness, too.
Calls to action
A call to action can be just what a
Pinner needs to make a decision
and act on the idea. Include stronger
calls to action, like “buy now,” in your
Pin’s description and softer ones,
like “explore summer looks,” in image
overlays.
Vertical aspect ratio
Before they get clicked, Pins need
to get noticed and taller Pins take up
more space in feeds. Design Pins with
a vertical image aspect ratio of 2:3 to
1:3.5 and a minimum width of 600px.