When you think about digital advertising, your mind probably jumps straight to the big blue behemoth or that humming search engine giant. And that makes sense.
But while everyone else is fighting tooth and nail for attention in crowded feeds, there’s a quiet powerhouse sitting right under your nose. Or rather, your thumbs.
We’re talking about Pinterest.
Once viewed solely as a place where people hoard recipes for sourdough bread or plan their hypothetical weddings, Pinterest is, in essence, really a virtual discovery engine.
This distinction matters, because the people scrolling through Pinterest aren’t the ones looking to doomscroll or argue with strangers. Instead, they’re there to plan. To dream. And most importantly for you, they’re also there to buy.
97% of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded. That means when users open the app, they aren't looking for "Nike shoes" or "West Elm sofas" specifically. They’re searching for "running shoes for marathon training" or "mid-century modern living room ideas." They’re open to discovery. They’re actively looking for a brand to fall in love with, and that brand could be yours.
But as with anything, there’s a catch. To tap into that high-intent, high-value audience, you need to first master the art of Pinterest ads targeting.
Getting Started: Pinterest Ads Manager & Core Targeting
You can’t build a house without a blueprint, and you can’t build a killer campaign without understanding the Pinterest Ads Manager.
When you first start using the Ads Manager, you’re going to be creating an ad group. This is where you tell Pinterest exactly who you want to see your beautiful creative.
Demographic targeting is the bread and butter of any campaign. You can filter by age, gender, location, language, and device. If you’re selling high-end women’s activewear in the US, you probably don’t want to waste budget showing ads to teenage boys in Germany. You can get granular here, but don't squeeze the life out of your audience just yet. You want enough room for the algorithm to learn.
Next, we have keyword targeting. This works a lot like search advertising, in which you bid on terms that are relevant to your product.
Let’s say you sell organic dog treats. You might target keywords like "healthy dog snacks," "organic pet food," or "dog training rewards." Pinterest gives you a few ways to match these keywords:
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Broad match: This casts a wide net. If you target "dog treats," you might show up for "puppy food" or "dog toys."
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Phrase match: This is a bit tighter. Your ad appears for searches that include your phrase. "Best dog treats" or "dog treats for small dogs" would trigger your ad.
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Exact match: This is for when you know exactly what they want. Your ad only shows if they type "dog treats" and nothing else.
Mixing these match types gives you a balance of reach and precision, as broad match helps you find new people, while exact match captures those high-intent searchers who know what they want.
A Breakdown of Pinterest Targeting Options
Demographics and keywords are standard fare, but Pinterest shines when you start digging into its unique targeting layers. This is where you move from "hoping for the best" to "knowing you’re winning."
Interest Targeting
Pinterest knows what its users love. It knows that Susan is obsessed with minimalist interior design and that Dave is really into vintage motorcycle restoration. Interest targeting lets you tap into these unique passions.
There are thousands of interests to choose from: you can go high-level, like "Home Decor," or you can drill down into specific niches like "Scandinavian Bedroom" or "Wall Art."
Let’s say you’re a travel agency specializing in eco-friendly trips. You wouldn't just target "Travel." You would target "Sustainable Travel," "Ecotourism," and maybe even "Hiking & Camping." When you align your ads with what people are already pinning and saving, you stop being an interruption and start being a solution.
Audience Targeting
Sometimes the best people to target are the ones who already know you exist. Audience targeting allows you to reach people who have interacted with your brand before. This is what we would call warm traffic, as these people have already raised their hand and said, "I'm interested."
You can then build your audiences based on engagement. Did they click on a Pin? Did they save one of your videos? You can also upload your own audience lists (more on that later). This is how you nurture leads and push them down the funnel.
Placement Targeting
Where do you want your ads to show up? You have control over that, too.
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Browse: Your ads appear in the home feed and related Pins. This is fantastic for discovery and brand awareness. You’re catching people while they are casually scrolling and looking for inspiration.
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Search: Your ads appear in search results. This is for when you want to capture high intent. If someone types "waterproof hiking boots," they are likely ready to buy. Showing up right there is crucial.
Most advertisers start with "All," but as you get more data, you might find that Search drives better conversions for your bottom line while Browse is better for cheaper clicks.
Advanced Targeting Strategies for Maximum Impact
Now, the fun stuff, where you separate the amateurs from the pros. If you want to maximize your ROI, you need to use these advanced levers.
Retargeting with the Pinterest Tag
You absolutely must have the Pinterest Tag installed on your website. Without it, you’re flying blind, since this little piece of code is the tool that tracks what people do after they click on your ad.
Did they view a product? Did they add it to their cart? Did they checkout?
Once you have this data, you can run retargeting campaigns. Say someone looked at a pair of boots on your site but didn’t buy. You can serve them an ad on Pinterest the next time they log in, perhaps featuring those exact boots or a lifestyle image of someone wearing them.
Retargeting reminds people of what they already wanted, and that’s valuable. We all get distracted. Maybe they were about to buy, but their kid started crying or the bus arrived. Your ad is the gentle nudge they need to finish the transaction.
Actalike Audiences
You have a list of your best customers. They buy frequently, they have a high average order value, and they love your brand. Wouldn't it be great if you could clone them?
On Pinterest, you essentially can. They are called actalike audiences.
You give Pinterest a "source" audience (like your customer list or people who have visited your checkout page) and Pinterest’s algorithm finds other users who behave just like them. It looks at their interests, their search history, and their engagement patterns.
This is incredible for scaling. You’re reaching cold traffic, but it’s cold traffic that looks suspiciously like your warm traffic. They’re statistically more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
Negative Keywords
Sometimes, knowing who you don't want to reach is just as important as knowing who you do. Negative keywords save you money by preventing your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches.
Let's go back to the high-end furniture example. You sell luxury velvet sofas, but you don’t want to pay for clicks from people searching for "cheap sofas," "DIY sofa repair," or "free furniture."
When you add terms like "cheap," "free," "DIY," and "used" to your negative keyword list, you make sure your budget is spent only on people who can actually afford and want your product. It cleans up your traffic and improves your conversion rate instantly.
Optimizing Your Targeting for Better Results
Setting up the campaign is just the start, but the real work happens in the optimization phase. You need to be a scientist here.
Use Personas
Don't just guess at interests. Build robust personas for your ideal customers. If you’re selling specialized running gear, your customer isn't just "interested in running." They might also be interested in "nutrition," "mental health," and "wearable tech."
Use these personas to layer your targeting. Combine demographics with specific interests and keywords. The more specific you can get while keeping your audience size healthy, the better your results will be.
Test and Iterate
Run one ad group targeting broad interests and another targeting specific keywords. See which one performs better. Maybe "Home Decor" is too broad and expensive, but "Small Apartment Organization" is a goldmine of cheap conversions.
Look at your data weekly. Kill the keywords that are spending money without converting. Increase bids on the interests that are bringing in sales. It is a constant process of refining and polishing.
Don’t Neglect Your Customer Lists
Don't forget about your existing audience. Upload your email list to Pinterest. You can use this to exclude current customers from awareness campaigns (why pay to show them an intro video they've already seen?) or to target them with special loyalty offers.
Excluding existing customers from acquisition campaigns is one of the easiest ways to improve your CPA (Cost Per Acquisition). In essence, you stop paying for people you already have.
Add Pinterest to Your 2026 Marketing Toolbox
Pinterest offers a playground of possibilities for advertisers who are willing to look beyond the usual suspects. Its targeting capabilities allow you to reach people who are in a planning mindset, actively looking for inspiration and ready to spend money.
You can target by what they like, what they search for, and even who they act like. You can retarget the ones who got away and exclude the ones who already bought. It’s a robust system that rewards creativity and data-driven strategy.
But we get it: managing ad groups, optimizing keywords, and analyzing actalike audiences takes time. It takes expertise. And you have a business to run.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options, we don’t blame you. Mastering Pinterest ad targeting takes expertise and time.
Lucky for you, the team at Kinetic319 lives and breathes digital advertising. Let us build and manage a high-performance Pinterest campaign that drives real results for your business.
Contact us today for a free consultation!
FAQ
How does Pinterest target ads?
Pinterest uses a mix of data points. It looks at what users search for, what Pins they save, which boards they create, and how they interact with other ads. It also uses demographic info like age and location. On top of that, it uses data from the Pinterest Tag on websites to track off-platform behavior.
Is it worth running ads on Pinterest?
Absolutely, especially if you’re in a visual industry like retail, home, fashion, beauty, or food. But even B2B brands can find success here with the right strategy. People come to Pinterest to plan big purchases. They aren't just buying a pack of gum; they are renovating a kitchen or planning a wardrobe overhaul. Plus, shoppers on Pinterest have 85% bigger baskets than shoppers on other platforms.
How can I reach the right audience on Pinterest?
Start broad to let the algorithm learn, then narrow down based on data. Use a mix of keywords and interests. Install the Pinterest Tag immediately so you can build retargeting and actalike audiences. And never stop testing your creative, since even the best targeting won't save a boring ad.