How do I conduct market research for Pinterest Ads?

Conducting market research for Pinterest Ads is essential to ensure your campaigns reach the right audience with the right message at the right time. Because Pinterest is a visual discovery platform, understanding user behavior, interests, and trends is key to effective advertising.

Here's a step-by-step guide to conducting market research specifically for Pinterest Ads:

🔍 1. Understand Your Target Audience on Pinterest
Before launching ads, you need to know who your audience is and whether they're active on Pinterest.

✅ Use Pinterest Analytics:
If you have a Pinterest business account:

Go to Pinterest Analytics > Audience Insights

Learn about:

Age, gender, location

Interests (e.g., travel, fashion, DIY, food)

Devices used (mobile vs. desktop)

✅ Use Pinterest Trends Tool:
Visit Pinterest Trends

Search for keywords related to your products or niche

Explore seasonal spikes, trending topics, and rising searches

Why it matters: Helps you time your ads and align creative with what people are actually searching for.

🧠 2. Analyze Competitor Activity
Studying competitors can help you understand what content performs well on Pinterest.

Tools to Use:
Pinterest Search: Type in keywords and see which brands are showing up.

Pinterest Business Profiles: Review competitor Pins and boards for design, messaging, and engagement.

Pin Inspector (via Tailwind or other tools): Analyze competitors' Pin performance, top-performing content, and best visuals.

Tip: Pay attention to how often your competitors post, which Pins get the most saves/clicks, and their ad creatives.

📈 3. Evaluate Keyword and Trend Data
Pinterest is a search-based platform, so understanding keyword intent is crucial.

Where to Research:
Pinterest Ads Manager > Keyword Targeting: When setting up an ad, Pinterest will suggest keywords and show potential audience sizes.

Pinterest Trends: Discover top searches by category and geography.

Google Trends: Cross-reference Pinterest keyword ideas with broader search trends to validate interest.

What to look for:

High-volume, seasonal keywords

Long-tail keywords (e.g., "boho summer wedding decor" vs. "wedding decor")

🖼� 4. Study Creative Best Practices in Your Niche
Visuals are everything on Pinterest. Research what types of imagery and formats perform best for your industry.

How to Research Creatives:
Browse Pinterest for your niche (e.g., "home office ideas" or "vegan recipes")

Note the:

Color palettes

Text overlays

Image dimensions (vertical is best: 1000x1500 px)

Use of branding/logos

Calls to action

Tip: Pinterest's Creative Best Practices guide is also a great resource for understanding what works.

👥 5. Create Audience Personas Based on Pinterest Behavior
Build buyer personas tailored to Pinterest by combining your audience data with platform-specific insights.

Include:
Demographics (age, gender, location)

Psychographics (values, interests, goals)

Pinterest habits (what they search for, save, or shop for)

Pain points and how your product or service solves them

Example:

"Emma, 28, is a newlywed planning her first home. She searches Pinterest for 'budget-friendly home decor' and 'DIY organization hacks.' She loves soft neutrals, Scandinavian styles, and eco-friendly products."

🛍� 6. Analyze Pinterest Shopping and Product Trends
If you're selling products, it's crucial to understand Pinterest Shopping behavior.

What to Research:
How users shop: Pinterest users often browse first and buy later.

Popular product categories (e.g., fashion, home decor, beauty)

Pinterest's Shopping Spotlights and Product Pins

Use Pinterest's Catalogs if you're running product-based campaigns.

Tip: Pinterest users are "planners," so align your product drops or ads with seasonal and event-based planning.

📊 7. Use Third-Party Tools for Pinterest Market Research
Consider these tools for deeper insights:

Tool   Use Case
Tailwind   Competitor research, Pin performance, audience trends
Supermetrics   Pull Pinterest Ads + analytics data into Google Sheets
Google Analytics   Track Pinterest referral traffic, user behavior, and conversions
SEMrush / Ahrefs   Keyword and competitor research, including what's trending in your space
BuzzSumo   Discover trending content by topic (not Pinterest-specific but useful for trend validation)
🧪 8. Test and Learn: A/B Test Your Assumptions
Once you've done your research, test your findings with Pinterest Ads campaigns:

Test different creatives (designs, colors, text)

Try various audiences (interest vs. keyword vs. lookalikes)

Split-test headlines or call-to-actions

Use the results to refine your audience understanding and improve ad performance over time.

🎯 Final Checklist: Pinterest Market Research Goals
✅ Task   Goal
Identify target audience on Pinterest   Understand who uses the platform
Research trending keywords/topics   Align with seasonal and user intent
Study competitors   Learn what content and ads perform
Build creative benchmarks   Design high-performing Pins
Define personas   Tailor messaging and targeting
Analyze shopping trends   Capitalize on user buying behavior
Use analytics tools   Measure and refine strategy