As a global leader in SEO, content marketing, and data analytics, Anastasia Braitsik has her finger on the pulse of digital advertising. Today, she shares her specialized expertise on Pinterest, a platform that has grown to 600 million monthly active users who are not just browsing, but actively planning and purchasing. We’ll explore the strategic thinking behind choosing the right ad format, from a narrative-driven Carousel to a product-packed Collection ad. Anastasia will shed light on the creative nuances between different video ad sizes, the art of crafting an engaging Quiz ad, and the technical challenges of running Local Inventory ads. We’ll also get a sneak peek into the high-performance Top of Search ads and what makes them so effective for capturing high-intent users.
The article contrasts Carousel ads for showcasing multiple messages with Collection ads for product catalogs. When should a brand choose one over the other, and what are the key steps for successfully setting up a Collection ad to display up to 24 products?
That’s an excellent question because it gets right to the heart of campaign strategy on Pinterest. A Carousel ad is your go-to format for storytelling. You have between two and five cards to build a narrative, educate your audience, or showcase different features of a single product. Think of the wedding planner example; you can use each card to present a compelling statistic or a planning tip, guiding the user on a journey that culminates in a call to action. You’re building a case, not just showing a product.
On the other hand, a Collection ad is a pure e-commerce powerhouse designed for visual merchandising. You’d choose this when your goal is to showcase the breadth of a product line or an entire look. Setting it up successfully hinges on that initial “hero” creative. It needs to be captivating—a short, looping video of someone interacting with the products often works wonders, just like the jewelry store example. Below that hero, you carefully select three complementary product images to whet the user’s appetite. The real magic happens when they tap; the ad expands to reveal a beautiful, shoppable gallery of up to 24 products, turning a moment of inspiration into a full-fledged shopping experience.
Your content highlights standard and max-width video ads for grabbing attention. Beyond the obvious size difference, how does your creative strategy change for each format?
The size difference completely transforms the user experience, so the creative strategy has to adapt accordingly. A standard video ad fits neatly into the feed, so it needs to be punchy, clear, and get to the point quickly, much like a standard Pin. It’s about delivering a concise message or a quick product demonstration that respects the flow of browsing. You’re a part of the grid, so you have to earn the attention.
When you use a max-width video, however, you are the feed. By expanding across both columns, it becomes a truly immersive, screen-stopping moment. Your creative strategy here should be more ambitious and cinematic. You have the space to tell a richer brand story, to use sweeping visuals, and to create a more profound emotional connection. Since the video autoplays, that initial hook is everything. You’re not just trying to get a click; you’re trying to create a memorable brand moment that disrupts the scroll and makes the user feel something. It’s the difference between a quick glance and a captivating short film.
Quiz ads offer a personalized experience by guiding users to tailored results. Could you walk us through the process of designing an effective 2-3 question quiz? What best practices can you share for writing questions that keep users engaged and lead to a relevant landing page?
Designing an effective Quiz ad is all about empathy and simplicity. The process begins with deeply understanding your customer’s core needs or dilemmas. For instance, the beauty brand isn’t just selling skincare; it’s selling a solution to a problem. So, your first question should tap directly into that, like “What is your biggest skincare challenge?” with options like “Dryness,” “Acne,” or “Fine Lines.” Keep the questions light, conversational, and incredibly easy to answer—two to three questions is the perfect length to maintain engagement without causing fatigue.
The real key to success lies in the results. Each of the two or three potential outcomes must feel like a genuine, personalized recommendation, complete with a unique visual, headline, and description that validates the user’s choices. This makes them feel heard and understood. Crucially, the click-through must lead to a landing page that directly corresponds to that specific result. Sending a user who selected “Dryness” to a generic homepage is a missed opportunity; they should land on a page dedicated to your hydrating product line. This seamless journey from a simple question to a perfect solution is what makes this format so powerful for creating a personal connection.
The article notes that Local Inventory ads require a store feed to promote in-stock items. What are the biggest technical hurdles marketers face when setting this up, and can you share an anecdote of how a retailer successfully used this format to increase foot traffic?
The biggest technical hurdle is, without a doubt, data synchronization. Setting up a store feed and a local inventory supplemental feed that communicates accurately and in real-time with your actual in-store stock is a major challenge for many businesses. Legacy point-of-sale systems often don’t integrate smoothly with modern ad platforms, which can lead to frustrating discrepancies where an ad shows an item as in-stock when it just sold out. This creates a poor customer experience and wastes ad spend, so getting that technical foundation right is absolutely critical.
I remember working with a home decor retailer who faced this exact issue. Initially, their ads were underperforming because the inventory data was only updated once a day. But after they invested in a system to sync it hourly, everything changed. A Pinner could be searching for “boho throw pillows” on a Saturday morning, see a beautiful Local Inventory ad showing that the exact pillow they want is in stock at a store five miles away, and make an immediate decision to go buy it. They essentially turned Pinterest from an inspiration platform into a direct driver of weekend foot traffic, successfully bridging the gap between online discovery and an in-person sale.
According to the piece, Top of Search ads have a 29% higher average CTR. Besides the prominent placement, what other factors contribute to this success? For brands with early access, what creative approaches are working best to capture this high-intent search traffic?
That 29% higher CTR is a stunning figure, and while the premium placement is a huge factor, it’s not the whole story. The success of Top of Search ads comes from the perfect alignment of timing and relevance. A user on the Pinterest homepage is in discovery mode, but a user in the search bar has a specific mission. They are actively looking for something—an idea, a product, a solution. Placing a relevant ad at the very top of those results doesn’t feel like an interruption; it feels like the answer they were looking for. You are meeting their intent at the exact moment it’s expressed.
For brands using this format, the most effective creative approach is one of absolute clarity. This is not the place for vague, artistic brand-building ads. Your creative must be a direct visual and textual answer to the likely search query. If someone searches for “easy weeknight dinner recipes,” the ad that performs best will be a delicious-looking image of a one-pan chicken dish with a bold, clear headline like “30-Minute Chicken Dinners.” It instantly validates the user’s search and promises a fast, relevant solution, making that click almost irresistible.
What is your forecast for Pinterest advertising in the next few years?
My forecast is that Pinterest will continue to lean into its unique strength as a platform for inspiration and action, further blurring the line between content and commerce. I expect we’ll see the evolution of even more sophisticated ad formats that make the journey from discovery to purchase almost instantaneous, possibly integrating augmented reality try-on features or more dynamic, AI-curated Collection ads. The focus will be on creating an incredibly seamless funnel where a user can be inspired by a Pin and complete a purchase without ever feeling like they’ve been sold to. As the platform’s user base grows and its ad technology matures, 2026 and beyond represent a pivotal opportunity for brands to invest in a channel that uniquely captures consumers in a positive, forward-looking mindset, ready to turn their dreams into reality.
