Tools· Design & Creative

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform for collecting and browsing images, a useful source for visual research and moodboards, with an optional Ads Manager for campaigns.

researchingdesigningexecutableFreemium

Open provider

Description

At its core, Pinterest works as a visual search engine: users collect images, known as Pins, on topics such as interior design, fashion, recipes or brand aesthetics into thematic boards, and the recommendation algorithm suggests related visuals. For brands and agencies, the platform is relevant in two roles: as a free research source for visual references, trend observation and moodboard building, and as an advertising channel with its own Ads Manager for Promoted Pins, shopping ads and video formats.

The difference from classic social media platforms lies in user intent: Pinterest is used predominantly with purchase and planning intent rather than pure entertainment, which, according to the source, makes click prices on average cheaper than on comparable image and video platforms. Pure visual research without an advertising budget is free to use, though Pinterest is not a substitute for a curated, protected asset library, since collected content remains public unless boards are explicitly set to private.

In the Voyage stack, Pinterest serves primarily as a research source for visual language and reference collections during creative preparation, not as a primary advertising channel.

Strengths

Free to Start

Business accounts, along with collecting, searching and displaying Pins, are free to use, fees only apply once campaigns are actively running.

Flexible Campaign Budgets

Anyone running ads sets their own budget, there is no prescribed minimum spend.

Wide Range of Ad Formats

Different campaign goals are covered by formats such as Image Ads, Idea Ads and Premiere Spotlight videos.

Learning and Support Resources

Free courses, webinars and a dedicated account team support campaign setup and optimisation.

Assessment

AI features

Recommendation Algorithm Pinterest shows Pins primarily to the users the platform considers most likely to be interested, driving both organic reach and paid content.
Pinterest Predicts An annual, data-based trend report shows forecasted topics and aesthetics for the coming year, currently available for 2026.
Audience Insights in Ads Manager Beyond standard analytics, the Ads Manager provides custom audience insights that help define target groups for campaigns.

Suitable for

Creative teams collecting reference images, trend research and moodboards for visual language development
Brands with visually driven products (interior, fashion, food, DIY) that want to reach purchase intent through Pins
Performance marketing focused on cheaper click prices compared with other image and video platforms
Less suitable for Less suitable as a sole channel for audiences without visual purchase intent, or for B2B niches without a visual angle

Limitations and notes

Business Account Required for Full Features Ads, analytics and audience insights are only accessible through a separate business account, an existing personal profile can be converted for this purpose.
Boards Public by Default Collected Pins and boards are publicly visible unless explicitly set to private, which matters for confidential reference collections.

Quick start

Create a free account or convert an existing personal profile into a business account.
Create boards for relevant topics and start collecting or uploading Pins.
For advertising, connect your website and set audience and budget in the Ads Manager.
Launch a campaign with a suitable format, for example Image Ads or Idea Ads.
Check the performance of individual Pins in Analytics and actively promote the ones that perform well.

Tips

Use Pinterest Predicts as an annual reference point for seasonal and stylistic trends during creative pre-planning.
Set boards containing confidential project work to private before collecting reference material.
Contact the Pinterest account team for personalised optimisation tips ahead of larger campaigns.
Use the free courses and webinars to get familiar with ad tools and formats before committing budget.

Access

Using the platform to collect, search and display Pins is free for both individuals and businesses. Costs arise solely through the Ads Manager, billed per click or impression in an auction model with no fixed minimum budget.