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A representative from Pinterest has been reaching out to me for weeks and I finally said that I wasn't able to test out Pinterest ads because I just didn't have the time. Turns out I was too quick to dismiss, because I had the time this weekend to see what it was all about.
Note: that I had previously converted by Pinterest account to a business account, so I was already half way done.
Here's what I tried (I'll update this post with results when I have enough data):
1. There's a BIG red button that says CREATE AD, so I knew where to start.
2. Next, I needed to choose an objective. I know from previous failed attempts on Pinterest that my website needs a bunch of additional work if I want to send ads there, so I decided against a "Get Conversions" campaign for a "Drive Consideration" campaign.
3. There was an option to set a campaign goal. I chose a Cost Per Click (CPC) goal and set it to $0.50. That is approximately my CPC average on Amazon, so I figured it was a good place to start.
4. The next few questions were easy: Name the campaign, set a budget (I chose a daily budget of $25 to start) and decide if you want it to just run the ads always or chose days/times for it to run (I chose to just let it run....maybe later I will get some interesting data on days and times that are best).
The whole flow feels basically the same as setting up a Facebook or TikTok ad. I like that there is consistency!
5. Next up: Audience. Pinterest had a bunch of interests to pick from related to gaming, so that was handy. I also added in some demographic info (females, ages 25+....just based on what I know from my Amazon sales).
6. There is an option to set whether you want Pinterest to automate bidding or if you want to set a cap at how much you will bid. I opted for automatic to start. Again, once I have more data, I may chose to change this.
7. The final step is to either create a new Pin or chose an existing one. I already had a pin set up from before that I thought might work. It DOES look like an ad though, so maybe that will make it less appealing. We will see.
8. Destination URL: This is a lesson I had learned previously. If you create special URLs in Amazon Ads manager for offsite traffic, they will give you $$ back if people who came to Amazon from that URL actually buy the product. So far Amazon has given me $3 back. It's not huge, but definitely worth the few extra steps to create the special URL. (One day I will write that blog and link to it here.)
9. Hit the bright red Submit button and that's all. There was a notification that the ad will be reviewed (that's pretty standard). Today, I checked and it was approved!
And that was the new thing I learned this week!