Pinterest reveals strategy to improve AI ad performance by 50%

Pinterest has released new guidelines to help advertisers maximise the effectiveness of its Performance+ campaigns, an AI-driven ad solution designed to improve targeting and campaign automation.

Performance+ operates similarly to Meta’s Advantage+ campaigns, streamlining ad processes by automating asset creation, targeting, and bidding. According to Pinterest, advertisers using Performance+ have reported positive outcomes.

“Advertisers [using Performance+] are already seeing impressive results, such as 20% CPA improvements in catalogue sales campaigns with 50% fewer inputs required for campaign creation,” the company stated.

With Pinterest now reaching 553 million monthly active users, the platform’s AI-powered campaign management could provide a simplified approach for brands seeking engagement without requiring extensive market research.

Best practices for Performance+ campaigns

To help businesses optimise their Performance+ campaigns, Pinterest recommends several strategies:

• Enhance tracking capabilities: Advertisers should integrate both the Pinterest Conversions API and Pinterest Tag to ensure accurate signal matching and attribution. These tools improve data tracking and refine audience targeting.

• Optimise product feeds: Ensuring product feeds contain detailed metadata, keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and well-structured product groupings will enhance campaign efficiency.

• Align campaign objectives: Businesses should select objectives that match their current conversion levels. For example, brands with lower conversion volumes are advised to begin with Performance+ Consideration campaigns before transitioning to catalogue sales.

• Diversify Ad formats: Pinterest suggests using at least 10 ads per Ad Group and incorporating a variety of formats, including Standard, Video, Carousel, Collections, and Idea ads, to maintain audience engagement.

• Leverage multiple Performance+ features: The platform encourages brands to utilise different AI-powered solutions within Performance+, such as automated creative fine-tuning and ROAS bidding, to optimise return on ad spend.

Learning phase and budgeting strategy

Pinterest advises advertisers to allow at least two weeks for the AI system to complete its learning phase. To accelerate optimisation, businesses are encouraged to start with a higher budget. For campaigns focused on cost per acquisition (CPA), Pinterest recommends setting a daily budget at least five times the target cost per result.

Once the learning phase is complete, brands should experiment with different strategies, including testing various landing pages, ad formats, and mobile deep linking setups. Monitoring performance metrics and pausing underperforming ads can further refine campaign effectiveness.

With these insights, Pinterest aims to help businesses navigate its advertising ecosystem more effectively, making it easier for brands to connect with its growing user base.