How Gen Z is active on Pinterest.
According to Pinterest, although Instagram, TikTok, and Snap see the highest rates of Gen Z usage, Pinterest trends have also become dominant, with more than 200 million young users now coming to the platform every month.
42% of Pinterest’s global monthly user base is Gen Z
1.3x Gen Zero who use Pinterest weekly are more likely to shop online compared to non-users
30% Gen Z searches are up 30% year on year
Pinterest notes that Gen Z is even more engaged than other generations, searching and saving at higher rates, influenced by self-exploration to shopping lists. This visually engaging content is being reused on platforms such as Tik Tok diverting traffic onto Pinterest.
Pinterest Notes 6 Key Points
1) Appear when they search
Gen Z is accustomed to a world of search. They’re increasingly using Pinterest as a search engine, commonly for artistic inspiration.
They aren’t just searching for big life milestones or the distant future, as Gen Z’s are at a pivotal point of making significant purchases in their daily life, they’re searching for topics that lead to everyday purchases and decisions. Commercial topics such as food and drink have a +37% year-on-year growth and fashion; men’s fashion is +35%, and women’s +30%.
Optimise your Pins for Pinterest search - the copy of your pin can impact its delivery. Optimising fields such as your pin title, description and product feed data to include relevant keywords can help your content to appear for the right people. You can also use keyword targeting for your campaigns.
Beyond your category, search behaviour can be used to your advantage when you’re trying to reach new audiences or change perceptions.
2) Build traction for transactions
Pinterest has a feature that helps users curate and keep track of their favourite ideas, such as saving pins and making mood boards. These actions are strong predictors of future commercial intent. Users are 7x more likely to purchase a product they have previously saved on Pinterest. The act of saving a pin shows users they are seriously considering a conversion, even if doesn’t convert in that same session.
Additionally, Gen Z saves nearly 2.5x more pins and makes 66% more boards than other generations on Pinterest. That deep engagement gives you more ways to connect across the funnel. Think beyond that final transition, and build a deeper relationship over time.
Upstream CTAs can build engagement. Upper-funnel campaigns can set the stage for lower-funnel success; and encourage users to save your pins to their boards. Implementing the API for conversions so you get the best insight into Pinterest’s total impact can be incredibly fruitful. Retargeting to reach people who interacted with your content will allow you to follow up with information and visual content will help nudge users closer to action.
3) Make it stoppable
63% of weekly Gen Z pinners admit they are constantly shopping. Even during times when they don’t have immediate plans for purchase, they could be convinced if inspiration strikes. Ultimately, the mindset that translates into meaningful action. Gen Zers who use Pinterest weekly are 1.3x more likely to have purchased online in the last week, compared to people who don’t use Pinterest.
The main reason Gen Z uses Pinterest is to find new information on products and brands. If they’re always shopping, you should always be selling. They will be looking for new ideas - and they’re open-minded.
Always keep in mind visual search. Pinterest is uniquely visual, and people also use visual content to refine their ideas. Ad formats such as carousels and collections enable you to create a new world. Show variations of the same product and use visual storytelling. Taking advantage of direct links diverts buyers straight onto your site.
4) Stay ahead of trends
Gen Z is an incredibly fast-paced audience, constantly on the hunt for new looks and personas to try on. They’re searching for every aesthetic that you can think of such as ‘old money aesthetic’. They devote time to curating the right vibe for every moment, whether it’s a milestone or a special day. This demographic is the early onset adopters of trends on Pinterest, driving early momentum for rising topics that evolve into trends.
Use Pinterest to spot new trends early and then create content aligned with the trend. Use quizzes to guide users to the perfect pick and create multiple boards that showcase the same product in different aesthetics, navigating users to close their taste.
5) Connect them to culture
A fixation on aesthetics is the driving force for their shopping habits. Finding products that suit their taste and style is their main shopping goal—and 84% of weekly Gen Z Pinners say that they find products that suit their taste on Pinterest. Features such as visual search, related products and deeply personalised results help people to hone in on what’s right for them.
It’s no secret that Gen Z is big on pop culture, however, what may be less obvious is that they’re building connections to those pastimes and communities on Pinterest. This includes festivals; there is a vast amount of activity leading up to popular festivals. Recent searches have spanned from outfit prep to camping tips and even pose inspiration for candid pictures.
Gaming and celebrities are dominant in influencing Gen Z interests. They find ideas on Pinterest they don’t find elsewhere and can bond with their communities.
Help them prep for cultural moments such as tours and film launches. Make curated guides such as special outfits or a way to celebrate. Support their online community by giving them new ideas for their online presence such as gaming avatars.
6) Keep in mind those shopping for Gen Z
Families, friends, and colleagues also shop for Gen Z; they may need help figuring out what Gen Z wants and Pinterest is the perfect platform to understand their tastes and wishlists. Encourage Gen Z users to share their boards with others and run campaigns encouraging relatives to use their boards for shopping inspiration.
If you enjoyed this article about how Gen Z uses Pinterest and how brands can leverage it, please follow our social media for more or get in contact with the team!
