When Pinterest launched to the public in August 2012, it was a virtual corkboard for wedding inspiration, DIY crafts, dream kitchen remodels and more.
Thirteen years later, Pinterest is much more than a mood board. With over 500 million monthly active users globally and a 16% year-over-year revenue growth, Pinterest has become a unique and valuable tool for retailers looking to reach consumers without relying solely on traditional ads.
Social App or Search Engine?
Pinterest was co-founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Evan Sharp in March 2010. Their vision was an online service where users could collect and organize ideas and interests, then “pin” them online.
In 2014, Pinterest launched its advertising program which gave businesses the opportunity to promote their content and products through promoted pins while keeping Pinterest free for users.
Technically, even today, Pinterest isn’t what you’d traditionally think of a social media platform – some consider it a visual search engine. Most users are not coming to scroll (although some do); instead, they’re searching with intent. And unlike companies such as Instagram and TikTok, where influencer marketing is prominent, Pinterest is more about a user’s own discovery journey.
What Makes Pinterest Unique
Thirteen years later, Pinterest has stayed true to its roots as a virtual pinboard. It continues to dominate as a service for planning life events, like weddings, remodels and nurseries. The top search categories? Fashion, home decor, DIY, recipes, travel and beauty. But because 96% of searches carried out on Pinterest are unbranded, users aren’t coming to the platform with specific brands in mind but rather are open to finding new products.
Pinterest has also evolved in some interesting ways. For example, it has specifically chosen not to utilize some features that other social media sites use, like hashtags. Its users are also frequently coming with a specific product search in mind. According to Pinterest research, 89% of users are in a buying mindset, meaning it can be a lucrative opportunity for retailers to connect with consumers.
- A Gen Z Favorite
While Pinterest may have been primarily used by Millennials at its origin, Gen Z is now its fastest growing audience, making up 42% of Pinterest’s global user base. Its audience is 70% women and 30% men.
- Visual Search, Elevated
Pinterest has embraced new generative AI technology. Pinterest’s Lens tool lets users take a photo and find visually similar products. It’s perfect for users who want to “shop the look” or find dupes for high-end goods. Lens can surface similar products (including more affordable options), making it a discovery engine for consumers.
- Shopping Without the Noise
Perhaps the biggest evolution in Pinterest is its transformation into one of the most unique digital services for retailers. The number one reason people use Pinterest today is to find new products and brands. While retailers can pay for Pinterest ads, users see ads tailored to their searches rather than paid sponsorships for content on unrelated items. Pinterest calls itself “a place where ads don’t feel like ads.”
Pinterest Marketing: How Retailers Are Using Its Services
Content on Pinterest has a longer shelf life than on other social media websites. A pin can continue to drive traffic for months or even years after it’s published. This makes it an ideal service for brands investing in long-term search engine optimization and content marketing.
For retailers and brands, Pinterest offers unique avenues for organic growth and brand visibility:
- Getting Ahead of New Trends
Pinterest’s team regularly predicts new trends by analyzing billions of data points from the platform’s keyword searches and visual search technology. Over the last five years, 80% of the predictions they’ve made have been correct.
For example, when Pinterest predicted the “Eclectic Grandpa” trend, Walmart partnered with Pinterest to “sponsor” it, helping the retailer reach more Gen Z consumers. And Kraft Singles sponsored the 2024 “Melty Mashups” trend. The company provides brand partners with creative toolkits that contain templates and assets for trend marketing while limiting partnerships to only one brand per trend, per country.
- Optimizing Product Pins
By uploading product catalogs and enabling “rich pins”, brands can turn their site inventory into searchable, shoppable content. Rich pins include pricing, availability and direct links directly on the pins, making it easy for users to convert.
- Leveraging Dupe Culture
In 2025, the most searched-for beauty dupe online is MAC Cosmetics-styled lipsticks, according to data compiled by Irish web design company Baldwin Digital. As consumers seek out lower-cost alternatives to higher-cost items, retailers can optimize their pin descriptions and image tags to show up in these queries.
- Inspiration Boards as Market Research
Brands can monitor what styles, color palettes and product types are being saved and repinned. This data acts as a built-in trend forecasting tool that retailers can use to inform merchandising and marketing strategies.
What’s Next for Pinterest?
Pinterest’s steady growth shows that it’s a smart choice for brands to connect with consumers. In recent years, the company has added innovative features like shoppable video pins and shopping-specific feeds aimed at easier product discovery. It’s also investing heavily in AI-powered personalization to better match users with relevant pins and products.
The company is also experimenting with shoppable livestreaming, AR try-on features for home decor and fashion and easier integration with Shopify to make it easier for small businesses to set up storefronts.
Pinterest’s unique approach of aspirational browsing—where users come to be inspired, to find new products and ideas, and then go live their lives—is a fascinating business concept, and it has worked for both users and brands. And for retailers (in the fashion, home, beauty, and lifestyle sectors especially), Pinterest offers a high-intent social media space to reach consumers organically and authentically.
As we wish Pinterest a happy birthday, we look forward to seeing what the next 13 years will bring for users and sellers.
Image via Unsplash.