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By Benchmarketing Research Team Reviewed by Performance Marketing Editorial Reviewed March 2026 · observations Q1 2023 – Q4 2024Cross-category averages · Pinterest Promoted Pins · 2026
0.48%
Avg CTR, promoted Pins
Fashion, home decor, and beauty dominate Pinterest performance. These categories align with the platform's predominantly female, home-planning audience. B2B and tech categories see poor performance and should not be tested without a specific visual content strategy.
| Category | CTR | CPC | CPM | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Decor & Furniture | 0.68% | $0.94 | $4.80 | 2.8x |
| Fashion & Style | 0.72% | $0.88 | $4.40 | 3.1x |
| Food & Recipes | 0.54% | $0.82 | $4.20 | 2.4x |
| Wedding & Events | 0.61% | $1.04 | $5.20 | 2.6x |
| Beauty & Skincare | 0.64% | $0.96 | $4.60 | 2.9x |
| DIY & Crafts | 0.52% | $0.78 | $4.00 | 2.2x |
| Travel | 0.44% | $1.18 | $5.60 | 1.9x |
| Fitness & Health | 0.48% | $1.08 | $5.00 | 2.1x |
| Parenting & Baby | 0.58% | $0.90 | $4.70 | 2.5x |
| B2B / Tech | 0.28% | $1.84 | $8.20 | 1.1x |
ROAS based on 30-day click + 1-day view attribution for ecommerce advertisers. Source: Pinterest Ads Manager 2024.
Pinterest has the lowest CPM of any major visual social platform and uniquely long content lifespan. Lower CTR vs. Meta/TikTok reflects discovery vs. entertainment intent — but high-intent clicks convert well downstream.
| Platform | CTR | CPM | Content Life | Core Demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest (Promoted Pins) | 0.48% | $5.40 | 3–12 months | 70% female, 25–54, high income |
| Instagram Feed | 0.88% | $11.20 | 24–48 hours | Broad, 18–44 |
| Facebook Feed | 1.51% | $13.60 | 24–72 hours | Broad, 25–54 |
| TikTok In-Feed | 1.22% | $9.40 | 1–7 days | Gen Z + Millennial |
| Google Display | 0.08% | $2.80 | Active only | Broad interest |
Pinterest content has the longest lifespan of any ad platform
Pinterest is fundamentally different from other social platforms. Content is discovery-oriented, not time-based. A well-performing Promoted Pin can receive traffic, saves, and conversions for 3–12 months after launch — versus 24–72 hours for Meta or TikTok. This long tail means your CAC on Pinterest often understates your actual cost efficiency because analytics platforms don't attribute late conversions from saved pins to the original ad.
Visual aesthetic and save-worthiness determine long-term reach
The metric that predicts long-term Pinterest performance is saves (formerly repins) — not clicks. Pins that get saved are distributed organically to the saver's followers, compounding your reach. Design Promoted Pins with a "would I save this?" test. Lifestyle imagery with text overlay, step-by-step recipe or DIY formats, aspirational room design, and product-in-use photography consistently achieve high save rates.
Pinterest's audience is in a purchase-intent mindset
Pinterest users describe themselves as planners. 89% of Pinterest users are planning a purchase. This is categorically different from Instagram or TikTok, where users are primarily browsing for entertainment. A user creating a "kitchen renovation" board is signaling purchase intent weeks or months before the purchase — making Pinterest unique as a platform that influences the very start of the buyer journey.
Pinterest Shopping Ads connect directly to product catalogs
Pinterest Shopping Ads (dynamic format using your product catalog) are the highest-converting Pinterest ad type for ecommerce, achieving 30–50% lower CPA compared to static Promoted Pins for most product categories. Connect your Shopify, WooCommerce, or Google Merchant Center feed to enable dynamic shopping ads that automatically show the right product to the right audience based on their board and search behavior.
Design for saves. Optimize for shopping. Extend attribution windows to measure true impact.
Design for saves, not just clicks
The save rate of your Promoted Pin determines its long-term organic amplification. Design pins that are inherently save-worthy: step-by-step how-to imagery, aspirational room design, outfit boards, recipe cards with clear visuals. Text overlays stating the value ("10 Kitchen Storage Ideas") dramatically improve save rates. A pin with high save rates will continue to deliver organic reach for months, lowering your effective CPA over time.
Use vertical 2:3 aspect ratio (1000x1500px)
Pinterest is built for vertical content. Standard images should be 2:3 ratio (1000x1500px) to take maximum screen space in the feed. Pinterest's own data shows 2:3 pins outperform 1:1 and 4:5 formats by 30–50% on engagement. Avoid text in the bottom 15% of the image where Pinterest overlays the pin title. Use high-contrast, well-lit photography — Pinterest is a visual catalog, not a social feed.
Connect your product catalog for Shopping Ads
Pinterest Shopping Ads (catalog-based) achieve 30–50% lower CPA than static Promoted Pins for ecommerce. Connect your Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce store — or upload a Google Merchant Center feed — to enable dynamic product ads. Shopping Ads automatically match products to audience interests and search queries. For ecommerce advertisers, Shopping should be your primary Pinterest format, with standard Promoted Pins used for brand awareness.
Target keyword + interest + audience combination
Pinterest targeting combines three powerful signals: keyword targeting (based on what users search for and pin), interest targeting (based on board categories), and audience targeting (custom, lookalike, retargeting). Layer all three: "home decor" keywords + "home decorating" interest + lookalike of your existing customers. Start broad to build data, then narrow. Pinterest rewards relevance with lower CPMs — irrelevant content sees CPM penalties.
Extend your attribution window for accurate ROI measurement
Pinterest's content lifespan makes default 7-day attribution dramatically undercount true Pinterest contribution. Use a 30-day click + 30-day save attribution window in Pinterest Ads Manager to capture the full purchase journey. Many Pinterest-influenced purchases happen 2–6 weeks after the initial pin save. Set up Pinterest Tag on your site, enable enhanced match, and import offline conversions if applicable. UTM parameters alone miss save-through conversions entirely.
Pinterest's median CTR of 0.48% is lower than most social platforms, but this is a misleading comparison. Pinterest users click with intent — they save content to boards and return later to purchase, meaning many conversions are not attributable to direct click-through. CTR above 0.65% is strong for Pinterest. More importantly, measure saves, engagement rate, and downstream revenue attribution including view-through and save-through conversions.
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These benchmarks are drawn from a multi-source benchmark cohort aggregated across industries and regions, covering the period Q1 2023 – Q4 2024. Figures on this page come from the Benchmarketing benchmark dataset: thousands of curated benchmark observations spanning channels, industries, and US metro areas, refreshed on a published schedule. Every statistic traces to a named source — no anonymous “studies show.” Data is sourced from:
The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method reads every marketing metric against four percentile bands — P25 (bottom quartile), median, P75 (top quartile), and elite (top ~10%) — for a specific industry and channel, instead of a single cross-industry average. Averages blend brand and non-brand campaigns, $500/month and $500,000/month accounts, and unrelated industries into a number almost nobody actually has.
Benchmarks reflect median values across large sample sets. Your industry, business model, and account maturity will cause variation. Use P25/P75 ranges to understand realistic distribution.
Read full methodologyWritten by
Benchmarketing Research Team
Data & Analytics
Reviewed by
Performance Marketing Editorial
Senior Review
Last updated
Reviewed March 2026
Observation period: Q1 2023 – Q4 2024
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