It’s a Gen Z world. Here’s how brands can thrive in it.
May 21, 2024
Slouchy denim, metallic manis, day raves. It’s one thing to know what Gen Z likes. But if you want to go beyond the surface, here’s a helpful insight: Pinterest is where Gen Z finds their favorite ideas—and brings them to life.
42% of our global monthly user base is Gen Z1
Gen Zs who use Pinterest weekly are 1.3x more likely to shop online, compared to non-users2
Gen Z searches are up 30% year over year3
From self-exploration to shopping lists, Gen Z increasingly turns to Pinterest. In fact, they’re our fastest growing audience,4 making up more than 40% of our global monthly users.1 And they’re even more engaged than other generations, searching and saving at higher rates.5
To get a better read on Gen Z’s needs, we studied both our first-party platform data and recent audience research. That gave us rich insight into Gen Z’s mindset and behaviors on Pinterest, including traits that stand out from other age groups.
We’ve turned all this research into six key takeaways to help you reach Gen Z on Pinterest. For every takeaway you’ll find helpful data and actionable tips to help build your next campaign.
1. Show up when they search
2. Build traction for transactions
3. Make it shoppable
4. Stay ahead of the trends
5. Connect them to culture
6. Don’t forget the people shopping for them
Top takeaways
No. 1
Show up when they search
Gen Zs have never known a world without search, so it’s a natural behavior for them. They’re increasingly using Pinterest as a search engine, and search at much higher rates than other generations.5
In all, Gen Z’s searches are up 30% year over year on Pinterest.3 And importantly for marketers like you, they’re not just searching for big life milestones or the far-out-future. As Gen Zs get older, they’re increasingly searching topics that track to everyday purchases and decisions. That means commercial topics like food and drink (searches +37% year over year for Gen Z) and fashion (men’s fashion +35%, women’s +30%).6
Act on the insights
Optimize your Pins for Pinterest search. Just like on search engines, the copy in your Pin can impact its delivery. Optimize fields like your Pin title, description and product feed data to include relevant keywords that can help your content show up for the right people. You can also use keyword targeting for your campaigns.
Think outside your category. Use search behavior to your advantage when you’re trying to reach new audiences or change perceptions. McDonald's Canada ran ads with creators from verticals far beyond food. Then, they targeted the ads to Gen Z Pinners searching for those verticals, extending their reach beyond their usual audience.
No. 2
Build traction for transactions
Pinterest has special features that help people curate and keep track of their favorite ideas, like saving Pins and making boards. These actions are strong predictors of future commercial intent. For example, people are 7x more likely to purchase a product they previously saved on Pinterest.7 Even if they don’t convert in that same session, the act of saving a Pin shows that they’re seriously considering a future conversion.
The great news? Gen Z saves nearly 2.5x more Pins4 and makes 66% more boards than other generations on Pinterest.8 That deep engagement gives you more ways to connect across the funnel. Think beyond that final transaction, and build a deeper relationship over time.
Act on the insights
Use upstream CTAs to build engagement. Upper funnel campaigns can set the stage for lower funnel success. For example, you could encourage people to save your Pins or help them make boards of their favorite ideas. Make sure to also implement the Pinterest Conversions API so you get the best insight into Pinterest’s total impact.
Use retargeting to reach people who interacted with your content. You can follow up with more info and help nudge them closer to action.
No.3
Make it shoppable
63% of weekly Gen Z Pinners say they’re “always shopping.”9 Even when they don’t have immediate plans to buy something new, they’ll act if inspiration strikes.9 And ultimately, that mindset translates to meaningful action. Gen Zs 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.2
The top reason Gen Z uses Pinterest is to find information about products and brands.10 So if they're always shopping, you should always be selling. They’re looking for new ideas—and open to hearing from you.
#1 reason Gen Z uses Pinterest is to find shopping information10
increase in Gen Z clicks and saves on shoppable Pins, year over year11
Act on the insights
Think about visual search. Pinterest is uniquely visual, and people also use images to refine their ideas. Ad formats like Carousels and Collections let you build a whole world around multiple images. You can show variations of the same product (ex: shoe colorways) or create a scene that spans product categories (ex: a room inspired by a certain trend).
Take advantage of direct links. Many of our ad formats use direct links, which skip the Pinterest closeup and take shoppers right to your site. Lingerie and sleepwear brand Forty Winks used direct links for a special campaign with younger shoppers, driving extra high engagement and a better return on ad spend.
No. 4
Stay ahead of the trends
Having trouble keeping up with Gen Z’s taste? That’s kind of the point. This fast-paced audience is constantly on the hunt for new looks and personas to try on. They’re searching for every aesthetic you can think of (and probably quite a few you can’t). Terms like “old money aesthetic” and “suburban aesthetic” are just a couple we’ve spotted lately.12
They spend a lot of time curating just the right vibe for every moment, whether it’s a big milestone or just a special day with friends. They’re also early adopters of trends on Pinterest, driving early search momentum for rising topics that evolve into bonafide trends.13
Naturally, this fixation on aesthetics defines how they shop. Finding products that fit their taste and style is their top shopping goal—and 84% of weekly Gen Z Pinners say they find products that fit their taste on Pinterest.9 Features like visual search, related products and deeply personalized results help people home in on what’s right for them.
Act on the insights
Spot new tastes early. Use Pinterest Predicts and the Pinterest trends tool to find emerging trends your audience might want to try. Then, create content that helps people shop or try the trend.
Guide them to the perfect pick. Use Quiz ads to help someone narrow in on just the right product or idea. Or, create multiple boards that showcase the same product merchandised for different aesthetics, helping people figure out their tastes.
No. 5
Connect them to culture
It’s no secret that Gen Z is big on pop culture: movies, fandoms, you name it. What might be less obvious is that they’re building connections to those pastimes and communities on Pinterest.
Take festivals as an example. We see a lot of activity leading up to big festivals as people plan their before, during and after on Pinterest.14 Recent searches have spanned everything from outfit prep to camping tips and even pose inspiration for in-the-moment pics.15
Gen Z is also more likely to use Pinterest for interests like gaming and celebrities, exploring content like fan art, tattoo ideas and fan edits.16 Because they find ideas on Pinterest they don’t see elsewhere,16 it helps them bond with their communities in new ways.
And don’t forget: For Gen Z, online is real life. They’re also using Pinterest to plan for online hobbies, such as gaming avatars or digital backgrounds.
Act on the insights
Help them prep for big cultural moments. See what’s happening down the line, like big tours or movie launches. Then, run shopping guides with curated products for different needs, like special outfits or ways to celebrate.
Support their online worlds. Give them new ideas for their online presence, like gaming avatars or phone backgrounds. You can specifically target people looking for these ideas on Pinterest with keyword or interest targeting.
No. 6
Don’t forget the people shopping for them
Here’s one last thing to think about: Gen Zs aren’t the only ones shopping for Gen Z. Families, friends, co-workers…they need help figuring out what Gen Z wants, too. Luckily, Pinterest is a useful place for spotting other people's tastes and wishlists.
Pinterest reaches a lot of the people who might be supporting or buying for Gen Zs—over half of US moms, for example.17 These are the types of people who have considerable buying power, so remember to consider them in your broader plans for Gen Z. As an added bonus, this will help you expand your reach with more audiences.
Act on the insights
Encourage people to share boards with others in their lives. Then, you can run campaigns encouraging relatives to use Gen Z’s boards for shopping inspo.
Speak directly to parents with info about Gen Z trends and tastes. Help them understand what Gen Z wants so they can build deeper relationships and show up for their kids in meaningful ways. You can target your Pinterest campaigns specifically to parents using tools like interest targeting, customer lists or actalikes.
