📌 From Pins to Profits

Pinterest is the seventh most popular social network in the United States, with over 520 million users each month. 

Surprisingly, only 8% of its traffic comes from paid ads. 

Why? Pinterest is where users come to dream.

When I think of Pinterest, three things come to mind:

#1. Teenage girls planning their dream wedding to a guy they’ve never met

#2. College students dreaming of home decor for houses they can’t afford

#3. Adventurers creating their perfect European Summer wardrobe

But Pinterest is more than just a digital vision board. It’s a successful business worth $22B.

So, how did Pinterest become so popular? What makes it so engaging that it practically markets itself? And how can you take a page out of Pinterest’s book?

Here’s what we’ve got for you:

• 📈 From $0 to $22B 

• 🖼️ The Visual Discovery Experience

• 🌎 Competing with Social Media Giants

Read time: 4 min 33 sec

📈 From $0 to $22B

It all began in 2009, not in a high-rise office but in the humble homes of its founders. 

Three friends—Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp—had a vision. Their idea was simple yet revolutionary: a digital pinboard where users could "pin" images, articles, and inspirations they found online.

After several months of development, Pinterest did a small launch in March 2010. The first users were mostly friends and family, but their enthusiasm helped build a small but passionate user base. 

Soon, word of mouth spread, and within a few months, Pinterest had attracted thousands of users.

By 2011, Pinterest’s user base had exploded, growing by 50% month over month. The platform reached 10 million unique monthly visitors faster than any other standalone site in history. Pinterest had struck a chord, and it wasn’t long before it attracted the attention of investors. 

By 2012, it had raised $100 million in funding.

More than a decade later, the platform is still growing…

Pinterest has stayed true to its core mission: to help users discover, save, and do the things they love. There is a community of millions who feel personally invested in its success.

More on this:

• The inspiration behind Pinterest

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🖼️ The Visual Discovery Experience

Pinterest’s path to becoming a $22B company wasn’t just about growth. It was about creating an experience that kept users coming back.

How’d they do it? It’s all about the visuals, personalized recommendations, and a user-friendly design.

Here are three strategies Pinterest uses for success:

#1 - Visual Focus: Humans are visual creatures. On Pinterest, images are the centerpiece. The endless scroll of aesthetic photos, infographics, and illustrations make Pinterest a go-to for anyone looking for inspiration, whether they are planning a wedding, redecorating a home, or cooking a gourmet meal.

#2 - Personalization through AI: It’s a feedback loop: the more users pin, the better the recommendations become. Each time they open the app, they’re hooked by content that perfectly reflects their own interests and dreams.

#3 - Community Building: The platform encourages users to share their findings and inspiration boards. Users can create group boards, which allow them to collaborate and share ideas.

Pinterest also offers a unique feature for businesses and creators—Pinterest Analytics, providing insights into which pins perform best, helping creators understand their audience.

🌎 Competing with Social Media Giants

As Pinterest grew, it has had to compete with social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. All of these platforms are centered on visual content.  So what gives Pinterest its special niche?

It comes down to these three factors:

#1 - Unique Visual Search Engine: Unlike other platforms that focus on social interaction, Pinterest focuses on its visual search engine. Users don’t go to Pinterest to keep up with friends but to explore new ideas and find inspiration. This differentiation helped Pinterest attract a dedicated user base distinct from other social networks.

#2 - Monetization Strategy: Pinterest’s approach to monetization is different from its competitors. It offers promoted pins and shopping ads, allowing businesses to reach users who are already in the discovery mindset. 

Unlike ads on other platforms, Pinterest ads feel less intrusive because they blend seamlessly into the user’s feed. Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell if an image is an ad or regular content…

#3 - For Planning, Not Just Posting: While other social media platforms are about sharing what you’re doing now, Pinterest is about what you want to do in the future. 

Pinterest's unique approach helps it compete with social media giants and maintain a strong, loyal user base.

As of 2024, Pinterest is still growing, recently surpassing $22 billion in market value with over 520  million active monthly users.

More on this:

• Pinterest's plans to compete with TikTok, Shopify, and Instagram