Let’s talk about the powerhouse of marketing that doesn’t get nearly enough credit—Pinterest ads. When I built Wordsmith, I had two goals:
- To help fellow entrepreneurs show up online and share their stories without the constant struggle of not knowing what to say.
- To build something without spending my life glued to traditional social media platforms.
Fast forward, and I scaled Wordsmith to over $600K in revenue using two incredibly powerful things: Pinterest ads + my email list. No viral videos, no dancing on Reels, no posting 24/7 to stay relevant. Just a smart, strategic way to get my offer in front of the right people at the right time.
Here’s exactly how I did it—and how you can use Pinterest ads to grow your own business too.
Why Pinterest Ads?
First things first, let’s clear something up: Pinterest isn’t just another social media platform. It’s a visual search engine—meaning that when people are on Pinterest, they’re actively looking for solutions, ideas, and products.
Unlike Instagram or Facebook (where your content disappears in hours), Pinterest content lasts. People can search for and find your pins months—even years—after you post them. And when you pair that with a strong ad strategy, you’re literally getting your business in front of people who are searching for exactly what you have to offer.
That’s why Pinterest ads work so well. They put your brand in front of ready-to-buy customers without the constant content grind.
How I Used Pinterest Ads to Validate My Idea
Before I poured time and energy into building Wordsmith, I wanted to make sure there was actually demand for it. Enter: Pinterest ads.
I started with a simple strategy:
- Created a few pre-written content templates and published them monthly to test the concept.
- Ran a small Pinterest ad campaign targeting keywords that my ideal customers were searching for.
- Tracked conversions to see if people were actually interested in what I was offering.
The result? They ate it up.
That validation was huge. It meant I wasn’t guessing—I knew I had something people wanted. That’s when my husband (who’s a developer) jumped in to help me build Wordsmith exactly the way I had envisioned it. And once we had a solid product? We scaled it even more.
Scaling With Pinterest Ads: The Strategy That Worked
Once I knew Wordsmith was a hit, I doubled down on Pinterest ads and followed a strategy that allowed me to scale to over $600K in revenue. Here’s the exact formula I used:
1. Targeted the Right Keywords
Remember, Pinterest is a search engine—so your ads need to be optimized just like SEO. I focused on:
- Keywords my audience was actively searching for
- Long-tail keywords to get more specific and attract buyers with clear intent.
- Interest-based targeting to reach people who were already engaging with similar content.
2. Created Click-Worthy Pins
Your Pinterest ad creative matters. Unlike social media posts, your ad needs to stand out in a feed full of visuals. I focused on:
- Bold, easy-to-read text overlays that immediately told people what the pin was about.
- Clear, scroll-stopping images that reflected the value of Wordsmith.
- Consistent branding so that my ads looked professional and cohesive.
3. Sent Traffic to a High-Converting Page
I didn’t just send people to a homepage and hope for the best. I made sure my ad traffic went to a conversion-optimized landing page that:
- Clearly explained what Wordsmith was and why it mattered.
- Included strong social proof (testimonials, reviews, results).
- Had an easy-to-follow call-to-action (subscribe, purchase, etc.).
You can see the homepage for Wordsmith HERE.
4. Tracked & Optimized
Once I had tested different ads, I was able to turn off the ones that weren’t performing and run the same ad for over two years without needing to change a thing. I kept an eye on:
- Which ads performed best (so I could scale the winners and turn off the duds).
- What audiences converted the most (so I could refine targeting over time).
- My return on ad spend (ROAS) to make sure I was making more than I was spending.
The more I refined my strategy, the better my results got—and the faster Wordsmith grew.
Why This Works (And How You Can Do It Too)
One of the many reasons I love Pinterest ads so much is because they let you get hyper-specific with your audience targeting. If you know how to choose the right keywords, set up conversion tracking, and focus on the right metrics, you can scale your business in a way that feels sustainable and strategic.
But here’s something I realized early on—so much of the marketing advice I saw online came from experts who were operating at a completely different level. They had massive email lists, established audiences, huge spending budgets, and built-in connections that most small business owners just don’t have when they’re starting out.
When I built Wordsmith, I wanted to do it in a way that would prove it’s possible to scale a business from scratch—without relying on a huge following or existing brand recognition. I wanted to create a strategy that would work for someone who didn’t have thousands of followers or a big email list yet, someone who was just trying to build momentum. And Pinterest ads made that possible.
After hitting over $600K in revenue for Wordsmith, I knew I had to share my formula. So, I put together a 90 minute Pinterest Ad Strategy course that walks you through the exact process I used to:
✅ Set up profitable Pinterest ad campaigns
✅ Target the right audience (so your ads don’t get wasted on the wrong people)
✅ Track conversions and scale effectively
✅ Focus on key metrics that actually matter (instead of getting lost in vanity numbers)
I’ve taken everything I’ve learned—from testing, tweaking, and scaling—and turned it into a step-by-step system to help you get your business in front of an audience that’s ready to buy.
👉 You can check it out here: Pinterest Ad Strategy
If you’re tired of posting on social media and hoping for traction, it might be time to switch things up. Pinterest ads aren’t just another ad platform—they’re a long-term strategy for getting your business in front of the right audience.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re ready to scale, I know this strategy can work for you—because it’s exactly how I built Wordsmith into a thriving business that has generated over $600K in revenue.
So, what do you say? If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start getting your business in front of people who are actually looking for what you offer, let’s do this together. I’d love to help you make Pinterest ads work for you—because if I can do it, so can you.
