Pinterest isn't your typical social media platform. And that's exactly why people love it.
Pinterest has become a powerhouse for content discovery and audience engagement. But whether you’re new to the platform or an experienced marketer, understanding Pinterest analytics is crucial to building a winning Pinterest marketing strategy.
In this article, we’ll show you how to break down the Pinterest metrics that matter and reveal the best Pinterest analytics tools to help you maximize engagement across social media. With insights into audiences and demographics, impressions, and pin clicks, you’ll learn how to fine tune your approach and make data‑driven decisions to improve your pinterest performance.
Let's get started.
Why Pinterest analytics matter
Just like other social media metrics, analytics on Pinterest are important because they tell you more about what your audience loves and how often your pins are driving real results.
By reviewing key metrics like pin clicks, outbound clicks, and engagement rates, you can get a feel for which pins are connecting with your followers, fine tune your Pinterest strategy, and see how many users visit your website after interacting with your content.
The data you collect through Pinterest analytics can inform every aspect of your content strategy, and it's a good way to get better better results when running campaigns.
Getting started: Setting up and accessing pinterest analytics
Getting up and running with Pinterest analytics is nice and easy. In this section we'll look at how you create a business account (you'll need this to access your analytics) and then pull up those all-important metrics.
Creating your pinterest business account
To get started with Pinterest analytics, you first need a Pinterest business account. This account gives you access to in‑depth insights and lets you check Pinterest analytics right from the analytics tab on your Pinterest profile.
In order to set this up, you can either convert your personal Pinterest account into a business account (via 'Edit profile' and then 'Account management') or sign up for one.
How to access Pinterest analytics on desktop and mobile
Once your Pinterest account is set up, you can access analytics in several ways. Whether you're at your desk or out and about, you’re never more than a few clicks away from the data that tells you how your pins are performing.
- Desktop access: Log in and click the 'Analytics' option at the top left corner. Here, you can select 'Overview' to view your Pinterest analytics dashboard, which shows everything from impressions to engaged audience and total audience metrics. You can also use the date range filter and export your data as a CSV file for further analysis.
- Mobile access: Open the Pinterest app and tap your profile photo. From there, click on 'Creator Hub' followed by 'Analytics'. This takes you to a page where you can view your Pinterest analytics on the go.
For broader context on tracking data across channels, check out our in‑depth guide to social media analytics.
Key Pinterest metrics you need to track
Knowing which metrics to monitor can help with making some big business decisions. Here are the key metrics that are worth paying attention to.
1. Pinterest impressions and pin impressions
Pinterest impressions count the number of times your pins appear in search results or on users’ feeds. High impressions mean your pins are being seen a lot – and suggests your presence on the platform is doing well.
2. Pin clicks and pin click rate
Pin clicks track how many times – you guessed it – users clicked on your pins. The pin click rate is a bit different though, as this tracks the percentage of clicks relative to views.
In general, a high pin click rate means your content is hitting the spot with your audience and driving them to explore further – whether on your linked website or within your Pinterest profile.
3. Outbound clicks and outbound click rate
Outbound clicks track the clicks that take users away from Pinterest to your destination URL – like your website or online shop. The outbound click rate shows what percentage of viewers take that step.
These metrics are a big deal, since they can tell you more about your campaigns’ effectiveness in driving traffic and conversions.
4. Saves and engagement metrics
Saves (which used to be called repins) show how many times users add your pins to their own boards, while engagement covers all interactions (likes, comments, and shares). What's unique about Pinterest is that likes and comments generally take a backseat to saves. If people see something they like, they tend to hit the save button over any other action.
A strong save and engagement record means your pins are popular, and this is great for your overall Pinterest presence.
5. Video views
Video views indicate how many times users watch your video pins beyond a few seconds, while conversion insights reveal how these views translate into actions, such as visits or sales.
Now that we're all consuming so much video content, video views can be a key indicator of success – especially if you publish pins that link to a website with clear calls-to-action.
If you’re interested in similar metrics for video-centric platforms, our TikTok metrics guide is a great resource.
Pinterest analytics tools: Maximizing your data
While the native Pinterest analytics dashboard is powerful, pairing it with other Pinterest analytics tools can help you refine your Pinterest strategy even further.
Social media management tools
Platforms like Brandwatch can integrate your Pinterest analytics with broader social media data, allowing you to compare Pinterest metrics alongside performance from other channels.
This will lead you to the same data that you find by pulling up Pinterest's built-in analytics, but it means you don't have to pull up plenty of platforms to check and compare analytics. Using this kind of tool is also great for producing custom reports that compare your performance across platforms. These are brilliant for sharing with other teams or clients.
Google Analytics
By integrating website analytics with your Pinterest analytics, you can see how many users are directed to your linked website.
This integration helps determine the number of times your pins convert visitors into customers, offering a complete picture of your pinterest performance.
Tailwind and Cyfe
These platforms are dedicated Pinterest analytics tools that pull in data from your Pinterest account so you can track everything from Pinterest follower growth to pin clicks and outbound clicks.
In addition, they also offer tools to schedule pins, monitor audience demographics, and export data in a CSV file for deep analysis.
Using audience insights to fine tune your Pinterest strategy
A successful Pinterest strategy isn't only about numbers. If you want to get a clear picture of who is interacting with your content, you'll also need to check in with audience insights for your Pinterest account.
Audience demographics
Audience insights can be a really helpful tool – you can use it to analyze your total audience and engaged audience. If you dig through this data, you'll find some fascinating demographic data about who is viewing your pins and what type of content resonates with them.
Interests and affinities
In this section, you can learn more about relevant keywords and get some clues to the topics your audience is searching for. This allows you to plan future pins in your niche that are more likely to hit that top pin status.
Performance over time
You can also analyze trends in Pinterest analytics by checking the date range of your data. By putting in two different date ranges, you can compare periods where you had the most impressions and pin clicks to determine what worked best.
For further understanding of tracking key performance indicators, refer to our definitive guide to tracking social media KPIs.
Advanced strategies: From conversion insights to integrated analytics
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, it’s time to dive deeper into some advanced Pinterest analytics techniques that can take your performance up a notch.
Conversion insights
Conversion insights are good for seeing how your pins drive actions on your website. To see which individual pins lead to real business results, keep an eye on metrics like outbound clicks and destination URL clicks.
You can also combine website analytics with Pinterest analytics to understand the complete journey from profile to purchase. This helps you see if your ad spend is worthwhile, and gives you some data for planning future Pinterest campaigns.
Analyzing engagement and measuring key metrics
While engagement is quite an entry-level metric, you can go beyond the basics by comparing your engaged audience numbers to the total audience metric. This tells you how effectively your individual pins drive interaction.
For example, pin clicks, outbound clicks, and video views can give you even more insights if you look at them alongside overall pin impressions. This particular combo can give you quite a detailed snapshot of your Pinterest performance.
Integrating with other social platforms
Once you've got the hang of Pinterest analytics, it's important to make sure you're not viewing them in isolation. Instead, compare it with data from other platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Using a holistic approach like this can help guide adjustments for your overall content strategy.
Actionable tips to boost your Pinterest performance
With your Pinterest analytics in hand, it’s time to put your insights into action. Here are some strategies to drive better Pinterest performance.
- Optimize your visuals: The best way to make sure each pin stands out is by using high‑quality images. Ultimately, your profile picture and Pinterest profile should be consistent and visually appealing.
- Tap into trends: Your Pinterest analytics dashboard is great for keeping tabs on trends. To inspire your next creative batch, keep an eye on your most popular pins and pin performance trends.
- Regularly check your Pinterest analytics: Make it a habit to check Pinterest analytics at least once a week. This helps you see how campaigns are doing in real-time, and make on-the-spot adjustments if required.
- Publish and schedule Pins: Scheduling pins during peak times is always a good way to boost engagement, and a consistent posting schedule can really help too. Analytics can help you find that sweet spot when your audience are online.
- Adjust based on the data: If you notice that certain pins divided by category or top boards are performing better, allocating more resources to those areas might help. This is a smart move, because it allows you to fine tune your strategy as you go along.
Finding lasting success on Pinterest
Pinterest analytics isn’t just a bunch of metrics – it’s a roadmap for growth. Keeping on top of these metrics can help you create a marketing strategy that drives real results. Whether you’re tracking pin clicks, monitoring outbound clicks, or analyzing engagement rate trends, every piece of data helps you make informed decisions that build your overall social media presence.
Put into action, these tips should act like a pathway for increased traffic, higher conversion rates, and a stronger digital footprint. So go forth and conquer the world of Pinterest analytics – one pin at a time!
