While platforms like X, Meta or TikTok face controversies between data protection, lack of content moderation, incitement to hate, American ban, not to mention the risks concerning the mental health of the youngest users, Pinterest stands out by offering a more secure and positive environment.The social network, described as “discreet”, shows that this attitude has paid off in the end.
Its ambition: to inspire users and guide them naturally to buy directly on the platform. The challenge is to immerse them in a social shopping experience, where inspiration turns into a purchase, while offering brands an opportunity to promote their products in a creative and inspiring way.
1. Pinterest, perceived as a “safe place”
Pinterest has a “safe place” image in which users come looking for inspiration without being exposed to controversy or intrusive content. In fact, nearly 8 out of 10 users say they experience positive emotions when they consult the platform (Morning Consult). A study from the University of California at Berkeley also showed that using Pinterest can reduce stress and prevent burnout.
An example of this positivity: Pinterest's moderation efforts to moderate and combat misinformation have had a real impact on user behavior, as the ban on weight loss ads led to a 20% drop in searches related to this topic.
2. Growing numbers
In February 2025, Pinterest continued to grow and attracted more and more users, reaching 553 million monthly active users. This represents an increase of 11% in one year. This record growth confirms the interest in the platform.
In France, Pinterest has 18.9 million monthly active users, an increase of nearly 15.7% in one year!
In fact, Gen Z is a key factor in this growth, as it now represents 42% of monthly users (Pinterest report). This audience is increasingly adopting Pinterest, attracted by engaging visual content and a fluid experience, with less intrusive formats unlike those found on other social networks.
3. Pinterest, a pioneer in visual recognition
Pinterest is positioned as a visual search engine dedicated to inspiration.
You can compare Pinterest with a “Google of inspiration”. Moreover, let's not forget, Google was heavily inspired by the platform for certain functionalities such as visual recognition. The two platforms launched their own image recognition solution one after the other, respectively “Lens” in February 2017 and Google Lens in October 2017.
The concept of Pinterest was based on the proposal of similar products in order to help the user develop their ideas and enrich their inspirations for their projects, while that of Google was rather to “make life easier” for the user on a daily basis (translation of text, identification of plants, monuments, etc.).
Today, both platforms offer a shopping experience, deriving in part from this feature. Pinterest is distinguished by its immersive and creative approach, focused on inspiration and projects, while Google Lens remains above all a functional tool, dedicated to the search for visual information.
4. The opportunity for brands: from inspiration to purchase
Pinterest offers a privileged space to reach an audience engaged in the process of buying or planning a project. Unlike other networks where advertising is often intrusive, ads on Pinterest are seen as a natural extension of highly visual content.
In 2024 and 2025, several new features were introduced for advertisers:
- At the end of last year, Pinterest launched the “Holiday Ideas” tab with a personalized feed, gift suggestions based on past research, and gift guides in partnership with brands like Sezane and Galeries Lafayette.
- The platform now offers a mini site for advertisers to help them optimize their campaigns according to their goals.
- Last June, Pinterest launched Performance: a system for automatically optimizing advertising campaigns based on artificial intelligence.
The strengths of Pinterest in its quest to become THE social shopping platform are varied.
First of all, Pinterest has a stronger buying intention. Unlike other social networks such as TikTok (Shop) and Meta, where buying is often impulsive and linked to entertainment, Pinterest users come with a real focus on research and planning.
In addition, the buying cycle is longer and more thoughtful: consumers save ideas before making a purchase, offering brands opportunities to target them with tailored ads.
Finally, advertising content on Pinterest is perceived as being more natural, because highly visual ads integrate harmoniously with users' inspirations, unlike the intrusive ads that can be found on other platforms.
