In the retail world, it doesn’t matter where we are on the calendar — the holiday season is never far. And making the most of each holiday cycle is every retailer’s biggest challenge. Since people use Pinterest to plan their holiday events and purchases, the platform provides retailers with key consumer behavior data that can unlock performance at any stage of the funnel.

This year, it’s already clear people are looking to make the holidays extra special, from celebrating more often to spending more on holiday purchases.¹ To help you grow your business and hit your holiday sales goals, Pinterest translated consumer signals into three three simple steps to reach customers anywhere in the funnel.

Reach customers during the planning phase

The holidays are a pivotal time to grow brand awareness. Even if your goals are focused on sales and lower funnel performance, awareness should still be a part of your holiday strategy. During this time of year, people are more open to new brands and ideas. Many are actively seeking inspiration and your brand could be the one to provide it.

People are looking for inspo, 4 in 5 weekly Pinterest users say Pinterest gives them fresh ideas for unusual twists on holiday traditions.² For retailers, this is an opportunity to inspire creativity! But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean heading back to the drawing board on your ad creative. Creativity can come in many forms. It can be as simple as reimagining your targeting strategy to show up for new audiences or in unexpected ways.

Be there when people are making decisions

The next step in any buyer's journey is decision-making. This is a key signal Pinterest sees from users; 93% of weekly Pinterest users are nearly twice as likely to say Pinterest helps them make more holiday decisions than other sites/apps.³ This is when your campaigns need to focus on the product you’re selling. Whether you’re showing how a food item is key to the perfect holiday meal or why your brand has the perfect gift for a certain loved one on their list, this is your opportunity to nudge people from browsing to decision-making.

Many Pinterest shoppers start making these decisions by curating and saving ideas on the platform. It's a crucial step in their decision-making and shopping journey—and an important signal for retailers. In 2023, Pinterest measured a 50% YoY increase in clicks on and saves of buyable items.⁴ To help your ads be part of this increase in clicks and saves, make them shoppable. This doesn’t mean creating an entirely new set of ads; Pinterest’s suite of AI and automation powered tools can do the heavy lifting.

It’s time to shop

When it’s time to shop, advertisers hold the key to maximizing conversions. Holiday ads should emphasize promotions, and exclusive and limited offers. Clear CTAs will always help give the best results. And, Pinterest Shopping ads can help drive conversions, like they did in a full-funnel holiday campaign with Urban Outfitters that drove with 50% more conversions than the previous year at 57% lower costs.⁵

Pinterest offers a unique combination of engaged shopper demographics and robust ad tools that make it a must-have for any brand or retailer seeking holiday sales success. No matter where you’re putting your advertising dollars, Pinterest can help you plan more proactively — and in turn, meet your sales goals with maximum efficiency.

Visit the Pinterest Holiday Hub for resources, trend reports, and the tools you need to achieve record-breaking sales this season.