Pinterest has been a beloved social media platform for years. It is great for wedding inspiration, party planning, recipes, and more. Recently, however, our Pinterest feeds have been flooded with ads. With widespread complaints from previously loyal Pinterest users and excessive sponsored content, are our Pinterest feeds just… chopped?
By Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
If you are anything like me, you love Pinterest. Scrolling through pins, creating a perfectly curated board, cutting out stickers for a collage, all bring you peace. But cutting through the cute clothes and beautiful art is a nagging, annoying, dreaded advertisement.
It’s like, every third pin is just an ad or “sponsored” post selling an item. It’s cluttered and downright ugly. The ads that don’t look like ads can be even more frustrating. When you click on them, they take you from Pinterest to the product’s website! I hate it and I find myself using Pinterest less and less.
Why is Pinterest so populated by ads?
In recent years, Pinterest has capitalized on increased ad revenue. By aligning sponsored posts with your interests, the likelihood that you purchase the item increases, as with any targeted advertisement.
Most notably in September of this year, a major shift has occurred. The current trend on social media is an increased ad presence via sponsorships and ads targeted to your interests. However, it doesn’t seem like Pinterest has mastered it yet, leaving users disappointed.
Pinterest claims a “visual-first” advertising solution, including “Top of Search ads.” Though these methods may drive performance, they are pesky to those who use Pinterest artistically, not to shop.
“Pinterest is ruined”
Reddit users share sentiments that “Pinterest is ruined,” app use is “frustrating,” and that it’s just not worth it. Ads are not good inspiration for a board. Oftentimes, they are unpinnable or just plain off topic.
The trouble with ads is that they prevent you from finding new things and clutter your carefully curated boards. Sending a wedding mood board to a planner? They’ll have to make sure to avoid the ads that come with.
The Good Old Days
Many users prefer Pinterest to other social media platforms. They feel it is less addictive and brings out their creative side. It can help you find new ideas with just a search. Plus, it’s decently drama-free, considering there is no gossip column.
Pinterest boasts a longer engagement lifespan than Facebook posts. You can’t really doomscroll on Pinterest, since it lacks short-form video content. It focuses on user creativity and expression along a wide range of interests. From recipes, to fashion, to vintage dolls, Pinterest has it all.
And more! Now with ads for cat food, lotion, and Expedia (yes, these are all real examples from my Pinterest feed right now). I know Justin Bieber said to “Never Say Never,” but I’m pretty sure that Pinterest users never asked for any of this.
You may also like this article on BookTok and the new wave of social media.
The Solution?
Unfortunately, many ad blockers do not work on Pinterest ads or only work short term. Still, there are ways to avoid ads on Pinterest.
A simple trick is to click “not interested” on three ads, choose any reason, refresh your feed, and they should disappear for that browsing session.
Another solution is to reduce ad personalization in Pinterest settings (it will lessen targeted ads, but not sponsored ones). Unfortunately, there is also Pinterest Premium, which reduces the frequency of ads, but I would never suggest you pay to remove ads.
Ad blockers that you can install on your browser or network are often more effective on computer browsing than mobile apps. So another solution is to browse Pinterest on your computer rather than the mobile app.
Here is some more information on Adblock and how to keep it working for you.
What was once a creative output is now a wasteland of intrusive advertisements. Pinterest ads are killing consumer interest. Many users would rather not use the app at all than be forced to sift through the ads.
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Author: Jayne Turner is a freelance writer from Orange, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with an emphasis on language and cognition. She has ten years of musical theatre experience and a lifelong love of reading. Utterly excited by the brain, she brings a fresh Gen Z perspective to the topics that intrigue us most.