By Jonathan Baker The young people who make up Generation Z (or Gen Z for short) are enthusiastic users of social media favorite, Pinterest. That is not surprising. What may be surprising, however, is why they pursue Pinterest—and how it may be beneficial to brand promotion. The Interest in Pinterest A recent e-Marketer study observes that Gen Z’s enthusiasm for image-centric Pinterest is not simply for inspiration or ideas (which is how many other users view the site). Pinterest has become a prime destination for organic brand discovery for these young consumers, who currently account for 50 percent of the platform’s user base. The endless variety of boards help Gen Z members discover products and ideas they might not otherwise find or engage with. This is where brand promotion comes in… The Connection Transparency. Trustworthiness. Authenticity. These three terms characterize Gen Z. This young audience practices the term “keeping it real” as if it were a mantra. Unprompted discovery (i.e., finding something organically) appeals to them, which makes the casual perusing of Pinterest boards a natural fit. This conclusion means that brands have untapped opportunities to appeal to Gen Z by promoting their products or services on their own Pinterest boards. (Considering the appeal of discovery, smaller, independent brands have better chances of making positive impressions.) What are the steps to create these positive impressions? Preparing for Pinterest The e-Marketer study offered insights on how brands should approach creating a presence on Pinterest: Offer search options and key words that call attention to products in different content categories. (And there are many categories on Pinterest). This increases optimization. Products should be presented on boards with the intention of earning social sway (and not influencer spend). Testing to discover how Gen Z members react (or respond) to a brand’s board should be done on an incremental basis. If applying generative AI (genAI) content, brands should be cautious, so they are not filtered out of feeds. What’s interesting about the points above is how they differ from many strategies that heavily utilize AI, influencers, and other popular marketing tools. But then again, Gen Z is different from other audiences. (Once again, this “fits.”) Does your brand have products and services that Gen Z would appreciate? Get in touch with EGC Group and discover new and exciting possibilities to increase your visibility on social media. (Visit our Social Media Mastery page for more in-depth information and case studies.) (Related reading: “Pinterest Piques Interest for Trends of 2026.”)
