Advertiser Recommendation Systems at Pinterest

Pinterest Engineering
7 min readintermediate
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Overview

The article discusses the Advertiser Recommendation Systems developed by the Ads Intelligence team at Pinterest, focusing on how machine learning and algorithms are utilized to enhance the advertising experience. It details various recommendation types, including bid, budget, and targeting recommendations, along with the ranking system that prioritizes these recommendations for advertisers.

What You'll Learn

1

How to generate effective bid recommendations for ad campaigns

2

Why budget adjustments can lead to increased ad impressions

3

How to implement expanded targeting to enhance ad reach

Prerequisites & Requirements

  • Understanding of advertising metrics and campaign management
  • Familiarity with machine learning concepts and algorithms(optional)

Key Questions Answered

How does Pinterest generate bid recommendations for advertisers?
Pinterest generates bid recommendations by analyzing auction data for ad groups, calculating the optimal bid adjustments needed to increase impressions. For instance, increasing a bid from $0.50 to $0.60 could drive 25% more impressions, helping advertisers achieve their campaign goals.
What is the purpose of budget recommendations in Pinterest's advertising system?
Budget recommendations aim to optimize ad campaigns by suggesting budget increases that can lead to more impressions and clicks. For example, increasing a budget from $50 to $60 could potentially drive 20% more impressions, enhancing campaign performance.
How does expanded targeting improve ad performance on Pinterest?
Expanded targeting allows advertisers to reach a broader audience by enabling the neural network to automatically present relevant Pin images based on user interests, without the need for advertisers to manually set interests and keywords. This can significantly increase impressions for underperforming ad groups.
What machine learning techniques are used in Pinterest's recommendation systems?
Pinterest employs neural networks and Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (GBDT) for generating recommendations and ranking them. These techniques help predict user engagement and optimize ad delivery based on historical performance and user features.

Key Statistics & Figures

Potential increase in impressions from bid adjustment
25%
Increasing the bid for ad group 1 from $0.50 to $0.60 could help drive this increase.
Potential increase in impressions from budget adjustment
20%
Increasing the budget for ad group 1 from $50 to $60 could help drive this increase.

Technologies & Tools

Machine Learning
Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (gbdt)
Used for predicting positive click event probability and ranking recommendations.
Machine Learning
Neural Networks
Employed for home feed personalization and improving ad relevance.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Implementing bid recommendations can significantly enhance ad performance by adjusting bids based on auction data.
Advertisers should regularly review bid recommendations to optimize their ad spend and improve campaign outcomes, especially in competitive markets.
2
Utilizing budget recommendations can help advertisers maximize their reach while maintaining cost efficiency.
By analyzing potential impressions and clicks against budget adjustments, advertisers can make informed decisions that align with their campaign goals.
3
Enabling expanded targeting can alleviate under-delivery issues in ad campaigns.
Advertisers facing low impressions should consider this feature to automatically broaden their audience reach, which can lead to better engagement and conversion rates.

Common Pitfalls

1
Advertisers may set manual bids too low or too high, leading to poor campaign performance.
Setting bids incorrectly can result in winning very few auctions or overspending without achieving desired impressions. It's crucial to analyze auction data to find the optimal bid range.

Related Concepts

Machine Learning In Advertising
Bid And Budget Management Strategies
Targeting Techniques In Digital Marketing