When using manual bidding in Pinterest Ads Manager, what determines the auction competitiveness of your bid against other advertisers targeting the same audience?

In Pinterest Ads Manager's manual bidding system, auction competitiveness is primarily determined by your bid amount multiplied by Pinterest's assessment of your ad's quality and relevance. The bid amount is the maximum you're willing to pay for a specific action, like a click or conversion. Ad quality and relevance are assessed based on factors like Pin engagement (saves, clicks, repins), landing page experience, and how well the ad aligns with the user's search query and interests. Pinterest assigns a 'quality score' (not directly visible to advertisers) reflecting this assessment. This score is then multiplied by your bid. A higher bid and a high quality score increase your chances of winning the auction and having your ad shown to your target audience. For example, a bid of $1 with a high quality score could outcompete a $1.20 bid with a lower quality score because Pinterest prioritizes delivering relevant and engaging ads to its users. Therefore, while the bid amount is a factor, optimizing ad creatives and targeting to improve relevance is crucial for maximizing auction competitiveness and ad delivery.