Are you wondering how to make money on Pinterest? If so, you’re in the right place!
Pinterest is not just a hub for creative ideas and inspiration, it also offers opportunities to earn money from home. If you enjoy sharing ideas and curating beautiful content, then you might want to consider getting into Pinterest affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways to make money online—you likely come across it every time you scroll through social media. Whether it’s a podcast ad or a social media influencer promoting a product, chances are they’re part of an affiliate marketing program.
In fact, about 84% of online publishers use affiliate marketing to boost their income, making it a widely adopted and profitable strategy.
The good news is that you can also use Pinterest for affiliate marketing.
If you’re interested but unsure where to begin, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! In this post, I’ll walk you through the basics of Pinterest affiliate marketing and share essential tips to help you succeed. Let’s dive in!
Why Pinterest?
Table of Contents
Here are reasons why Pinterest is a perfect platform to make money.
Most Trafficked Website
According to Statistica, Pinterest remains one of the most trafficked websites online, with 1.16 billion people visiting the website every month. Imagine that number of people who can potentially see your content.
Visual Search Engine
It’s also visual search engine where people go ready to shop. Did you know 85% of weekly users have made a purchase from a pin? And nearly half of Pinterest users actually use it to shop! That means there’s a massive audience out there, just waiting to find what you’re promoting.
Billions of Pins Saved Every Week
According to Pinterest, their users save more than 1.5 billion Pins every week. This shows how serious their users are about finding ideas.
This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn from qualifying purchases at NO extra cost to you.
But What Affiliate Marketing?
Now let’s talk about what exactly affiliate marketing is.
Affiliate marketing is a sales approach in which a company pays individuals, known as affiliates, to promote and sell their product or services.
As an affiliate, you do not need to create your own products, handle shipping, or manage customer service. Instead, you act as a middleman, connecting customers with products they want.
The way affiliate marketing works is fairly straightforward. Once you register as an affiliate, you will receive a unique link that tracks your referrals. You can share your link on your blog, Pinterest, social media, or website.
If someone clicks on that link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission or a percentage of the sale. The commission rates can vary widely, ranging from as little as 5% to up to 50% for digital products like online courses.
Related: Affiliate Marketing for Beginners
What is Pinterest Affiliate Marketing?
So now, let’s get into Pinterest affiliate marketing and find out what it is and how it works.
Simply put, Pinterest affiliate marketing is affiliate marketing that uses Pinterest as a main platform to promote links. It works just like other types of affiliate marketing.
As an affiliate, your main goal is to get people to click on the links you share. If they take certain actions, like buying a product through your link, you earn a commission.
However, what sets Pinterest apart is its unique use of visuals. On Pinterest, you create pins, which act like visual bookmarks that link directly to the affiliate products you want to promote.
When you use pins, you not only showcase products visually, but you also guide potential buyers to your website or affiliate pages. For example, if you focus on home décor, posting stunning pins of well-decorated spaces can inspire users to click through to your page. The more appealing your pins, the better chances you have of attracting attention and making sales.
Pinterest affiliate marketing also offers a unique opportunity for you to promote products without overwhelming potential buyers with words or annoying marketing pitches. Instead, you inspire them with images.
Ready to dive in? Let’s buckle up and explore how you can start your Pinterest affiliate marketing journey.
How to Get Started with Pinterest Affiliate Marketing
Now that you have grasped the basics, let’s learn how to do affiliate marketing on Pinterest.
1. Choose a niche
A niche is simply a specific area or topic that you want to focus on. Think of it as a special corner of the internet where you can connect with people who share the same interests.
Let’s say you’re a fitness enthusiast. Your niche could be anything from yoga and healthy eating to strength training or outdoor activities. By focusing on fitness, you can pinpoint the types of people who are interested in your topic. Perhaps you want to target women looking for cute workout clothes or shoes.
Choosing a niche narrows down your target audience, making it easier to create content that speaks directly to them. So, if you haven’t found your niche yet, now is the perfect time to figure it out.
2. Set up a Pinterest business account
Creating a Pinterest business account is an important step if you want to use Pinterest for your business needs. You actually have two options for setting up your business account. You can either start fresh with a new business account or convert your existing personal account into a business one.
Creating a brand new business account might be ideal if you don’t have a personal account yet or if you’re looking to completely separate your personal and professional pins. A new account can also give you a clean slate to work from, making it easy to shape your content around your brand.
On the other hand, if you’ve already built a decent following with your personal account, converting it could save you time and effort. This option allows you to keep your existing pins and boards while gaining access to business features.
You might be wondering why having a business account is necessary. One of the biggest advantages is access to Pinterest tools and analytics. With a business account, you can track how your pins are performing, how many people are engaging with your content, and what types of posts are attracting more viewers. This information helps you understand what your audience loves and create content that resonates with them.
3. Join an affiliate program or network
These programs can help you access exclusive content and special offers that you can share with your audience on Pinterest. You might want to start by looking at well-known affiliate networks like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or Rakuten Advertising. These platforms can connect you to various brands that align with your interests.
Working with an affiliate network has several advantages. For starters, it simplifies your marketing tasks. Instead of contacting each brand individually, the network provides a centralized platform where you can explore various affiliate programs in one place. Plus, many networks assign dedicated account managers to help you navigate your affiliate journey. An account manager can offer insights based on your performance, ensuring you stay on track and make the most of your affiliate marketing efforts.
If you already have a favorite brand or product that you actively use, check to see if they have an affiliate program. Many businesses offer platforms where you can apply to become an affiliate. Once accepted, you will receive a unique affiliate link that you can use in your Pinterest posts. This link lets the brand track any sales generated from your post so you can earn your commission.
4. Create a website
Instead of posting your affiliate links directly on Pinterest, I highly recommend creating a niche website or blog. While Pinterest allows affiliate links, it has placed restrictions on certain programs, including Amazon Associates. This means your affiliate links may be blocked or limited in reach.
By having your own website, you gain full control over your content and marketing strategy. Amazon Associates, for example, offers millions of products you can promote, but the best way to drive sales through Pinterest is by linking your pins to relevant blog posts or landing pages on your website.
How to Get Started with Your Affiliate Website
- Choose a Niche – Focus on a topic you’re passionate about that has profitable affiliate products (e.g., home decor, personal finance, tech gadgets).
- Get a Domain & Hosting – Use platforms like Bluehost, or HostGator to register a domain and host your site.
- Set Up WordPress – WordPress is beginner-friendly and widely used for affiliate blogs. Install a clean, fast-loading theme.
- Create Content – Write product reviews, tutorials, and guides that naturally include your affiliate links.
- Drive Traffic from Pinterest – Design engaging pins and link them to your blog posts instead of direct affiliate links.
By using Pinterest as a traffic source and your website as a conversion hub, you can build a sustainable affiliate marketing business over time.
Check out my detailed tutorial to learn how to set up a blog or website from scratch.
5. Design eye-catching visuals for your pins
Images for your pins serve as the first impression of your content. Therefore, they must be striking and engaging to attract viewers.
If you enjoy being creative, you might consider making and designing your own images. I personally use Canva and I love it. It’s user-friendly, even for beginners. Canva offers a variety of templates that you can customize to fit your style and brand.
When creating static pins, you need to follow Pinterest’s recommended specifications to ensure your images are displayed correctly. You should use either PNG or JPEG formats for your static images and maintain a 2:3 aspect ratio, or alternatively a size of 1000 to 1500 pixels. This guideline aims to prevent your images from getting cropped or cut off when they appear in users’ feeds.
If you’re creating videos to accompany your pins, you can upload files in MP4, M4V, or MOV formats. Understanding these formats can enhance the quality of your visuals. To check the complete list of specifications for different pin formats, you can visit Pinterest’s help center.
If you want to take your visuals to the next level but feel overwhelmed by the design process, consider working with a designer. Hiring someone with design expertise can save you time and produce professional-looking images that stand out. Designers can bring fresh ideas and fine-tune your vision, ensuring that your pins reflect the message you want to share.
6. Launch your pin
Creating a pin is a straightforward process that anyone can learn. To get started, simply look for the “Create” drop-down menu on Pinterest. Click on “Create Pin.”
This will direct you to a new page where you can add the details of your pin, such as the title and description. Additionally, this is where you will upload the images that will represent your pin. These images will appear as thumbnails, so upload high-quality and visually appealing photos that complement your content.
Make sure to input the URL to your page or blog post in the section labeled “Add a destination link.”
This is especially important if you’re looking to monetize your pins, as it directs users to your website or the page where they can purchase a product you recommend.
One great thing about Pinterest is that you can choose which board to publish your pin on. This helps keep your pins well-organized and easy to find. To pick a board, simply look for the drop-down menu next to the red “Publish” button. Click on this menu to see a list of boards you can choose from. Besides choosing a board, you also have the option to delete or duplicate your pin.
To do this, click on the “+” located on the far left corner of the website. This option gives you flexibility so you can manage your content as you see fit.
7. Pro tip: Use PinClicks
I’ve been using Pinterest for my business since 2017, and for years, I never relied on any Pinterest tools. I can confidently say that you can generate millions of impressions—meaning tons of eyes on your pins—without using any extra tools. In fact, I’ve reached over 10 million views without using any tools.
However, since I started using PinClicks, I’ve saved so much time. This tool has made it much easier to find the right keywords to target and seamlessly incorporate them into my pin descriptions.
PinClicks is a powerful tool that reveals real search terms people use on Pinterest, along with their search volumes. This insight helps you optimize your content so more people can discover your pins!
Curious to give it a go without spending a dime? Sign up for PinClicks’ FREE trial here.
8. Analyze pin performance
To make the most out of your Pinterest campaign and assess how well you are doing, you should take advantage of Pinterest’s built-in tools. These tools will help you get a clear picture of your performance and show whether you’re reaching your goals.
Explore Pinterest’s analytics features. They provide valuable insights into how well your pins are performing. You’ll be able to see which pins are driving the most traffic to your site. For instance, if you notice that a particular pin related to a blog post has received a lot of repins or clicks, this indicates that it resonates with your audience. By identifying these successful pins, you can tailor future content to ensure you’re consistently providing the type of material that your viewers want.
Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Tips
Affiliate marketing can be a great way to earn money, especially if you know how to do it right. Here are five simple tips to boost your success in affiliate marketing.
1. Follow Pinterest’s guidelines
Never use link cloaking, a practice where you shorten or disguise your affiliate links. When you share a link, make sure it is clear where that link goes. For example, if someone clicks on your link expecting to find a review of a product, they should land on a page that clearly reflects that content.
Disclose your relationships with the brands you work with. This means you need to let people know that you may earn a commission if they buy something through your links. A simple way to do this is by adding disclaimers that indicate your content is “sponsored” or “affiliated.” This requirement is not just a recommendation; it is mandated by law as part of the FTC’s regulations to ensure transparency.
These guidelines are important because they help maintain a safe and respectful environment for all users. You can find out more about Pinterest community guidelines here.
2. Optimize for SEO
When you fill in the details for your pin, it is important to use SEO best practices to make your pin stand out. Focus on using relevant keywords. These are the words or phrases that people are likely to search for when they look for content similar to yours. For example, if you’re sharing ideas about home décor, you can include phrases like “affordable home décor” or “trendy wall art” in your title and description. This will make it easier for people searching for those items to find your content.
Again, my most recommended tool for Pinterest SEO is PinClicks.
3. Create multiple pins for each post
Pinterest is filled with countless pins. Because of this, it can be challenging to get people to notice your pins and click on them. If you want to stand out and improve your chances of being seen, consider creating several pins for each of your posts.
Pinterest does not limit the number of pins you can create for a single post, so you can be as creative and prolific as you wish. This freedom means you can experiment with different styles and messages to see what resonates best with your audience.
4. Enable rich pins
Rich pins are Pinterest pins that directly pull information from your website.
When you create a standard pin on Pinterest, it generally only shows a simple image without much detail. In contrast, rich pins stand out because they provide extra information right in the pin description. For example, if you sell clothing, your rich pin can showcase not just an image of a shirt but also its price and size availability. This added layer of information makes it easier for potential buyers to understand what you offer and make informed choices.
5. Schedule pins ahead of time
If you’re looking to save time while consistently engaging with your audience, one of the best tips you can follow is to schedule your pins ahead of time.
Using automation tools like Tailwind, Later, and Hootsuite, you can take control of your pinning schedule. These apps allow you to set a unique timetable for when you want your pins to go live. Instead of pinning content sporadically throughout the day, you can create a queue of pins that will be automatically published according to the schedule you set.
For instance, if you know that most of your followers are active in the evening, you can set your pins to post during those hours. This allows your content to be visible when your target audience is online.
Pinterest affiliate marketing is a great way to turn your passion into income. It may take time, but with creativity and dedication, you can succeed and maybe inspire others along the way!
