While many see Pinterest as “just another social media platform,” there is also serious potential to create income from the platform. Because of this, more and more creators are wondering how to make money on Pinterest just as they have with Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Pinterest, a visually-driven platform known for its inspiration and discovery, offers unique opportunities to monetize content and earn a substantial income. With over 518 million active users, Pinterest provides a vast audience for promoting products, driving traffic to websites and leveraging affiliate marketing. By strategically using Pinterest’s features and tools, creators can turn their pins into profit.
Strategies For Earning Money On Pinterest
There are multiple ways to earn money on Pinterest, including affiliate marketing, promoting products, driving traffic to a blog or website and selling your own products or services. Diversifying and prioritizing several methods to maximize your earning potential can be quite lucrative.
Affiliate marketing involves pinning images linked to products with your affiliate code, earning commissions on sales. Promoting products, either your own or others’, can drive significant revenue, especially if you have an engaged audience. Additionally, directing traffic from Pinterest to your blog or website can boost ad revenue and sales of digital products. Selling your own products, such as digital downloads or printables, directly through Pinterest can also be lucrative. The method that makes the most money often depends on your niche and audience engagement, but a combination of these strategies generally yields the best results.
1. Pinterest Creator Fund
The Pinterest Creator Fund is an initiative designed to support and elevate underrepresented creators on the platform by providing financial and educational resources. This fund helps creators grow their presence on Pinterest and monetize their content more effectively.
To sign up, creators must apply for free during the fund’s open application periods, which are announced on Pinterest’s official channels. Once accepted, participants receive financial grants, equipment and access to educational resources to improve their content quality. To be successful in the program, you must consistently create high-quality, engaging pins and participate in the program’s training sessions. The earning potential varies, but being part of the Creator Fund can significantly enhance your ability to monetize your Pinterest presence through increased visibility and improved content strategies.
2. Pinterest Affiliate Content
Pinterest affiliate content involves creating pins that link to products or services you recommend and using affiliate links to earn commissions on sales generated through your pins. This strategy allows you to monetize your Pinterest traffic by promoting products relevant to your audience and to those who organically stumble upon your pins during their Pinterest searches.
To get started, you can join free affiliate programs like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Like to Know It, or any other affiliate network that aligns with your niche. After joining, you can create pins that include your affiliate links. To be successful, you’ll need to put time and effort into tasks that may include researching products, creating appealing pins and optimizing them with relevant keywords. The earning potential can be significant, depending on your audience size and engagement, the type of products you’re linking to and the percentage that the company is offering you as an affiliate commission. Successful affiliate marketers on Pinterest can earn hundreds to thousands of dollars per month, making it a viable and lucrative method for monetization.
3. Brand Partnerships
The same way many content creators and influencers partner with companies to promote their products on Instagram and TikTok can apply to Pinterest. Creators can promote a brand’s products or services through their pins, creating sponsored content that aligns with their audience’s interests. These partnerships can significantly boost your income by leveraging your influence and reach on the platform.
To get started, you need to build a substantial and engaged following. Brands are more likely to partner with influencers with a proven track record of high engagement and quality content. You can reach out directly to brands or join influencer marketing platforms like AspireIQ or Hashtag Paid that connect influencers with potential sponsors. Joining these platforms is typically free, but creating high-quality content that meets the brand’s standards requires time and effort. The earning potential for brand partnerships varies widely based on your audience size and engagement rate. Influencers can earn anywhere from $100 to several thousand dollars per sponsored pin, making it one of the most lucrative ways to monetize your Pinterest presence. However, it may be the most inconsistent as different brands deal with different goals, budgets and timelines.
4. Sell Digital or Physical Products
Many creators are also selling digital or physical products on Pinterest. They use the platform to promote and sell items such as eBooks, printables, crafts, clothing or other merchandise directly to their audience. This method allows creators to monetize their Pinterest following by offering products that resonate with their niche.