How to make money on Pinterest
While many consider Pinterest to be “just another social media platform,” it also has great potential for generating revenue. That's why more and more creators are wondering how to make money on Pinterest, just like they do on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. As a visually-driven platform known for inspiration and discovery, Pinterest offers a unique opportunity to monetize your content and earn a respectable income. With over 518 million active users, Pinterest offers a huge audience to promote products, drive traffic to websites, and leverage affiliate marketing. By strategically using Pinterest's features and tools, creators can turn their pins into revenue.
Strategies for making money on Pinterest
There are multiple ways to make money on Pinterest, including affiliate marketing, promoting products, driving traffic to your blog or website, selling your own products or services, etc. Diversifying and prioritizing multiple methods to maximize your earning potential can be extremely lucrative.
Affiliate marketing involves pinning an image that links to a product with an affiliate code and earning a commission on the sale. Promoting your own products or those of others can make you a lot of money, especially if you have a dedicated audience. Plus, driving traffic from Pinterest to your blog or website can increase your ad revenue and digital product sales. Selling your own products, like digital downloads or printables, directly on Pinterest can also be profitable. The most profitable way often depends on your niche and your audience engagement, but a combination of these strategies usually produces 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 funding and educational resources to help creators grow their presence on Pinterest and better monetize their content.
To enroll, creators must apply for free during the fund's open application period announced on Pinterest's official channels. If approved, participants will receive financial assistance, equipment, and access to educational resources to improve the quality of their content. To succeed in the program, you must consistently create high-quality, engaging Pins and attend the program's training sessions. Earning potential varies, but participating in the Creator Fund can significantly improve your ability to monetize your presence on Pinterest through increased visibility and improved content strategy.
2. Pinterest Affiliate Content
Pinterest affiliate content involves creating pins that link to products or services that you recommend, then using your affiliate link to earn a commission on any sales that occur through your pin. This strategy allows you to monetize your Pinterest traffic by promoting products that are relevant to your audience and to users who come across your pin organically while searching on Pinterest.
To get started, you can join free affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Like to Know It, or any other affiliate network that fits your niche. Once you join, you can create pins that contain your affiliate links. To be successful, you will need to put in the time and effort to research products, create compelling pins, and optimize them with relevant keywords. The potential for earnings is significant, depending on the size and engagement of your audience, the type of product you link to, and the percentage the company offers as an affiliate commission. Successful affiliate marketers on Pinterest can make anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars per month, making it a feasible and lucrative way to make money.
3. Brand Partnerships
The same way that many content creators and influencers partner with businesses to promote their products on Instagram and TikTok, the same principle applies to Pinterest: creators can promote a brand's products or services through pins and create sponsored content that aligns with their audience's interests. These partnerships allow them to significantly increase their income by leveraging their influence and reach on the platform.
First, you need to have a large, engaged following. Brands are more likely to partner with influencers who have a track record of high engagement and quality content. You can contact brands directly or join influencer marketing platforms such as AspireIQ and Hashtag Paid that connect influencers with potential sponsors. Joining these platforms is usually free, but it takes time and effort to create quality content that meets your brand's standards. The profitability of brand partnerships varies greatly depending on the size of your audience and your engagement rate. Influencers can earn anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars per sponsored pin, making it one of the most lucrative ways to monetize your presence on Pinterest. However, it can be the least consistent, as different brands have different goals, budgets, and timelines.
4. Sell digital or physical products
Many creators sell digital and physical products on Pinterest. They use the platform to promote and sell items like e-books, printables, crafts, clothing, and other merchandise directly to their audience. This way, creators can make money from their Pinterest followers by offering products that resonate with their niche.
To get started, you'll need to set up an online store using a platform like Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon. Create high-quality pins that showcase your products, with links that direct users to your store. Keep in mind that setting up an online store may require upfront costs, such as website hosting fees and fees to list on platforms like Etsy. Tasks like creating product listings, managing inventory, and handling customer service can require a significant amount of time and effort. Depending on the popularity of your products and the size of your audience, the earning potential is significant.
5. Monetize your blog
One of the most common ways creators make money on Pinterest is through blogs. Driving traffic from Pinterest to your blog can significantly increase your earning potential by driving more clicks on your ads, more clicks and purchases on your affiliate links, and increased sales of your digital products and services.
Start by creating a blog with engaging, high-quality content that resonates with your target audience. Sign up with ad networks such as Google AdSense or Mediavine, join affiliate programs, and include affiliate links in your posts. Web hosting and domain registration may require upfront costs, but many monetization methods don't require any upfront payments. Maintaining a blog month-to-month typically involves regularly updating it with new content, optimizing it for search engines, and promoting it on Pinterest. Earning potential varies greatly, with some bloggers making hundreds of dollars a month and others making thousands.
6. Selling Physical Products
Selling physical products on Pinterest allows you to reach a wide audience by showcasing your products directly on the platform. This approach can help drive traffic to your online store and increase sales.
To get started, you'll need to set up a Pinterest business account and integrate your online store using a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce. Pinterest offers a streamlined process for uploading your product catalog and allows users to shop directly from your pins. While you don't have to pay Pinterest directly, there may be costs associated with an e-commerce platform. Expect it to take time to set up your shop, create compelling product Pins, and maintain a monthly inventory. The earning potential is great, especially if you consistently create high-quality Pins and engage with your audience.
Conclusion
Making money on Pinterest requires strategies like affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and product sales. With the right approach and consistent effort, you can turn your Pinterest presence into a profitable business. Use the platform's tools and resources to maximize your earning potential and effectively engage your audience.
