How to Get Brand Deals on Pinterest

Getting paid to create on Pinterest isn’t some far-off dream - it's a real, growing opportunity for creators who understand how the platform actually works. Unlike other social media feeds that prize the latest hot take, Pinterest is a visual search engine where your content lives and works for you for months or even years. This guide breaks down exactly how to optimize your presence, create content that grabs a brand’s attention, and pitch partnerships successfully.

First Things First: Becoming a Brand-Ready Pinterest Creator

Before you even think about sending a pitch email, you need to lay the right foundation. Brands aren't just looking for a large following, they're looking for professional, consistent partners who align with their audience. Your Pinterest profile should immediately telegraph that you are serious and a perfect fit.

Optimize Your Pinterest Profile for Business

If you haven’t already, the first professional step is to switch to a free Pinterest Business account. Doing this unlocks critical analytics, gives you the ability to claim your website, and shows brands you treat your presence like a business. Once you've made the switch, focus on these four areas:

• Crystal-Clear Bio: In a few words, tell everyone who you are, what your niche is, and who you create content for. For example, instead of "Lover of all things home," try "Helping millennial renters create stylish, budget-friendly spaces." Incorporate keywords your target audience would search for.
• Professional Profile Picture: Use a clear, high-quality headshot or your brand logo. Avoid blurry, distant, or busy photos. It’s the first impression you make.
• Claim Your Website: This is a powerful trust signal. Claiming your website, blog, or other social profiles on Pinterest proves you are a legitimate creator and gives your account a professional edge.
• Organized Boards: Your boards should function like well-organized aisles in a store. Use clear, keyword-rich titles for your boards (e.g., "Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes," "Minimalist Home Office Ideas") rather than vague or cute names. Every part of your profile should reflect your defined niche.

Define and Dominate Your Niche

Speaking of your niche, this is non-negotiable for landing brand deals. Vague "lifestyle" content is difficult for brands to invest in because they can't be sure they are reaching their target customer. A brand selling sustainable activewear wants to partner with a creator focused on wellness and eco-conscious living, not a creator who posts about that one day and fast-food hacks the next.

Your niche defines your audience. When a brand partners with you, they are essentially renting access to the trust you’ve built with that audience. Prove you have a specific, engaged community by sticking to a clear content theme. The more defined your niche, the easier it is for the perfect brand to see you as an ideal collaborator.

Creating Content That Brands Can’t Ignore

Once your profile is set up for success, your ongoing content strategy will be what truly attracts brands. An aesthetic feed is nice, but strategic content that demonstrates your potential as a partner is what secures the check.

Master Pinterest’s Native Formats: Static, Video, and Idea Pins

A successful Pinterest strategy uses a mix of the platform's formats. Brands look for creators who understand how each format works to drive different results.

• Static Pins: These are the classic images that are the foundation of Pinterest. Use them to drive traffic to your blog, products, or other platforms. Best practices still apply: always use a vertical image (2:3 aspect ratio), add a clear text-overlay with a catchy title, and write a detailed, keyword-rich description.
• Video Pins: Video is king for engagement, and Pinterest is no exception. Video Pins are excellent for showing a process, giving a quick tutorial, or offering a behind-the-scenes look. You can demonstrate a product in use, show off a fashion haul, or share a time-lapse of a DIY project. They are incredibly effective at stopping the scroll.
• Idea Pins: Idea Pins are your portfolio for brand deals. This multi-page, story-like format is designed to keep users on the Pinterest platform, and Pinterest prioritizes it for that reason. Use Idea Pins to tell a complete story, deliver a step-by-step tutorial, or provide a list of tips. For a brand, this format is gold because you can seamlessly weave their product into valuable, engaging content.

Showcase How You Would Partner with Brands

Don't wait for your first brand deal to start making branded content. The best way to show a brand what you can do is to just do a free brand placement yourself for a product that you just happen to already use and love.

Create content featuring products you already own and adore as if it were a paid partnership. For instance:

• A home decor creator could create an Idea Pin titled, "3 Ways I’m Styling My New Sectional From [Brand Name Here]," complete with detailed steps and beautiful photos.
• A food blogger could create a Video Pin for an "Easy Weeknight Dinner Using [Brand Name's] Pasta Sauce."

Tag the brand organically in your Pin. This does two things: it gets your content on the brand's radar, and more importantly, it creates a library of past brand collaborations (even "pretend" content) that proves you can deliver high-quality, effective branded content. It's a living portfolio.

The Proactive Hunt: Finding and Pitching Brands

Waiting for brands to find you can be a very long waiting game. Serious creators are proactive. They identify the brands they want to work with and reach out with compelling ideas. Here’s a step-by-step process for doing just that.

Step 1: Create a Dream Brand List

Start a simple spreadsheet. List 20-30 brands that would be a natural fit for your niche and audience. Your list should include a mix of:

• Small/Local Businesses: They often have smaller budgets but are much easier to get in touch with and more open to partnerships.
• Mid-Sized Brands: These brands usually have dedicated marketing teams and are actively seeking influencer collaborations.
• Large/"Dream" Brands: These are bigger goals, but it’s good to have them on your radar.

To find brands, look at who other creators in your niche are working with. Check the feeds of your followers to see what products and brands they're talking about. The goal is to find brands that genuinely align with your content so the partnership feels authentic.

Step 2: Create a Killer Media Kit

Your media kit is your creator resume. It’s a 1-2 page PDF document that professionally presents who you are, what your stats are, and what partnership opportunities you offer. Don’t skip this step! It’s what separates amateurs from professionals. Your media kit should include:

• A short bio and a professional headshot.
• An overview of your Pinterest account and your mission.
• Key Analytics: Monthly viewers, impressions, engagement rate, outbound clicks. Pull these directly from your Pinterest Business analytics.
• Audience Demographics: Age, gender, location, and key interests of your audience (also found in analytics). This helps brands see if your audience matches their target customer.
• Partnership Offerings: A clear menu of your services. For example: "1 Idea Pin with 5 slides," "1 Video Pin &, 3 Static Pins package," etc. You can include pricing or state that rates are available upon request.
• Links to your best-performing Pins, especially videos or Idea Pins that show off your skills.

Step 3: Finding the Right Email Address to Pitch

Sending your pitch to a generic info@brand.com email address is a recipe for being ignored. Your goal is to find the person responsible for influencer marketing. Go to the brand's company page on LinkedIn. From there, search for its employees and filter the results using relevant job titles like:

• "Influencer Marketing Manager"
• "Brand Partnerships Coordinator"
• "Social Media Manager"
• "Marketing Manager"

Once you have a name, you can often guess the email structure (e.g., firstname.lastname@brand.com) or use tools like Hunter to find it.

Step 4: Writing the Perfect Pitch Email

Your pitch needs to be personalized, professional, and value-driven. Don't send a generic copy-paste template. Here’s a proven structure:

Subject Line: Make it clear and intriguing. Example: "Pinterest Partnership Idea: [Your Name] x [Brand Name]."

Personalized Opening: In the first two sentences, prove you actually know the brand. Mention a specific product you love or a recent campaign you admired. Example: "Hi [Contact Name], I'm a huge fan of [Brand Name]'s commitment to sustainable packaging and have been using your lavender hand soap for years."

The Value Proposition: Briefly introduce yourself and explain why a partnership makes sense. This is where you connect their product to your audience. Example: "I run the Pinterest account [Your Account Name], where I share eco-friendly home tips with an engaged audience of over 50,000 women ages 25-40 who are passionate about discovering non-toxic products." Link your Pinterest profile and media kit here.

Pitch a Concrete Idea: This is the secret. Don't just say "let's work together." Give them a specific, creative idea. Example: "I have a concept for a Pinterest Idea Pin showing 'A 3-Step Guide to a Relaxing, Toxin-Free Evening Routine,' prominently featuring your new bath salts. This kind of tutorial content performs exceptionally well for me and would highlight the product in an authentic, valuable way for my audience."

A Clear Call to Action: End the email by making it easy for them to take the next step. Example: "I've attached my media kit with more details. I'd love to chat further about how we can work together to bring this idea to life. Looking forward to hearing from you!"

Leveraging Pinterest’s Built-In Tools

Finally, make sure you're using Pinterest's official tools for creators. Using them shows brands you are a knowledgeable and trustworthy partner.

The Pinterest Creator Hub

Check the Creator Hub often. It’s a resource center packed with trend reports, content best practices, and educational materials. Staying informed on what’s trending on Pinterest allows you to create more relevant content and pitch more timely ideas to brands.

Pinterest’s Branded Content Tool

When you do land a deal, it is absolutely essential to disclose your partnership. Pinterest makes this easy with its "paid partnership" label. Using this official tool on your Pins not only fulfills legal disclosure requirements (like FTC guidelines) but also builds trust with your audience. As an added bonus, it gives your brand partner access to that specific Pin’s analytics, a feature that brands highly value for tracking their campaign ROI.

Final Thoughts

Securing brand deals on Pinterest comes down to a clear strategy: build a professional and niche-focused profile, create valuable content that showcases what you can do for a brand, and be proactive in your outreach with specific, creative ideas. It’s about being a valuable partner, not just a pinner.

Staying consistent is often the most challenging part of building a Pinterest presence that brands want to collaborate with. We designed Postbase to streamline this exact process, with a simple visual calendar that lets you map out all your Static Pins, Video Pins, and Idea Pins weeks in advance. It helps you keep Fresh Pin Ideas on a consistent drumbeat so you're always building a high-quality portfolio that will ultimately catch your future brand partner's eye.