How to Get Paid on Pinterest

Thinking of Pinterest as just a digital mood board is a thing of the past, it's a powerful search engine that creators and businesses are actively using to generate real income. This guide breaks down the four most effective ways to make money on the platform, with actionable steps you can start taking today. We'll cover everything from getting your profile ready to creating Pins that actually earn you cash.

First Things First: Set Up Your Profile for Success

Before you can monetize, you need a solid foundation. If you're serious about making money on Pinterest, randomly pinning a few images won’t cut it. Your profile needs to look professional and function like a business tool. Here’s what to do.

Switch to a Free Business Account

A personal Pinterest account is great for finding dinner recipes, but a Business account gives you access to the tools you need to make money. It's free and unlocks critical features.

• Analytics: You get to see which of your Pins are performing best, who your audience is, and what they’re interested in. This data is gold because it tells you what content to create more of.
• Rich Pins: These are enhanced Pins that automatically sync information from your website. For example, Product Pins show real-time pricing and availability.
• Ads and monetization tools: A Business account is a prerequisite for running Pinterest ads and accessing monetization programs like the Creator Hub.

To make the switch, go to your settings and select "Convert to a business account." It only takes a minute.

Optimize Your Profile

Think of your Pinterest profile as your storefront. You want people to instantly understand who you are and what you offer.

• Profile Picture: Use a clear headshot if you are a personal brand, or a clean logo if you are a business.
• Bio: You have 160 characters to shine. Clearly state what you do, who you help, and what people can expect from your Pins. Weave in 2-3 of your most important keywords naturally. For instance, a food blogger might write: "Easy weeknight recipes & meal prep ideas for busy families. Helping you save time in the kitchen. Find your next favorite dinner here!"
• Claim Your Website: This is a big one. Claiming your website links it directly to your Pinterest profile, adding your profile picture to any Pins saved from your site and giving you analytics on that content. Go to your settings under "Claimed accounts" to get started.

Method 1: Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most accessible ways for creators to start earning on Pinterest. The concept is simple: you promote a product or service using a special trackable link (an affiliate link). When someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.

How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing on Pinterest

1. Find and Join Affiliate Programs

Look for affiliate programs that align with your niche and audience. If you pin about home decor, promoting power tools probably won’t work. The product has to feel like a natural fit for your content.

• Affiliate Networks: Sites like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, and Rakuten host thousands of affiliate programs for well-known brands. You can search for brands you already love and apply to their programs.
• Amazon Associates: Amazon’s program is a popular starting point because they sell almost everything. You can find products for nearly any niche.
• Direct Brand Programs: Many brands run their own affiliate programs. Go to the websites of products you already use and look for a link in their footer that says "Affiliates," "Partners," or "Ambassadors."

2. Create High-Value Affiliate Pins

Once you have your affiliate link, it’s time to create a Pin worthy of a click. Don't just post a product photo with a link and call it a day.

• Solve a Problem: Your Pin should offer value beyond just a product recommendation. For example, instead of a Pin that just says "Buy this vacuum," create a Pin titled "5 Steps to Deep Clean Your Rugs" and mention the vacuum as your go-to tool in the description.
• Use Strong Visuals: Use high-quality, vertical images or videos. Show the product in use. For example, if you're promoting a blender, your Pin could be a short video of you making a smoothie.
• Write a Clear Description: Use keywords your audience would search for. Explain the benefit of the product and guide them to the link.
• Disclose Your Relationship: Transparency is everything. Pinterest requires you to disclose affiliate relationships. A simple hashtag like #affiliate, #sponsored, or #ad in your Pin description is all you need.

When you create a Pin, you can add your affiliate link directly into the "Website link" field. It's a straightforward way to turn your influence into income.

Method 2: Drive Traffic to Your Own Products and Services

If you have your own products to sell or services to offer, Pinterest can be a massive source of high-intent traffic. Unlike other social platforms where users are just scrolling, people on Pinterest are actively looking for ideas, solutions, and products to buy. Your job is to put your offerings in front of them.

If You Sell Physical or Digital Products

For e-commerce stores, Etsy sellers, or creators of digital products (like ebooks or templates), Pinterest is a direct line to new customers.

• Create Product Pins: Design Pins that showcase your products beautifully. Use lifestyle photos that show your product in a real-world setting. A blanket draped over a cozy chair is more appealing than a photo of it folded in a package.
• Use Rich Pins: Once you claim your website and set up Rich Pins, your Product Pins will automatically show the current price and stock status, which helps build trust and urgency.
• Pin Consistently: Create multiple Pins for each product. Test different images, titles, and angles. One Pin might showcase a product's features, while another shows a customer using it.

Link your Pins directly to the product page on your website to make the purchasing process smooth and easy. Remove as many barriers as you can between discovery on Pinterest and checkout on your site.

If You Offer Services

Pinterest also works incredibly well for service-based entrepreneurs like coaches, designers, freelancers, and consultants.

• Create "Lead Magnet" Pins: Instead of selling your service directly, offer something of value for free in exchange for an email address. This could be a webinar, a checklist, a free guide, or a template. A graphic designer might create a Pin titled "10 Font Pairings for a Professional Brand" that links to a free PDF download.
• Promote Your Blog Posts or Portfolio: Write blog posts that answer your ideal client's biggest questions, and then create multiple Pins to promote each post. A wedding photographer could write a post called "What to Wear for Your Engagement Photos" and use Pinterest to drive traffic to it. Each Pin is a breadcrumb leading back to you.

For service providers, the goal isn't an immediate sale, it's to build authority, grow your email list, and start a relationship with potential clients.

Method 3: Partner with Brands on Sponsored Content

As you grow your presence on Pinterest, brands in your niche may want to pay you to create content for them. This is often called influencer marketing. Instead of earning a commission per sale, you get paid a flat fee for creating a specific Pin or a set of Pins.

How to Land Brand Partnerships

Brands look for creators who have a well-defined niche and an engaged audience. You don't need hundreds of thousands of followers, but you do need to show that people trust your recommendations.

• Optimize Your Profile (Again!): Make it easy for brands to see what you're about. Include your email address in your bio or contact section so they can reach out.
• Use the Pinterest Creator Hub: Pinterest has its own platform for connecting creators with brands for paid partnerships. Keep an eye on the Creator Hub for opportunities to apply for campaigns. Brands can also discover you there if your profile fits what they're looking for.
• Join Influencer Networks: Platforms like LTK, Aspire, and Upfluence connect influencers with brands looking for partnerships.
• Pitch Brands Directly: Don't be afraid to reach out to brands you genuinely love and use. Send them a professional email with a media kit that outlines your Pinterest stats, audience demographics, and a few ideas for how you could collaborate. Be specific and show them you understand their brand.

When working with a brand, you'll need to clearly mark the content as a paid partnership, just like you would with an affiliate link. Using the built-in "paid partnership" label on your Pin is the best way to do this.

Method 4: Get Paid Through the Creator Rewards Program

Pinterest also has a built-in monetization program called Creator Rewards. This is a program where Pinterest pays you directly to create original Idea Pins (their short-form video format) based on specific monthly prompts.

How the Creator Rewards Program Works

The program is currently available in the U.S. and a few other regions, and there are specific eligibility requirements.

• Eligibility: You generally need to be over 18, use a Business account, have a certain number of followers (this amount can change), and have created a few original Idea Pins in the last month.
• The Process: Once accepted, you'll find monthly content prompts in the Creator Hub. For instance, a prompt might be "Share your favorite winter soup recipe" or "Show us a quick home organization hack."
• Getting Paid: You create an Idea Pin that fits the prompt and submit it to the goal. Pinterest then pays you based on engagement metrics and content performance. The payouts for each goal are outlined upfront, so you know what you’re working toward.

This is a fantastic way to earn an income directly from the platform while creating the kind of engaging, original content that Pinterest wants to promote anyway.

Final Thoughts

Turning your Pinterest presence into a revenue stream comes down to providing value through strategic, high-quality content. Whether you're seamlessly weaving in affiliate links, directing traffic to your own shop, collaborating with brands, or participating in Pinterest's own incentive programs, the opportunity is there when you treat it like the powerful business tool it is.

The key to all of this is consistency. Showing up regularly with fresh content is what builds an audience and drives a steady stream of traffic and sales. Planning and scheduling your Pins ahead of time isn’t just a nice-to-have, it's how you stay on track without feeling chained to your desk. From planning out our campaigns in a visual calendar to scheduling our content across multiple platforms, we rely on Postbase to make sure our content goes out consistently, so we can focus on creating instead of just posting.