How to Make Money on Pinterest

Pinterest is far more than a digital scrapbook for home decor and dinner ideas, it's a visual search engine where millions of people actively plan their purchases. If you're not using it to make money, you're leaving a massive opportunity on the table. This guide breaks down the most effective, no-nonsense strategies to turn your pinning habit into a profitable venture, whether you're a blogger, an e-commerce brand, a freelancer, or an affiliate marketer.

The Foundation: Set Up Your Pinterest Profile for Success

Before you can make a single dollar, you need a strong foundation. A professional, optimized profile tells both Pinterest's algorithm and your potential customers that you're serious. Ditching your personal account for a business profile is the non-negotiable first step.

Switch to a Business Account (It's Free!)

A Pinterest Business account unlocks the features you need to actually track your performance and grow. It's free and easy to set up.

• Why it matters: Business accounts give you access to Pinterest Analytics, where you can see which Pins drive the most clicks, saves, and traffic. You also gain the ability to use Rich Pins, run ads, and claim your website, all of which are vital for monetization.
• How to do it: You can either convert your existing personal account or create a brand new one. In your settings, look for "Account Management" and select "Convert to a business account." The on-screen prompts will guide you through the rest.

Claim Your Website

Claiming your website ties your online property directly to your Pinterest profile. When you do this, a small globe icon with a checkmark appears on your profile, adding a layer of authenticity. More importantly, it gives you analytics for every Pin that links back to your site, even Pins created by other users.

Think Like a Search Engine: Optimize Your Profile

Pinterest is not a social network, it’s a search engine. Users type in keywords to find solutions, inspiration, and products. Your profile, boards, and Pins need to be optimized with the right keywords to show up in search results.

• Profile Name and Bio: Don't just put your name. Include keywords that describe your niche. For example, instead of "Jane Doe," use "Jane Doe | Vegan Recipes & Meal Plans." Your bio should expand on this, clearly stating who you help and what you offer.
• Board Titles and Descriptions: Be specific. A board named "Food" is too broad. "Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes" is much better. Use the board description to add related long-tail keywords like "30-minute meals," "healthy family dinners," and "quick chicken recipes."
• Pin Descriptions: Every single Pin you create needs a detailed, keyword-rich description. Tell the user what the Pin is about, why it's valuable, and what they'll find when they click. Write in full sentences, naturally incorporating 2-3 relevant keywords and a few hashtags at the end.

Monetization Method #1: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is often the simplest entry point for making money on Pinterest. The concept is straightforward: you promote a product or service using a unique link, and when someone makes a purchase through that link, you earn a commission. It’s a great way to monetize your content without creating your own products.

How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing on Pinterest

1. Pick a Niche You Genuinely Care About

Authenticity drives conversions. Promote products in a niche you know and enjoy, whether that's sustainable fashion, woodworking tools, or digital planning. Your audience can tell when you're genuinely passionate about a product versus just trying to make a quick buck.

2. Find Affiliate Programs to Join

Start with marketplaces where you can find thousands of brands to partner with. Some of the most popular networks include:

• ShareASale: Home to many small businesses and big brands across fashion, home goods, and software.
• CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): Works with major global brands.
• Rakuten Advertising: Another large network with well-known retailers.
• Amazon Associates: Amazon's own program, perfect for promoting a wide range of products.

Additionally, look for standalone programs from brands you already use and love. Many companies host their own affiliate programs directly on their websites.

3. Always Follow the Rules

This is extremely important. You must follow the rules of both Pinterest and your affiliate program. Pinterest requires you to disclose that your content is an ad. A simple #ad, #affiliatelink, or #sponsored in your Pin description is enough. Some affiliate programs don't allow their links to be used directly on Pinterest, so always read the terms of service.

4. Create Standout Pins with Your Affiliate Links

Now for the fun part. Design pins that showcase the products. Don't just pin the generic product image from the company's website. Create fresh, visually appealing graphics highlighting the product’s benefits. Create multiple Pins for a single product to test what resonates with your audience. When you create a Pin, paste your unique affiliate link into the "Destination link" field.

Example: An affiliate for a clean beauty brand could create an Idea Pin showing a "5-Minute Morning Skincare Routine" using the products, with each product linking to its purchase page via an affiliate link sticker.

Monetization Method #2: Selling Your Own Products

If you have your own physical or digital products, a Pinterest presence is essential. It's a platform full of users in a "shopping" mindset, making it the perfect place to warm up potential customers and guide them to your store.

Drive Traffic Directly to Your E-commerce Store

Whether you're on Shopify, Etsy, or another platform, Pinterest is your top-of-funnel powerhouse. Your goal is to create compelling Pins that pique interest and encourage users to click through to your product pages.

• Set up Rich Pins: For shop owners, Product Rich Pins are a game-changer. They automatically sync information from your website to your Pin, displaying real-time price, availability, and your branding. This context makes your Pins more appealing and drives higher-quality traffic.
• Showcase Your Products in Context: Don't just pin siloed product shots. Show your products in action. If you sell home decor, create Pins of beautifully staged rooms. If you sell apparel, post lifestyle photos of people wearing your clothes. This helps users visualize the product in their own lives.

Sell Digital Products, Templates, and Printables

There's a massive audience on Pinterest for digital goods like planners, ebooks, checklists, budget templates, and Lightroom presets. Since delivery is instant, it's an incredibly scalable business model.

A smart strategy for selling digital products is to use a lead magnet. Create a Pin offering a free, smaller version of your product - like one page from your daily planner or a single social media template. Link this Pin to a landing page where users enter their email address to receive the freebie. Now you can sell your premium products to them directly through an automated email sequence.

Monetization Method #3: Boosting Your Blog Traffic

This is an indirect but powerful monetization path. More website traffic directly translates to more revenue through display ads, affiliate links embedded in your content, and sales of your own products. Your strategy here is to treat Pinterest as a traffic hose, pointing it directly at your latest blog posts.

The Blog Traffic Funnel

The flow is simple but effective:

1. A user discovers your compelling Pin in their feed (e.g., "7 surprising ways to organize a small kitchen").
2. They click through to read your helpful blog post.
3. On that post, they generate revenue for you by viewing display ads, clicking on affiliate links (e.g., for organization products you recommend), or signing up for your email list.

The key to making this work is consistency. You need to create batches of pins for every blog post you publish. One blog post can fuel a dozen different Pin designs, giving you fresh content to share for weeks.

Monetization Method #4: Landing High-Value Clients for Your Services

Pinterest is an under-tapped platform for freelancers, coaches, and service providers. You're not trying to make a sale on your first Pin, you're trying to build authority and attract qualified leads who need your expertise. The goal is to provide value upfront through your content.

How to Attract Clients

Think about the problems your ideal client is trying to solve. Create content that addresses those pain points and subtly introduces your service as the solution.

• A wedding photographer could create Pins linking to blog posts like "10 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer" or "The Ultimate Wedding Day Photo Checklist."
• A Nutrition Coach could design infographics with "5 Signs You're Not Eating Enough Protein" or a video Pin showing how to prep healthy lunches for the week.
• A financial advisor might create Pins about "How to Create Your First Budget" or "Common Investing Mistakes for Beginners."

In each case, the content offers real value and builds trust. The call-to-action on the Pin and in the corresponding blog post invites a user to learn more about your services or book a consultation call.

Pinterest Best Practices for Steady Growth

No matter which monetization strategy you choose, these core principles will help you get better results from the platform.

Pin Consistently

Pinterest’s algorithm rewards consistency. Aim to publish new, original content daily. This doesn't mean you need to be glued to your screen all day. Creating and scheduling Pins in batches just once a week is a productivity-saver.

Design Click-Worthy Pins

Your visuals are everything. Use high-quality, vertical images (a 2:3 aspect ratio is ideal). Use strong, legible text overlays that pop from the background and clearly communicate the Pin's value. Stick to a consistent set of brand fonts and colors to build recognition over time.

Embrace Vertical Video

Pinterest is pushing Idea Pins hard right now. These multi-page, video-first Pins get preference in the algorithm and can dramatically increase your reach. Use them to create short tutorials, quick tips, or behind-the-scenes looks. While they don't have direct clickable links on individual slides, they drive engagement and profile visits, which leads to clicks on your main website link.

Final Thoughts

Turning Pinterest from a source of inspiration into a source of income is entirely possible. Success requires a strategic approach built on solid SEO practices, consistent content creation, and high-quality visuals tailored to one of the powerful monetization methods covered here.

Of course, managing a robust pinning schedule to promote all your different offers and content can quickly become unwieldy. We built Postbase to solve this exact problem. Our visual calendar lets you plan and schedule all your Pins in advance, see your entire strategy at a glance, and easily fill any gaps in your content. By helping you schedule reliably without the complexity of older tools, we give you back the time to focus on what really matters: creating amazing content that your audience loves.