How To Make Money On Pinterest (2021)

You can learn how to make money on Pinterest even if you have zero experience, and I will be giving it a go. If you want a creative outlet that will also benefit you financially, continue reading this blog!

I honestly did not know that making money on Pinterest was possible. I always thought Pinterest was an extensive collection of aesthetically pleasing images of renovated kitchens, cute puppies and the latest hair trend with no other thought, but realistically this is not the case. 

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn this site a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything we recommend, we have used ourselves and hope you find the recommendations helpful.

What is the point of Pinterest, what is it, how does it work?

Pinterest is a visual discovery search engine. It is an image sharing platform where users can create mood boards, have a creative outlet and seek inspiration.

On your home feed you’ll find Pins – images/videos/products that Pinterest believes you’ll be interested in based on your activity. You can then save, try and share these Pins. Pins can link to websites to give you more information, such as instructions on how to DIY or where to buy a product from the image. You can also interact with other accounts by commenting and following them. Similarly, you can upload your own photos or design images to create pins and write a description or add a link. Your Pins will save to your profile, and you can organise them by creating boards.

To create your own Pins, you can use Canva, an online design tool that builds images.

Pinterest favours accounts that are consistently active and repin other Pins and popular Pins. Subsequently, this will bring your Pins to the home feed of others. Apps, such as Tailwind, can be used to schedule when you share your Pins and provide analytic insight into your posts’ success.

Does a Pinterest account cost money?

No! Pinterest is a free social media/search engine. All you have to do is create an account to have a home feed and get started.

Our recommendation?

If you want to get stuck in and drive up your traffic using Pinterest, KC and I recommend Create and Go. Alex and Lauren, the cofounders, run successful blogs and now share their tips through courses.

Their Pinterest Traffic Avalanche course covers everything from your strategy, getting started, and automating your Pinterest traffic to search engine optimisation. They also have an exclusive Facebook support group where you can receive advice and access training events. This course will give you all the details on how to take your Pinterest up another level and make money.

How to make money on Pinterest without a blog?

There are three main ways of how to make money on Pinterest if you do not have a blog:

1. Become a virtual assistant (VA)
2. Sell your products
3. Use affiliate links on your Pins

You might be thinking, what does a Pinterest virtual assistant do? As a virtual assistant, you manage a Pinterest account for a business and provide feedback on performance. This includes researching keywords, writing Pin descriptions, joining boards and scheduling posts. As a result, a VA helps companies increase their online presence and grow their audience. 

You could also use Pinterest to grow your audience. If you run a business or have products to sell, growing your presence on social media is a free way to market and drive traffic to your e-commerce site (websites like Etsy, Shopify). Or perhaps, Pinterest influences you to learn a new skill, be it baking or painting, from which you can generate an income.

Another way to make money on Pinterest without a blog is to directly attach affiliate links to your Pinterest Pin in the description. Keep reading to find out what affiliate links are.

How to make money on Pinterest with a blog?

I am no expert; I am still learning how to put this blog post into action, but making money with a blog is possible and having a successful Pinterest only increases your chances. 

Firstly, you need to start a money-making blog. Blogs generate income through display advertising and affiliate links. You can set up advertising on your blog using advertising programs like Google AdSense and Mediavine. Google AdSense is a code that you can work into your blog through which advertisers can publish content relevant to your audience. Similarly, Mediavine is a fully serviced ad management company that will display adverts on your blog.

Next, set up a Pinterest business account. Follow these instructions and verify your domain. A Pinterest business account also grants you access to analytics, and you can use these to create more effective Pins.

Finally, once you have an account, you can create personal boards and post Pins. Optimise your Pinterest by adding relevant keywords in your Pin descriptions. These descriptions should be accurate, and if they contain an affiliate link, be sure to disclose this by stating ‘affiliate link’ or ‘#ad’. For guidelines, read these best practices.

Later you can join group boards; Pinterest favours smaller group boards that are relevant. Pinterest is then more likely to show these on your home feed. A group board is a collaborative board where different accounts can contribute Pins.

How to make money on Pinterest with affiliate links

An affiliate marketing strategy is a way to create a passive income by inspiring your audience. By recommending relevant products to your audience, you can earn a small commission in the event someone decides to purchase through your link.

For instance, affiliate networks you can work with include Awin and FlexOffers. 

How to make money on Pinterest with Amazon

Certain affiliate networks, like Amazon associates, have conflicting information published about whether you can use these directly in your Pin descriptions; it is always best to seek the answer directly through their website and keep up to date on any changes. However, if you prefer to play it safe, link to your blog and share the affiliate link there.

To learn more about affiliate links and easy mistakes you need to avoid, check out our other blog post here. Most importantly, always check the guidelines of Pinterest, your affiliate program and the legalities in your country.

How much money can you make on Pinterest?

At the end of the day, how much money you can make on Pinterest depends on how much effort you put in. Remember Pinterest won’t directly pay you. The money you make will be from your audience that you draw to your Pins and, consequently, attract your blog or influence to make purchases via affiliate links.

Do you get paid for having followers on Pinterest, and how many followers do you need on Pinterest to make money?

Short answer: No, you don’t get paid for having followers on Pinterest. But, indirectly, yes, if your followers click through to your website or purchase your recommended items through affiliate links. The more followers, potentially, the more traffic that generate income.

You don’t need many followers to make money on Pinterest, as long as your Pins are being shown on other home feeds.

How to increase following on Pinterest, and how do you get famous on Pinterest?

Some quick tips on how to increase your following include:

• post your own content and creating eye-catching Pins
• use rich Pins
• know your target audience and use Pinterest’s data to understand who uses Pinterest
• engage with popular Pins
• write helpful, engaging descriptions of your Pins that contain relevant keywords
• interact with other accounts by following them and pinning their posts
• join group boards
• stay consistent, invest time into setting up your Pinterest or use scheduling apps that post at the right time
• be transparent about your affiliate link
• follow guidelines and best practices advice published by Pinterest
• continue to evaluate and assess your progress, don’t be afraid to adjust if needed!

To conclude, Pinterest is a creative, interactive search engine that you can use to boost your income through online traffic – a realistic and achievable plan. Hopefully, I will be able to post an update to let you know if I have successfully created a passive income using Pinterest. Let me know in the comments if you have set up a prosperous Pinterest account or if you have any doubts – I would love to hear both sides!