Earn Money from Pinterest
Pinterest works as a search engine. Users search for ideas, then buy. A pin sends traffic for months, not days. The platform has over 550 million monthly users.
Pinterest pays little for views. You earn when pins send people to a page where they buy. This guide splits the work into four income stages. Finish one before you start the next.
Stage 0: Set Up Your Account (Week 1)
- Switch to a free business account.
- Claim your website or blog.
- Add your niche keyword to your profile name, such as “Meal Prep Ideas | Sarah Lee”.
- Create 8 boards named after search terms.
- Save 15 pins to each board.
Pick a niche with buyers. Strong options include home decor, recipes, weddings, fashion, fitness, travel, DIY and parenting.
Stage 1: Earn $100 Per Month With Affiliate Links
Affiliate links start fastest. You need no audience size and no approval from Pinterest.
- Join Amazon Associates. Rates run 1% to 10%.
- Join Impact or ShareASale for software and home brands paying 10% to 30%.
- Create product roundup pins, such as “10 Small Kitchen Storage Ideas”.
- Post five new pins per day.
- Disclose affiliate links in the pin description.
Example: 3,000 clicks per month, 3% buy, average order $40, commission 5%. You earn $180.
Link pins to your own blog post when possible. A post with your review converts better than a bare product link.
Stage 2: Earn $1,000 Per Month With a Blog
A blog turns pin traffic into ad income. Ad networks pay per 1,000 sessions, called RPM. Food, home and finance blogs earn $20 to $40 RPM.
- Write one post for each pin topic.
- Target one search phrase per post.
- Apply to Raptive or Mediavine when you reach their traffic minimums. Check current numbers on their sites.
Example: 50,000 monthly sessions at $25 RPM earns $1,250. Affiliate links in the same posts add more.
Stage 3: Earn $3,000 Per Month With Products and Brand Deals
Your own products carry the highest margin. Sell these:
- Printables
- Planners
- Templates
- Short courses
- Digital guides
List them on Etsy or Gumroad. Pin each product with five different designs.
Example: a $12 printable sells 250 copies a month. You earn $3,000.
Brands also pay for pins. Creators with 10,000 monthly viewers charge $200 to $1,500 per campaign. Build a media kit with monthly views, top boards and audience country. Label every paid pin with the paid partnership tag.
Stage 4: Earn $5,000 Per Month With Services
Small businesses want Pinterest traffic and lack the time. Offer these services:
- Pin design
- Keyword research
- Board setup
- Monthly account management
Charge $300 to $1,000 per client per month. Four clients at $750 earn you $3,000. Add this to your product income. Show your own traffic numbers in each pitch.
Use This Pin Formula
- Use vertical images at 1000 by 1500 pixels.
- Place 5 to 8 words of text on the image.
- Put your keyword in the title, description and file name.
- Link each pin to one page.
- Make three designs for each URL.
- Check Pinterest Trends before you plan seasonal pins.
Seasonal pins need early posting. Pinterest users plan 45 to 60 days ahead. Post Christmas pins in October.
Avoid These Mistakes
- Posting once a week. Pinterest rewards steady output.
- Using hashtags in place of keywords. Search runs on keywords.
- Linking to pages with no content. Pinterest lowers reach for thin pages.
- Skipping disclosures. This breaks platform rules and FTC guidelines.
- Quitting at month two. Pins need three to six months to build traffic.
Your 30-Day Plan
Week 1: Set up your account and boards. Publish 15 pins.
Week 2: Join two affiliate programs. Publish 5 pins per day.
Week 3: Write three blog posts. Link a pin to each.
Week 4: Review Analytics. Make five new designs for your top three pins.
Start with affiliate links. Add a blog at 1,000 monthly clicks. Add products when readers ask for more.
