Pinterest isn’t just a place for wedding inspiration and DIY projects. It’s a platform where people actively search for products, services, and ideas to improve their lives.
The best part is that its 578 million monthly active users come to Pinterest with intention. They’re not mindlessly scrolling. They’re planning purchases, dreaming up projects, and learning new skills—providing plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs to make money through the platform.
Whether you’re a small business owner, a content creator, or even someone testing the ecommerce waters, Pinterest offers a unique way to connect with an engaged audience—and turn connection into income.
Unlike other social platforms, you don’t need a massive following to succeed here. Instead, it’s all about strategy and finding alternatives to the now-defunct Pinterest Creator Fund program. Here’s how you can tap into Pinterest’s potential to sell online and make money.
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a visual search engine and social media platform that allows users to find, save, and share ideas through images and videos, often referred to as Pins.
It serves various purposes, such as inspiration for home décor, fashion, recipes, and DIY projects, while also enabling businesses to promote their products and drive traffic to their websites.
What’s especially great about Pinterest is that it’s used by people of all ages, in all industries, and they’re open to exploring. According to the platform’s own data:
- 96% of top Pinterest searches are unbranded
- Pinterest reaches 28% of high income earners
- Gen Z uses Pinterest primarily to find information about products or brands
Learn: How does Pinterest work?
How to make money on Pinterest
- Affiliate partnerships
- Pinterest advertisements
- Blogs
- Sponsored content
- Print-on-demand stores
- Digital products and templates
- Group boards
- Product sales
Use these strategies as your guide to making money on Pinterest:
Affiliate partnerships
An affiliate relationship includes one brand or individual promoting another company’s products or services.
Pinterest affiliate marketing involves posting content for another brand with an affiliate link. When users click on the Pins you’ve posted with direct affiliate links and buy something, you earn a commission from those conversions.
Become an affiliate marketer by joining an affiliate program or network that connects brands, such as:
- Shopify: up to $150 per eligible referral
- Amazon Associates: 1% to 10% commission
- eBay Partner Network: 1% to 4% commission
Making money from affiliate sales requires you to have a Pinterest audience that aligns with the brand you are promoting. It’s best to choose a specific niche—for example, fashion or ecommerce—to maximize this Pinterest money-making method.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰💰
Pinterest advertisements
Pinterest offers merchants the chance to place their Pins in users’ home feeds, category feeds, and search results.
Pinterest ads are a versatile format, similar to other cost-per-click (CPC) systems that let you set your specific budget based on clicks. The platform has an estimated ad reach of more than 340 million, which is roughly 4.1% of the global population.
Use Pinterest Ads Manager to create and manage your promoted Pins, hone your target audience and keywords, and monitor analytics measuring how your ads perform. They’re a great way to get your brand in front of potential customers and drive traffic to your ecommerce site for sales conversions.
Tip: Use the Pinterest app to sync your product catalog and run Pinterest ad campaigns within the Shopify admin.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰💰💰
Blogs
Pinterest is a useful platform for driving traffic to your brand’s blog.
Choose a blog niche that’s specific to your brand and relevant to your customer base, then create a Pinterest board for your blog and post content with visually engaging images. Make sure each blog post contains useful information and links back to your website’s landing page or a product’s sales page.
Building a profitable blog can take time, but a loyal readership built through regular posting of engaging, quality content can lead to sales for products or paid subscriptions.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰
Sponsored content
Another way to make money on Pinterest is to create sponsored posts with direct links to another brand’s website, products, or services.
Whereas affiliate partnerships include posting generic links that earn commissions, sponsored content involves a brand paying you directly to create content. Influencer rates typically correlate with how many engaged followers you have.
Use Pinterest’s paid partnership tool to create Pins that feature branded content. These posts receive a paid partnership label after Pinterest approves the tag for the brand. You can also integrate sponsored content into idea Pins, which are collections of images and videos that users can click through like Instagram Stories.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰💰
Print-on-demand stores
If you want to make money on Pinterest from selling items but don’t have cash or storage space to buy inventory upfront, consider print on demand.
The business model overlays your own design onto a premade product—such as stationery, clothing, or home décor. When you make a sale through your online store, order information is automatically sent to the manufacturer who creates, packs, and ships it directly to your customer.
Popular print-on-demand apps that integrate with Shopify include:
Once you’ve found a trending product to sell, share it on Pinterest. Drive traffic back to your Shopify store and have the print-on-demand supplier fulfill any orders you make.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰💰💰
Free Webinar:
How to quickly start a profitable print-on-demand store
In our free 40-minute video workshop, we'll get you from product idea, to setting up an online store, to getting your first print-on-demand sale.
Digital products and templates
Digital products are an easy way to make passive income on Pinterest. You only have to make the product once—you can sell it as many times as you’d like with no additional effort.
Popular digital products to sell on Pinterest include:
- Workbooks
- Online courses
- Templates
- Ebooks
- Digital memberships
You’ll need an online store to house your digital products and make them available for Pinterest users to buy. You can do this with Shopify using the free Digital Downloads app.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰💰💰
Group boards
Pinterest has an active community that collaborates through Pinterest boards. These group boards allow more than one person to save images, videos, and other content to Pinterest.
Collaborate with your customer base by creating a group board or join group boards focused on topics connected to your brand. By contributing to a relevant board along with a community of like-minded users, you can find a larger audience for your content and earn more organic traffic for your ecommerce store or website.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰
Product sales
You can now add your product catalog to Pinterest and turn your items into discoverable dynamic product Pins. Then, integrate your existing ecommerce platform to keep your inventory up to date.
Once your products are live, consider boosting them with ad campaigns or using native features like catalog sales campaigns, which pull from your product feed to create personalized ads. You can also use built-in Pinterest tools like direct links and mobile deep links so that you can sell directly on the platform.
Earning potential (out of 3): 💰💰💰
Tips for making money on Pinterest
Creating Pins with entertaining and useful information can help your brand garner Pinterest followers who convert by purchasing a product or subscribing to a service. Consider these general tips as you develop your Pinterest strategy.
Set up a business account
Set your Pinterest account as a Pinterest business account, which will give you access to the necessary analytics tools and features. Business accounts can create idea Pins, video advertisements, product catalogs, and more.
To set up a free business account, simply click your profile icon in the top right and select “Convert to business.” Then personalize your Pinterest profile with a branded image, claim your brand’s website, and apply to the Verified Merchants Program to receive a blue check mark next to your profile.
Tip: Download the Pinterest app on the Shopify App Store to publish product Pins, update your catalog, and track conversions.
Create rich Pins
Rich Pins include contextual information on your branded Pins while syncing directly to information from your website. They can help your content stand out and rank higher on Pinterest results pages.
There are different types of rich Pins you can use to make money online:
- Product rich Pins connect directly to your ecommerce store and include updated information about product pricing, availability, and features.
- Article rich Pins include information from your blog post like its headline, description, and author information.
- Recipe rich Pins share information such as ratings, ingredient lists, serving size, dietary preferences, and cook time.
Focus on SEO
The Pinterest search bar works like a search engine. Optimizing your on-page SEO can help your Pins find their audience.
Use the following tools to perform keyword research to find the most relevant keywords you should include in your Pin description, metadata, and content:
Pinterest allows up to 100 characters for titles and up to 500 characters for descriptions. By optimizing your Pins for the Pinterest algorithm, you can reach more users who are trying to learn about a topic relevant to your brand.
Post quality Pins regularly
Create Pinterest content that offers exciting and applicable information specific to your target audience.
Post unique and original Pins on a regular schedule—ideally once per day. According to Sprout Social’s research, the best time to post on Pinterest is 1 p.m. throughout the week. Pinterest allows you to schedule Pins up to two weeks in advance.
Post eye-catching Pins by including visually appealing images in a 2:3 aspect ratio, and captivating videos running between 15 and 60 seconds. By releasing engaging social media content on a consistent timeline, you can increase your chances of earning more Pinterest traffic to your content, ecommerce store, or website.
Add Pinterest “Save” buttons to your website
Along with optimizing your Pinterest page, consider adding a “Save” button to your site that allows customers to save products or pages to their Pinterest boards directly from your ecommerce website.
These buttons make it easy for customers with a Pinterest profile to engage with your material and post about it on the platform.
Optimize your profile for business
If you haven’t already, switch to a Pinterest business account (it’s free!) to unlock tools like analytics and ads. Then, make your profile look professional and appealing.
Use a clear, recognizable profile picture and write a compelling bio that includes keywords relevant to your niche. This helps people understand what you offer and improves your visibility in search results.
Finally, add your website link and verify it. A verified website builds trust and enables features like rich Pins, which automatically pull product details into your posts.
Create boards that cater to your target audience
To attract the right people on Pinterest, create boards around topics or themes your ideal customers care about. Pin a mix of your products and helpful, related content from other sources to keep your boards valuable and engaging.
Each board should have a clear, keyword-rich title and description to improve discoverability. For example, if you sell home décor, you might have boards like “Cozy Living Room Ideas” or “Small Space Organization.”
Utilize Pinterest Analytics to track performance
If you want to succeed at Pinterest marketing, you need to know what’s working and what’s not. Pinterest Analytics gives you insight into your Pins’ performance, audience engagement, and traffic sources.
Pay attention to metrics like:
- Impressions. How many times your Pins were seen by users.
- Save rate. The percentage of impressions that resulted in someone saving your Pin.
- Engagement. How many clicks, links, or swipes your content receives.
- Clicks. How many times people clicked your Pin (includes both internal and external links).
- Outbound clicks. How many times someone clicked your site and exited Pinterest.
These insights help identify which types of Pinterest content resonate most with your audience. Use this data to tweak your strategy so you can focus on creating more of what’s performing well and weed out underperforming content.
Leverage seasonal trends and holidays for content ideas
Pinterest users are planners, often searching for ideas weeks or even months in advance. Take advantage of this by creating content around seasonal trends and holidays. For example, start posting holiday gift guides in October or summer recipes in early spring.
Tip: Use Pinterest’s search bar to explore trending keywords and incorporate them into your Pin descriptions.
Build your follower base strategically
Much like any other method of making money on social media, follower count matters. A larger audience means more eyes on your content. Brands are also willing to pay more to partner with creators with an engaged audience.
Techniques to gain followers on Pinterest include:
- Lean into trends. Use the free Pinterest Trends tool to discover what users are engaging with, then create content to lean into them.
- Engage with the community. Find other users who share common interests and engage with their Pins by liking, commenting on, or sharing their Pins. There’s a chance they’ll return the favor.
- Organize your boards. When people click your business’ profile, organized boards with clear titles and cover photos let them know what to expect by following you.
- Cross-promote your Pins. For example, you could tease your Pinterest boards in an Instagram carousel or film yourself sharing Pins to post on TikTok. Use a tool like Linktree to make your Pinterest account discoverable on other platforms.
Use scheduling and design tools
Strong branding is key on Pinterest, where graphics take up the most real estate on a user’s screen.
Visually appealing images get the most attention. Create these using graphic design platforms such as Canva, which has pre-made Pinterest templates and AI tools to help you create standout images that are on-brand and attention grabbing in less time.
Also think about when you’re posting content to Pinterest. Midday throughout the week is the optimal time to share new Pins. Social media scheduling tools like Tailwind and Later let you stagger content to hit these peak posting times, without having to physically be online to hit Publish.
How to make money from Pinterest FAQ
What types of products sell best on Pinterest?
Products that perform well on Pinterest are visually appealing and cater to popular categories like home décor, fashion, beauty, DIY projects, and lifestyle goods. Items that solve a problem or inspire creativity can also attract engagement.
How do I create a business account on Pinterest?
To create a business account, go to Pinterest for Business, sign up using your email, and fill out your business details. If you already have a personal account, you can convert it to a business account in the settings.
How many followers do you need to make money on Pinterest?
There is no set follower count you’ll need to make money on Pinterest. What matters more are your engagement rates and content that drives people toward affiliate links or product pages. However, if you want to monetize with brand deals, the more engaged followers usually results in a higher rate with brands.
Can I use Pinterest for dropshipping?
Yes, Pinterest is a great platform for dropshipping. By optimizing your Pins with quality images, compelling descriptions, and direct links to your store, you can drive traffic and generate sales.
How much money can you realistically make on Pinterest?
How much money you’ll make on Pinterest depends on your monetization method and niche. Generally speaking, the most effective way to make money is by selling products (both physical and digital), working with brands on sponsored content, and sharing affiliate links.
