Pinterest is a popular social media platform that allows users to share and discover new ideas by posting images or videos to their own pins or boards. With over 400 million monthly active users, Pinterest offers a huge opportunity for brands, businesses, influencers, and individuals to reach a large audience and make money.
While Pinterest doesn’t allow direct sales like other platforms, there are several effective strategies you can use to monetize your account and earn an income from Pinterest. In this article, we’ll explore the top ways to make money on Pinterest and turn your passion into profit.
Drive Traffic to Your Website
One of the best ways to earn from Pinterest is by driving external traffic to your own website. You can do this by creating high-quality pins that lead users to click through to your site. Include a prominent, eye-catching call-to-action button to encourage your followers to visit your site.
On your website, make sure to have clear calls-to-action to get visitors to sign up for your newsletter, make a purchase, or take other desired actions. The more quality traffic you drive, the more you can monetize through areas like affiliate links, online store sales, and display ads.
Sell Your Own Physical or Digital Products
You can also make money by selling your own products directly to your Pinterest audience. Pin creative, professional-looking product images with descriptions and a link or button to your online store. You can sell physical products by integrating Pinterest with e-commerce platforms like Shopify.
Or create digital downloads like ebooks, courses, printables, templates, and graphics. Tools like Gumroad make it easy to sell digital products from Pinterest. Just focus on products tailored to your niche and audience for the best response.
Promote Affiliate Links
One of the most lucrative ways to monetize Pinterest is through affiliate marketing. Research affiliate programs related to your niche and only promote relevant, high-quality products you genuinely recommend.
Create pinned posts showcasing the product visuals and details. Include your affiliate link and a clear call-to-action to click and purchase the product. When your followers buy through your affiliate link, you earn an attractive commission. You can promote both digital and physical products through affiliate programs like Amazon Associates or CJ Affiliate.
Sell Ad Space
If you have a high number of highly-engaged followers, you can monetize your influence by selling ad space on your account. You will need to check Pinterest’s terms first, but influencers are often able to charge brands for pinned posts, promoted pins, or other forms of sponsorship.
The rates will depend on your niche, audience size and demographics. But sponsored pins can earn hundreds to thousands of dollars per promotion for top influencers and brands on Pinterest.
Offer Consulting or Virtual Services
Popular Pinterest creators can leverage their expertise and authority to offer paid consulting, coaching, or other services to their engaged follower base. These can be one-to-one or group services conducted over video call, chat, or email.
For example, if you have an audience interested in your web design skills, offer web design packages. Or provide virtual business coaching sessions for aspiring entrepreneurs who follow you. Promote your services in your profile bio or pinned posts.
Host Live Video Sessions
Live broadcasting on Pinterest through Story Pins lets you interact directly with your audience in real-time. You can host live workshops, Q&As, tutorials or behind-the-scenes footage.
To maximize monetization, offer exclusive live sessions that followers have to purchase access to. Or get sponsors to back your high-quality live content. Facebook Live, Instagram Live, or external tools like StreamYard can also help you stream video monetized with subscriptions or donations.
Publish Paid Newsletters
Curate a paid newsletter with content that caters specifically to your Pinterest audience. Offer in-depth expertise, resources, tools, or tips that followers can only access by subscribing.
Use a newsletter service like ConvertKit, MailerLite, or Substack to easily create, deliver, and monetize engaging email newsletters. You can charge a monthly or annual subscription fee to provide exclusive value to your loyal followers.
Sell Your Own Pins and Boards
Experienced Pinterest users with popular content can make money by selling or renting access to their pins, boards, or entire accounts. Brands will pay to take over your account temporarily to promote their products if you have an audience in their target demographic.
Individual pins or boards with strong engagement can also be sold permanently to buyers looking to gain an established Pinterest presence more quickly. Use this method carefully to avoid losing full access or violating Pinterest terms.
License and Sell Your Content
If you create high-quality videos, graphics, illustrations, or other visual content, you can make money by licensing your work to brands, publishers, advertisers, and more on Pinterest.
Upload your best work to pins and make deals to allow paid usage for commercial purposes. You can also sell templates, design assets, footage clips, and more by integrating with content marketplaces like Creative Market or Getty Images.
Pinterest is a diverse platform that lends itself to many money-making approaches with the right strategy, audience, and execution. Do your research, provide real value, and explore which of these methods best align with your unique skills, interests, and follower base. With creativity and commitment, you can turn your Pinterest passion into a profitable side hustle or full-time business.