Most creators treat Pinterest as an afterthought, which is exactly why it is such an opportunity. Learning how to make money on Pinterest is different from other platforms because Pinterest is not really a social network. It is a visual search engine. People come with intent ("small balcony ideas," "fall capsule wardrobe," "easy meal prep") and click through to buy, save and plan. A good pin can keep sending traffic for months or years, long after a Reel or TikTok has stopped getting views.
Here are the five main ways Pinterest influencers earn, plus the SEO and design basics that make every one of them work. For the bigger picture on Pinterest influencer marketing, including how brands choose Pinterest creators, see our Pinterest playbook.
1. Affiliate pins
Affiliate marketing is the most direct way to earn on Pinterest. You create pins for products you recommend and link them, either directly to the product with your affiliate link (where the program allows it) or, more reliably, to a blog post or landing page that contains your links.
- Roundups work best: "15 cosy reading nook ideas," "Best carry-on bags under $150," "Gift ideas for new runners."
- Check program rules: some affiliate programs do not allow direct links on Pinterest, so linking to your own page is safer.
- Disclose: add a clear disclosure in the pin description, such as "I may earn a commission from links."
Our affiliate marketing playbook covers programs, tracking and disclosure in detail.
2. Brand partnerships on Pinterest
Brands in home, food, fashion, beauty, weddings, travel and DIY know Pinterest users are planners and buyers, and they pay creators to make pins that inspire purchases. A typical Pinterest deal is a set of pins (often a mix of static, video and multi-image pins) linking to the brand's site or a product, sometimes with a blog post or Instagram content bundled in.
Pinterest has a paid partnership label that lets you tag the brand on sponsored pins, which keeps the content transparent and can let the brand see performance or promote it. When you pitch, lead with outbound clicks and saves, because those are the numbers Pinterest-savvy brands care about. Rates for Pinterest are covered in our influencer rate guide.
Pitch angle: "My pins drove [X] outbound clicks last month to roundup content like this." Clicks prove buying intent better than follower counts do on Pinterest.
3. Drive traffic to your blog, site or shop
Pinterest's superpower is traffic. Many creators use it as the top of a funnel that ends on a page they own:
Once visitors land on your site, you can monetize with display ads, affiliate links, your own products, or by capturing their email for future launches. This is why a fast, well-built website is so valuable for Pinterest creators. If you do not have one yet, the Monetizing Influencers web design for influencers package is built for exactly this.
4. Sell digital products
Pinterest audiences love things they can download and use: planners, printables, templates, presets, recipe e-books, workout plans, wall art and courses. Digital products have almost no delivery cost, so margins are high.
Printables & planners
Meal planners, budget sheets, kids' activity packs and wedding checklists.
Templates
Social media templates, resume designs, Canva kits and media kit templates.
Presets & art
Photo presets, digital wall art and phone wallpapers.
Courses & guides
Mini-courses and e-books that teach your niche skill.
Create several pins for each product page, each targeting a different search phrase, and link them all to the same sales page.
5. Platform creator programs
Pinterest has run various creator programs and shopping features over the years, and they change often. Formats change too: Idea Pins, for example, were folded into standard video and multi-image pins. Treat any platform payout program as a bonus rather than a business plan, and check Pinterest's creator resources for what is currently available in your country. The income streams above are the ones you control.
Niches that earn most on Pinterest
Pinterest works for almost any visual or planning-driven topic, but some niches are a natural fit because people actively plan purchases there:
- Home decor & DIY
- Recipes & meal prep
- Fashion & outfits
- Beauty & hair
- Weddings & events
- Travel planning
- Parenting & kids
- Fitness & wellness
- Personal finance
- Crafts & printables
If your content already lives on Instagram or TikTok in one of these niches, repurposing it to Pinterest is low effort: the same photos and short videos, rewritten with search-friendly titles and linked to a page that earns.
Track your Pinterest earnings
With a business account, Pinterest Analytics shows impressions, saves, outbound clicks and your top pins. Connect that to what happens on your site:
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Outbound clicks | Which pins send real traffic (your most important number) |
| Saves | Which ideas resonate and will keep resurfacing |
| Affiliate clicks and sales | Which roundups and products actually convert |
| Email signups from Pinterest traffic | How well your lead magnets work |
Review monthly, make more pins in the style of your winners, and refresh older posts that still get traffic with updated products and links.
Pinterest SEO basics
Because Pinterest is a search engine, keywords decide whether your pins get found.
- Research keywords by typing your topic into Pinterest search and noting the suggested phrases.
- Optimise your profile: include your main keyword in your display name and bio ("Jess | Small Space Decor Ideas").
- Name boards clearly with searchable phrases, not cute inside jokes.
- Write keyword-rich titles and descriptions in natural sentences.
- Pin consistently: fresh pins every week beat 50 pins once a month.
- Claim your website so your pins carry your profile and you can see site analytics.
Pin design that gets clicks
| Element | Best practice |
|---|---|
| Size | Vertical 2:3 ratio (for example 1000 × 1500 px) |
| Text overlay | Short, bold headline readable on a phone ("12 Small Balcony Ideas") |
| Imagery | Bright, high-quality photos that show the result |
| Branding | Subtle logo or URL at the bottom |
| Variations | Several pin designs per link to test what wins |
| Video | Short, looping clips with text, great for tutorials and recipes |
A simple 30-day Pinterest money plan
- Week 1: switch to a business account, optimise profile and boards, claim your website.
- Week 2: publish three roundup blog posts with affiliate links and make five pins for each.
- Week 3: create one simple digital product or lead magnet and five pins pointing to it.
- Week 4: review analytics, double down on the top pins, and pitch two brands using your click data.
Pinterest rewards patience. Pins often take a while to gain traction, but once they do, they keep working while you create elsewhere.