How to Make Money on Pinterest: 6 Proven Ways to Turn Pins into Profits

📖 Learning

Sakshi Jadhav, Sanvi Barjatya

24 May 2025 — 7 min read

6 Proven Ways to Turn Pinterest Pins into Profits

When you hear "Pinterest," you probably think of inspiration boards, craft ideas, or home decor. But guess what? But what if we told you that Pinterest isn’t just for inspiration, it is a hidden goldmine? While many still see it as “just another social media platform,” thousands of savvy creators are now making real money on Pinterest, just like they do on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. With over 570 million active users worldwide, Pinterest is more than a place to save ideas.

Whether you are a blogger, designer, coach, or entrepreneur, Pinterest offers you fruitful opportunities to monetize your content, promote products, and generate passive income. So, ready to turn your scroll into a side hustle? In this article, we will look at ways to make money on Pinterest in 2025, with the necessary tips to get started.

6 Effective Pinterest Monetization Methods You Should Try

Affiliate Partnerships

Affiliate marketing on Pinterest lets you earn money by promoting another brand’s products through your pins. When someone clicks your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.

To get started, join affiliate programs or networks like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or Rakuten that connect creators with brands. Then, create visually engaging pins that link directly to the product. Success in affiliate marketing depends on building a Pinterest audience that matches the brand’s target customers, so focus on creating content that resonates with your niche.

Pro Tip: Always disclose affiliate links and focus on quality, helpful content to build trust with your audience.

Pinterest Creator Fund

The Pinterest Creator Fund is an initiative that supports underrepresented creators by offering financial grants, equipment, and expert training to help them grow their presence and monetize more effectively on the platform.

To join, creators must apply for free during Pinterest’s official application periods. Once accepted, you gain access to monetary support, content creation resources, and exclusive workshops aimed at enhancing your content strategy and visibility.

Success in the program depends on your commitment to producing high-quality, engaging pins and participating in the Creator Fund’s educational sessions. While earnings vary, the program can significantly boost your ability to earn on Pinterest through better reach and content performance.

Pro Tip: Before applying, build a strong content foundation by posting regularly, optimizing your pins with keywords, and showcasing a unique visual style. This increases your chances of getting selected.

Pinterest Ads & Brand Sponsorships

Pinterest is more than just a pretty pinboard. It's a powerful advertising tool for businesses and a success opportunity for creators.

Promoted Pins (Pinterest Ads)

Pinterest allows businesses to place their pins in users’ home feeds, search results, and category pages through paid ads. These cost-per-click (CPC) ads work like other digital ad systems; you set your budget, choose your audience, and pay only when someone clicks.

Using the Pinterest Ads Manager, you can create and manage promoted pins, fine-tune targeting through keywords and interests, and track performance via built-in analytics. It’s a great way to drive traffic to your eCommerce store or product landing page, ultimately boosting sales.

Brand Partnerships & Sponsored Pins

As a Pinterest influencer, you can collaborate with brands for paid sponsorships. Brands are always looking to partner with creators who have a strong, engaged following and high-quality, on-brand content.

You can either:

Reach out to brands directly, or
Join platforms like AspireIQ, Hashtag Paid, or Influence.co to connect with potential sponsors.

Pro Tip: Before pitching to brands or running ads, optimize your Pinterest profile, make sure your boards are niche-specific, use SEO-rich pin descriptions, and keep your content style consistent. A polished profile increases both ad performance and brand appeal.

Drive Traffic to Your Blog

One of the most effective and popular ways to make money on Pinterest is by driving traffic to your blog. With its visual and search-friendly nature, Pinterest can send thousands of clicks to your site, helping you monetize through ads, affiliate links, digital product sales, and more. Here’s how it works:

Create a blog focused on a specific niche that aligns with your Pinterest audience, like wellness, finance, fashion, travel, or DIY. Use eye-catching images and pin them to well-organized Pinterest boards that link back to your blog posts.

Once your blog gains traction, you can:

Earn ad revenue through networks like Google AdSense or Mediavine
Make affiliate income by including product links in your posts
Sell digital products like eBooks, courses, or templates

While there’s an upfront investment (domain, hosting, tools), ongoing success depends on consistently posting quality content and promoting it on Pinterest.

Pro Tip: Use pins and keyword-optimized descriptions to improve your visibility on Pinterest search. Furthermore, design multiple pin styles per blog post to test what performs best.

Create Sponsored Content for Brands

As your Pinterest profile grows, sponsored content can become one of the most profitable ways to monetize. Brands are constantly seeking visually creative influencers who can authentically promote their products to a niche audience, and Pinterest is the perfect platform for that.

How does it work?

You collaborate with a brand to create and share pins featuring their products or services. These pins often include:

A styled product photo or infographic
A compelling description with SEO keywords
A link to the brand’s landing page or product

When your audience clicks, saves, or engages with that pin, you help the brand increase visibility and conversions, earning you a flat fee, product commission, or both.

Pro Tip: When pitching to brands, showcase your best-performing pins and explain how your Pinterest audience aligns with their product. Brands love seeing real data and visual storytelling skills.

Sell Digital or Physical Products

Pinterest is not just a platform for inspiration; it's a powerful visual search engine where users actively look for ideas to buy and try. That makes it a perfect place to sell your own products, whether digital or physical. Create eye-catching pins that link directly to your online store, Etsy shop, or product landing page. With the right visuals and keywords, your pins can show up in users’ feeds, search results, and even get saved by others, leading to long-term, passive traffic.

What can you sell?

Digital Products:

eBooks
Printables (e.g., planners, worksheets, art)
Online courses or templates
Digital art or Canva designs

Physical Products:

Handmade items (e.g., candles, jewelry, crafts)
Apparel and accessories
Home decor
Branded merchandise

Where to Host?

Use platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Gumroad, or Teespring to host and sell your products.

Example: A digital artist can create pins showcasing downloadable wall art and link to an Etsy shop. With attractive visuals and the right keywords like "boho wall prints" or "minimalist art," their pins can attract hundreds of buyers over time.

Pro Tip: Create multiple pin designs for the same product with different headlines and styles. Pinterest favours fresh content, and this boosts your chances of getting discovered.

3 Crucial Tips to Grow Your Pinterest Following and Get Paid

Switch to a Pinterest Business Account: Upgrade your personal profile to a business account (free to use). This unlocks powerful features like Pinterest Analytics, Pinterest Ads, and Rich Pins tools that help you track performance and attract potential brand partners.
Leverage Pinterest Trends: Use the Pinterest Trends tool to discover what people are searching for in your niche. Align your pin titles, descriptions, and visuals with high-traffic keywords to improve visibility.
Start Following Top Creators: Look at how successful creators in your niche design their pins, write descriptions, and link to content. Notice their consistency, visual style, and calls to action to replicate effective strategies for yourself.

Conclusion

Pinterest is a rewarding platform for creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs to earn money. Whether you're tapping into affiliate marketing, landing brand deals, or selling your own products, Pinterest offers multiple paths to generate income. With consistent effort, smart strategies, and visually engaging content, you can transform your pins into profit. Use Pinterest’s built-in tools, follow trending insights, and stay focused on delivering value to your audience, and watch your earnings grow over time.

FAQs

How does Pinterest make money?

Pinterest's primary source of revenue is promoted pins. These special pins are effectively advertisements, paid for by identified sponsors.

What makes Pinterest successful?

Pinterest is a unique photo-sharing platform where users can curate personal pinboards with existing photos and photos uploaded by others.

How much it takes to grow on Pinterest?

Generally, it takes 5-6 months to grow on Pinterest with the help of consistent and strategic Pinterest marketing.

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