Practice how to harness Pinterest affiliate marketing to earn passive income. Review effective strategies for creating engaging pins and following the nicest practices.

Pinterest is not just a place for recipes and home décor inspo. Unlike other social platforms where people mindlessly scroll, Pinterest users are actively searching for ideas, products, and solutions. That means they’re already in a buying mindset, making it the perfect place to make money with affiliate links.

Pinterest affiliate marketing lets you monetize content by sharing products that fit naturally with what people are already looking for. Whether it’s the perfect travel backpack, a must-have kitchen gadget, or a game-changing business tool, you can turn pins into passive income without feeling salesy.

But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. Spammy, low-effort pins won’t get you far. To actually make money (and keep Pinterest happy), you need a smart, value-driven approach. Let’s break down exactly how to do that.

What is Pinterest Affiliate Marketing?

The basic premise of Pinterest is that users can browse content formatted as “pins,” which contain images, videos, and links to a website. They’re then able to save pins into collections to create virtual mood boards or wish lists.

Pinterest affiliate marketing leverages this type of content environment by promoting products on Pinterest using affiliate links. When someone buys something through your affiliate link, you earn a commission on that purchase.

More targeted than social commerce, Pinterest affiliate marketing builds on the idea of community and shared interests. If you’re promoting products on Pinterest, you’re typically reaching an audience with interests in niche markets such as travel, home décor, or food. If there’s a visually appealing niche you’re interested in pursuing, there’s a good chance you can pursue it with Pinterest affiliate marketing.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work on Pinterest?

Promoting affiliate links on Pinterest is fairly straightforward. It involves driving traffic toward your affiliate partner’s website.

Here are the major steps of Pinterest affiliate marketing:

1. Join an affiliate program: Look for affiliate programs that align with your interests. Popular platforms include ShareASale and Shopify. Choose products that resonate with your audience to increase the likelihood of conversions.
2. Design engaging pins: Create visually appealing pins that stop the scroll and comply with Pinterest’s community guidelines (2) for advertising content. Use free tools like Canva to design high-quality images that you can include alongside your affiliate links.
3. Optimize pins for visibility: Use relevant keywords in pin descriptions, board titles, and profile bio to improve discoverability. Research keywords related to your niche using tools like Pinterest Trends or Google Keyword Planner.
4. Create a Pinterest business account: A business account gives you access to Pinterest tools, including analytics and advertising options that can help you track the performance of your pins and optimize your strategy.
New to affiliate marketing? This beginner’s guide can help you find an affiliate program, create affiliate links, and start earning.

12 Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Tips

Here are some tips to help you get started as a Pinterest affiliate marketer:

1. Know the rules
2. Create several pins per post
3. Experiment with pin formats
4. Enable rich pins
5. Schedule pins in advance
6. Pin to group boards
7. Optimize for SEO
8. Optimize your Pinterest Profile
9. Build an email list
10. Analyze pin performance
11. Promote high-performing pins
12. Tag your products