How to Make Money on Pinterest (Without a Blog!)
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How to Make Money on Pinterest (Without a Blog!)
In this post we are going to go over how you can make money on Pinterest – even if you don’t have (or want) a blog!
Pinterest is one of the most under-rated Search Engines. Often people forget (or don’t realise) just how popular it still is! Currently, Pinterest has over 522 million monthly active users
That’s over half a billion every month!!
Pinterest is an incredibly powerful platform and has the potential for a lot of money to be made.
The beauty of Pinterest is that there’s a way to make money for everyone.
Whether you’re into Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing, Blogging, E-commerce via platforms such as Shopify, or selling anything else, there is a way for you to make money on Pinterest.
Whether you have a blog or not, there are multiple different ways you can make money on Pinterest.
While Pinterest often gets referred to as a social media platform, and in some ways it is – it is first and foremost, a Search Engine.
This means that while yes you can follow, like, comment and message other users, people go on there to search for things.
They may search for inspiration, products to buy, ideas, tips and many other things.
This means you are able to showcase your branding, art, ideas and products, all in one place.
Let’s get into the various ways you can make money on Pinterest!
1. Affiliate Marketing On Pinterest
Affiliate marketing is without a doubt one of the best ways to make money on Pinterest without a blog. It’s one of the most versatile ways to make money online, and can be done starting as soon as you like!
For more information on what Affiliate Marketing is, have a look at this post here!
(Quick reminder for anyone who needs it: affiliate marketing is where you apply to brands to promote their products and you get paid a commission when someone buys through your link. The key is to promote products you already use and love so that it’s really natural and you can genuinely promote it!)
Many affiliate programs allow you to directly link to products within your pins.
This means that you create pins to promote your affiliate products, and link that pin to your specific URL.
The important part is to make sure (like sure sure), that whichever programs you are linking to are allowed to be linked to directly through Pinterest pins.
Amazon for example you can’t link directly to so be aware of this or you risk your account getting banned!
The beauty of linking Pinterest pins directly to affiliate links is that when someone clicks through your pin, it takes them directly to the brand/products website so there’s no need for you to have a blog!
Here’s the process for promoting affiliate links through Pinterest pins:
This process is under the assumption you have a Pinterest account that isn’t brand new, has a decent amount of pins on (more that you’ve made than you’ve saved) and you have fairly defined a niche. Even a broad/rough one!
A note regarding affiliate marketing on Pinterest, Pinterest will 100% mark your account as spam if you ONLY have affiliate links on your pinterest. Creating a variety of different pins is key so you can space out any affiliate links you may be pinning.
The first step is to create high-quality pins. This means you create bold, eye-catching pin images in a variety of styles with different images. Everyone has different tastes so a variety of styles will help to appeal to more people.
Using a tool such as Canva will make this 10 times easier! The free plan works amazingly well but also has a premium option if you prefer the premium features.
Create a new design (or buy templates from places like Etsy), create eye-catching pins and use compelling text and a strong CTA (Call-To-Action) such as “Shop Now” or “Learn More”.
When uploading your pins to Pinterest, the title and description are also important! Make sure to include relevant keywords and a short but descriptive description about the product’s benefits, why you love it and who it can benefit!
Make sure you disclose properly! Add #ad, #affiliate or mention “affiliate link” to stay compliant with platform and affiliate policies.
An additional task would be to track your analytics. This will show you a pins impressions, pins and outbound clicks. This will help you to see which pins are performing the best so you know which styles or boards are getting the most traction.
You may find down the line that you prefer to have a blog or at least a landing page so that people aren’t sent straight to the product’s sales page. This is because you can then talk more about it and go over pros and cons of the product, so people have more information initially before deciding if it’s right for them.
Pinterest is also happier if you have blog posts linked back to pins as it loves fresh content!
So as much as you don’t NEED a blog for affiliate marketing on Pinterest, you may still find it worthwhile.
2. Sell Digital Products on Etsy (Promoted via Pinterest)
If you sell Digital Products on Etsy (or if you want to), then this option is for you!
Selling digital products is one of the easiest ways to make passive income online! Pinterest is the perfect platform to drive traffic to your shop. Unlike physical products, digital items require no inventory, no shipping, and can be sold over and over again with zero additional cost. This makes it ideal when crafting pins as it means you know the pins can stick around on the platform for a long time!
Pinterest and Etsy are such a perfect match for selling digital products! Whether these are printables, planners, templates, or even wall art!
Pinterest is a very visual search engine. This means that inevitably some niches and products will do better than others! Since Pinterest users love things such as planning, DIY, organisation, recipes, and creativity/crafts, your products have a huge potential audience!
Here’s a super quick rundown of how to get started if you’re new to Digital Products:
Firstly, choose a profitable niche that will do well on Pinterest! Think about what people are actively searching for on Pinterest. It’s a visual platform like I mentioned earlier so anything “visual” is good! Products that are ALWAYS in demand are things like: printables, planners, templates, and PLR eBooks/PLR Bundles (PLR means you buy products that are already done-for-you, you rebrand them to your liking and resell as your own) are always a spot on choice.
Next you want to create high-quality products (or buy a PLR product/bundle for a small price). You can then use Canva, Adobe Illustrator, or Affinity Designer to design or re-brand professional-looking products.
An example of one of my done-for-you PLR Bundles:
Set up an Etsy shop (or a Shopify store as this works too). Etsy is beginner-friendly and already has a built-in audience searching for digital downloads which is ideal but If you prefer more control over your store, Shopify is a great alternative!
Once you’ve got your platform up and ready you can list your products! Remember to keep SEO in mind. This just means to use relevant keywords in your title, description, and tags so your products show up in Etsy search and Google results. It’s basically what you want your product to be found under when people search for different terms!
Price competitively! This one is important but can be adjusted so don’t worry too much about it initially. Have a look at similar products on your chosen platform (Etsy or Shopify) and choose a price that reflects the value of your product. Don’t undervalue yourself, but keep prices lower if you’re a newer shop! Consider offering bundles for a higher perceived value.
This is the way you make money with Pinterest – you promote your digital products on Pinterest! Pinterest is a visual search engine, and when used strategically, it can drive consistent traffic to your store and your digital products.
With Pinterest you can create multiple pin designs for the same product and space them out over time. The beauty of Pinterest is that pins can stay on the platform and circulate for a long time! This is how you can get passive sales from Pinterest straight to your Etsy or Shopify store!
3. Sell Physical Products with Print-on-Demand
Following on from the idea above, a different way to sell products and promote them through Pinterest is to to Print-On-Demand!
Pinterest is a great way to promote print-on-demand (POD) products such as mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, or wall art. Visual search engine remember! You can sell POD items through Etsy, or Shopify without holding any inventory yourself.
With Print-On-Demand, you create your own custom designs that are printed only when someone places an order. This means you don’t have to buy any products upfront!
You link your shop to a third-party supplier (such as Printify) and they then handle printing and shipping for you! This allows you to focus on creating more designs and marketing your products, without any worry about holding stock or shipping.
Pinterest is perfect for promoting POD products because users are consistently looking for unique, aesthetic, and personalised items. If you create eye-catching designs (especially that fit Pinterest trends), you can drive consistent sales to your products from Pinterest.
Here’s a quick rundown of the POD process:
Firstly you need to choose your POD Platform. Popular platforms include Printify, Printful and Gelato. These seamlessly integrate with online stores such as Etsy or Shopify, meaning you don’t need your own blog or website.
Then create unique and eye-catching designs. Things that work well on Pinterest are things such as
- Inspirational quotes on T-Shirts, Mugs, and Tote Bags
- Minimalist or Aesthetic Art for Wall Prints (really popular at the moment)
- Funny/Relatable Quotes or Phrases for Apparel, Wall Art and Mugs
- Seasonal and holiday-themed designs – Always do well!
Once you’ve created your designs you upload them to add to your chosen products. You can then see what your designs look like on a variety of items such as t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, tote bags, and posters!
Post your items to Etsy with optimised images, titles and descriptions, all linking back to your POD platform such as Printify. This means your sales are ready to go!
At that point once you have products like you can create (and publish) Pinterest Pins. Design a few different styles of pin for each product. Make the pins bold, and eye-catching, showcasing your products in use/from different angles if possible.
4. Drive Traffic to Your Email List
Having an email list is an amazing way you can make money through Pinterest.
It may not initially be clear how that’s possible so let me explain.
Firstly, who can even have/grow an email list?
The answer: literally anyone!
An email list is just where you sign up to a platform such as Mailerlite and then if people choose to give you their email address, it goes to your list. Once they are on your list, you can then email them and after some time you can start including links to products or affiliate links within these emails.
To get people to want to sign up for your email list, you offer something of value for a low price or for free.
Mailerlite has a completely FREE plan for your first 500 subscribers and if you use my link here, you will receive a $20 credit too!
This is where Pinterest comes in!
You can use Pinterest by creating pins that promote your free or low priced offer. The offer can be something simple such as a download of a template, a checklist, a printable design or anything else that people would want! Keep the freebie relevant to your niche/what your products and links are about or people will lose interest and unsubscribe.
You will need to create a landing page for the pins to link to.
A landing page is a page you can create (often through your Email Provider such as Mailerlite), which has the email sign up field.
This is why you can again make money on Pinterest but without the need for a blog. You direct people straight to a landing page, they can enter their email to get their download, you can then send relevant information/tips and down the line you can then include links to products/digital products, affiliate links or even digital services if that’s your thing!
5. Offer Pinterest Virtual Assistant Services
If you love using Pinterest, you can offer Pinterest virtual assistant (VA) services.
Becoming a Pinterest VA is an amazing way to make money on Pinterest.
If you understand how the platform works, and understand how to create engaging pins, how to schedule content, and how to optimise profiles/boards for growth, then it’s definitely one to consider.
You will basically get paid to help business owners and bloggers grow their accounts.
Many small business owners and bloggers don’t have the time or knowledge to use Pinterest to its fullest potential, even though they know how powerful a platform it can be for driving traffic and sales to whatever it is they are promoting. That’s where a Pinterest VA comes in!
What Does a Pinterest Virtual Assistant Do?
As a super quick rundown, these are the sorts of tasks and services you can offer as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant:
- Pinterest Account Setup & Optimisation
- Pin Design, Creation & Scheduling
- Pinterest SEO
- Pinterest Analytics & Tracking
- Pinterest Ads Management
Where can you find clients for your Pinterest VA Services?
You can find clients/businesses to work with through Fiverr, Upwork, or even Facebook Groups!
Many Etsy sellers, Bloggers, and Coaches need Pinterest help. Not because they can’t do it themselves, but because they don’t have the time to, or the time to learn the best practices and strategy! Pinterest is a hugely impressive marketing platform, as long as you know how to do so properly to get the best results.
You can of course also use Pinterest itself for marketing your VA services. Create pins that promote your services and link to your booking page, landing page or portfolio! This way people who are interested have a quick and direct way to contact you where you can then discuss services, needs and pricing etc.
Once you become experienced with Pinterest, you can then also sell Pinterest templates, mini-courses, or coaching sessions to boost your income.
That leads on to the last point in this post…
6. Sell Pinterest Templates
If you’re good at designing eye-catching pins, you can sell Pinterest templates.
This is an especially good option for those who know what Pinterest likes, knows that Pinterest users like, and have a creative eye.
Selling Pinterest templates is an amazing way to make money on Pinterest that doesn’t require the same time/deadlines as becoming a Pinterest VA.
With selling Pinterest templates you create your products in your own time, and then sell them on platforms such as Etsy or Shopify.
You will find that many business owners, bloggers, brands and influencers want ready-made, easy-to-edit templates to be able to streamline their Pinterest strategy. Time is money and a lot of people are looking for ways to save time!
You can also offer more specific bundles/packs. This is especially useful for anyone in a defined niche such as (for example) templates for Food Bloggers, Lifestyle Bloggers, Etsy Sellers, Coaches or other Small Business owners!
Alongside selling your templates on Etsy or Shopify, you can of course promote your templates on Pinterest!
This one is super important to make sure you get your pins just right as it will be your initial mini portfolio for your design and pinterest pin making skills!
Creating beautifully designed, engaging, eye-catching pins is key to getting the attention of anyone potentially needing more pinterest pins!
Once you’ve uploaded and optimised those pins, and people see their quality, they can then click through those pins directly to your Etsy or Shopify store and can purchase the templates that resonate with them and their business the most.
I hope this has helped to show you that there are many ways to make money on Pinterest. It means that if you are already using Pinterest a lot and understand the platform, you can make money from it too!
Decide which option you like the sound of (or multiple options), then start by picking one method that excites you the most and go for that one first!
Whether it’s affiliate marketing, selling digital products, or offering Pinterest services, choosing the option that suits you, your schedule and your skills is key. You can of course do more than one of these too!
Which option jumps out at you the most? Let me know in the comments! And if you found this post helpful, don’t forget to share it with others who want to monetise through their Pinterest too!
Speak soon!
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