Did you know Pinterest has over 482 million active users every month and more than 70% of them use the platform to discover new products? Even more exciting: 85% of weekly Pinterest users have made a purchase based on a Pin they saw. That means Pinterest isn’t just a place for DIY hacks or recipes—it’s a goldmine for affiliate marketers who know how to leverage it.
With the right Pinterest affiliate marketing strategies, you can turn simple pins into sales, funnel traffic directly to your content, and build long-term passive income with Pinterest. And unlike Instagram or TikTok, Pinterest works like a search engine. This means your content doesn’t just disappear in 24 hours—it continues to drive traffic and sales for months, even years, after you publish it.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll share exactly how to get started with Pinterest affiliate marketing: from setting up your business account and finding the best Pinterest affiliate programs, to creating scroll-stopping pins and scaling your income. If you’ve been looking for a practical, affiliate marketing beginners guide, this is the roadmap you need to finally learn how to make money on Pinterest.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Pinterest Business Account
The foundation of your journey begins with a Pinterest business account. Unlike personal profiles, a business account gives you access to analytics, ad tools, and audience insights that are essential for scaling.
To set it up:
- Go to Pinterest Business.
- Create a new account or convert your existing personal account.
- Add details about your niche, business goals, and focus area.
From your dashboard (Pinterest Business Hub), you’ll be able to monitor performance, track affiliate links on Pinterest, and ensure your pins are optimized for maximum reach.
Step 2: Choosing a Profitable Niche
Next, it’s time to find your lane. Your affiliate marketing beginners guide must begin with niche selection because this determines your income potential.
Use Pinterest’s Audience Insights and Pinterest Trends to explore what’s hot in your region. Popular categories include:
- DIY & Crafts
- Home Décor
- Fashion & Beauty
- Personal Finance
- Education
The secret here is to balance passion with profitability. High-paying affiliate niches on Pinterest often involve digital products (courses, software, services) since they offer commissions of 30–50% or more. For example, in the online education niche, promoting platforms like Teachable or Skillshare can generate recurring affiliate income.
Step 3: Finding the Best Affiliate Programs
Once your niche is clear, the next step is connecting with brands. There are countless affiliate programs for bloggers, but some platforms are proven to be beginner-friendly and highly profitable:
- ShareASale
- Impact Radius
- PartnerStack
- Amazon Associates
Here’s the rule: digital products = higher payouts. That’s why best Pinterest affiliate programs often fall under SaaS tools, online learning, or subscription-based products.
For example, Teachable offers 30% commissions on recurring sales, making it a great option for those in the education or “make money online” niches.
Step 4: Creating Pins That Convert
Content is where the magic happens. To generate Pinterest traffic for affiliate sales, you need pins that stand out.
Pin Design Best Practices:
- Use big, bold fonts.
- Stick to eye-catching colors.
- Add clear, action-oriented headlines.
- Include lifestyle or product-focused imagery.
You can create pins using Canva templates, making it easy to produce multiple designs quickly. For advanced scheduling and automation, tools like Tailwind (Pinterest scheduler) can save time and boost consistency.
Remember: Hashtag strategy on Pinterest and keyword-rich descriptions increase visibility, but the pin design best practices are what stop the scroll and get people clicking.
Step 5: Building Your Website Funnel
Yes, you can direct traffic to affiliate links, but here’s the catch: Pinterest sometimes restricts direct linking, and even when allowed, it reduces trust.
Instead, build a simple website or blog. Here’s why:
- You can educate your audience with detailed articles.
- Your content ranks better with Pinterest SEO for affiliates.
- It allows you to optimize with rich pins and track conversions.
How To Make A WordPress Website:
Even a single link in bio page is better than direct linking. But ideally, create a blog with 10–20 posts targeting specific search terms like “how to promote products on Pinterest” or “best tools for affiliate bloggers.”
Step 6: Optimizing Your Profile and Boards
Think of your profile as your storefront. A strong Pinterest boards optimization strategy is key:
- Create 5–15 boards.
- Each board should have at least 20 pins.
- Mix your own pins with curated content (while giving credit).
Join Pinterest group boards in your niche for more exposure. Add keywords to your profile name (e.g., “Make Money Online | Side Hustles”), and upload a professional photo or logo.
Step 7: Driving Sales with SEO & Intent
Pinterest is not just social—it’s a search engine. That means intent-driven keywords are your best friend. Someone searching for “how to make money on Pinterest” or “best candles for small apartments” has buyer intent.
Combine Pinterest SEO for affiliates with strong pin visuals, and you’ll be miles ahead of competitors. Use descriptive titles, keyword-rich descriptions, and hashtags. Always think about what your audience is searching for before designing content.
Step 8: Scaling to Passive Income
Once you have traffic and conversions flowing, it’s time to scale. This is where Pinterest marketing strategies like automation (Tailwind), content batching, and experimenting with ads come in.
Over time, you’ll build a library of pins driving traffic to evergreen content. That’s when you start enjoying passive income with Pinterest—your pins keep circulating, your blog keeps ranking, and your affiliate commissions continue rolling in.
Final Thoughts: Your Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Roadmap
Pinterest is still underutilized by many affiliate marketers. That means the opportunity is wide open for those who take action now.
- Set up your business account.
- Choose a profitable niche.
- Apply to the best Pinterest affiliate programs.
- Create eye-catching pins.
- Build a simple website funnel.
- Optimize boards and profile for SEO.
- Scale with automation and consistency.
If you follow these steps, you’ll have a system to consistently promote products on Pinterest and grow your affiliate income.
For further learning, I recommend exploring Pinterest Business Official Resources and ShareASale Affiliate Network, two excellent places to continue your journey.