How to make money on Pinterest
admin • May 14, 2020
© iStock.com/Tarik Kizilkaya
If you're a maker or a seller, or you just want to get some recognition for your online presence, Pinterest is the perfect platform to start making money from your venture - and have fun while you're at it.
How Pinterest can help you
Pinterest first lit up our lives back in 2010, when a whole world of great-looking images and inspirational photos suddenly became ours to organise and save- like scrapbooking but without the paper cuts or teenage connotations.
This visual bookmarking tool has worked its way into pretty much every corner of the internet over the last six years, with every website worth its salt displaying the little 'P' badge and the platform itself boasting 100 million monthly active users.
If you've ever wondered who these pin-fanatics actually are, the answer is anyone and everyone. On their blog, Pinterest references 'architects, designers, gardeners, chefs, [and] parents' as just some of their users, alongside teachers, professional chefs, dog enthusiasts and comic book lovers.
As this strange old mix demonstrates, the great thing about Pinterest is that it is so inclusive. Not only can you search, upload and pin in a way that lets you become completely immersed in your own little online world, full of all the things you love and aspire to have or create, it's also simple enough for all ages, is popular worldwide, and it unites all sorts of communities. An example of which is the community of deaf Pinners, talked about on the Pinterest blog, who came up with a whole new sign for "Pinterest". So what does this mean for you?
Well, this popularity and accessibility means you can quickly get your creations and your identity onto people's screens, in a way those people will enjoy (because they already love Pinterest!).
This is great news if you're looking to spread the word about your business - big or small - or about yourself, to bring followers and fame to your blog or personal website.
There's more on this later in our 'advertising' section, but let's take a look at other ways Pinterest can give your bank balance a boost when you use it as it was originally intended…
Inspiration equals cash
Pinterest was originally created to help people "discover creative ideas they wanted to try" (according to their blog), and with such a huge range of skill-sets, expertise, and creativity ready to search through, you can't really fail to feel inspired.
If you want to make money by making things to sell, or you need new ways to market items you sell already, nowhere does inspiration like Pinterest.
Motivation equals cash
From deep and meaningful quotes to keep you focused, to the need to regularly upload images of fantastic new things you've made and done, Pinterest can be pivotal in keeping your eyes on the prize. Make your own private boards to keep you motivated, and use your public boards to regularly treat the world to your new creations.
Cutting edge equals cash
Pinterest is the perfect place to keep on top of what's on-trend. With just a few scrolls you can absorb images of all the things making waves this season - whether it's in the world of crafting, fashion, interior design, food or education. Looking at the number of followers that certain Pinners have, or following thought leaders in the industry will help you stay up to date with the areas of business that are thriving. As Social Media Examiner explains, you can also find out the most popular things people are searching for when they search Pinterest by typing in words related to your industry in the search box. Popular suggestions will automatically pop up.
Advertising equals cash
Advertising products
As reported by Pinterest on March 3rd, 2016, a huge 93% of Pinners use Pinterest to plan or make a purchase. If you are a business, or are ready to start selling seriously online, this is something you'll no doubt want to look into, but perhaps not in the way you'd expect.
Buyable Pins - where you can actually sell through Pinterest - are currently only available to US retailers, and even they have to be using specific commerce platforms. So forget that, for now at least.
Next, there's Promoted Pins - where you pay Pinterest to make your pins more visible to more people. Once again, this is currently only available to US-based businesses, although it has been reported that it'll be available for UK businesses over the next few months.
Right now, therefore, your best bet is to create the very best pins you can, making your products look as desirable as possible, and letting people know where they can get them.
When you register as a business with Pinterest, you can 'confirm your website', meaning your logo will appear on any pins that came from your site, but as an individual, you might want to just upload your images and add your price and website information in the comments section of your pin.
Getting recognition for yourself
Sure, you can raise the profile of any products you've made by uploading pins to Pinterest, but what if you're a blogger, or someone trying to establish themselves as an expert or innovator in their field in order to make their mark on the industry? Once again, Pinterest steps in to make it easy!
Pinterest allows you to let the pictures speak for themselves, so as long as you're adept with a camera, you can attract followers with good images showing what you do or who you are. Just be sure to tag them with (applicable) keywords people will actually be searching for. Once again, typing related words into the search bar and seeing which terms pop up will give you a good idea of what people have been searching for.
A good following and good visibility of your pins can not only make you a star on Pinterest, it can lead more people to visit your website, which could mean you're able to make a profit by selling advertising space on your site.
Networking equals cash
Just like on Twitter (which you can also use to make money - read about how here) - if you follow people, they'll (hopefully!) follow you back. This exposes your pins to a wider audience, meaning more people are likely to buy your products, visit your website or follow your blog.
But remember, don't just follow someone because they have loads of followers! People will look to you for guidance on who they should follow, or to lead them to more pins they'll enjoy too. If you deliver, they'll think of you as an expert in the field. If you don't, and your 'following' list is full of anybody and everybody, your message will be diluted.
Good luck and happy pinning!
Be sure to check out our guides on how to make money on Facebook and Twitter for more cash-making tips