How to Make Money on Pinterest with Your Free Site

Posted 6 months ago by Max Komonov

We桂know you love Pinterest as桂a桂way to桂discover the桂latest recipes and桂guides for桂your favorite hobbies. But have you ever considered making money on桂Pinterest? Some (very misguided) people out there have the桂impression that Pinterest is桂for桂bored housewives, moms, and桂millennial crafters.

But the桂reality is桂that Pinterest is桂an桂ideal mill for桂almost any桂sector, industry, subject matter, or桂type of桂project that you want to桂create. It桂is桂a桂powerful tool for桂individuals and桂businesses alike.

What is桂Pinterest, Really?

Have you ever clicked a桂link in桂your search engine, only to桂be桂taken into a桂flood of桂images? That is桂Pinterest, where everything is桂saved and桂quickly scanned through the桂use of桂pinned images sorted into categories.

Pinterest is桂a桂unique social media platform. It桂is桂now the桂 social network in桂the桂United States. Data shows that Pinterest users spend than competitor sites, such as桂Instagram or桂Facebook (which hold the桂top spots in桂the桂US). Moreover, 90% or桂more of桂Pinterest buyers are brand-new to桂the桂merchant site, making their traffic very exciting.

Pinterest is桂very popular within the桂US. Data source: 붚죕쳔 insights

According to桂its CEO, Pinterest is桂supposed to桂be桂the桂go-to for桂a桂healthy dose of桂inspiration to桂develop new ideas within your favorite pastime or桂improve on桂old ones. It�셲 a桂place for桂people to桂share information and桂experiences so桂that each successive challenger can advance further than the桂last. Even if桂users do桂not purchase the桂pin, they will take ideas from various pins to桂make a桂decision, and桂then buy from their chosen retailer.

Typically, Pinterest�셲 strategy is桂working nicely.

In桂2023桂alone, Pinterest generated $3桂billion in桂revenue, which was a桂9%桂increase over the桂previous year.

How This Works for桂Users

Almost everyone has an桂image in桂their mind of桂the桂product they�셱e looking for, but it桂can be桂really hard to桂describe it. Finding such things through traditional searches is桂just about impossible. Pinterest makes it桂easy because its search engine filters through pins with an桂image rather than a桂random list of桂links.

Users can create boards that allow categorization for桂easier search and桂retrieval. You can use the桂highly intuitive search engine to桂narrow down your results by桂using common related tags. Users can pin to桂boards from other public or桂shared boards through Pinterest, or桂they can pin from external sites entirely.

People who use Pinterest are there for桂ideas. We桂know this because the桂platform reported that桂 As桂people find examples of桂what they have envisioned, they click over to桂the桂pinned sites to桂buy what they need to桂make it桂happen.

How Pinterest works for桂businesses

Signing up桂for桂a桂business account is桂easy and桂doesn�셳 come with an桂upfront cost. You only pay for桂the桂services you need or桂want, which include a桂host of桂tools designed to桂help you interact with customers across Pinterest, your website, and桂other sales funnels.

Once you have a桂business account, you can start posting and桂sharing pins. Using tags, catalogs, and桂some free features we�셪l get into later, you can get your images in桂front of桂potential buyers.

Those buyers are 3桂times more likely to桂click over to桂your site than other social media platforms since they are looking for桂the桂idea, not a桂product or桂company. And that�셲 just one of桂the桂reasons you should be桂selling on桂Pinterest.

More reasons to桂sell on桂Pinterest

Because Pinterest is桂an桂idea mill, people already want to桂buy your product by桂the桂time they click through to桂your site. They�셶e searched for桂a桂solution that met their vision to桂make a桂purchase decision.

If桂you are targeting millennials or桂moms, you can�셳 go桂wrong with Pinterest. Over 80% of桂millennials and桂80% of桂moms in桂the桂United States are . Half of桂all users routinely shop on桂the桂platform.

Here are a桂few more important stats to桂consider:

The number of桂Pinterest shoppers grew by桂50% in桂the桂first half of桂2020桂alone.
Currently, Pinterest has 498桂million monthly active users, placing it桂15th in桂the桂ranks of桂the桂world�셲 most 혫active혬 social media platforms.
The total number of桂people who use Pinterest each month increased by桂roughly 13桂million (+2.9%) in桂the桂three months leading up桂to桂April 2023. These latest figures indicate that roughly 5.8% of桂all the桂people on桂Earth use Pinterest today.
Pinterest�셲 audience is桂young, with the桂majority of桂its audience falling into the桂25-34桂age category. Coming up桂close behind is桂the桂18-24桂category, followed less closely by桂the桂35-44桂age range.
In桂January 2023, Pinterest was most popular in桂the桂United States, with roughly 29.4% of桂people active users. Pinterest by桂survey is桂also the桂most popular platform in桂the桂US.
75% of桂weekly Pinterest users say they�셱e always shopping. About 85% of桂users have bought products based on桂ideas from pins published by桂brands.
According to桂the桂platform�셲 own data, Pinterest ads are 2.3x more efficient cost-per-conversion than ads on桂social media. Pinterest ads also see a桂2x桂higher return on桂ad桂spend (ROAS)
According to桂Pinterest, their ads also offer better returns than competing social media networks, claiming advertisers see 2x桂higher ROAS when using the桂platform.

Now that we�셶e convinced you that you need to桂sell on桂Pinterest, let�셲 make sure your brand, website, and桂products are ready to桂go.

Prepare for桂Your Pinterest Product Launch

Before we桂jump into how to桂make money on桂Pinterest, let�셲 cover where you need to桂be桂to桂start that process. Whether you are selling many items or桂just a桂few, you�셱e going to桂need to桂take some preliminary steps to桂make money on桂Pinterest and桂abide by桂their community rules. Here are a桂few things to桂consider.

Develop a桂buyer�셲 persona

You probably know your target audience pretty well, but do桂you know how to桂define that audience by桂the桂terms used by桂Pinterest? Pinterest allows you to桂narrow your target audience with the桂following filters:

Gender
Age range
General or桂specific location
Primary language
Primary type of桂device (85% of桂users are on桂mobile devices)

The platform also makes it桂very easy to桂target the桂right audience intuitively using pre-existing client behavior or桂your currently trending audience.

Create branding consistent with your website and桂other social media

There are a桂lot of桂fakers out there, and桂you want to桂be桂certain that your customers know that they are looking at桂your authentic pins. That usually means using the桂same profile pictures, logos, and桂banners on桂all of桂the桂sites and桂social media where you attract customers, fill orders or桂provide service.

Create a桂Pinterest business account

If桂you have just a桂few products on桂Pinterest, it桂can be桂tempting to桂just use your personal account to桂publish pins to桂your shopping site. This is桂a桂mistake because a桂lot of桂useful tools come with a桂free business account. Setting up桂a桂business account also helps you stay compliant with the桂Pinterest terms of桂service.

How to桂set up桂a桂business account on桂Pinterest

The steps for桂creating a桂business account are similar whether or桂not you already have a桂personal account. If桂you are starting fresh with a桂Pinterest business account, follow these steps:

Start from the桂.
Follow the桂prompts to桂enter your email address, password, and桂age.
Create your business profile:
- Add a桂profile picture
- Enter business details like name, website, location, and桂language.
- Select your business focus from the桂drop-down menu.
- Select your type of桂business. Individual sellers are okay!
- You can opt to桂set up桂ads right away, but it�셲 a桂good idea to桂wait until you get a桂feel for桂the桂platform.

If桂you are starting from a桂personal account, you will start in桂account settings instead.

From there, you will choose to桂Get Started and桂then choose Linked Business Account from the桂drop-down menu.

Use your business account to桂claim your websites

Everyone remembers to桂link their website to桂their business account, but many forget to桂claim the桂site, and桂that�셲 the桂most important part! If桂you don�셳 claim the桂site, you won�셳 have access to桂the桂Pinterest analytics for桂pins published directly from your online store.

You can claim more than one site, so桂if桂you also want to桂use your business account to桂post idea-based content containing affiliate links it桂is桂easy to桂do桂so.

If桂you want to桂make money passively, create as桂many themed sites as桂you like and桂populate them with idea-inspiring blog posts sprinkled with affiliate links.

How to桂claim your site so桂you can publish pins directly

You have 3桂different options to桂claim your site or桂online stores.

Add an桂HTML tag to桂your website. This is桂the桂easiest, just a桂quick copy/paste job.
Upload the桂HTML file to桂your site. Check your host first for桂rules.
Add a桂DNS TXT record to桂your domain host. This is桂for桂advanced users and桂should be桂avoided, but Pinterest does offer some assistance in桂its help section.
How to桂Use Pinterest to桂Sell Online

Pinterest offers some great features for桂free to桂all business users. A桂lot of桂the桂business features aren�셳 going to桂apply to桂individuals or桂very small operations, but there are some that are very useful when you need to桂unload some product quickly.

Create stunning visuals

Pinterest is桂image-based, and桂making your images stand out from the桂rest with clever design and桂color choices is桂key. Avoid making them overly flashy or桂gimmicky.

Use tags and桂keywords naturally to桂boost visibility in桂the桂search

Keep in桂mind when choosing keywords for桂your published or桂promoted pins that people search for桂ideas, not products or桂brands. Ditch traditional ideas of桂what meta tags should be桂and桂embrace a桂wholly different set of桂keywords.

Use product tags and桂affiliate links

Product tags: in桂your Pins makes it桂easier for桂people to桂shop your picks. Using the桂혫product혬 sticker, you can tag any桂product you�셱e featuring in桂your content or桂want to桂recommend to桂your audience with a桂keyword search or桂a桂product link.
Affiliate links: You can also tag Pins using affiliate links so桂you can earn a桂commission when people click through and桂shop. You�셪l first need to桂join an桂affiliate program before using the桂tags. Pinterest isn�셳 part of桂the桂affiliate agreements, so桂your commission will depend on桂the桂terms you�셶e set up桂with external merchants or桂programs.

Use promoted pins to桂your advantage

Promoted pins are a桂cheap alternative to桂ads for桂individuals or桂small operations. If桂a桂client falls through on桂an桂already customized product in桂a桂specific niche, you can use promoted pins to桂get in桂front of桂your target audience. You�셪l only pay for桂the桂direct clicks from your pin, not from shares.

Take advantage of桂Rich Pins

Rich Pins are published items that contain additional information, or桂metadata, such as桂a桂title, description, or桂alternate text, to桂name a桂few. Pinterest makes it桂really easy to桂add this information, and桂taking the桂time to桂do桂so桂will target and桂drive traffic to桂your pinned product.

More Ways to桂Earn Money on桂Pinterest

Brand partnerships: Collaborate with brands that align with your content.
Drive traffic: Use Pinterest to桂drive traffic to桂your website or桂ecommerce site.
Creator Inclusion Fund: Explore opportunities through .
Become a桂Pinterest virtual assistant: Offer services related to桂Pinterest.
Start a桂blog: Use Pinterest to桂drive traffic to桂your blog.
Gain a桂skill from Pinterest and桂monetize it: Learn a桂skill and桂offer it桂as桂a桂service.

How Long Does All of桂This Take?

Getting a桂Pinterest store set up桂is桂pretty easy, but don�셳 rush the桂process. Give yourself a桂week to桂set up桂your business account and桂tweak your profile. Allow another one to桂two weeks, depending on桂your time investment, to桂experiment with different types of桂pins, Rich Pins, and桂promoted pins.

All in桂all, most people can start to桂see some results between one and桂three months in, conservatively.

How long will it桂take you? Stop procrastinating and桂get started now that you know how to桂make money on桂Pinterest.

桂

About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

붚죕쳔