Is it possible to make money on Pinterest without a blog? Yes, it definitely is. Pinterest isn’t like Instagram. Pinterest users are encouraged to click on the link.
Whereas with Instagram the goal is to keep people on the app. Yeah, you can add links to stories now on Instagram but that’s if your followers look at your stories.
With Pinterest, people can see your pins even if they don’t follow you. This makes it easier to get clicks. As we all know clicks can lead to making money.
Now with the addition of idea pins, you can even get brand deals for your idea pins. Even though I use Pinterest for my blog, you don’t need a blog to use Pinterest. I’m going to show you exactly how you can make money on Pinterest.
*Affiliate Disclosure:This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see myfull disclosurefor further information.
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Why use Pinterest to Make Money?
According to Sprout Social, 58% of Pinterest users say it helps them make shopping and purchasing decisions. 85% of women on Pinterest use it to plan life moments. When was the last time you saw someone shop on Facebook?
Whereas only 11% of U.S. social media users shop on Instagram. Which is better 58% or 11%? People primarily use Facebook to connect with friends and family. It’s pretty much the same on Instagram. Links aren’t encouraged on either platform.
But links are encouraged on Pinterest. People use Pinterest specifically to browse, get ideas, and shop. If they see a pin they like they’ll click on it. Users are encouraged to click on pins. That’s not the case on other social media platforms.
On Top of that Pinterest isn’t pay-to-play. You don’t need to boost your pin to get it seen. Unlike Instagram, you don’t need 10K followers to add a link.
Related Post:How to Create Click-Worthy Pins Fast
How to Make Money on Pinterest without a Blog
The only way to make money on Pinterestwithout a blog is to sell your own products, sell other people’s products a.k.a affiliate marketing, or sell your own services. If you don’t have your own products to sell then I recommend affiliate marketing. No Pinterest will not pay you to pin!
Affiliate marketing is how I started making money on Pinterest. I didn’t have my own products to promote at the time.
But I didn’t have a clue on how to do affiliate marketing on Pinterest. I bought this ebook called Get Paid to Pinfrom Blogging Her Way.
It taught me everything I needed to know. Thanks to this ebook I made my first affiliate sale. I made my first affiliate sale 6 months after I started my blog. I included a screenshot below. I have a blog but my first affiliate sale was through Pinterest. I highly recommend this ebook.
Click here to grab your copy!
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is when you promote other people’s products, services, or tools. You get paid if someone buys, clicks, or signs up. The terms of payment depend on the affiliate.
Some will pay you per click. Others will only pay you if someone buys. There are some that will pay you if someone just signs up for a free trial.
How to do affiliate marketing on Pinterest
I think affiliate marketing works on Pinterest because people use Pinterest for ideas. Pinterest is a search engine. It’s not really a social media network.
You don’t get on it to talk to people. My niece is a good example of the average Pinterest user. She’s a mom, 35 years old, and loves Pinterest.
She can easily spend all day on Pinterest. Why? She loves getting useful ideas from it. Like baby shower ideas, recipe ideas, wedding ideas, outfit ideas, etc. If someone sees a pin, they really like they’ll save it or click on it.
Pinterest is one of the few platforms that encourage its users to click on links. That’s why affiliate marketing works on Pinterest. Pinterest allows you to use affiliate links on its platform.
Here’s how it works:
- Signup for an affiliate program. Make sure they allow their links on Pinterest
- Create a Pinterest account
- Create your boards
- Create your pin. (I recommend Canva)
- Add your affiliate link. (be sure to add # ad to so they know it’s an affiliate link)
- Add the pin to your board
If you want to learn an effective affiliate pinning strategy then grab your copy of GetPaid to Pin. It was thanks to this book that I got my first affiliate sale.
Related Posts:How to Be a Successful Amazon Affiliate
How to get affiliate links to use on Pinterest
When you’re just getting started, I recommend using an affiliate network. An affiliate network is a place where you can signup for a variety of different affiliates. You sign up for a company’s affiliate program through the network. You get paid through them too.
Here are a few that I recommend:
- Shareasale
- Awin
- Impact radius
- Cj
- Like to Know it
- ShopStyle Collective
Be sure to check the affiliate’s rules. Some might not allow you to promote their links on Pinterest. Etsy and Amazon are good examples. They don’t allow their links on Pinterest. Read their rules before signing up for their program.
Affiliate marketing rules
The FTC has set rules when it comes to affiliate marketing. You must disclose that it is an affiliate link. When you blog, you add a disclosure statement.
When it comes to social media you can use #ad. That’s all. Or you can add a disclosure statement in the description of your pin instead of #ad.
I see some pins with a disclosure statement. I just use #ad and it’s fine. If you would like to get one written by a real lawyer, I recommend this affiliate disclosure template. It’s the one I use on every blog post I write.
If you don’t disclose the FTC will fine you. The fines aren’t cheap. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
How can I use Pinterest without a blog?
I have two Pinterest business accounts. I use one account to promote my blog. The other I use to promote my Etsy shop. It seems like only bloggers use Pinterest. But that’s not true. You can use it without a blog.
Etsy sellers, Podcasts, YouTubers, coaches, small business owners, etc all use Pinterest. Virtual assistants use it too. There are so many people using Pinterest for business without a blog. The best way to figure out how to use it for your niche is to look at your competitors.
See how other people in your industry use it. Look at their pins, their boards, profiles, etc.
How do bloggers make money from Pinterest?
There are a lot of ways that bloggers make money from Pinterest. A more accurate way to say it is they make money through it. Here’s a list of ways they do it:
- Sell their services
- Sell their digital products
- Sell their Etsy products
- Sell affiliate products
- Sell their physical products
- Drive traffic to money-making blog posts
- Promote their email lists
The main thing is they have something to promote. You can’t make money without having something to sell. They create a pin for their offer and then add a link.
That’s why Pinterest is popular with bloggers. Self-promotion is encouraged on the platform. No one gets tired of it.
An effective Pinterest strategy for affiliate links
Just creating a pin and adding a link isn’t enough to make money on Pinterest. I wish it was that easy. You need an effective Pinterest strategy.
Pinning your pin to one board once won’t cut it. It will just sit there and collect digital dust.
That’s why I recommend the Get Paid to Pin ebook from Bloggingherway.com. You’ll learn an effective strategy that’ll get your pins ranked. When they rank pinners will find your pin. When they find your pins, they’ll click on them.
Resources to Help You on Your Journey
Are You Making This Mistake with Pinterest
20 Creative Ways to Make Extra Money from Home
Get One Month of Tailwind for Free
How to Find the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Blog
How to Make and Sell Printables on Etsy
Conclusion
It is 100% possible to make money on Pinterest without a blog.Pinterest is one of the few platforms where followers don’t matter. Thousands of followers are not required to be successful. The same can’t be said for Instagram.
If you want to learn more on how to make money on Pinterest without a blog then grab the ebook Get Paid to Pin. I never would’ve made my first affiliate sale without it.
I hope this post helps you. If you would like to connect with me further follow me on Pinterest @helpfulonlinemarketer.
