You already know you can make money on Pinterest. But knowing that and actually making it work for you are two very different things.
Most people create a few pins, add an affiliate link, and wait. Nothing happens. The problem isn’t Pinterest. It’s your strategy.
Pinterest is not just another social media platform. It is a visual search engine, and when you use it the right way, it becomes one of the most reliable traffic sources for affiliate marketers out there.
Pinterest is my number one traffic source for years, and in this guide, I am going to show you exactly how to make Pinterest the no. 1 platform for affiliate marketing in your business.
From finding a profitable niche to creating pins that actually get clicks, you will learn everything you need to make money on Pinterest consistently.
What is Pinterest Affiliate Marketing
Pinterest affiliate marketing is when you promote affiliate products on Pinterest and earn affiliate commissions. The process is simple: you create pins on Pinterest, add affiliate links, and when someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.
No product to create. No customer service. No inventory.
You are simply connecting people who are already searching for something with a product that solves their problem, and earning a commission when they buy.
That long shelf life is what makes Pinterest different from every other platform.
People come to Pinterest with buying intent. They are actively searching for ideas, products, and solutions. That means the traffic you get from Pinterest is warm, which makes it much easier to convert into affiliate commissions.
How does the Pinterest algorithm work?
Pinterest is not social media. It is a visual search engine. And just like Google, it connects people with content based on keywords.
Here is why Pinterest is such a powerful platform for this. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, where your content disappears in a day or two, Pinterest is a visual search engine.
A pin you publish today can show up in search results two years from now and still drive traffic to your affiliate links. Which means that all your hard work accumulates and doesn’t disappear. (yep, happened to me so many times, for pins that got no views for a year!)
That is a very big deal for affiliate marketers who are looking to grow their traffic from Pinterest.
Because once your pin is out there with the right keyword and topic, it keeps working for you in the background without you having to do anything extra.
The truth is that Pinterest users are not looking for the most beautiful pin. The right topic and the right title, even with an ugly, simple design, will always win on Pinterest over a perfectly designed pin for a topic no one cares about.
It happens every single time.
The algorithm rewards clicks, saves and engagement, not pretty graphics. So before you think about branding and colors, make sure you have your keyword, topic and hook locked in. That is where your focus needs to go.
How to Do Pinterest Affiliate Marketing In 2026 Step-By-Step Guide
Here is a detailed guide you can follow to start making money with Pinterest affiliate marketing. These are the exact steps I follow on the Busy Mom Side Hustle Pinterest account:
Step 1: Find a VIRAL Pinterest affiliate marketing niche
If you want to be successful with affiliate marketing on Pinterest, start by researching Pinterest! Not Google!
You need to make sure that the Pinterest niche idea you have is actually a profitable Pinterest niche, which means that people are searching for this topic and making purchases.
Here are 5 most profitable Pinterest niches to consider:
Home design, personal finance, DIY and crafts, beauty and fashion, health & wellness (including fitness).
Step 2: Find the Best Affiliate Programs & Products for this Niche
Once you have your niche, the next step is finding the right affiliate products to promote within it.
This matters because if you can’t find enough products to promote or the products you find will only earn you a few dollars as a commission, then that would not result in a profitable business, no matter how hard you work!
This is why finding products before you start is such a crucial step.
Here are some of the best affiliate products to promote on Pinterest by niche:
- Health
Affiliate products: fitness gear, protein supplements, yoga courses, yoga mats, healthy recipe books, exercise apps
Affiliate programs: Amazon Associates, Awin, Impact, Bodybuilding com (15% commission), Yoga International ($14.40 per free trial signup) - Personal finance
Affiliate products: finance courses, budgeting apps, coupon apps, finance books
Affiliate programs: Impact, Awin, Credit Karma ($6-$12 per signup) - Recipes
Affiliate products: recipe books, cooking subscription plans, meal planners, cooking courses
Affiliate programs: Amazon Associates (cooking appliances and recipe books), KitchenAid, Zwilling, T-fal, Skillshare, MasterClass (cooking classes) - Home decor
Affiliate products: furniture, wall art, decorative accessories, home design courses
Affiliate programs: Amazon Associates, Awin, Wayfair (5%-12% commission), Etsy Affiliates (customized and handmade), Pottery Barn (up to 7.5% commision), Target - DIY projects
Affiliate products: digital woodwork courses, woodwork machinery and tools
Affiliate programs: Amazon Associates, Home Depot Affiliates, Rockler Woodworking, MasterClass, Skillshare - Fashion & Beauty
Affiliate products: clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry, skincare, makeup products, hair Affiliate programs: products, makeup courses LTK, ASOS (4%-5%), Nordstrom (up to 11%), Amazon Associates - Travel
Affiliate products: travel insurance, hotel bookings, tours
Affiliate programs: Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, World Nomads, Emirates
Now, where do you actually find these products?
The biggest affiliate networks to join are Amazon Associates, Impact, Awin and Target. Amazon Associates is a great starting point because almost every niche has relevant products on Amazon and it is straightforward to get approved.
For more niche-specific programs, search Google for your niche plus the word “affiliate program.” For example, “home decor affiliate program” or “travel affiliate program.” You will find dedicated programs that often pay much higher commissions than Amazon.
Step 3: Start a Pinterest Business Account
There are 3 reasons to use a business account over a personal one:
- You get access to Pinterest Analytics to track exactly which pins are getting clicks and driving traffic (so important so you can improve!)
- You can run Pinterest Ads to promote your pins to a wider audience
- You can display your brand name and add a verification badge, which builds credibility with your audience
Setting up your Pinterest account as a business account is a simple process and it is completely free. Here is how to do it:
- Go to Pinterest.com and click the red Sign Up button at the top right
- Click “Create a free business account”
- Fill out your details: email address, password, and date of birth
- Add a profile banner and your logo
- Complete your public profile and include your main keyword in the description
If you already have a personal Pinterest account, you can switch it to a business account in just a couple of minutes:
- Log in to your personal account
- Click Settings in the top right corner
- Click Account Management on the left
- Under Account Changes, click “Convert to a business account.”
- Click the Convert Account button
Once your account is set up, the next step is optimizing your profile before you start pinning.
Step 4: Create your Pinterest boards
Your Pinterest boards are how you organize your content, and they play a bigger role in your Pinterest SEO than most people realize.
Each board name needs to be a sub-niche of your main niche, and it needs to match a keyword that people are actually searching for on Pinterest.
Here is an example. Let’s say your niche is apartment design ideas for young couples. Your boards could be:
- Kitchen ideas for small spaces
- Living room ideas on a budget
- Study room ideas for small rooms
Each of these is a sub-niche of the main topic it’s also a keyword on Pinterest.
Here are a few more tips for setting up your boards the right way:
- Start with 5 boards maximum. Creating too many boards at once means you won’t be able to keep up with adding fresh pins to all of them consistently
- Optimize your board titles and descriptions with your target keywords
- Save 10 to 15 pins from other creators to each board when you first set it up. Search your board keyword on Pinterest and save the top results, as these are already proven to perform well
- Choose one of your own pins as the cover image for each board.
Step 5: Start a Blog for Your Chosen Affiliate Marketing Niche
Your blog is the center of your affiliate business. This is where you will publish all your content, include your affiliate links, and build real authority in your niche.
And that last part matters more than people think. You cannot establish yourself as a trusted voice in your niche just by creating pins and linking to affiliate products. Your blog is what makes the difference between someone who scrolls past your pin and someone who actually buys.
♥Get my blogging monetization strategies – Free Guide.
One important thing to note: only choose your domain name and start your blog after you have confirmed that your niche is going to perform well on Pinterest. If you follow these steps in the correct order, you will greatly increase your chances of success.
Here is how to start your blog in 9 easy steps:
- Get a hosting plan on Bluehost + a free domain – Bluehost is one of the best hosting options for beginner bloggers. Their plans are so affordable and include everything you need to get started, including a free domain name for your first year.
- Choose your domain name – pick something short, simple, and easy to spell. It needs to fit on a pin, so keep it as short as possible.
- Install WordPress – Bluehost offers a one-click WordPress installation directly from their dashboard, so you do not need any technical experience to do this.
- Add a WordPress theme – your theme is the design and layout of your website. You can start with a free theme or invest in a paid theme for a more professional look from day one (check the 15 most beautiful WordPress themes for bloggers).
- Add your site title and description – include your main keyword in both so Google understands what your site is about.
- Publish your first blog post — aim for at least 10 posts before you start reaching out to affiliate programs, so it does not look empty.
- Start pinning your content daily and be consistent on Pinterest.
- Legally protect your blog — add a privacy policy, disclaimer, and affiliate disclosure (I purchased all my legal pages from Amira) to your site. This step is non-negotiable.
⇒If you want to start Pinterest affiliate marketing without a website, click here.
Step 6 – Affiliate Marketing on Pinterest Strategy
Before you start creating pins, you need to build the money-making pages on your blog first. These are your content pillars, the pages that include the affiliate offers you want to promote and that your pins will point back to.
This is the foundation of your entire Pinterest affiliate strategy. Without these pages in place, you have nowhere to send your traffic.
There are 5 types of affiliate content that work best for affiliate marketers on Pinterest:
- “Best of” posts: These are roundup posts that review several products within your niche. For example, “best modern sofas under $1000.”
You list a number of products, write a short review of each, and add your affiliate link. This is the most converting type of affiliate content you can create. - Comparison posts: X vs Y. Help your reader choose between two options by reviewing the features of each of the products and adding your personal experience. You will add affiliate links to each of these products.
- ‘How to’ posts: Teach your reader how to do something step by step, including photos or screenshots to make it as easy as possible to follow along. For each of the steps, recommend the tools or products they need to use.
- Product review posts: A deep dive into one specific product with your honest take and your affiliate link.
- Listicle posts: For example, “10 living room essentials.” Simple, highly shareable, and very easy to pin. For each of the ideas, link to the products shown in your post.
Step 7 – How to Get Approved by Affiliate Program Managers
Before you start applying for affiliate programs, focus on building your blog content and growing your Pinterest traffic first. Affiliate managers want to see that you are an established content creator with some traffic and social media presence before they approve you.
Step 8 – Pinterest Keyword Research
If you don’t find the right Keywords for your pins, your pins will get zero traffic!
The right Pinterest keywords will help your pins show up in Pinterest search results for a long time, even years!
There are 2 ways to find the right Pinterest keywords:
Method 1: Pinterest Autocomplete (free)
Go to Pinterest and start typing your main topic into the search bar. Pinterest will automatically suggest related searches underneath. These suggestions are real keywords that real people are searching for on the platform.
Start broad, then get more specific. For example, type “living room” and see what comes up. Then try “living room ideas” and go from there. Write down every relevant suggestion you find.
Method 2: KeySearch (paid)
KeySearch is a Google & Pinterest keyword research tool. It shows you exactly which keywords are being searched on Pinterest and how many monthly searches each one gets, so you can prioritize the ones that will bring you the most traffic.
Step 9 – How to Add Direct Affiliate Links on Pinterest & Create Affiliate Pins
Here is how to create affiliate pins that have a direct affiliate link.
(1) Decide what affiliate product you want to promote and grab your affiliate link
(2) Turn your ugly link affiliate link into a branded link using an affiliate plugin. I’ve been using Pretty Links for years and fully recommend them. An affiliate marketing plugin can help you create short links for any affiliate link you have, organize all your affiliate links, and save them in your WordPress dashboard.
(3) Write an interesting hook to make people click on your pin. For example: ”Create Blog Content Faster With This AI Writer” or “The AI Writer Bloggers Are Using to Save Hours.”
(4) Create pins with bold and bright colors that catch the eye.
(5) Add your keyword in the Title, description and the ALT of the pin.
(6) Add your affiliate link.
Pinterest allows you to add direct affiliate links to your pins by using the link field.
Tools like Metricool (this is the one I’m using) can help you not only save time but also give the best time slots when your audience is active on Pinterest. With Metricool, I can schedule a lot of pins in advance instead of jumping from one thing to another all day.
3 ways to Use Your Pinterest Account for Affiliate Marketing
There are 3 main ways to use Pinterest to earn affiliate commissions, and to achieve the best results, I would recommend combining all 3!
- Create pins that link to a blog post on your blog that promotes your affiliate links. For example, linking to your post about ‘How to start a Stan Store – step by step’ and including your Stan Store affiliate link in the post.
- Link to your lead magnet landing page. When they sign up to download your free guide, they will automatically receive it, which includes your affiliate links. For example: “My 10 must-have tools for woodworking”.
- Adding a direct link to a product you promote, for example, a direct link to a sofa you want to promote on your living room ideas Pinterest board.
Step 10 – Apply These Pinterest SEO Steps
Here is exactly how to use Pinterest keywords to optimize every pin you create:
- Find a relevant keyword for each pin before you start designing it. One primary keyword per pin.
- Include the keyword in the text overlay of your pin. This is the text that appears directly on your pin image. Pinterest reads this text, so make sure your keyword is visible there.
- Save your PIN file with that keyword as the file name before you upload it. For example, “living room ideas on a budget.jpg” instead of “image001.jpg.”
- Include the keyword in the title and description of your pin naturally and do not stuff keywords.
- Add semantic keywords to your pin description. These are related keywords that support your main keyword. The easiest way to find them is to use Pinterest autocomplete. Type your main keyword into the Pinterest search bar and look at the suggestions that appear underneath. You can include 1 or 2 relevant keywords in your pin description if it fits the natural flow of your writing.
Follow these five steps for every single pin you publish, and your pins will start gaining more and more visibility over time.
Step 11 – Use Pinterest Analytics to Increase Your Traffic & Affiliate Sales
Most people set up their Pinterest business account and never look at their analytics. That is a big mistake that cost you money!
To start increasing your traffic and affiliate sales gradually, you need to know what is actually working and what is not getting any clicks.
Pinterest can tell you exactly what you need to know. The thing is, most business owners either do not know where to find this data or do not know how to draw conclusions from it.
Here is how to find your top performing pins and use that data to grow your traffic:
- Head over to your Pinterest business account and click the 3 lines menu in the top left corner.
- Click “Analytics Overview”
- Change the date range to the last 90 days so you have enough data to work with
- Decide on the metric that matters most to you right now. Is it impressions (meaning how many people are seeing your pins in their feed or Pinterest search results)? Or is it the number of pin clicks?
- Look at your top-performing pins. For each pin, you can see the number of impressions and the number of clicks
This data is gold.
Once you know which topics are getting the most traction, you can create more content around those exact topics to keep growing your Pinterest account and your website traffic.
Over time, you will also start to see which clicks are actually generating affiliate sales and which products are getting a lot of clicks but have a conversion rate of zero. That tells you exactly where to focus your energy and where to stop wasting your time.
The more consistently you check your analytics and adjust your content strategy based on what the data shows you, the faster your website traffic and affiliate income will grow.
MUST KNOW – Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Rules
Before you start adding affiliate links to your pins, you need to know the rules. Pinterest does allow affiliate marketing, but there are clear guidelines you need to follow to keep your account safe.
Here is what you need to know:
Disclosure rules & Where exactly to add your affiliate disclosure:
- You must add an affiliate disclaimer to any pin that contains a direct affiliate link. Examples you can use in your pin description are #Ad, #Sponsored, or #Promotion
- If your pin links to a blog post that contains affiliate links, your disclosure should be published at the beginning or end of that blog post (not on Pinterest).
- If your pin links to a lead magnet and your free guide includes affiliate links, the disclaimer needs to be part of the guide itself.
Link rules:
- Some URL shortener services are blocked on Pinterest. Bitly is one example, so it is better to avoid URL shorteners altogether
- Pinterest encourages a “no surprises” principle, meaning your readers should always be able to anticipate where your link is taking them. Deceptive redirects can get your account blocked
Posting rules:
- Use affiliate links in moderation and mix them with regular value pins like checklists, guides, and tips
- Create 2 to 3 pins maximum per URL and schedule them 14 days apart to avoid being flagged as spam
The safest approach is to link your pins to a blog post first and keep your affiliate links on the blog. That way, you stay well within Pinterest’s guidelines and build a sustainable long-term strategy. You can find more information in the Pinterest Community Guidelines.
Pinterest Affiliate Marketing – Final Thoughts
Pinterest traffic has been my number one traffic source for years to drive traffic to my affiliate links. It is simple, straightforward, and much more reliable than Google traffic.
If you want to build a successful affiliate marketing business, mastering Pinterest marketing is the number-one skill that will drive your success.
You now have everything you need to get started. The only thing left to do is take that first step.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting the Busy Mom Side Hustle blog. For more information, visit my disclaimer page.
