You think Pinterest is all recipes and home decorating? Think again.
In fact, Pinterest is a search engine — like Google, but visual. And they’re going there with an intent to buy.
For creators, side hustlers and small business owners, that makes it a goldmine.
No matter if you’re brand new to Pinterest or if you have anything in place, here are 4 legitimate ways to start making money on Pinterest today:
- Affiliate marketing (even without a blog)
This is the quickest way to get started. You don’t need a blog, a product or a big following. All you need is:
- An account on Pinterest
- Free Canva account to create pins
- A few affiliate links:
This is how it works:
Join affiliate programs (such as Amazon Associates, Impact, or ShareASale), receive a unique link to a product, then pin that link on Pinterest.
Make a beautiful pin (super easy to do with Canva), attach your affiliate URL and voilà, you’re promoting products that pay you a commission on every single sale.
People on Pinterest are actually searching ideas and solutions, so affiliate links to helpful products kind of make sense there.
What makes this work:
Pin Large, Vertical Images (Pinterest Loves 2:3 Ratios) To get more shares, it’s important to use high-resolution, vertical images. Include keyword-rich descriptions (what would someone search to find this?)
Let people know that it’s an affiliate link (Pinterest does allow this!) Example: Also create a pin called “5 Kitchen Gadgets That Save Time!” and cross-link all the images to an Amazon affiliate link!
💡 Pro tip: Begin with what you are already using and love.
2. Blogging & Pinterest
What better way to make money with Pinterest than to start a blog with it!
But, If you go just a step further, starting a blog can greatly increase your Pinterest earnings.
Pinterest refers traffic to links, and blogs are all about links. So if you’re creating useful content, Pinterest will help you find readers.
More traffic = more opportunities to make money from:
Advertisements (Such as Google Adsense or Mediavine)
Affiliate links within your posts Sponsored content (brands will pay to collaborate with you)
Digital product sales
Trending Niches on Pinterest:
Some of the most popular types of niches that do great on Pinterest are:.
Personal finance
DIY & home decor
Health & wellness
Food & recipes
Parenting & productivity
Blogging is easy to start. Bluehost and others provide easy, low-cost plans (think $2–$3 a month) for beginners, and for building your site, there’s no easier option than WordPress.
Bonus: When your blog takes off, you’re building a real, long-term business — not just chasing clicks.
3. Sell Something Sale Something (Digital or Physical)
Basically, Pinterest is a visual catalog. If you have products to sell, this is heaven. You can promote:
Handmade items on Etsy Shopify – dropshipped products
Digital downloads such as planners, workbooks, templates etc.
Why this works so well:
People on Pinterest are already shopping. They aren’t simply scrolling through mindlessly — they’re typing things like “wall art for small spaces” or “wedding checklist printable.”
That’s when your pins and product page come in.
Tips for selling products: Use lifestyle images (to clearly show what the product is used for)
Please link directly to your store (Etsy, Gumroad, Shopify, etc.) Layer on text to describe what it is (ex: “Printable Budget Tracker”)
Pinterest digital product best sellers: Journals and planners
Canva templates Social media calendars
Wedding checklists Vision board kits
This is passive income nirvana.
You make it once, pin it a few times and make sales in your sleep.
4. Provide VA services as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant (VA)
This one’s for you if you’re good at Pinterest — or at least willing to learn quickly.
A Pinterest VA helps entrepreneurs maintain their Pinterest accounts. Many bloggers, coaches, and shop owners just don’t have the time to manage their own pinning strategy. That’s where you come in.
What you could do as a Pinterest VA:
Design pins Plan to pin with Tailwind or Pinterest Scheduler
Optimize boards
Do keyword research
Monitor analytics and month on month growth. You don’t have to carry around some fancy degree or endless years of experience — just prove to everyone that you can get shit done.
How much can you make? New Pinterest VAs: $20–$30/hr or $300–$500/month for each client
Experienced pros: Over $1,000/month per client Begin by filling your gigs on freelancing sites, Facebook groups, or by cold-pitching content creators who obviously use Pinterest.
Pinterest isn’t only for pining for your dream kitchen—it’s an incredibly underutilized resource for generating serious income.
Whether you are just looking for a side hustle with a few affiliate links, are ready to grow a blog, have products to sell, or simply desire to handle accounts for others. There is a Pinterest track for you.
And the best part? It doesn’t involve dancing in front of a camera, going viral or even showing your face.
