How to Use Pinterest for Affiliate Marketing (Step-by Step)
Learning how to use Pinterest for affiliate marketing is a game changer for anyone looking to make money online. Especially, for bloggers who are looking to monetize their blog.
Pinterest affiliate marketing and the potential to make money with Pinterest has skyrocketed in the recent years. As it is no secret that Pinterest has become one of the most influential forces in today's social media platforms.
With Pinterest's smart feed algorithm and its search engine capabilities, the potential connection for those purchasing a product/service and those selling it, is limitless.
Pinterest affiliate marketing has never been more promising, as only a few years ago Pinterest decided to re-allow the use of affiliate links within pins, yay!
What's more, using Pinterest is absolutely free. Although those looking to triple or quadruple their Pinterest income faster, can learn all about Pinterest Ads to help them achieve that goal.
With all that said, how exactly do you use affiliate marketing for Pinterest? Well..
Today, I will be sharing with you my easy to remember Pinterest affiliate marketing strategy (A.C.T).
We will cover affiliate marketing as a whole and what I consider to be the best approach to choosing your affiliates. We will also talk about Pin creation, tips and strategies, best practices, and the law.
So, what is affiliate marketing?
Simply put, affiliate marketing is the process by which someone earns a commission by selling someone else's product/service.
Fairly simple right? For example…
You enroll in Amazon's affiliate program. You choose an Amazon product you want to sell on your site. Amazon will provide you with a specific link for that item which you'll then embed on your post/ website.
Someone then comes along and clicks on your link to purchase the product and BOOM! Money. You receive a percentage of that sale (commission).
With that said, making hundreds and thousands of dollars in affiliate marketing isn't as simple as just throwing a random affiliate link or two and praying someone clicks on it. Otherwise, we would all be rich, right?
It takes knowledge and a solid affiliate marketing strategy.
There are a few great affiliate marketing courses for bloggers I recommend, but if you are looking for a a simple, no nonsense guide to using affiliate marketing to generate passive income, take a look at The Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for Bloggers by Tracie Fobes.
Tracie is the creator and instructor of Learn, Grow, Earn and she has been in the blogging world since January 2009.
This course is packed with video content and walks you through the process from how to get started with affiliate marketing to advanced marketing techniques. So even if you already know affiliate marketing basics, this course will teach advance strategies as well.
>> Learn more about, the Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for Bloggers <<
So, now that we have a slight understanding as to how affiliate marketing works as a whole, let's see how we can use it along side Pinterest.
How to Use Pinterest for Affiliate Marketing
Before we start, it is important to note that although virtually anyone can achieve success using Pinterest for affiliate marketing, this strategy works best for blogger, entrepreneurs, and small business owner who currently own and run their own blog/website.
Note: If you don't have a blog yet, and are looking to start a blog but have no idea where to begin, here are some great resources that can help you start a blog:
- FREE 7-day email course on “How to Start a Money Making Blog”
- Blogcabulary Plus eBook: The Ultimate Blogging Terminology, Reference, and Resource eBook
- Blog By Number Course: It contains step by step video tutorials that are quick and easy to follow to help you start and run a successful blog.
We will be using the acronym A.C.T so that it is easy to remember the steps:
- A– Affiliates
- C– Canva and Convertkit
- T– Tailwind
Alright, let's dive in…
1. Finding Affiliates
The first step in using Pinterest for affiliate marketing is to find affiliates that make sense to your niche and your audience.
Make a list of reputable affiliate programs in your niche that will not only offer you a good commission, but that you know the product or service well enough before recommending it to your readers.
Make a list of the products and services you already use and check if they offer an affiliate program.
What kind of Pinterest affiliate programs/networks should I join?
There are different ways to go about picking the best affiliate programs/networks and start making money on Pinterest.
Personally, I find that learning material and services that I currently use for my niche make great affiliates.
Usually, courses, ebooks, tools, and services tend to have higher commission rates to their affiliate programs than other blogging networks.
For instance, Amazon Associates pays anywhere from 1%-6% commission depending on the category and Google ads pay cents per click and Google Adsense pays cents per click. But, courses, tools, and services range anywhere from 10%-40% commission per sale!
Using learning products in your niche as as affiliates to promote on Pinterest
As my blogs and business grows, I have to invest in tools and services that can help me manage and optimize those big changes.
So, why not promote them and ultimately make my money back on my initial investment and thereafter if I find them valuable.
For instance, when I started blogging I invested in Convertkit (email marketing company) and OptinMonster (lead-magnet/ pop-ups/ and opt-ins design).
With these great tools and a rock solid freebie I created, I was able to get 37 subscribers in less that 48 hours, and 117 in the first 2 weeks!
I signed up for their affiliate programs and I am proud to recommend and stand behind them because I use them myself.
Furthermore, I can show proof they work by sharing my stats with anyone that's interested.
Same applies to Tailwind (my Pinterest scheduler). Two weeks in I went from having 3,000 impressions on Pinterest to having 30,000 in only 2 weeks! In 6 weeks I was up 60,000 views.
AND THE BEST PART… you are making money by recommending products you love, you use, and that have helped you learn and grow your business. In other words you are getting paid to learn and make your blog/ business thrive.
The same is true for ANY niche!
In my Motherhood and Parenting blog I recommend courses and services that have proven to be valuable to me personally. While I haven't purchased all courses I promote for my own benefit, I have had the opportunity to review those courses before I recommend them to my readers.
If you feel that a particular course or service will be an asset to your audience, reach our to the course creator or the service provider. Kindly ask them if they would be willing to grant you a free copy (or service trial) so that you can review it and possibly promote it. If you feel it will benefit your audience, promote it. Otherwise, pass on it.
Here are some example of affiliate courses and services in other niches:
- Breastfeeding classes
- Digital Bundles (parenting, productivity, healthy living, photography, and more)
- Crocheting Cources
- Credit Card signups
- Subscription Boxes (cooking, makeup, kids, organic products, crafting products)
- Printables
- Cooking Classes
- Travel Bookings
- and so on!
Pinterest Affiliate programs for bloggers of any niche
Ultimate Bundles
Ultimate Bundles is a great affiliate network for bloggers of all niches.
The Ultimate Bundles Team puts together a HUGE bundle of eBooks and eCourses for a specific subject (Blogging, Parenting, Health, etc.) and then sells that bundle at an enormous discount, usually 90-95% OFF its original price!!!
Not only will you receive 40% commission for every bundle you sell, BUT what’s more you also receive 40% off if you choose to buy it for yourself. BUT WAIT, there’s more… if you sell 5 or more of a particular bundle you get that bundle for FREE (if you already purchased it, they will refund you).
In addition, once you become an affiliate you will have access to their “affiliate center” where you will have access to your affiliate links, upcoming bundle calendar, banners, and ongoing FREE affiliate marketing training.
Ultimate Bundles is hands down the best win-win affiliate program for both yourself and your readers no matter what niche you are in. Learn more of its features here along with some FAQs.
>> Sign up with Ultimate Bundles, here <<
Shareasale
Shareasale (an affiliate marketing network) is another great option. You can create a FREE account and join over 4,000 popular companies offering their affiliate programs. Some of the affiliates listed in this post are hosted by Shareasale, which means you would have to create a FREE account with them either way.
They work with very popular brands such as Wayfair, Gymboree, Zulily, Shutterfly, Sears, etc. Whatever your niche, Shareasale has plenty to choose from and you don’t pay a penny.
>> Sign up for Shareasale, here <<
Awin
Awin is one of the largest affiliate networks in the world—with over 6,000 possible affiliate programs to join). No doubt there is something for every blogger to promote using Awin.
You will be asked to pay $5 for account verification, but the money will be returned to your account balance and will be paid back to you on your first check.
So, in essence:
1. Find services and products in your niche that you think your readers might benefit from. Make sure you know the product or service well before you promote them.
2. Enroll in their affiliate program.
3. Recommend it to your readers because you KNOW they are fantastic products and services.
4. If you want to step up your affiliate game and want to see a noticeable increase in conversions, consider looking into The Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for Bloggers by Tracie Fobes. Believe me, you won't regret it.
Now that we have affiliates we can promote, let's get Pinterest in the mix!
That brings us to letter “C”.
2. Use Canva and Convertkit
Now that we have affiliates, it is time to promote them by making Pinterest Pins.
Canva
It is no surprise to anyone already using Pinterest that the way through a reader's eye, is mostly through graphic design.
I personally use Canva for my Pinterest pins and I couldn't do without it. The FREE version provides you with all the useful tools you need to create customization and click-worthy pins.
The goal is to find your own voice and your own unique style that reflects your brand and preference. As well as finding a design that helps you stand out in the Pinterest pin pool.
Here are some general guidelines when it comes to using Canva and making great pins:
Hight Quality Images
If you decide to include images in your pins, using high-quality images/photos/pictures will work in your favor.
Because Pinterest is a visually driven platform, they put a lot more emphasis on pins that have higher quality images.
There are a few places online where you have access to free stock images. However, free isn't always better.
To avoid potential copyright right issues by using free images from random websites, I use DepositPhotos. They have beautiful, high-quality options for bloggers of all niches for a small fee.
You can also check out Creative Market for beautiful digital goods, and stock photos.
Creative Market is an online marketplace for community-generated design assets. They sells all kids of graphics, WordPress themes, stock photography, media kits, and other digital products for boggers and entrepreneurs. They have all kids of beautiful designs so when you have time take a look around so you can see all of the amazing products they carry.
Pin Design
When designing pins for your affiliate products, I recommend you do a quick search on Pinterest to see what others in your niche are making.
Notice the type of colors, fonts, images, and pin titles they are using.
With that knowledge in mind, put you own spin and your own unique voice on your pins. But, always taking into consideration the current trends in your niche.
DO NOT COPY SOMEONE'S WORK! I can't stress this enough. Make your your own pins or if you don't have the time or the patience to design pins, buy some pin templates you can easily edit. But never, ever, plagiarize someone else's material.
As a rule of thumb, here are some things to consider when it comes to pin design:
- use high-quality images
- use images related to your title/post
- try to use bold/print fonts, limit the use of cursive fonts
- opt for a clean design where the title is clearly visible
- use a catchy title
- use vivid colors
- add your URL to your pin
Naming and Saving You Pins
Don't forget to name your pin! As simple as this step sounds, it will save you a few headaches later. If the images aren't named they will take the place of “image.png”, “image(1).png”, “image(2).png”. When you are ready to upload it to your website, you will go crazy trying out find what you are looking for. Not only that, but giving your pin a name will help Pinterest algorithm categorize it later.
If you are creating your pin using Canva, you are give the option to name it in the dashboard. Or you can rename it your computer file once it's downloaded.
Uploading your Affiliate Pins to Pinterest
When using Pinterest for affiliate marketing you can go about uploading your pins in 2 ways:
You can choose to upload your affiliate Pins directly to Pinterest. OR, you can have your affiliate pins link back to an affiliate post you wrote about that product or service you are promoting.
Which way is better?
Well, although Pinterest accepts affiliate links in Pins that redirect straight to a product or service, they don't seem to be as successful as Pins that redirects to a blog/website.
What I like to do is to write posts about affiliate products and services, and then create pins linking to those articles instead!
Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Legalities
Like any other promotional content you advertise in any platform, you MUST disclose your affiliation to that product or service.
On Pinterest Pins you might find some bloggers adding things like:
- “afflink”
- “affiliate link”
- “this is my affiliate link”
- “ad”
- “promo content”
My suggestion is that you check with the company you are promoting to read their Pinterest guidelines. I know for a fact that Amazon Associates has their own.
Pinterest, also has it's own Terms of Service which you should read on your own as it is ever changing.
Pinterest Pin Templates
I know creating Pins can feel overwhelming and time consuming. Trust me, after running two blogs, I can totally relate. That is why I created this Pinterest Pin Template Bundle Editable in Canva. You are not going to want to miss this..
Convertkit
Pinterest for affiliate marketing extends beyond Pinterest itself.
Building a strong email list is a crucial aspect of making money online.
Using Pinterest as the initial portal and then funneling your readers/clients/customers straight to your email list is the holy grail of a successful online business.
ConvertKit is an email marketing company that is made specifically by bloggers for bloggers and the email marketing company of my choice.
It has all the tools you need to help you gain subscribers and retain subscribers. My readers have special access to a 30-day FREE trial, which you can access here.
For more detailed information on this topic, check out: “The Power of Great Email Marketing for Bloggers (A Step-by-Step Strategy)”.
3. Tailwind
Once you've created your beautiful pin, it's time to circulate it through Pinterest.
The more impressions your pin gets, the more the chances someone clicks on it, and the more chances you have at making money on Pinterest.
Tailwind my friend, is the secret ingredient!
Tailwind is a Pinterest (and Instagram) scheduler which allows for automatic pin scheduling throughout the day (or weeks), depending on how far ahead you want to schedule them.
Tailwind is also one of the few scheduling apps officially approved by Pinterest itself.
Tailwind's detailed analytics allow for smarter pinning, and using their recommended “pinning time slots”, based on your daily peak traffic, is simply genius.
You can also create or join Tailwind “Tribes”. With this tool you are able to add your pins into a specific “Tribe” where others share and re-pin related content to their own audience. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Having my affiliate pins circulate Pinterest at optimal times a day without having to do much on my end is a game changer.
Initially, I signed up for their FREE 1 month/ 100 pins trial and that was it, I couldn't live without it… haha. I used my free pins that first week. After seeing incredible results using this tool, I opted to go with their paid annual package of unlimited pinning and saved $6 a month. If you want to give Tailwind a go for FREE you can do so here.
Once you have Tailwind (and believe me you'll need it for this next step), you what to join Pinterest Group Boards.
Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Using Group Boards
Pinterest group boards are created by any given person who chooses to have others collaborate on that particular board with a specific topic (blogging, travel, fashion, cooking, parenting, an so on).
Pinterest Group boards give your pins exposure and have the potential to reach thousands of people at any given time.
To join a group board, read the board's description and follow the instructions provided to request an invite to that group.
Then, schedule your pins with Tailwind to as many group boards as you want.
Remember not to spam the group's feed and follow the group owner's rules. Be aware that some Pinterest Groups don't allow Pins with affiliate links.
Things to Consider when Talking Affiliate Marketing Pinterest
Don't spam. Pinterest doesn't like spam, so don't over do it! Your followers, your group board members, and Pinterest will like you more if you aren't annoying about your affiliate pins. Honestly, the ratio of your blog post pins should be MUCH higher than your pins that lead directly to an affiliate.
Include an affiliate disclosure. Don't forget to include affiliate link disclosures on the pin's description. Read Pinterest “Terms of Service” for a better understanding of their policies.
Follow Pinterest Group Board Rules. Join Group boards where you can share your pins. Remember to check the boards description. It will tell you about the group's rules and how to request an invite. Read the group board's description carefully and make sure you abide by the rules.
Additional Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Resources
Pinterest Ninja Course
If you are new to Pinterest, Pinterest Ninja by Megan Johnson is a fantastic resource!
You will learn step-by-step the tips, tricks, and strategies that can help you take your blog or website from nonexistent to having thousands of visitors month, therefore, increasing revenue, using Pinterest.
She walks you through everything from starting a Pinterest account, to mastering pinning, SEO, Pinterest algorithms and so much more! Check out the sales page and you will see what I mean.
What's also great about her course if you are wanting to use Pinterest for affiliate marketing, is that her Affiliate Marketing Bonus include:
- 85 affiliates organized by blogging niche, you can easily join and start making money with your blog!
- How to create pins that promote your affiliates without having to write a blog post!
- 4+ ways to market your affiliates that don't have to do with a blog post!
>> Check out Pinterest Ninja Course, here <<
Pinteresting Strategies and Affiliate Marketing Bundle
One of the best resources to learn all about using Pinterest for affiliate marketing is the Pinteresting Strategies and Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers Bundle.
The Bundle consists of two individual courses created and taught by Carly Campbell from Mommy on Purpose. Both courses are packed with fundamental information, with video instructions, to help you master Pinterest and implement affiliate marketing simultaneously.
When you purchase BOTH courses as a bundle, you will receive:
- Pinteresting Strategies ($57 Value)
- Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers ($79 Value)
- 17 Pin Design Training (Value $17)
Individually, these courses have total value of $153, BUT if you buy it as a BUNDLE deal you only pay $95.
A.C.T Checklist (Free Download)
I know this was a lot of information. So, if you are interested in downloading this FREE step-step checklist to help you along this process you can downloaded here.
- A list of 27 of my favorite affiliate programs and their commission payout.
- … AND tips and strategies I didn't get to cover in this post.
Using Pinterest for Affiliate Marketing: In a Nutshell
- Create a free Pinterest Business account.
- Find affiliate programs you can join.
- Use Canva and to create pins for your affiliate products or services and use high-quality images in your pins. Consider DepositPhotos.
- When you download the image to Pinterest, include your affiliate link and disclaimer.
- Pin you Pins to relevant personal boards and group board on Pinterest. If you need help with Pinterest check out these great courses.
- Use Tailwind to automate your pins
- Consider learning all you can about affiliate marketing as a whole to increase your blog revenue.
… and that my friend is how you use Pinterest for Affiliate Marketing!
★ Related Articles:
- Best Affiliate Marketing Courses for Bloggers (for Beginners)
- 5 Best Pinterest Courses for Bloggers (Beginners-Advanced)
- How to Promote Your Affiliate Links (12 Clever Ways)
Well, there you have it my friend. Happy and profitable pinning.
Do you have any questions about how to use Pinterest for Affiliate Marketing? Leave them in the comments below.
Oh and don't forget to Pin this for later…
