> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.sortpin.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.sortpin.com/case-study/how-do-you-make-money-on-pinterest.md).

# How do you make money on Pinterest

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**Pinterest is one of the most underrated traffic sources for online income.** This guide covers 8 proven ways to monetize Pinterest — from beginner-friendly affiliate marketing to scaling a full e-commerce business.
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## 💰 8 Ways to Make Money on Pinterest

| Method                               | Difficulty | Income Potential | Best For            |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------- | ---------------- | ------------------- |
| 🔗 **Affiliate Marketing**           | 🟢 Easy    | $$               | Beginners           |
| 📰 **Blog Traffic + Ads**            | 🟢 Easy    | $$               | Bloggers            |
| 🛒 **Sell Physical Products**        | 🟡 Medium  | $$$$             | E-commerce sellers  |
| 💾 **Sell Digital Products**         | 🟡 Medium  | $$$              | Creators, designers |
| 🎨 **POD (Print-on-Demand)**         | 🟡 Medium  | $$$              | Artists, designers  |
| 📺 **YouTube Traffic Funnel**        | 🟡 Medium  | $$$              | YouTubers           |
| 📧 **Email List Building**           | 🔴 Hard    | $$$$             | Marketers           |
| 💼 **Pinterest Management Services** | 🔴 Hard    | $$$$             | Pinterest experts   |

***

## 🎯 Top Strategy: The "Saves-First" Method

Before picking a monetization method, **always optimize for saves**. The pins that earn money are the ones that get **the most saves** — Pinterest amplifies saved content.

### How to Find Winning Content

Use [**SortPin**](https://sortpin.com) to reveal **hidden pin data**:

* 🔍 See **save counts** (Pinterest hides these)
* 📊 Analyze **competitor pins** that are crushing it
* 🎯 Spot **trending niches** before they peak

👉 [Learn more about SortPin's hidden pin features →](/getting-started/overview-of-key-features.md)

***

## 📚 Real Case Study

Want a complete walkthrough? Read our case study on how to drive **1000+ visitors/day** from Pinterest for free:

👉 [**Secret Free Traffic Method — 1000 Visitors/Day**](/case-study/secret-free-traffic-methods-this-got-me-1000-visitors-day-visitors-fast.md)

***

## 🎥 Video Tutorial Library

A curated library of **how-to videos** covering each monetization method. Watch them in order or jump to the topic that interests you.

### Pinterest Basics & Strategy

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1GxOoXA9Ao>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYJ3NZZ150k>" %}

### Driving Traffic from Pinterest

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqfsbLa1HUg>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXZYxojabDw>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY1PPvYwEmo>" %}

### Monetization Methods

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x42kw0c1NFE>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2aRqxALF4>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SytgZ-J6sQ4>" %}

### Advanced Tactics

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uCFZM5b1Lc>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZZO_SzcblE>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bApPIrMUZs>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ua8aBTwnmQ>" %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syr1QDAZ-aM>" %}

***

## ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. ❌ **Pinning too fast** — Pinterest will lock your account. See [safe pinning limits](/faqs/how-to-grow-a-pinterest-account-without-getting-locked.md)
2. ❌ **Editing pins after posting** — resets engagement to 0
3. ❌ **Only pinning your own content** — looks spammy, vary your sources
4. ❌ **Ignoring saves data** — saves are the #1 metric, not impressions
5. ❌ **Posting low-quality images** — Pinterest favors visually rich content
6. ❌ **Skipping descriptions** — Pinterest uses descriptions for SEO matching

***

## 🚀 Action Plan: First 30 Days

### Week 1 — Setup

* ✅ Create or optimize your Pinterest business account
* ✅ [Install SortPin](/getting-started/how-to-install-sortpin.com-extension.md) to find winning pins
* ✅ Pick **1 monetization method** to focus on
* ✅ Pin **5 pins/day** (no more, even if tempted)

### Week 2 — Test & Learn

* ✅ Use SortPin to find top-saved pins in your niche
* ✅ Recreate the angle with **light image edits** (Canva)
* ✅ Track results with **Pretty Link**

### Week 3-4 — Scale

* ✅ Increase to **10-15 pins/day**
* ✅ Focus on pins with the **highest save counts**
* ✅ Start funneling traffic to your monetization channel

***

## 👉 Related Guides

* 🎯 [Case Study: 1000 Visitors/Day Free Traffic Method](/case-study/secret-free-traffic-methods-this-got-me-1000-visitors-day-visitors-fast.md)
* 🛡️ [How to grow Pinterest safely (avoid bans)](/faqs/how-to-grow-a-pinterest-account-without-getting-locked.md)
* 🥳 [All SortPin features for Pinterest marketers](/getting-started/overview-of-key-features.md)
* 💼 [How to get email addresses for marketing](/how-to-get-email-addresses-for-email-marketing-for-free.md)

{% hint style="success" %}
💬 **Want strategy advice for your specific niche?** Our [chat support](https://go.crisp.chat/chat/embed/?website_id=48b6c12a-2212-4be1-9e27-2dad7e2d5fb0) team is happy to help.
{% endhint %}