This blog post can contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I personally use and trust.
Generating a passive income is one of the best things that can ever happen to you. Many people try all kinds of stuff online to earn a passive income.
But most of them fail.
So, how can you be sure to generate a passive income even if you don’t have a blog?
Right now, the most effective way is to use affiliate links on Pinterest.
So, even if you don’t have a blog, you will be able to generate passive income.
Why should you use Pinterest?
Did you know Pinterest is not just a social media platform? It works more like a search engine.
I bet you didn’t know that.
It works just like Google. The only difference is: On Google People will find your blog posts, whereas on Pinterest they will come across your Pins.
According to Statista, Pinterest has around 460 million active users monthly.

Image Source: Statista
With so many people using Pinterest, your chance of generating a passive income is easier than ever.
If you dig a bit deeper, you will see that Pinterest is the second leading social media platform (market share) in the US in Jan 2021.

Image Source: Statista
Now, another reason why Pinterest is really awesome is: Shopping is a top priority for 48% of Pinterest users.
Now, what about affiliate marketing?
Well, according to Statista, affiliate marketing spending will reach 8.2 billion in the US by 2022.

Image source: Statista
With such impressive statistics, you can now understand why using Pinterest and affiliate marketing can be an awesome source of passive income.
Though starting a blog is the best way to earn a full-time passive income, you can earn a side income using affiliate links and Pinterest only.
Let me show you how.
Shall we?
How to make money on Pinterest with an affiliate link
Before you start to add pins that contain affiliate links, there are a few things that need to be done.
Since Pinterest acts more like a search engine, you must build a strong foundation to be able to generate enough clicks to earn a significant amount.
This is really crucial.
Having a strong foundation is the main reason why some people earn $100 per month, while others are earning $5,000 per month.
I want you to understand the mechanics of Pinterest so that you can use it to your advantage to generate more clicks on your pins.
More clicks=More income
So, let’s begin.
Step 1: Find the right affiliate programs
The first step is to find affiliate programs that will allow you to add their links on Pinterest directly.
This is something that you must keep in check as a violation of certain terms of service can get your account canceled.
If you use affiliate programs such as ShareASale, you will be able to add your affiliate links directly to your pins.
Now, what about Amazon affiliates?
Well, Amazon didn’t give a clear answer whether they allow you to add their links directly on Pinterest. So, to be safe, you will have to use your blog and add links to your content.
This is the only best way to ensure that you earn enough with Amazon affiliates.
2. Be very selective with the products you promote
When you are just starting to use Pinterest, try to promote only a few products.
This will help you to keep track of your clicks and the overall performance of your account.
For instance, if your profile is about gardening, choose only 1 or 2 gardening tools and see how they perform.
Once you know how many clicks, signup, or sale you are generating, you will be able to better optimize your profile for higher performance.
This is where an affiliate program like ShareAsale will help you. You will get a dashboard where you can track the performance of your affiliate links.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you are looking for different ways to make money from home, then I am thrilled to inform you that there are many online jobs that you can do to make at least $1,000 per week from the comfort of your home. If you love to use Pinterest, you will be glad to know that you can use the platform to make anywhere between $50-$200 PER DAY without much effort. For those who love typing, there are online typing jobs that will help you make at least $3,000 per month. Finally, if you are someone who is very creative and love to design templates, then you will be glad to know that you can use your CANVA FREE account to make money online.
3. Find keywords for your products
Once you have created your account with your affiliate program and chosen a few products, the next step will be to find keywords.
This is crucial. Without the use of the right keywords, you won’t be able to generate enough clicks.
Keywords are the foundation for all your Pins.
So, how can you find such keywords?
Well, it’s really easy.
Let’s say that you are someone who is promoting gardening tools.
Head over to your Pinterest account and type “Gardening tools”.

As you can see, there are a few suggestions that seem lucrative.
For instance:
- Must-have gardening tools
- Gardening tools for beginners
- Gardening tools for storage
- Gardening tools for gardening
Now, when adding your pins, you can use these keywords in your Pin Title.
What about the Pin description?
Well, for the pin description, you will have to dig deeper.
Let’s say you are promoting a product to store gardening tools.
In Pinterest search, you will enter the keyword” Gardening storage” and hit enter.

Here, are a few suggestions that can make an awesome pin description:
- Tools shed
- Gardening tools storage for garage
- Storage for small gardening tools
- Storage of gardening tools using pallets
4. Create eye-catching pins
Pinterest is a visual platform. It means that the way you design your pins will have a massive impact on the number of impressions and clicks you can generate.
So, how can you design a pin that can go viral?
Well, here are some characteristics of a viral pin:
- The size of the pin. Vertical pins with an optimum size of 735 x 1,200 pixels perform best on Pinterest. But it’s better to try different sizes to know what works best for you. For example, you can try pins with these ratios: (2:3), (1:2), and (9:16).
- A good description. Your pins should contain a good description of your content. People should know what type of content they will get when they click on your pins. They should also contain at least 1 keyword so that it can be found on Pinterest search.
- Fonts that are easy to read. You will notice that fonts that are easy to read usually end up in the top search results. People want simple things. You don’t want to use fonts that will put any kind of extra pressure on your readers.
- Use simple images. Pins with a lot of space tend to perform better. So avoid adding too many pictures or elements to your pins.
- Use only a few hashtags. Based on my experience, adding 2-3 hashtags to your pins is enough.
Pro tip: If you use Canva, you will be able to create pins relatively fast.
With Canva you will have ready-made templates that will make creating pins really easy.

As you can see, I have ready-made templates which allow me to create new pins in less than 1 minute. Every time I have to create a new pin, I just need to change the wording, colors, and pictures.
5. Create a few boards that are related to your keywords
When you add a new pin, Pinterest will need to understand the pin for you to generate some impressions and clicks.
This is why it’s really vital to add pins ONLY on relevant boards. This will help Pinterest understand the pin better.
The other thing you can do is contribute to Group boards. Group boards are really effective when it comes to extending your Pinterest reach.
You can find relevant group boards on Pingroupie.
Related: How to name your Pinterest boards to get more clicks
6. Create your pins
Head over to your Pinterest profile, and press on “Create Pin”.

Here you will get the option to upload your affiliate pins.

Pro tip: It’s against Pinterest’s Policy to use Bit.Iy, or any link shortener. Just paste your link as provided by your affiliate program.
Now, one thing is really important here:
According to the Federal Trade Commission(FTC), you MUST disclose that your content contains affiliate links. This is to protect consumers from being misled.
So, how can you disclose that your pins contain affiliate links?
Well, there are some ways to do it:
You can add these hashtags at the end of your pin’s description:
- “#affiliatelink”
- “#sponsored”
Or you can even add” This pin contains affiliate links” in the pin’s description.
Make sure to be very transparent with your affiliate links as you can be fined for not doing so.
7. Create a system to add your pins regularly
For best performance is it recommended that you add pins regularly. Adding a few pins per week is not enough especially when your account is new.
The sweet spot is 10-30 pins per day.
This is how your account will really perform at its best.
Now there are 2 ways to do it:
- You can add your pins manually, or
- You can use Tailwind
If you have enough time to add 20-30 pins daily without fail, then you can choose manual pinning.
But…
If you really don’t have enough time, then I will highly recommend you use Tailwind.
When it comes to pinning schedules, Tailwind is the best on the market.
Here is a short video that will explain how to use tailwind effectively.
CREATE YOUR FREE TAILWIND ACCOUNT NOW
Final thoughts: How to make money on Pinterest with an affiliate link
As you can see, the whole process of setting up your account is relatively easy. Once your account starts to get some traction, you will start to earn some money.
The trick is to give your Pinterest account enough time(4-6 months) so that it can reach its full potential.
If you have a blog and want to learn about affiliate marketing, then resources will help you:
- What Are Affiliate Links And How You Can Use Them To Generate A Full-Time Income
- Affiliate Marketing With Pinterest- The Best Guide To Make Money
See you soon!
Thank you for the in-depth post. I found you on Pinterest 🙂 I have had an account with Pinterest for years but never have done much with it until lately and your post about affiliate marketing was very informative and helpful. Such as not to shorten affiliate links.
I had made this mistake on a couple of pins and quickly corrected them. Thank you for the save. YouTube videos don’t share this with you.
Hello Vivian,
I am glad that I was able to help you.
Wish you all the best in your blogging journey.
Best regards