Pinterest and Affiliate Marketing: What Some People Don't Tell You
Have you been researching information about Pinterest and affiliate marketing? It's possible that you've come across a lot of videos on platforms like TikTok or YouTube, where creators are sharing tips and tricks on how to get started with Pinterest and affiliate marketing.
While I will say that much of the content is exemplary and can be helpful for beginners as well as affiliate marketing pros, it's essential to know that there is such a thing as "too good to be true" in the Pinterest world as well.
As I said, I've seen a lot of really valuable content out there, but I've seen just as many videos sharing tips that would make someone believe that you can generate money quickly by using Pinterest for affiliate marketing and that all you have to do is share your affiliate links.
When it comes to Pinterest, the words quick and money don't go in the same sentence. Affiliate marketing is allowed on Pinterest; you just need to keep in mind the user experience you provide and follow the community and advertising guidelines set out by Pinterest.
Get ready to take some notes as I share some insights and help you understand some best practices for using Pinterest for affiliate marketing.
Pinterest and Affiliate Marketing: Everything You Should Avoid
We'll dive into the positives in a minute, but if you want to do affiliate marketing the right way with Pinterest, you need to know what you should avoid doing.
Here's what you should NEVER do.
Take videos from other creators and upload them to Pinterest with your affiliate or product links.
Share the same affiliate link excessively.
Send direct messages to other Pinterest users with your affiliate links.
Not disclose paid partnerships or affiliate links. This is a big no: you should always disclose your affiliate partnerships.
Sharing content that's misleading. This is also a big no!
Pins promising results that are unrealistic and or deceptive pins where you tell your audience you made money with the help of a specific platform when it's not the case.
This list could go on. Let me share the links to the community and advertising guidelines, and you'll learn more about the dos and don'ts of affiliate marketing on Pinterest.
Image source: Pinterest community guidelines.
Using Pinterest to Help With Your Affiliate Marketing the Right Way
As a creator or brand that wants to promote affiliate products and services on any platform, you should think about what content you can create to help your potential buyers understand why they may need this product or service.
Many affiliate marketers have blogs, YouTube channels, or even podcasts where they can take the time to present their affiliate partnerships as solutions for the needs of their community.
In addition, many will create useful content, such as masterclasses and guides related to a specific problem their ideal customer would have, and they introduce the affiliate offers as a solution.
Simply creating various pins that link directly to your affiliate products isn't the best way to generate affiliate income.
If you share the same link too often, you risk crossing that line where it'll be seen as spammy, and that's not good in the Pinterest world.
Whether you have a website or not, there are ways to be helpful and, at the same time, help you increase your affiliate marketing sales.
Here are some effective ideas for promoting your affiliate products.
Guides & eBooks
Create a PDF guide or eBook where you introduce a solution to a problem. This will look different depending on your niche and your products. Within your guide, introduce your affiliate product as the solution. You can then promote your guide on Pinterest.
Blog content
You can also create a series of blog posts that answer the most common questions related to the solution your affiliate product offers. Use a tool like Answer the Public to find what people are asking online.
Based on your findings, start blogging and, within your blog posts, introduce your affiliate products as the solution. Blogs are great when it comes to Pinterest because you can create so many pins just for one blog.
Leveraging buyer-psychology
Try different variations of your titles, trigger words, and descriptions to analyze what works best. Trigger words are various words that you add to Pinterest pin graphics to help drive more engagement.
If you're curious about learning about Trigger words and winning pin title formulas, you'll want to check out my timeless pin success masterclass.
Social media promotion
Next, you want to create content on social media where you help your community by answering some common questions in the niche that represents your product. You can actively introduce your affiliate products in your content as well.
When you create video content, you can share this content on Pinterest as well. Talking vertical videos where you educate your audience can be really helpful on Pinterest. You can send traffic to relevant blog posts, guides, products, and your other social media platforms as well.
Keep sharing
Share content (on any platform and in any format) on the transformation you have experienced with the products you are promoting. This is really important to build trust with your community.
Other social proof content like testimonials is also key. Sharing screenshots of income and other wins is okay when you have actually made this revenue from the platform you are discussing and have receipts to back this up.
Be honest
It's important to remember that being misleading on any platform is not okay. For example, if you earned a specific amount from an email marketing campaign or from Instagram, and then you are sharing screenshots of income claiming that you have made this revenue from Pinterest, you are not being truthful.
Many countries have regulatory bodies that hold brands accountable for their marketing practices, and creators or freelancers may not realize this, but they aren't just there for big brands; everyone needs to follow the rules.
It's a Business: Your Pin Designs Matter
Another big mistake I see when it comes to Pinterest and affiliate marketing is the lack of effort for pin designs. The quality of your pins matters, and so does the optimization of your account. Heck, the entire setup of your Pinterest matters for your success.
Let's face it: we're not all designers, and that's okay. Find templates on a design tool like Canva that you really like and play around to test different variations.
What's great about video content is that you don't need templates. This is true for videos where you talk and educate your audience; simply optimize your video with captions, and you're good to go. You can also use the Pinterest mobile app to add a title in the first few seconds of your video.
I see a lot of content where an affiliate product is shared as-is, and the graphic is so small and just has a photo of a product on it, and you really can't expect to earn income if Pinterest users don't even know what they are looking at.
So, it goes without saying that the overall experience you provide your community, your consistency, and the setup of your affiliate marketing business will make a difference. Your will to succeed can also significantly impact your success with Pinterest and affiliate marketing.
I've seen what the platform can do for bloggers and affiliate marketers who understand that if you follow the guidelines, optimize your content, and give it time, it can pay off.
If you're a blogger, entrepreneur, or brand looking for feedback on your Pinterest account, book a video audit below. Book a discovery call if you're looking for a Pinterest strategy or monthly management.