What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Pinterest Affiliate Marketing

What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Pinterest Affiliate Marketing

I still remember the moment I saw someone on TikTok say they were making money from Pinterest without a blog or a product. I was intrigued. I thought: “Wait, so I just post cute pins and get paid?” That was the moment I fell into the Pinterest affiliate marketing rabbit hole.

But if you’re thinking of doing the same — here’s what I wish someone had told me before I started.

What I Got Wrong in the Beginning

I made a lot of mistakes early on. Not because I didn’t care — but because I genuinely didn’t know what I was doing. Here are a few things I wish I had understood:

• I focused too much on aesthetics, not on clicks. Pretty pins are great, but if they don’t get clicked, they’re just...decor.

• I didn’t understand affiliate links or how they actually convert. I thought just posting a product with a link was enough. It’s not.

• I was inconsistent. Some weeks I posted a lot. Other times, I vanished. Pinterest rewards consistency.

• I didn’t niche down. I was posting about everything — outfits, quotes, productivity, journaling. I had no clear brand.

What Actually Helped Me Grow

Once I slowed down and got intentional, things started to shift. Here’s what made the biggest difference:

• Finding a niche that felt aligned. I focused on soft life, productivity, and high-income skills — things I care about and can talk about authentically.

• Using Canva Pro to batch-create pin designs. Game-changer. (Affiliate link here if you have one)

• Writing pin titles like headlines. Think: “Romanticize Your Life in 5 Minutes a Day” or “This One Habit Made Me 3x More Productive.”

• Paying attention to my analytics. I started learning what actually gets clicks — and doubled down on that.

• Signing up for affiliate programs that match my content. For me, platforms like Etsy (for digital planners) and Coursera (for high-income skill development) just made sense.

Tools I Use Now (That I Wish I Used Sooner)

If you're new, here's what I’d recommend:

• Canva Pro – for templates and branding

• Tailwind – for pin scheduling and automation

• Bitly – to track your affiliate link clicks

• Pinterest Trends Tool – to spot content that’s taking off

These tools made it easier to stay consistent and intentional, not just hopeful.

If I Could Talk to My Day-One Self…

I’d say this: Pinterest affiliate marketing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. But it is a learnable skill — one that builds over time. If you can stay consistent, keep improving your content, and create with purpose, the clicks (and commissions) will follow.

Want to Start or Restart the Right Way?

I made a guide of everything I do when posting affiliate pins — from niche selection to call-to-actions. Pinterest Affiliate Marketing Guide

Let’s grow this together.