Today I’m sharing a detailed guest post from Leah about how to make money with Pinterest. She runs a successful side hustle and explains exactly how she did it.
What if you could earn meaningful side income by doing something you already enjoy—something you do almost every day—and that hardly feels like work?
What if you could generate reliable extra income by, well, spending time on Pinterest?
That’s exactly what I did, and in the following post I’ll explain not only why Pinterest can be profitable but also how I turned it into a dependable source of income. If you’ve ever asked, “Can you make money on Pinterest?,” this article will show you how.
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My name is Leah, and I run the travel and lifestyle blog The Sweetest Way. Over the past two years I built a steady side income working as a social media consultant—specifically a Pinterest consultant.
Yes—I make money from Pinterest.
I’ve helped top travel bloggers grow their audiences, increase monthly page views dramatically, and become influential on Pinterest through account management services. I’ve also coached many bloggers and small brands in one-on-one consulting sessions to help them leverage the platform to grow traffic, leads, and sales.
Honestly, this career path surprised me. Before I started my travel blog, I wasn’t skilled in social media and never expected to earn money from it.
But after launching my blog I realized I wanted location independence and needed an immediate income source while building my business. An opportunity came up to manage a well-known travel blogger’s social accounts with a focus on Pinterest. I dove into learning how the platform works for business and quickly saw strong results.
Those results led to more clients, referrals, and the ability to turn this skill into a reliable side income that supports my location-independent lifestyle while I grow my blog.
Today I provide Pinterest account management and strategy consulting for bloggers and brands who want more visibility, traffic, and conversions. New clients still find me regularly through referrals and my reputation—proof that establishing authority matters.
Pinterest consulting has not always been my only income, but it was once my primary source. If I needed to boost earnings, I could quickly sign additional clients. That flexibility and stability have been invaluable.
I also genuinely enjoy helping people design the lifestyle they want, and I love Pinterest—so this work feels rewarding as well as profitable.
Below are the exact steps I followed to develop my Pinterest consulting side hustle and make money from the platform. You can follow these same steps to start monetizing Pinterest yourself.
How to make money on Pinterest
Step 1: Gain the experience to monetize Pinterest
First, understand how everyday users interact with Pinterest. As a long-time user I analyzed my own habits:
- What makes me notice a pin
- Which content I’m drawn to
- What compels me to click through to a website
I stopped viewing Pinterest as a social network and started seeing it as a visual search engine and content discovery tool. That user perspective was crucial to learning how to market effectively on the platform.
Next, I learned how businesses benefit from Pinterest—beyond traffic, the platform helps capture leads and drive sales for physical and digital products. It also builds brand awareness and engagement. With these goals in mind, I researched successful accounts and tested strategies to see what worked.
Training programs, tutorials, and observing top-performing accounts helped. But the most important learning came from testing and refining techniques on my own business account. Trial and error is the best way to discover what works for a given niche and algorithm.
Managing an additional friend’s account early on accelerated my learning, but even managing your own account will provide enough experience to begin monetizing.
Step 2: Build authority
Once I had tangible results, I needed people to view me as an expert. I created an in-depth how-to guide on my blog titled “Pinterest for Travel Bloggers: An In-Depth Guide to Help You Drive Traffic Like a BOSS.”
I shared everything I’d learned and included examples and analytics that demonstrated the improvements I achieved using those techniques. The post performed extremely well, sparking conversation and social shares that reinforced my credibility.
Giving away detailed advice may seem counterintuitive, but it worked: readers who implemented the strategies validated them publicly, while others who lacked time or expertise sought my paid help. That post became a lead generator for consulting clients.
Guest posting, answering questions in relevant forums, and participating in niche Facebook groups or Reddit threads also helped establish my authority and attract potential clients.
Step 3: Land your first client
The first client is often the hardest. I promoted my consultation service at the end of my how-to post and linked to a page outlining what clients receive, along with proof of results like screenshots from my analytics.
You can also use online marketplaces or forums to list services. When starting out it can help to price competitively until you gather testimonials. Don’t forget to tell friends and family—word of mouth often produces the first paying clients.
Step 4: Get your second and third clients
After a satisfied first client, referrals helped me secure additional work. I also mentioned my services when networking in person—at conferences, meetups, and while traveling—and participated actively in blogger and digital nomad Facebook groups.
Consistently delivering great results and promoting yourself in multiple channels will keep your pipeline full.
Step 5: Diversify your offerings
Early on I turned away potential clients because they didn’t want my fixed monthly package. Instead, I learned to adapt my offerings to match differing budgets and needs—without undercutting my value.
Some clients want full account management; others only want pin designs or a one-off strategy session. Offering multiple service tiers—retainers, hourly consultations, or single projects—allows you to serve more clients and increase revenue.
Be flexible with service formats and deliverables, but don’t undervalue your expertise.
Step 6: Promote consistently
Marketing shouldn’t stop once you have clients. Always keep promoting your services: maintain visibility on your website, social channels, and in relevant communities. Keep a waiting list of potential clients so you can reach out if your capacity changes.
A steady stream of prospects keeps your business resilient if a client leaves or your availability changes.
Recommended reading: How To Make Money on Pinterest: 5 Real Ways
What I earn as a freelance Pinterest consultant
My pricing evolved as I gained experience. My first client—who was a friend—paid $10 per hour. Later I offered monthly account management packages, typically in the $100–$400 range depending on services included. For those packages I generally worked 3–4 hours per week, which translated to roughly $18–$25 per hour. I charged $69 per hour for one-on-one Skype consultations.
Combining these services, I’ve earned up to $1,500 in a single month from my Pinterest side hustle. As a digital nomad living in lower-cost countries, that income covers a significant portion of my living expenses alongside blog earnings.
With the right mindset and strategic planning, anyone can turn a skill—or a hobby like using Pinterest—into a profitable side business. If your goals include earning more, paying off debt faster, saving for travel, or eventually replacing a 9–5, Pinterest consulting is a realistic option.
Can you get paid from Pinterest?
I hope this article helped you understand how you can make money with Pinterest. There are many income paths: create images for businesses, earn through affiliate marketing, work as a Pinterest virtual assistant, offer strategy consultations, and more.
What do you think of this Pinterest side hustle? Are you interested in learning how to make money with Pinterest?