Influencers on Pinterest recently lost a financial incentive. The platform ended its Creator Rewards program on Nov. 30, 2022.
Originally designed to increase pins around engaging elements, the program’s premise used monthly prompts — and cash bonuses — to inspire creators to post themed Idea Pins. The pilot program was launched only a year earlier, with the payment and criteria for creators changing as the beta phase evolved.
When the Creator Rewards program ended, Pinterest paid one-time bonuses to creators who participated in at least one reward goal in any of the three previous months. The company did not disclose how much it paid in bonuses or how many creators were involved in the Creator Rewards program.
The Pinterest Creator Fund
Separate from Pinterest’s Creator Rewards program, the Creator Fund was launched in April 2021 to support the growth and success of underrepresented creators. People of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities can apply to get expert training, resources and a financial grant. More specifically, participants chosen to be Creator Fund members receive:
- Hands-on training, like how to make Idea Pins, capitalize on Pinterest trends, or measure campaign success, at a four-week workshop
- Personalized consulting to boost their creative strategies
- $25,000 grant in cash and ad credits
The first Creator Fund class was a success both subjectively and objectively. Not only did participants express their gratitude for the program, but cohort participants saw:
- 2.9 times more Idea Pin impressions
- 72% more monthly viewers (compared to their previous performance)
- More than 24,000 new followers (combined)
The Creator Hub is only accessible on mobile devices, so you’ll need to ensure you’re using the Pinterest app.
Other ways to make money on Pinterest
Although the Creator Rewards program didn’t pan out, there are other ways creators and influencers can get paid on Pinterest using Idea Pins.
These multi-page format pins feature up to 20 pages of videos, images and text in a single Pin. Creators can customize the colors and fonts in their Idea Pin, including the background color, and add stickers, tag products, or use text overlay.
Tag Idea Pins with affiliate links
When you post an Idea Pin, you can search and tag any product to make it shoppable for your audience. By tagging Idea Pins with affiliate links, you can earn a commission when someone clicks on your links and shops.
How much commission you earn will depend on the agreement you’ve set up with external merchants or programs, as Pinterest isn’t part of these affiliate agreements.
Idea Pins feature a watermark displaying your user name, and you can share some Idea Pins on other social networks, such as Instagram or Facebook.
Tag Idea Pins with the paid partnership tool
Another way to make money on Pinterest is to partner with brands.
Using the app, follow these three steps under the Advanced Settings menu:
- Make an Idea Pin.
- Add the paid partnership label.
- Tag your partner brand.
Once the brand you’ve tagged approves the request, their brand name will show up on your Idea Pin. If a brand promotes your idea pin as an ad, your reach will be boosted to even more people.
Creators can’t promote Idea Pins themselves if they include a paid partnership; only brand partners can. If the paid partnership is removed from an Idea Pin ad, the ad will be sent to the Archive folder in Ads Manager.
As with the affiliate links, Pinterest will not facilitate payment for the brand partnership. You’ll need to work directly with brands to settle on the terms of your payment and how it will be processed.
There are several reasons an Idea Pin may not be promotable. These include:
- The Idea Pin includes music.
- The Idea Pin includes stickers.
- The max width videos feature Portrait mode videos.
- Pins include a paid partnership. (Only brands can use Idea Pin ads to promote these pins.)
- Max width video Pins attempt to use objectives other than the awareness and video views objectives.
Ready to start creating Idea Pins that are engaging for your followers but also likely to appeal to brands? Consider these five ideas:
- Create a step-by-step tutorial.
- Curate a collection of products.
- Create a new recipe with guided instructions.
- Tell a story with a mix of media.
- Showcase a DIY project with branded materials.
Although the Pinterest Creator Reward program has ended, other programs are worth pursuing if you’re a content creator on the platform. To learn more about making money on Pinterest as a creator, consider joining the Pinterest Creators page. You can also sign up for the creator newsletter, sharing news about product launches and emerging trends while providing inspiring content ideas.
