Pinning to Profit: Influencer Marketing on Pinterest

Content for this blog post was gathered from Influencer Marketing Hub, Open Influence, and Anastasia Blogger. 

Image courtesy of Unsplash.

It’s 10:30 p.m. on a Wednesday towards the end of April. You have just gotten home from a long day of work and class. Still needing to prepare for your marketing capstone presentation this week, you should open your textbook and prepare materials for the presentation. Instead, you decide to take a few minutes to yourself and scroll through Pinterest for “business casual outfits” to find inspiration for your outfit! While scrolling, you might not know the impacts that Pinterest could have on your future career goals! You have always considered Pinterest as more of a low-key, visual platform, but not as popular as your mainstream social media platforms. What if Pinterest could be your gateway to a successful career in social media marketing? Pinterest is most likely not your first thought when it comes to influencer marketing, but it turns out to be a powerful search engine with huge potential for aspiring professionals. Let’s dive into how Pinterest influencer marketing works, its value in the market, and how you can use it to launch your social media influencer career! 

More Than Just a Mood Board 

Pinterest is not like TikTok or Instagram, where virality is fleeting. Instead, it functions like a visual search engine. The algorithm on Pinterest rewards users for creating evergreen content, basically meaning that a pin you post today could still drive traffic months from now (Open Influence). 

Pinterest is unique in the sense that its users behave uniquely on the platform. Unlike the passive scrolling that takes place on Instagram, Pinterest users are often scrolling with an intent of some sort. This could be something as simple as “meal prep for students” or more specific topics like “affordable business casual outfits for the office.” This intent while scrolling makes Pinterest an optimal place for marketers, especially if their brand or business falls into a specific niche like lifestyle, fashion, wellness, education, etc. 

Pinterest is definitely an underutilized platform that could be important in the development of a brand or the promotion of a business. A broad platform that has the potential for people wanting to add an extra side hustle, or even some sort of affiliate marketing internship.  

The Rise of Pinterest Influencers 

By definition, a Pinterest influencer is someone who creates visually engaging, searchable pins that drive traffic to blogs, YouTube channels, online stores, or affiliate links. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest influencers are often not household names, as you don’t need millions of followers to be successful. This is great news, especially for students who are looking to build that digital footprint (Anastasia Blogger). 

Pinterest influencers create content that aims to provide inspiration or solve the consumer's problems. For example, “10 study hacks for college students” or “Healthy dorm meals.” Both of these posts would also contain a link to a blog post or affiliate site that would generate income and lead to building authority in their desired field. The easy access to the platform makes Pinterest an extremely approachable platform for beginners. There is no professional camera equipment or professional editing skills needed. You just need to have a creative brain to write engaging pin titles and design clean visuals using Canva or Adobe, to create a frame of influence. 

Do Brands Like Pinterest Influencers? 

Like mentioned above, Pinterest might not have the same hype as TikTok, but it does deliver consistent return on investment (ROI). According to Open Influence, Pinterest users are 70% more likely to engage with new products, and 90% are more likely to make purchase decisions based on what they discover on Pinterest. It is one of the only platforms that is very intentional about movement in the user journey from discovery to action. 

Brands want to work with Pinterest influencers because of the connection they build directly with users. Most users of Pinterest are already in a mindset to discover a product, learn more about a product, or buy. Pinterest ads flow seamlessly into a user’s search experience. Pinterest has an extremely unique conversion funnel and can set you and your brands apart if utilized correctly. Being able to showcase the tangible benefits and data that Pinterest provides to brands is important to present when choosing to invest in Pinterest influencers. When comparing Pinterest influencers to influencers on other platforms, the consistent ROI and unique buyer's journey makes Pinterest an unbeatable option for businesses. 

Real-Life Influencers to Inspire Your Journey 

Influencer Marketing Hub produced a list of the top Pinterest influencers. Names like Joy Cho (Oh Joy!), and Christine Martinez have built strong, full-fledged brands from their pinning strategies (Influencer Marketing Hub). While there are several veterans on the platform, Pinterest also opens the door for smaller influencers to make a statement on the platform. This can include student bloggers, side-hustle bloggers, and even Etsy shop owners who already have a unique audience. They all continue to build a niche audience group through consistency and high-value pinning. 

Joy Cho has taken her success on Pinterest and run with it! Amassing over 15 million followers on the app, she goes beyond pinning just pretty images. She is a known trendsetter in home decor, parenting, and overall lifestyle. Joy uses Pinterest as a launching pad and shows dozens of brands how much power the platform can have. With several product collaborations under her belt, Joy continues to partner with major retailers and brands like Target and Band-Aid. Her story and success on Pinterest show just how powerful consistency and storytelling can be (Influencer Marketing Hub)!

How to Get Started 

The best part about Influencing on Pinterest, you don’t have to wait until after graduation. You can begin right now by following a few simple steps that will help launch you into success on Pinterest. Check out these other blogs on The SMMU to see how you can start a successful brand on Pinterest.  Focusing on consistency and clarity will help get you a head start on optimizing Pinterest to its full potential. 

Wrapping It Up 

So next time you hop on Pinterest, looking for the outfit inspo or your next DIY project, remember the powerful tool that you are utilizing! Pinterest is more than just a space for pretty pictures, it's an ever-changing platform to help your voice stand out and give you a new opportunity to be creative. Whether you're preparing for your presentation or just building your personal brand, Pinterest is a low-barrier way to practice real-world marketing skills. Looking into how top Pinterest influencers have built empires on the platform should be an inspiration and open your eyes to the same possibilities that Pinterest can provide for you! Pinterest is not as flashy or fast-paced, but giving Pinterest a chance could open your world to your next big opportunity in influencer marketing. 

Disclaimer: No AI was injured in the production of this content. AI (ChatGPT) was used as a tool to supplement, enhance, and make suggestions in writing this blog post.

References

Anastasia Blogger. (n.d.). How to become a Pinterest influencer & make money in 2023. Anastasia Blogger. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://anastasiablogger.com/blogging/pinterest-influencer/

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Mar 18 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/

Open Influence. (n.d.). Pinterest influencer marketing: What you need to know. Open Influence. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://openinfluence.com/pinterest-influencer-marketing/

Influencer Marketing Hub. (2023, October 4). Top 20 Pinterest influencers you should follow. Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://influencermarketinghub.com/top-20-pinterest-influencers/