How to Sell on Pinterest: Complete 2025 Guide

Pinterest is a place where people find and save ideas and inspiration for a new project—or a big purchase. These user habits help Pinterest predict upcoming trends, providing valuable insights to businesses on the platform.

With more than 570 million monthly active users, Pinterest isn’t the largest social platform in the world. It’s uniquely valuable for brands looking to get noticed: 80% of Pinners say they have purchased something they found on Pinterest. And Gen Z Pinners, a growing user base on the platform, are more likely to shop online than non-users.

Pinterest isn’t just a valuable marketing tool for brands trying to reach younger shoppers. It’s also a powerful social selling channel. Ahead, learn how to sell on Pinterest, sync your online store, and get the most from the social media platform’s shopping features. 

Why sell products on Pinterest?

Pinterest is an ideal platform for selling products online for a few important reasons:

Pinterest shopping statistics and user behavior

With more than 1.5 billion pins saved across more than 10 million boards, Pinterest users are curating their dream lives, wardrobes, and homes on the platform. This creates huge potential for ecommerce brands selling products in those categories. In fact, four out of five users say Pinterest helps them plan for the future, and that includes splurging on luxury items that bring those plans to life. 

One in three Pinterest shoppers earn over $100,000 a year and are 27% more likely to buy premium products than shoppers on other platforms. But there’s room for brands both big and small. In fact, 96% of top searches are unbranded, meaning people aren’t looking for a specific label—they’re looking for the right idea, and that idea could easily be your product. 

Pinterest is a product discovery channel

Eighty percent of weekly Pinners are inspired by the shopping experience on Pinterest. Brands that display their products with the right targeting can reach eager buyers. When users click on Pinterest’s search bar, popular and tailored search ideas help them discover new products faster:

It has a distinct audience

If your target audience skews toward younger women, your brand should be on Pinterest. The majority of Pinterest users fall into the 25- to 34-year-old age group, but adoption is growing among Gen Z users, who now make up 42% of the user base. Pinterest also stands out because of its gender demographics: Globally, almost 70% of users identify as female. Keep in mind, each region’s demographics may differ—be sure to research the user base in the countries where you sell.

Pinterest offers paid ads

Adding Pinterest ads to your paid social media marketing strategy means getting even more targeted with your Pinterest marketing efforts. Brands that advertise on Pinterest earn double the return on ad spend compared to other social media networks.

Access robust audience insights

Pinterest provides clear and detailed insights about your audience with Pinterest Analytics, which helps you understand what content performs well, who’s interested in your brand, and what else they’re interested in. Explore your account’s audience for a breakdown of Pinterest demographics, including location, gender, and age. 

Pinterest shop features and capabilities

Brands with a business account can upload their products using the Catalog feature. Merchants who do so earn five times more impressions than brands that don’t add products. Another option is Pinterest Try On, which uses augmented reality (AR) to let shoppers to “try on” products before buying.

Pinterest integrates with your other channels

Connect your Shopify store to Pinterest to publish pins, sync product catalogs and inventory data, run ads, and track your store’s performance. The Pinterest Shopify app is free and quick to install.

Stay on top of emerging trends

Each year, Pinterest predicts upcoming trends. At the end of 2023, Pinterest revealed 80% of its predictions were accurate. Trend forecasting is a valuable resource for new brands or businesses aiming to develop new products.

How to set up a Pinterest business account

To start selling on Pinterest, you’ll need a Pinterest business profile. Your business account gives you access to the Pinterest Ads platform, allows you to set up profiles and permissions for staff, and lets you integrate your online store to use shopping features.

There are three ways to create a Pinterest business account:

• Create a new account from scratch.
• Add a business profile to your existing account.
• Convert your personal account to a business account.

Create an account from scratch

1. Visit the Pinterest website.
2. In the top right corner, click on “Sign up.”
3. Click on “Create a business account.”
4. Enter your email, new password, and birthdate.
5. Click on “Create account.”
6. Follow the instructions on the next few screens to build your profile and describe your business.
7. Click “Done” and proceed to the business manager to complete additional details.

Add a business account to your existing profile

If you already have a personal Pinterest account, you can create a new business account using your professional email and attach it to your existing account. Follow these steps:

1. While logged in to your personal account, access the menu in the top right corner of the screen. 
2. Select “Add account,” then choose “Create a free business account.”
3. Follow the instructions from the previous section to complete the process.
4. After you create your new account, you’ll be able to toggle between the two by accessing the menu in the top right corner of the screen.

Convert your personal account to a business account

If you’ve already built an audience with your personal account and it’s a fit for your business, you can convert your personal account into a business account to retain your posts and followers.

Here’s how to do it:

1. While logged into your personal account, access the menu in the top right corner of the screen. 
2. Click “Convert to business.”
3. Follow the instructions on the next few screens to build your profile and describe your business.
4. Click ”Done” and proceed to the business manager to complete additional details.

Note: You can reverse this change later if you choose to convert back to a personal account and create a separate business account.

How to get started selling on Pinterest

There’s more than one way to start selling on Pinterest. 

Pinterest shop setup options

There’s more than one way to start selling on Pinterest. 

Product catalogs

You can upload your product feed to Catalogs by installing the Pinterest tag on your website. For larger retailers, use the Pinterest API to create and manage your catalog. This is an advanced option that requires technical expertise.

Product tagging in pins

Tag specific products in lifestyle images or videos so users can click through and shop what they see. This is ideal for content-driven sales or showcasing products in real-life settings.

Rich pins

Enhance your regular pins with real-time product info pulled from your website (like price, availability, and descriptions).

Pinterest Shopping Ads

Promote your product pins to reach new audiences, retarget interested users, and drive traffic to your site. 

How to sell on Pinterest with Shopify

Link your Shopify store with Pinterest to promote your products directly. While you can manually add the Pinterest tag to Shopify, as described above, using the Shopify Pinterest integration is a simpler approach.

The Pinterest Shopify app simplifies syncing your online store and inventory with your Pinterest account. Using this integration, you can quickly publish product pins, create ads with a free credit, and track performance with the Pinterest tag. Your product catalog will automatically update as you add or remove products from your website.

To connect: Go to the Shopify App Store and find the Pinterest Shopify app. Click “Install” and follow the prompts to set up the integration. 

Alternative monetization methods

Pinterest’s store options aren’t the only ways to make money through the platform. Here are some additional ways you can turn your pins into profit. 

Pinterest Creator Fund

Pinterest offers financial support, brand partnerships, and training opportunities to creators through its Creator Fund. Participants get access to strategy sessions, editing tools, and promotional support across Pinterest. It’s especially useful for growing your presence, particularly if you’re an underrepresented voice. 

Affiliate marketing 

You can add affiliate links to your pins and earn a commission when someone clicks and makes a purchase through your unique link. Just make sure you disclose your affiliate partnerships clearly to stay in line with Pinterest’s policies. 

Brand partnerships and sponsored Pins

If you have an engaged audience and a consistent visual style, you can land sponsorships with companies that pay you to feature their products in branded pins or idea pins featuring their products. 

Digital products and services

Even if you’re not selling physical products, you can still drive traffic to digital offers like online courses, memberships, templates, or professional services. 

Tip jar or creator support tools 

If you’re regularly posting free content, consider linking to a tip jar (like Buy Me a Coffee or Ko-fi) or including a “support me” link in your profile. 

9 best practices for selling on Pinterest

1. Brand your Pinterest account
2. Focus on high-quality visuals and content
3. Use Pinterest catalogs
4. Organize content into Pinterest boards
5. Use rich pins
6. Explore pin formats
7. Master Pinterest SEO
8. Try Pinterest Ads
9. Leverage user-generated content and influencers

Ready to make your first sale on Pinterest? Here are some tips to help you make the most of your Pinterest account and reach your target audience. 

1. Brand your Pinterest account

Treat your Pinterest profile as you would any other place your brand shows up. Be sure your bio, username, business name, and avatar follow your brand guidelines and accurately describe your business. 

These steps legitimize your business and help you earn confidence with Pinterest users looking to buy a product like yours. This example from Bushbalm uses clear, engaging copy and visuals to instantly show a visitor what the brand is about. 

Verify your business profile

Go a step further by becoming a verified merchant. To qualify for the Verified Merchant Program, you must have a business profile, products that meet platform guidelines, and a Pinterest account that’s been active for 13 months. 

Advantages of the program include a verified badge on your profile, merchant value tags, and access to additional shopping features like pricing and availability information on every product pin. 

In this example from Doe Lashes, “Asian-owned” and “Personal touch” are value tags available to the brand through the verified program.

Tip: Pinterest’s business blog offers useful tips to help you thrive on the platform. Alongside its Pinterest Predicts report, it also publishes color trends to guide your creative direction.

2. Focus on high-quality visuals and content

Pinterest is a visual search engine, which means high-quality product visuals—photography, video, and graphics—are digital marketing essentials for this channel. When users search for products and ideas, eye-catching images grab their attention.

Pinterest recommends the following for pin creative:

• Vertical images work best at a 2:3 aspect ratio, ideally 1,000 pixels by 1,500 pixels.
• Include your logo or other brand signals (this is especially important on Pinterest Ads).
• Add a caption, call to action, and link to every pin.

Succeeding on Pinterest demands a creative and visually appealing approach, even if your products aren’t visual. Users build boards around moods and aesthetics, so make sure your visual content is inspiring rather than overly salesy.

For example, Caraway includes products in an aspirational lifestyle photo that could live on any dream kitchen board.

3. Use Pinterest catalogs

Pinterest catalogs are the platform’s main shopping feature. Catalogs let you upload your store’s products into pins along with pricing, availability, and a direct link to buy. These are called product pins. 

Product pins also get priority placement at the top of searches. In this sample search for “running shoes,” you can see a row of product pins labelled “Shop running shoes” above the rest of the results.

How to qualify for Pinterest catalogs

Pinterest catalogs are available to business accounts with a claimed website and business practices that meet Pinterest’s requirements, including a compatible shipping policy, return policy, and accessible contact information. You also need a data source for your products—if you’re a Shopify merchant, this would be your Shopify store.

4. Organize content into Pinterest boards

Pinterest boards function like folders or categories for your collection of created and curated pins. Organize your boards so users can easily browse and engage with your content. Boards can also boost your visibility in search if you optimize them for search terms relevant to your brand (more on that later).

Here’s a sample of boards by Le Creuset. They include educational content like recipe ideas, as well as brand-relevant content, like how to properly care for Le Creuset products.

Tip: Move pins between boards using the bulk organizing feature in Pinterest. This is an efficient way for busy business owners to manage multiple pins at once, especially useful for campaigns, promos, and seasonal collections.

5. Use rich pins

Rich pins automatically sync with your website’s content data, then display that information for users. There are three types of rich pins:

• Article pins: Article pins include the headline or title, description, and author of the article or blog post.
• Product pins: Product pins include pricing, availability, and product information.
• Recipe pins: Recipe pins include the title, serving size, cook time, ratings, diet preference, and ingredients.

While you’ve already learned about the benefits of product pins earlier in this article, other types of rich pins can strengthen your social marketing strategy. For example, food brands can engage and inspire potential customers by posting recipes that feature their product. 

Here’s an example from Olipop:

Note: Rich pins are especially valuable because they update automatically. If you update the information on your website, the changes appear in your rich pins too.

6. Explore pin formats

Collections pins group related products together. When a user clicks on a pin in a collection, they can easily shop for similar or related products from your store. This is a great way to introduce Pinners to your brand. You can also promote collections pins and convert them to a collections ad. 

Try on product pins use augmented reality (AR) technology to let Pinterest users virtually “try on” products directly on the platform. To use this feature, you must have an enabled business account and catalogs. It currently isn’t available in all markets.

Video pins can help bring your brand to life. As with other social media platforms, video is an increasingly popular format on Pinterest. Rather than reusing your TikTok strategy, experiment with video content and discover what resonates most with your audience. Later in this article, you’ll learn about several types of Pinterest video ads you can use to promote your brand.

Shop the look pins

Instead of showcasing just one item, “shop the look” pins let you tag multiple products in a single image, so users can shop an entire look at once. 

For example, if you post a pin of someone modeling an outfit, you can tag the shirt, trousers, shoes, and bag. When someone clicks, they’ll see all the individual items laid out, with links to buy each one. 

Collections and Try On features

Collection pins combine a large hero image with smaller product shots below, so users can browse your range without leaving the pin. They’re great for showing off multiple products under a theme, like “Summer Essentials” or “Gift Ideas Under $50.” 

Pinterest’s Try On feature brings 2D product catalogs to life. Powered by augmented reality (AR), it lets users virtually try on products or see what products will look like in their real-life environment. 

7. Master Pinterest SEO

Investing in search engine optimization (SEO) for Pinterest can boost visibility and traffic to your page and website. Keywords are crucial to Pinterest SEO, since the platform acts like a visual search engine. The higher you rank, the more people can discover your content, engage with your pins, and ultimately discover your products.

Pinterest keyword research

You can use external keyword research tools to develop your SEO strategy, but Pinterest also offers a built-in keyword tool. You can access this tool through the Ads platform by creating a campaign and choosing “Conversion” as your business goal. Enter keywords associated with your brand to see search volume and discover related keywords.

Find words and phrases relevant to your products and pins by using the Pinterest search bar. Pinterest automatically suggests search queries based on historical search data. Typing a simple term into the search bar can also give you ideas for relevant long-tail keywords.

Optimizing pins for search

Once you’ve chosen your keywords, it’s time to put them into action. Take a look at what types of content people are looking for on Pinterest by reviewing top search results. This guides you in choosing the best images to attract your audience. 

You can then optimize:

• Pin titles. Keep titles clear, descriptive, and keyword rich. Think like a user. For example, instead of “my latest blog post,” try something specific like “10 easy weeknight dinners under 30 minutes.”
• Descriptions. You’ve got up to 500 characters, so make the most of them. Include your primary keywords naturally, along with context. 
• Alt text. Though not visible publicly, alt text significantly boosts accessibility and SEO. Use it to describe what’s visually in the pin. 
• Board titles and descriptions. Make sure your boards are clearly named and add keyword-rich descriptions to help Pinterest understand the type of content you’re sharing.
• Image file names. If you’re uploading custom graphics or photos, rename the file before you upload it (e.g. “boho-bedroom-inspiration.jpg” instead of “IMG_4482.jpg”). 

See how Pair Eyewear uses descriptive text, keywords, and hashtags to optimize its pins:

“Pinterest is this strangely powerful hidden tool that I don’t think a lot of people are using," says Dan Blacklock, founder of BoxThrone. “When you do a Google image search, a good 20% of the photos that show up are from Pinterest, at least from my product. That matters a lot in SEO.”

8. Try Pinterest ads

Pinterest ads are available to business accounts and can be a valuable marketing channel for your brand. There are several types of Pinterest ads you can use depending on your content, products, and goals: 

• Promoted pins look like regular pins but include a “Promoted by” tag above your username.
• Showcase ads are carousels that let you display multiple images, each one linking to a different page on your website. 
• Quiz ads are dynamic ads that allow you to poll your audience directly within the pin. This is a great way to personalize the experience and direct users to different pages, depending on their responses. 
• Shopping ads are designed to promote products to your target audience and can be formatted as a static image, video, or collections ad.
• Premiere spotlight is a newer format that shows edge-to-edge video in search and home feeds on mobile, capturing attention quickly. 

Again, if we look at search results for “running shoes,” you can see organic results mixed with promoted pins from JD Sports, Amazon, and GIESSWEIN.

When you create ad campaigns, you can target customers based on audiences from email lists, demographics, and location. To create even more targeted and effective campaigns, consider adding interests and keywords. To get started with Pinterest Ads, navigate to “Create campaign” from the main menu on Pinterest.

9. Leverage user-generated content and influencers

Sometimes your best Pinterest content is the content already being created by your customers. 

Re-share real customer photos of your product (always with permission, of course) to get a steady stream of fresh visuals and show potential buyers that real people love what you offer. 

You can also partner with Pinterest-friendly influencers. Look for creators whose style and audience align naturally with yours and work with them to create branded idea pins, tutorials, hauls, or styling guides that feel authentic to the platform. Bonus points if they’re already creating content that performs well on Pinterest. 

Track and analyze Pinterest performance

Pinterest Analytics provides valuable insights into how your account, pins, and ads are performing. You can also view specific metrics for your product pins.

Pinterest’s analytics let you switch between organic and promoted content to measure results separately. Various filters allow you to segment the information by date range, device, and type of engagement. You can even explore specific pin performance metrics for deeper insights. Additionally, learn about trends and audience insights by exploring the links in the left navigation bar.

Note: In addition to Pinterest Analytics, you can track the performance of your product pins directly in your Shopify dashboard by using the Pinterest app for Shopify.

Platform considerations and time investment

Pinterest can be a powerful tool for traffic and sales but, like any platform, it works best when you approach it strategically. 

To see meaningful results on Pinterest, you need to consistently share high-quality content people want to save—and buy. 

Here’s a general guide to what your content calendar might look like: 

• Pin creation: Aim forthree to five new pins per week (or more, if you’re promoting multiple products or blog posts).
• Scheduling and posting: Spend 30 to 60 minutes per week, planning and scheduling pins with social media tools like Tailwind or Pinterest’s native scheduler. 
• Keyword research and trend checks: Set aside 15 to 30 minutes per week to make sure you’re staying relevant. 
• Analytics review: Once per month, look at your numbers to see what’s working. 

You might also consider what team roles you’ll need. You’ll likely work with a content creator or designer to create the visuals; a social media manager to handle scheduling, keyword optimization, and posting; a copywriter for descriptions; and a photographer for getting those all-important high-quality product shots. 

The beauty of Pinterest is that it’s not as fleeting as Instagram or TikTok. Sometimes pins gain traction months after you post them, which means the time you invest now can pay off in the long run. 

Aim for: 

• Three to five new Pins per week to start 
• Fresh images for each piece of content 
• Seasonal planning one to two months in advance 

Turn Pinterest users into loyal customers

There are two important things to remember when selling on Pinterest: it’s a visual platform, and it operates more like a search engine than a social networking platform. Your Pinterest content should be visually engaging, targeted to your ideal audience, and optimized for relevant keyword searches.

Once you’ve attracted your target audience, make it easy for them to buy by taking advantage of Pinterest’s shopping features. Integrating Pinterest with your online store via the Pinterest Shopify App makes it easy to sync your product catalog to the platform. With this setup, you’re ready to turn pins into purchases!