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Not sure if you have heard but Pinterest is making its way to the blogging scene. When I first started blogging about personal finance in 2016, I kept hearing about Pinterest and how it can really help your blog. I already knew about Pinterest as a user but I never thought Pinterest marketing could help my blog income grow over 600%!

What makes Pinterest so great?

Pinterest is the 2^nd or 3^rd largest search engine…that’s right…search engine! It is not another social media platform. Being the introvert that I am, I was so excited to hear this. It was definitely a game changer for me. Since engagement is not needed for success on Pinterest, there is one less thing for me to stress about.

There are over 150 MILLION active Pinterest users; 70 MILLION are in the United States alone. I was shocked when I heard those numbers. The Pinterest market is HUGE! How could I not try Pinterest for my blog to build traffic, gain exposure, and increase affiliate sales?

So I tried it….and failed.

I had no idea what everyone was raving about when it came to Pinterest marketing. I mean, I tried it once and it didn’t work so obviously it wasn’t for me. At the time, I was only making pennies on my blog…PENNIES. I didn’t want to waste more time on something that wasn’t going to help. Well, I was wrong. Once I started using the full power of Pinterest marketing my blog traffic and income GREW!

Side Hustle

I currently have 2 side hustles: blogging and Consulting. And yes, Pinterest marketing has grown both of my side hustle incomes but I am just going to focus on blogging income.

I have chosen affiliate marketing as my main source of blogging income. Affiliate marketing is when I refer a product or service to my readers which leads to sales for the business I referred. In return, I will get a small commission from the business that generated sales from my efforts.

If you have ads on your site, the extra traffic you get from Pinterest could increase your ad revenue. I don’t use ads on my site at the moment but I can see how Pinterest will be a big generator for ad revenue.

My Pinterest Marketing Strategy

Now that you know about Pinterest and my side hustle, I am going to show you how I use Pinterest to increase my side hustle income. I created a Pinterest Sales Funnel. A sales funnel is the various steps a person can take to buy a service or product on your site.

Let’s face it, I never bought something from a blogger who I never heard of. A sales funnel is a way for readers to get to know me. Not everyone who starts the funnel will end with a sale and as side hustlers, we already know that. Since Pinterest reaches a wide audience, there are many people who will start your funnel multiple times and that’s great! The more they see you, the more they will begin to trust you and buy from you.

Like I said, I don’t sell my own personal products, I sell products (that use myself) from other companies. I will never recommend a product that I don’t use or trust, which is a part of the trust building process with my readers.

Now let’s talk sales funnels. Can I show you my sales funnel?

My Pinterest Sales Funnel

My traffic generated from Pinterest goes through this sales funnel. This is the Pinterest marketing sales funnel I use that has boosted my affiliate marketing income. It’s simple and easy, feel free to steal it if you need a sales funnel!

First, my traffic comes from Pinterest via the reader clicking on my Pinterest image. Pinterest images must be clean, readable, and eye-catching. Below is my top performing pin image on Pinterest. Not very eye-catching but it’s working 🙂

After the click thru from the pin image, the reader is lead to my blog content then they have the option to opt-in to my email list. My email list is where readers can learn more about me and build trust with me. Once they build that trust, then they will feel comfortable purchasing from me.

Debunking Pinterest Myths

Since Pinterest is not a social media site, it does not function as a social media site. Here are the myths I have come across while learning Pinterest.

Myth #1: You need lots of followers to get a lot of views.

FALSE: Here is my proof. I only had about 300 followers when my maximized my Pinterest profile. As you can see, I reached over 100,000 people and had over 5,000 engage with my pins. Not too bad for 300 followers…

Myth #2: Pinterest is only for women.

FALSE: Although the majority of the target audiences on Pinterest are women, that is changing every day. 50% of new Pinterest users are men! So guys, don’t count out Pinterest just yet for your blog or business.

Myth #3: Images are the only important part of Pinterest.

FALSE: Although images are a big part, they are not the only important part. Making sure your descriptions are captivating and rich in keywords is very important too. As you can see from above, my pin image is not the best image I have ever seen (or even made) but my description is helping to boost it into other pinners views. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to make good looking pin images.

Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform. Gaining exposure on Pinterest will not happen overnight. Putting in the work consistently will gain the traffic you are looking for which will increase your sales.

If you are looking for some extra help with Pinterest, check out my services here. I can get you started using Pinterest, review and audit your account, or become your monthly account manager. Review my services and see which will work best for you.

Pinterest Consultant Services

Are you using Pinterest for your business or blog? If so, do you like it and how is it going?