How To Use Amazon Affiliate Links On Pinterest
If you’re on social media (or pretty much any platform), you’ve probably seen the “passive income” hack of publishing Amazon Affiliate links on Pinterest. While it’s technically true that you can use your links, there’s a lot of thought and know-how behind whether you should and how to use them.
This post was originally dedicated to sharing how you could add affiliate links to your Idea Pins, but with the removal of Idea Pins, we’re bringing it back to the basics. In the past, Amazon would NOT allow you to use your affiliate links on Pinterest (or at least solely on Pinterest), and your Amazon Associates account would be banned.
So, what’s the truth behind how to use your Amazon affiliate links on Pinterest? How do you get started, and how do you make the most of them?
What to Know About Affiliate Marketing on Pinterest
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you won’t make millions adding affiliate links on Pinterest (it’s actually more achievable to work to create and sell a digital product, but more on that later).
Anyways, affiliate marketing on Pinterest is typically done by creating blog posts or landing pages for the product in question and creating a pin and pinning it on Pinterest. This method brings in the potential to share your links/content on other platforms (and work on your website’s SEO) and earn more.
If you’re creating a pin and adding your affiliate link directly to it, you should always disclose that you’re using an affiliate link and check with the program’s rules or terms of service to see where (and how) you’re allowed to share your links.
Are Amazon Affiliate Links Allowed on Pinterest?
Here’s where things get tricky. According to Pinterest, Amazon affiliate links are allowed and won’t get caught in the Pinterest spam filter — Pinterest wouldn’t say this if they didn’t have some type of deal worked out with Amazon.
BUT, in the Amazon Associates agreement, Pinterest is NOT listed as an accepted social network for promotion:
“We currently only accpet the following social networks (including open group pages and fan pages, but excluding personal pages), Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tik Tok and Twitch.tv. your application must clearly list your social media page’s exact URL (do not list the social network URL only: e.g. ‘facebook.com’, ‘instagram.com’.)”
Amazon Associates Program
Amazon also won’t explicitly say that their affiliate links are NOT allowed on the platform. Now, from what I’ve witnessed and experienced, Amazon does allow their links on Pinterest in moderation.
Essentially, only some of your traffic/sales should come from Pinterest, not all. You should have additional platforms for promotions to diversify your earnings (like a blog).
How to Add Your Amazon Affiliate Links to Your Pinterest Pins
There are two different methods of adding your Amazon affiliate link to your Pinterest pins. The first method is for video pins, and the second method is for pretty much every other type of pins (standard pins, collage pins, and carousel pins).
Here’s how to add your links for both ways:
How to Add Your Amazon Affiliate Link to Your Pins
Technically, this method applies to ALL your Pinterest pins since every pin can use a URL. For this method, you’re going to add your Amazon Affiliate link where you would put your website URL.
Your Link is located beneath your description, and above where you choose the board to your pin is added. It looks like this on desktop:
It will look like this on your mobile (mine is in dark mode, but yours will look the same in light mode, just light obviously):
This method does not automatically add a disclaimer on your pin so you will need to add it in your description and, if you want to cover all your bases, as a small text on your pin graphic.
How to Add Your Amazon Affiliate Link to Your Video Pin
You can use the method above, but for your video pins, you can also add your Amazon Affiliate link as a sticker. This method is only possible in your mobile app!
First you need to create a new video pin and then, once it’s uploaded, you’ll see a button to add “stickers” that you’re going to click on.
Next, you’re going to add a “product” sticker to your video pin:
You’ll need to “use a link” rather than search pins.
Add your Amazon Affiliate link, but it has to be the shortened version! Your full version will not register. When you add your link, it will automatically show up as a sponsored or affiliate link in the selection area. You should see something similar to this:
You will need to choose a product image to proceed to publishing your pin. After that, it moves forward exactly as you would publish any other type of pin to your account!
What Happens Next?
Check your analytics, watch your account grow, and continue to work on your Pinterest marketing strategy (and create amazing content). When you’re affiliate marketing, it’s important to stay updated on your program’s rules and regulations regarding when and where you can share your links.
Make sure to check back every few months for an update on the rules and remember that everything works best in moderation. You can still get removed from both Amazon and the Pinterest platform for spammy and scammy behavior.
And, if you have any other questions about Pinterest and Pinterest Marketing, I cover some of my most-asked in this article filled with Pinterest FAQs.
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