I know that LTK (formerly RewardStyle) is an integral part of your content creator/ blogging business, and it’s been fun to help our clients strategically sell on Pinterest and add to that passive income stream. This works for whatever affiliate marketing platform you’re on. We work most frequently with Amazon Associates, Collective Voice (formerly ShopStyle) and (LIKEtoKNOW.it), but I’ll be phrasing this post to specifically talk about LTK & Pinterest.
I’ve said this maybe 3 billion times, but Pinterest isn’t just another social media platform—it’s a powerful visual search engine. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, Pins remain discoverable for months (even years) after posting, giving your LTK content long-term exposure.
The customer journey of a Pinner is very specific: they want solutions, inspiration or tutorials > they go onto Pinterest’s home feed > they search via broad keywords and get more detailed based on what Pinterest shows them > they scroll until they find something that catches their eye or that has text overlay that speaks exactly to their intended search > they click the Pin to see it larger > they click the pin to get the valuable information.
They do not know the content creator or blogger that makes that valuable information, they just know what information they want and once you provide that to them: they shop. Since Pinterest users are cold to you, they care more about information you can provide them than you. LTK posts do not provide the same information or connection. There are not enough characters in that post to warm up new people. That is why promoting blog posts that contain affiliate links on Pinterest is my #1 recommendation for making more money on Pinterest.
The other reason is that I will always recommend you point people to the part of the internet you own. Pinterest sends traffic to where you link for years and years. If LTK disappears or changes its links or does something drastic, you’ll lose that traffic. When you have it linked to your site, you’ll get that traffic forever AND you can convert how you need.
When a new user comes to your website for “10 Fall Dresses to Wear to a Wedding,” for example, you can do the following:
If you direct to LTK, you can:
See the difference? Let’s get into how to make the content creation process quicker when it comes to creating LTK posts that you know will be pins one day.
My favorite way to explain things is with an example so that we can more clearly understand the workflow for creating LTK posts and Pins in a strategic, efficient way. Let’s say you’re a fashion blogger that has an outfit you want to share.
Now that one outfit becomes 3 LTK posts and 3 pins.
Pinterest recommends a 2:3 aspect ratio (e.g., 1000 x 1500 pixels). This size ensures your Pins stand out without being cut off in feeds. Use this size for both your lifestyle photos (outfit photos, skincare line up, etc.) and your custom, branded Pin graphics. If you automatically do this for LIKEtoKNOW.it, you’re more quickly able to repurpose it to Pinterest.
When creating graphics to promote your LTK post further use Canva to create Pin templates that you can reuse. Make sure your design includes:
Your Pin titles and descriptions should include keywords that match what your audience is searching for. Leave out brand names and other specifics that might narrow down your audience too quickly. Think about what they would be searching for where your content would be the solution. For example:
Make sure to link directly to the LTK post you are promoting. You don’t want to add too many steps between the Pin and the sale.
A product tag is directly adding a product or an affiliate link onto Pinterest so that it provides a quicker route to the checkout page. I don’t find them to be extremely successful, but I have heard from people at Pinterest that they are prioritizing content with product tags. It’s something they push so I feel it is worth continuing to test on a smaller scale. If affiliate sales is your #1 priority and you do not have a blog, then I think it’s certainly worth testing linking to the LTK post vs. tagging the products.
Below is what it looks like to tag products on your static pins:
When you instead include an LTK link in your pin (or schedule that out via Tailwind), it looks like this instead:
If you want to make this even more successful then create a blog post that includes the affiliate links inside. This blog post should have value and ways to connect with the cold audience that comes from Pinterest. Reread my rant above if you forgot why blogging and Pinterest are a perfect match.
Now that one outfit becomes…
Make a roundup blog post with LTK outfits for that season, an occasion, with an article of clothing, etc. Doesn’t have to be intense to be a blog post that Pinterest users will be interested in clicking on. They love roundups like “10 summer vacations outfits,” “5 ways to wear flare jeans,” “6 simple brunch outfits,” etc. This gives every individual outfit inside even more of an opportunity to be found and shopped.
Seasonality matters on Pinterest. Plan your content 60-90 days in advance. For example:
Use trending keywords and themes to boost discoverability. The Pinterest Trends tool is a great way to find out when specific keywords historically peak in your niche. We also send weekly Pinterest trend reports to our Pinterest for Bloggers newsletter subscribers. These include growing trends so you know what’s on its way up.
Pinterest Analytics provides insights into Pin performance. When looking at affiliate content that you’re posting on Pinterest, you want to measure both the analytics on Pinterest and the conversion insights on LTK .
On the Pinterest side, focus on:
On the LTK side, focus on:
Pinterest is a powerhouse for bloggers and LTK creators. By optimizing your Pins, using the right keywords, and strategically linking to your LTK shop or affiliate-heavy blog posts, you can drive consistent traffic and increase your affiliate income. If you need support monetizing Pinterest and growing your Pinterest presence? Book a discovery call with us!
Pinterest recommends a 2:3 aspect ratio (1000 x 1500 pixels) for static Pins and similar dimensions for video Pins. This ensures your Pins appear correctly on mobile and desktop.
Include product-specific phrases like “comfortable summer dresses” or “home organization hacks” as well as how-to phrasing like “how to wear flare jeans with boots” to answer the searches users would be typically looking for. Pinterest’s search bar can be a great way to research what people are looking for when it comes to the products you’re recommending.
Yes! I think we have established that is so possible, and in fact, a great way to repurpose your content more strategically. Try it out!