Pinterest is a great medium for sharing ideas and products with people around the world.
However, if you’re posting affiliate links to earn money, you need to know how to disclose affiliate links on Pinterest while following a set of rules and Pinterest guidelines.
Sharing affiliate links on Pinterest allows you to recommend a service or product to your followers to purchase and when they do it, you get paid a commission from the vendor’s side.
This post will highlight the right way of disclosing affiliate links or referral links on Pinterest. Let’s get right into the details straight away!
How Do You Disclose Affiliate Links On Pinterest?
Many marketers struggle with how they can disclose affiliate links correctly. If you are linking a pin directly to an affiliate link, add #affiliate or #promotional to the description and if you are using affiliate links in a blog post, make sure to add a disclosure right at the beginning of your blog post or in your blog sidebar.
When you disclose affiliate links, use language that is clear and understandable. So, in this case, writing “This is an affiliate link,” “aff link,” or “aff” might not be enough. The chances are that your audience doesn’t know the meaning of these terms, which makes your disclosure meaningless.
Make sure that the users who land on your link after clicking your pin on Pinterest know that you actually get compensated when they will purchase a product or service. Don’t worry, you are more than free to tell them that there will be no additional cost for them.
You can also use the term “sponsored” in the description, but the safest option is to disclose your connection with the link in some detail. So instead of writing “affiliate link,” you could write, “This is an affiliate partner, and I receive a commission on every purchase.”
For blog posts and online articles, you should aim to place the disclosure before the reader goes through the entire content. You could place it right after the introductory paragraph or you could place it immediately after your featured photo.
Some marketers feel that disclosing affiliate links reduces their credibility and try to hide it or place it where the viewer might not notice. The truth is, when you disclose an affiliate link, you are actively informing your followers how you are earning through them, which in turn fosters their trust in you.
So instead of placing your disclosure far away from your affiliate links, keep them both in close proximity. The idea is to remove any chances of your reader or viewer missing the link disclosure.
Here’s an example of how you can disclose your referral links on Pinterest:
Do you have to Disclose Affiliate Links on Pinterest?
Affiliate link disclosures aren’t just aimed at keeping your followers informed about your affiliation but are a mandatory practice by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This means that you are required by the law to disclose any link that you earn a commission from. The scope of the law extends to other marketing techniques like endorsements and sponsorships as well.
Pinterest link disclosure policies are closely aligned with the rules of FTC, so regardless of the marketing program you use, you must disclose if you are using affiliate links on Pinterest.
Why should you Disclose Affiliate Links on Pinterest?
While it is required by law, there are other reasons that justify the use of appropriate affiliate links disclosures.
- Disclosures are mandatory, which means that you are likely to get into trouble with the law if you don’t follow FTC rules and regulations. A reader/ viewer may take legal action against you, causing you money and your reputation as a marketer.
- When you disclose affiliate links, you encourage business practices that are fair and ethical. Every marketer gets an equal chance to earn through links when buyers experience standard disclosures across different mediums.
- An important reason for disclosing affiliate links is to create a relationship that your audience can trust. When you don’t inform the buyers that you are getting something in return from the links that they use, you are, in fact, taking undue advantage of their following. That’s something that nobody would appreciate.
- Pinterest users will like your content even more when you are honest with them. The actual thing that’s going to matter is the value that your create for the audience.
When you encourage transparency in your posts and pins, your readers/ viewers feel more confident about your product choices and ethical values.
Does Pinterest Block Affiliate links?
Back in 2015, Pinterest announced that it would block affiliate links as spammers were abusing them. However, that’s not the case anymore. With a robust spam detection system in place, Pinterest now allows all affiliate links so that users can benefit from affiliate marketing using the platform.
You are free to add several pins with affiliate links to your Pinterest boards. However, you cannot place affiliate link pins on group boards without the express permission of the board owner. Additionally, avoid using shortened URLs (pretty links) as Pinterest filters them out.
Tips for Disclosing Affiliate Links Professionally on Pinterest
When you are disclosing affiliate links, it helps to keep in mind the purpose of your disclosure– to inform readers/ viewers that you are earning something in return from the links. Although the method of disclosing links is relatively straightforward, there are a few tips that make you stand out as a professional marketer.
1. Use Clear Language
When you use complex language, it can confuse potential customers and drive them away. The idea is to avoid using any jargon such as “pay-per-click” or “sponsored” that the general public may not be aware of. Instead, write clearly, using trigger words that immediately let the reader know that you receive compensation from your links.
Using clear language promotes transparency and makes you look like a professional.
2. Disclose Proactively
Besides the legal implications of non-disclosure, you can also add value to your customer’s experience by stating your intentions clearly.
For example, if you are getting paid for a review on Pinterest, you should specify that clearly on your post. Not only is it ethically correct, but it also builds the buyer’s trust in your product recommendations.
If you place links on several pages, you should add an affiliate link disclosure to ensure that the buyer knows the compensation you would get in return.
No matter how insignificant your return is on an affiliate link, it is always better to add a disclosure anyway.
3. Write Disclosure in Plain View
Since you want to guarantee transparency, place your disclosure links where the reader/ viewer can see it clearly. Choose a font color and size that is easily readable, and don’t be sneaky about adding your affiliate disclosures in hard-to-reach places.
Always mention links on top of your posts and pins so that the buyer can view them immediately without having to look around for them.
In Conclusion
Pinterest is where people come looking for ideas and inspirations, and you can add so much value to their overall experience with product links that they’d love. So while you add those links to your Pinterest board, make sure you disclose every affiliate link correctly.
Non-disclosure of affiliate links can land you in legal trouble and make you lose followers you worked hard to earn. So please stay safe and act like a professional when it comes to disclosing affiliate links responsibly.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and if you have got something to share, please use the comments section below.
