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One of the best features that Pinterest is currently offering is the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program. This program is unique and makes Pinterest a great place for creators. Unlike many social media monetization features, the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program rewards ideas and creativity rather than follower count.
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What Is Pinterest’s Creator Rewards Program?
In a nutshell, the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program is a new program where Pinterest will pay creators for Idea Pins. It allows creators to earn money in a way that feels really achievable since Pinterest pays you based on realistic engagement and ideas rather than follower count or views. It’s been going since the end of last year, but it’s been rolling out in beta access and isn’t available to all eligible creators yet.
Pinterest Creator Rewards Program Requirements
Right now you do have to fulfill some requirements to be invited for creator rewards, and if you’re eligible, you can get access. Note that I didn’t say apply. You must wait for an invitation once you fulfill the requirements.
The access distribution and timing of your entry into the rewards program isn’t exactly known right now, but it reminds me a lot of how other platforms roll out their features– eventually everybody has access! It just takes time.
The requirements are:
- You are a US-based creator who currently lives in the United States
- You have a US-based bank account
- You are over 18
- You have 250+ followers
- You have created at least 3 Idea Pins in the last 30 days
- Your Idea Pins have had 150+ saves in the last 30 days
Some of these requirements are new. In one way, Pinterest has been making it easier for creators to join the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program. Originally, you had to have 1000 followers, but that was reduced to 250.
But in another way, it’s a little more challenging. During the launch of the Creator Rewards Program, the requirement for saves didn’t exist. Pinterest really wants good Idea Pins that offer value! And Pinterest measures value by engagement. Saving is one of the measures what tells Pinterest that a piece of content is good.
You’ll know if you’re invited to the program when you see a new tab in the creator hub– the earn tab. If you’re eligible for the program, you’ll be prompted to add your payout information. Once you have that up, it’s time to start creating.
A Strategy for New Creators
Pinterest isn’t rewarding creators for a high follower count– which makes sense, because remember, Pinterest isn’t social media. People come to Pinterest for inspiration, looking for things to do, try, and buy– and that means that Pinterest’s most important metric is active engagement. Content that gets engagement with is most likely high quality content! Views are great, but saves are better. So what can a new content creator do?
It’s simple, really. Come in, create content, and give value. Nothing is more important than giving value, especially in your Idea Pins. People like content that teaches them something– that’s where they find value.
You can encourage saves within the Pin, too– it’s a really easy tactic! If you give value and remind people to save the Pin, they’ll think to themselves “Oh, I’ll need this later…” and they’ll save that Pin!
How Does It Work?
Every month, Pinterest launches new goals that creators can use as prompts. Because this is such a new program, the goals are still experimental and their scope– and the rewards they can earn– are pretty variable from month to month. Pinterest is currently focusing on a way to reward creators that encourages value but still lets them expand the program to more creators.
Goals can range from a certain amount of saves per Idea Pin, or a certain amount of Idea Pins created per month on a topic of Pinterest’s choosing. For example, you might see a goal that offers a $25 dollar payout per Idea Pin on a topic, with a bonus of $2 per save, and that goal might have a cap of $1000.
Be aware that this isn’t an effortless process, and you do have to put in some work. You have to make unique Idea Pins– you can’t just repurpose your TikToks or content you’ve made for other platforms! I’ve seen some creators claiming that they have made money through repurposed video… but I know that’s not true today.
Every single pin submitted to the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program is evaluated, and they can be rejected if there’s anything like a sound or watermark from another platform, or just a single page idea. These pins don’t get rejected or approved right away– it takes time.
Some creators may have made money this way right away when the rules were being developed. But just like everything else about Pinterest, the PCRP evolves. They have tweaked the rules as the program has developed, and nothing is set in stone.
Pinterest is actively connecting with creators to see what does and doesn’t work with the program. It’s a really cool way for content creators to get rewarded for their creativity and effort, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the future!
Make sure to grab the free guide I’ve created for you about the Pinterest Creator Rewards Program here.
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