How To Sell Art On Pinterest: The Complete Guide

Are you ready to learn how to sell art on Pinterest? Hopefully, you’re considering how much Pinterest has to offer:

Pinterest is one of the largest search engines small and large brands use to increase their reach and attract new customers. If you are an artist looking for a suitable platform to promote your art and make sales, Pinterest is the place to be.

Most first-time Pinterest users fail to recognize the marketing power of Pinterest. They think of the site as a social media network, but that’s far from the truth.

By all means, Pinterest is much more than a social media platform where you can build a following. It’s a visual search engine that will bring not only viewers but buyers as well.

Today, I’ll show you how you can start selling your art on Pinterest. You’ll also learn the best practices and strategies to sell more artwork on the platform.

Recommended Read:

Why Should You Sell Art On Pinterest?

Before we move on to how to sell art on Pinterest, let’s cover the why. In other words, allow me to explain why marketing your art on Pinterest is something you must do to take your one-person art business to the next level.

Firstly, Pinterest is a visual search engine. Unlike Google, Pinterest displays images that can take users to articles, online stores, product pages, promotional campaigns, etc. And you’re an artist – what could be more visual than a stunning artwork that people won’t be able to take their eyes off?

Secondly, Pinterest attracts more than 460 million monthly active users. According to statistics, the platform is the 4th most popular social media site in the USA. If that’s not a large enough pool of potential customers, I don’t know what is!

Lastly, most people spending time on Pinterest use the platform to plan a purchase rather than aimlessly browsing. A bit of research will show that over 80% of Pinterest users have purchased after discovering a product on the site.

Do I have to write down more words to convince you that Pinterest is the right place to be if you want to reach a broader audience and build up your online presence?

How about we don’t waste time on that and move on to the reason why you are here, a.k.a to see how to sell art on Pinterest?

What Pinterest Formats Can You Use To Market Your Art?

At the time of writing, Pinterest allows you to pin four different formats. These formats are:

Static pins
Idea pins
Video pins
Carousel pins (a carousel pin is an excellent choice if you have an extensive product catalog)

No matter which format you choose to start with, every single pin has to lead the old or new user to where you want that person to arrive. That might be a blog post (if you own a WordPress website), article, product page, your online store, or even a YouTube video.

There is no need to decide which Pinterest format you should use the most. One thing I learned after using Pinterest for over five years now is that nothing can replace your personal experience of being on the platform and testing things for yourself.

I suggest testing different formats to see which one works best for your business. Also, keep in mind that the different pin formats have different functions and won’t deliver the same results.

For instance, idea pins tend to bring more engagement than static pins. An idea pin that goes viral can deliver your business an audience reach beyond your imagination.

Does this mean you should pin mostly idea pins? No, not at all!

Things will get clear once you get on Pinterest and start testing its waters for yourself!

Related Read:

How To Sell Art On Pinterest For Free: Step-By-Step Guide

First and foremost, you don’t have to pay anything to start selling art on Pinterest. Sure, you can take advantage of Pinterest Ads at some point to boost your artwork sales, but using them is not mandatory to achieve the most engagement:

One of the best things about Pinterest is that your art pins can reach your target audience of potential buyers organically. While that will take some time, it’s also worth the effort.

Isn’t that the perfect situation if your creative business is brand new and doesn’t attract thousands of paying customers yet? After all, it’s always better to keep your costs as low as possible until you can afford to cover larger ones.

Besides, sustaining a business (WordPress site or online shop) has its own expenditures. Your fellow artists starting on Pinterest support one main idea: keeping unnecessary spending to a minimum and dominating the search results on the platform organically.

With that said, let me show you the best way to use Pinterest for artists in 2026 and beyond:

1) Create A Pinterest Marketing Strategy

Unfortunately, most business owners overlook that first step. In my opinion, that’s a mistake:

I can understand the impatience that comes from wanting to visit Pinterest and get started. However, you’re a business owner, and spending hours on Pinterest with no clear vision or valuable insights about what you’re doing there won’t work in your favor.

To avoid wasting time, I suggest spending a day doing some necessary research. During that research, take notes about who your business competitors are on the platform, what their profiles look like, how they name their boards, etc.

As you probably already know, you can’t sell products successfully unless you market them to different types of people. But is your target audience on Pinterest or other social media platforms? Do you know what their interests are? Furthermore, can your target audience afford your artistic work?

Having answers to these questions will help you tremendously once you start showcasing your art on Pinterest. Good preparation has never hurt anyone!

2) Create A Pinterest Business Account

how to sell art on Pinterest create a business Pinterest account

Assuming you’re reading other articles that cover how to sell art on Pinterest, some of them will most likely tell you that it’s OK to convert an existing personal Pinterest account to a business one.

However, I don’t think you should use a personal account, and here is why:

Even if you have a personal Pinterest account, the pins that fill its boards are probably all over the place. Unless each pin on such an account is about the available pieces of art you’re trying to sell, don’t convert that account.

It’s better to start fresh and create a brand new Pinterest Business Account that will accommodate only art-related pins. You want to show Pinterest that you’re on that visual platform to benefit your business, and you’ll operate as a creator and not a consumer.

Most importantly, a business Pinterest account comes with perks, including Business Analytics and many powerful tools for creators.

So, take the first step right now and register a Free Business Account. You can’t use a phone number (the only contact information Pinterest needs is your email address).

Next, apply for Rich Pins (business owners on the platform must use rich pins).

What if you insist on connecting your business website to your personal Pinterest account?

While that’s not a great way to benefit your creative process and art website through the platform, you can leave your existing pins in Secret Boards that the thousands of weekly Pinterest users won’t see.

3) SEO Optimize Your Pinterest Profile

Earlier, I mentioned that Pinterest is a visual search engine. It won’t come as a surprise that you’ll need to do SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on the platform then!

Ensuring that you add relevant keywords to your Pinterest profile and description is one of the first things to do for your business. You’re on the platform to sell art, and the detailed information under your profile must reflect that.

Now, how do you find keywords to add to your business profile? Is writing down queries in the search bar like art, artwork, or home decor enough?

Of course, that’s not enough – the keywords you’ll place on your profile depend on your area of business.

What kind of artwork do you sell – abstract, acrylic, watercolor, or fluid? Furthermore, do you create portraits or landscapes? Most importantly, do you sell original art you’ll ship to clients or digital art prints they can download?

Whatever the answers to these questions might be, add their relevant keywords to your Pinterest business name and description.

4) Create SEO-Optimized Pinterest Boards

Let’s get this straight – creating 20,30, or even 40 boards in one day is not the best place to start – you don’t want to overwhelm Pinterest.

You can begin with five boards and expand later on. If you create abstract art, you can name your first boards Abstract Art, Abstract & Acrylic Paintings, Abstract & Oil Paintings, etc. (you get the idea).

One of the easiest ways to choose the best Board Titles is by looking at the autocomplete results when typing keywords on Pinterest. The best part of such a Pinterest content strategy is that you can easily see already optimized similar boards with relevant names for each art-related board.

Should you start pinning product pins or pins that contain a direct link to your blog posts as soon as your boards are ready? Well, not so fast:

Since you’re a new account, Pinterest doesn’t know your business that well. In my experience, it’s better to pin a good number of other people’s pins before you start uploading your own. That will teach the platform what your boards are all about.

5) Start Pinning Consistently

pin consistently to sell your original art

Let me get this one out as fast as I can:

If you want to know how to sell art on Pinterest, I can give you one essential answer to focus on in this complete guide: stick to a consistent Pinterest strategy when it comes to your pinning activity.

Pinning one art product image once in a while will not deliver satisfying results (or any results, for that matter). Finding success on Pinterest is all about spending time on the platform daily and strategically pinning your artwork pins.

Here is a clear path to follow to enhance the performance of your pins:

Should you provide detailed pin descriptions and a clear text overlay to ensure the best user experience? Yes, you should, but that’s not all:

You can use the best marketing tools, join the most active Group Boards, and provide the best shopping experience potential customers on Pinterest could ask for. However, that won’t be enough to make the best of your time on an excellent platform such as Pinterest if you aren’t pinning consistently.

What do you mean by applying a strategy during the pinning process?

Pin a mix of your pins and third-party pins. Next, avoid pinning the same image to multiple boards. Also, follow Pinterest’s best practices and stay informed about any changes happening on the platform, like algorithm updates.

Things change on Pinterest – what may have worked years ago does not work any longer. So, pay attention and test different strategies until you find what works best for your art business.

How To Sell Art On Pinterest FAQs

Do People Sell Art On Pinterest?

You can start selling art on Pinterest by creating a business account and uploading art product images (pins) that will lead to your own website or eCommerce platform.

Pinterest is a San Francisco-based tech company that operates as a visual search engine and additional platform that thousands of artists use to promote their art and increase product sales.

How Much Does It Cost To Sell On Pinterest?

Selling art or any other products on Pinterest is free:

Users can create Pinterest business accounts and begin selling products or services on the platform without paying anything.

Can You Sell Directly On Pinterest?

Yes, you can sell directly on Pinterest by connecting your online store to a Pinterest business account – that will turn your artwork into product pins.

What Sells Best On Pinterest?

At the time of writing, the most popular products and items you can sell on Pinterest are:

Digital downloads (planners, checklists)
Paintings and other original art
Bathroom decor
DIY crafts and handmade products
Shoes, bags, accessories

Final Say

Did this article explain in detail how to sell art on Pinterest? I hope so:

Marketing and offering your art for sale on the platform is worth the time and effort. Most Pinterest users are not only viewers but buyers as well.

And you should take advantage of that to take your art business to the next level!

What questions do you have on today’s topic?

Is there something you don’t understand or need additional help with?

I’m here to assist you in any way I can, so let me know in the comments section below if you need me for further clarification on the subject of selling art on Pinterest.

Related Articles: