[JOURNEY] Growing my Pinterest Network | Goal : 1500€ Monthly

1. Who is IsmaelTop?

IsmaelTop is a guy living in France (spending one-fifth of his time in the Philippines), who joined the forum in 2017. With years of experience on Pinterest, he has built a network of 7 websites linked to Pinterest accounts, primarily earning money through AdSense (Google advertising), Amazon Affiliate (Amazon affiliate marketing), and is currently trying Ezoic (an AdSense alternative ad network). He increased his earnings from €368.99/month (~10.6 million VND, Feb 2025) to €888.65/month (~25.7 million VND, Mar 2025) and is targeting €1,500/month (~43.5 million VND) in 2025.

IsmaelTop

• Background: Joined BlackHatWorld in March 2017, 61 posts, 91 interactions. Lives mainly in France, speaks French and English, spends one-fifth of his time in the Philippines (hires a virtual assistant there).
• Style: Extremely persistent, willing to experiment (AI, new tools), shares detailed information, openly answers questions on the forum. Does almost everything himself, only started hiring a VA (Virtual Assistant) in March 2025.
• Current Achievements (as of May 2025):
  • Pinterest: 7 accounts, 3 main ones (Decoration, Gardening, Education), 4 new ones (US-targeted, English). Website 1 (Decoration): 62k outbound clicks in 30 days; Website 2 (Gardening): 23k clicks; Website 3 (Education): 19–20k clicks.
  • Revenue: €888.65/month (March 2025) (~€592.71 AdSense/Ezoic + €92 affiliate Website 1, €133.77 AdSense Website 2, €70.17 AdSense Website 3).
  • Audience: Mainly French-speaking (France, Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland, Algeria); currently expanding to the US (English).
  • Expenses: ~€50/month (AI tools, hosting, domain, Canva, Publer, VA ~5h/week).
  • Profit: ~€838.65/month (profit margin ~94%).
  • Goal: €1,500/month (~43.5 million VND) in 2025, expand to 7 websites, try Mediavine Journey (premium ad network) for US traffic, increase affiliate earnings.

What Did IsmaelTop Do?

IsmaelTop uses Pinterest to drive traffic to his websites (WordPress blogs), monetizing through AdSense, Amazon Affiliate, and recently Ezoic. Each website targets a specific niche like Decoration, Gardening, or Education, publishing content regularly (3 posts/day/website) using AI (DeepSeek, ChatGPT, ZimmWriter). He creates 7 pins for each post, schedules them using Publer.io (social media management tool), and optimizes keywords based on Pinterest trends. Traffic primarily comes from Pinterest Search, targeting a French-speaking audience, and he’s currently experimenting with English to attract US traffic.

IsmaelTop’s Journey

• 2017–2020: Created 2 Pinterest accounts (Decoration, Gardening), but they were mostly “dormant” (low activity). Tried multilingual blogging (German, Spanish, Italian), but got little traffic and abandoned it.
• 2020–2023: Managed the Decoration account, posted manually, earned ~€100/month from AdSense. Tried group boards (Pinterest group boards), but they weren’t effective.
• 2023–2024: Started getting serious, created Website 3 (Education), used AI (ChatGPT) for content writing, and Recraft (AI image generation tool) for pins. Achieved 41k outbound clicks (Website 1), ~€300/month (AdSense + Amazon).
• Feb 2025: Publicly shared his journey on BlackHatWorld, revenue at €368.99/month (€342.96 AdSense + €5.03 Amazon for Website 1; €9.27 AdSense for Website 2; €11.73 AdSense for Website 3). Increased pins (63 pins/day), tried Mediavine Journey, but RPM (revenue per 1,000 impressions) was low (~$0.46).
• Mar–May 2025: Hired a VA (5h/week) to manage Websites 4–5 (English), tried Ezoic (RPM ~€6.32, higher than Mediavine). Revenue reached €888.65/month (March 2025), Website 1 hit 62k clicks, Website 2 hit 23k clicks. Websites 4–5 are still “stuck in the sandbox” (a period where Pinterest limits traffic to new accounts).

Why is IsmaelTop Aiming for €1,500/Month?

• Real Need: In France, €1,500/month (~43.5 million VND) is a stable income, enough for comfortable living and further investment (opening a physical store in April 2025).
• Potential Market: Pinterest has 500 million monthly users (2025), 80% female, aged 25–44, interested in Decoration, Gardening, and Education. The French market is less competitive than English.
• Existing Skills: Knows WordPress, AI (ChatGPT, ZimmWriter), pin design (Canva, Recraft), speaks French/English.
• Low Costs: ~€50/month (hosting ~€10, domain ~€5, Canva ~€10, Publer ~€10, VA ~€15).
• Rapid Growth: From €368.99 (Feb 2025) to €888.65 (Mar 2025), an increase of ~2.4x in 1 month, proving the model’s viability.

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2. How Does IsmaelTop Make Money? How Much Has He Earned?

IsmaelTop earns money via Pinterest by driving traffic to his websites, where he places AdSense, Ezoic, and Amazon Affiliate links. Traffic comes from Pinterest Search, leveraging trending keywords (like “DIY Easter centerpiece,” “summer outfit”). AdSense/Ezoic are the main income sources (~90%), with affiliate marketing supplementing (~10%).

Income Sources

• AdSense/Ezoic (~90%, ~€796.65/month, March 2025):
  • Website 1 (Decoration): €592.71 (Ezoic, RPM ~€6.32).
  • Website 2 (Gardening): €133.77 (AdSense).
  • Website 3 (Education): €70.17 (AdSense).
  • Total: ~€796.65/month.
• Amazon Affiliate (~10%, €92/month, March 2025):
  • Website 1: €92 (€38.96 in Feb 2025, increased due to optimized CTA – Call to Action).
  • Websites 2–3: ~€0 (affiliate not yet optimized).
• Total Revenue:
  • Feb 2025: €368.99 (€342.96 AdSense + €5.03 Amazon Website 1; €9.27 AdSense Website 2; €11.73 AdSense Website 3).
  • Mar 2025: €888.65 (~€592.71 Ezoic + €92 Amazon Website 1; €133.77 AdSense Website 2; €70.17 AdSense Website 3).
• Growth:
  • Feb 2025 → Mar 2025: Increased ~2.4x (€368.99 → €888.65).
  • Website 1: Clicks increased 41k → 62k, revenue increased €342.96 → €684.71 (~2x).
  • Website 2: Clicks increased 8k → 23k, revenue increased €9.27 → €133.77 (~14x).

Operating Costs

• Initial (2017–2023):
  • Hosting: ~€10/month (assuming Hostinger).
  • Domain: ~€5/year x 3 websites (~€1.25/month).
  • Canva (pin design): €0 (free version).
  • Internet: ~€10/month.
  • Total: ~€21.25/month.
• Current (2024–2025):
  • Hosting: ~€10/month (7 websites).
  • Domain: ~€5/year x 7 (~€2.92/month).
  • Canva Pro: ~€10/month.
  • Publer.io: ~€10/month (pin scheduling).
  • ZimmWriter (AI content writing): ~€5/month (assuming cheapest plan).
  • VA (5h/week): ~€15/month (Philippines, ~€0.75/h).
  • Internet: ~€10/month.
  • Total: ~€62.92/month (~€50 rounded).
• Total Costs (2017–May 2025):
  • 2017–2023: ~€21.25 x 72 months = ~€1,530.
  • 2024–May 2025: ~€50 x 17 months = ~€850.
  • Total: ~€2,380.
• Cost Savings:
  • Using AI (ZimmWriter, Recraft) instead of hiring a writer (~€200/month saved).
  • Creating pins himself, only hiring a VA for new websites (~€100/month saved).

Net Profit

• March 2025:
  • Revenue: €888.65/month.
  • Costs: ~€50/month.
  • Profit: €838.65/month (profit margin ~94%).
• Projected Dec 2025 (target €1,500/month):
  • Revenue: €1,500.
  • Costs: ~€100 (additional VA, tools).
  • Profit: €1,400 (profit margin ~93%).
• Characteristics: Low costs (~€50), high profit due to AI (~90% of posts/pins automated), free traffic from Pinterest.

Monetization Model

• Pinterest:
  • Creates 7 pins (image + text overlay) for each blog post, published 24–48h apart on keyword-optimized boards.
  • Pins link to articles on the website (WordPress, Kadence theme).
  • Optimizes CTR (Click-Through Rate) with text overlays (e.g., “These 10 Amigurumi Keychains are so cute!”).
• Website:
  • Articles are listicles (e.g., “10 Best Garden Edgings”) or tutorials (e.g., “How to Grow a Red Rose”).
  • Places AdSense/Ezoic ads and Amazon Affiliate links.
• Traffic:
  • Pinterest Search (80–90%): Optimizes keywords via Pinterest Trends, Google Search Operator (“keyword” site:pinterest.com/ideas).
  • Repins (5–10%): Others repin IsmaelTop’s pins.
  • Google/Lilo.org (<5%): Ancillary traffic from incidental SEO.
• Monetization Details:
  • AdSense/Ezoic: ~€0.01–€0.02/view, RPM ~€6.32 (Website 1).
  • Amazon Affiliate: ~3–7% commission, but CTR is low.
  • Future: Try Mediavine Journey (Websites 4–5, US traffic), build an email list for affiliate marketing.

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3. How Did IsmaelTop Do It Step-by-Step?

IsmaelTop did everything himself, from writing articles and designing pins to managing Pinterest, only hiring a VA starting March 2025. Here are the detailed stages:

Step 1: Initial Experimentation (2017–2020)

• What he did:
  • Created 2 Pinterest accounts (Decoration, Gardening), posted manually, low activity.
  • Tried multilingual blogging (German, Spanish, Italian), but traffic was low.
• Costs: ~€21.25/month (hosting €10, domain €1.25, internet €10).
• Details:
  • Website: Manually written articles, not keyword-optimized, few pins (~1–2/post).
  • Pinterest: Tried group boards, but they weren’t effective.
• Results: ~€100/month (AdSense), ~1k clicks/month.
• Mistakes:
  • No keyword research, pins lacked text overlays.
  • Inconsistent posting, low traffic.
• Outcome:
  • Pinterest: ~1k clicks/month, <€100/month.
  • Costs: ~€1,020 (48 months x €21.25).

Step 2: Getting Serious (2020–2023)

• What he did:
  • Focused on Website 1 (Decoration), manual posting (~1 post/day).
  • Used Canva (free) for pins, tried Amazon Affiliate.
• Costs: ~€21.25/month.
• Details:
  • Website: Longer articles, more images, but no AI yet.
  • Pinterest: Increased pins (~3–4/post), tried Pinterest Trends.
• Results: ~€300/month (AdSense ~€250, Amazon ~€50), ~10k clicks/month.
• Mistakes:
  • CTR not yet optimized (weak text overlays).
  • Not using AI, content creation was time-consuming.
• Outcome:
  • Pinterest: ~10k clicks/month, €300/month.
  • Costs: ~€510 (24 months x €21.25).

Step 3: Accelerating with AI (2023–2024)

• What he did:
  • Created Website 3 (Education), used ChatGPT for articles, Recraft for pins.
  • Increased posts (3 posts/day/website), pins (7 pins/post), scheduled with Publer.io.
• Costs: ~€50/month (Canva Pro €10, Publer €10, ZimmWriter €5).
• Details:
  • Website: Listicle or tutorial style posts, keyword-optimized.
  • Pinterest: Optimized boards (board names include keywords), text overlays (e.g., “DIY Easter Centerpiece!”).
• Results: 41k clicks (Website 1), ~€300–€400/month (AdSense + Amazon).
• Mistakes:
  • Group boards were ineffective, time-wasting.
  • Hadn’t tried Mediavine Journey or Ezoic yet.
• Outcome:
  • Pinterest: 41k clicks/month, ~€400/month.
  • Costs: ~€600 (12 months x €50).

Step 4: Explosion (Feb–Mar 2025)

• What he did:
  • Publicly shared journey on BlackHatWorld, optimized Websites 1–3.
  • Tried Mediavine Journey (Website 2), but RPM was low (~$0.46), switched to Ezoic (RPM ~€6.32).
  • Increased clicks: Website 1 (41k → 62k), Website 2 (8k → 23k).
• Costs: ~€50/month.
• Details:
  • Website: 9 posts/day (3 posts/website), using ZimmWriter.
  • Pinterest: 63 pins/day (7 pins/post), optimized CTR (text overlays like “Which Amigurumi is Your Favorite?”).
• Results: €888.65/month (March 2025), ~104k clicks/month (62k Website 1, 23k Website 2, 19k Website 3).
• Mistakes:
  • Mediavine Journey not suitable for French traffic.
  • Pins without text overlays were repinned a lot but had low CTR.
• Outcome:
  • Pinterest: 104k clicks/month, €888.65/month.
  • Costs: ~€100 (2 months x €50).

Step 5: Expansion (Mar–May 2025)

• What he did:
  • Created Websites 4–7 (English, targeting US traffic), hired a VA (5h/week) to manage Websites 4–5.
  • Tried BlogToPin, KeywordToPin (keyword research tools).
  • Added Save on Pinterest button on websites.
• Costs: ~€50/month (VA ~€15, tools ~€35).
• Details:
  • Websites 4–5: 90 posts/website, 3 pins/day, but “stuck in sandbox” (Website 4 temporarily deactivated, Website 5 starting to get clicks).
  • Websites 6–7: Newly purchased domains, WordPress installed (Kadence theme).
• Results: Website 1 (62k clicks), Website 2 (23k clicks), Website 3 stable (19k clicks).
• Mistakes:
  • Website 4 triggered spam filter (posting 1 pin too quickly).
  • Affiliate not yet optimized (Amazon CTR low).
• Outcome:
  • Pinterest: ~104k clicks/month, ~€900/month (estimated for Apr–May 2025).
  • Costs: ~€150 (3 months x €50).

Step 6: Future Plans (Jun–Dec 2025)

• What he plans to do:
  • Increase pins (5–7 pins/day/Website 4–7), escape the sandbox.
  • Try Mediavine Journey for Websites 4–5 (US traffic).
  • Optimize affiliate (try Awin, a French affiliate network).
  • Build an email list to redirect traffic or for affiliate marketing.
• Costs: ~€100/month (additional VA, tools).
• Details:
  • Goal: €1,500/month (~€1,000 Ezoic/AdSense, €500 affiliate).
  • Challenges: Escaping sandbox for Websites 4–5, high competition in English.
• Expected Results:
  • Pinterest: 200k clicks/month (7 websites).
  • Revenue: €1,500/month.
  • Costs: €100/month.

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4. What Are The Specific Results?

Revenue and Metrics

• Total Revenue (March 2025):
  • €888.65/month (~€592.71 Ezoic + €92 Amazon Website 1; €133.77 AdSense Website 2; €70.17 AdSense Website 3).
• Details:
  • Website 1 (Decoration): 62k clicks, €684.71 (€592.71 Ezoic, €92 Amazon).
  • Website 2 (Gardening): 23k clicks, €133.77 (AdSense).
  • Website 3 (Education): 19–20k clicks, €70.17 (AdSense).
  • Websites 4–5: 0–18 clicks, not yet monetized (stuck in sandbox).
• Over Time:
  • Feb 2025: €368.99 (41k + 8k + 19k clicks).
  • Mar 2025: €888.65 (62k + 23k + 19k clicks).
• Pinterest:
  • Outbound Clicks: 104k/month (62k Website 1, 23k Website 2, 19k Website 3).
  • Impressions: ~5.74M/month (Website 1), ~1.88M/month (Website 2).
  • CTR: ~1–2% (Website 1), peak 3% (Feb 2025).
  • Audience: Mainly female, 25–44 years old, French/Quebec (Websites 1–3); US (Websites 4–5).
• Costs: ~€50/month (hosting €10, domain €2.92, Canva €10, Publer €10, ZimmWriter €5, VA €15).
• Profit: €838.65/month (profit margin ~94%).

Achievements

• Financial: From €368.99 (Feb 2025) to €888.65 (Mar 2025), ~2.4x increase, nearing the €1,500/month target.
• Traffic: 104k clicks/month (62k Website 1, 23k Website 2, 19k Website 3), ~1.6x increase from 68k (Feb 2025).
• Content: ~2,700 posts (700 Website 1, 350 Website 2, 800 Website 3, 90 Websites 4–5), ~3,500 pins (2.6k Website 1, 1.2k Website 2, 1k Website 3).
• AI Optimization: Uses ZimmWriter, Recraft, saving ~€200/month compared to hiring a writer.
• Expansion: Created Websites 4–7, hired a VA, tried Ezoic (higher RPM than Mediavine).

Challenges

• Sandbox: Websites 4–5 stuck in sandbox (traffic yo-yos, 0–18 clicks), Website 4 temporarily deactivated.
• Mediavine Journey: Low RPM (~$0.46) with French traffic, unsuitable.
• Weak Affiliate: Amazon CTR low, not yet optimized Awin or French networks.
• Time: Self-manages ~3h/day, tiring, even with VA support.
• English Competition: Websites 4–5 face difficulties due to high competition in English.

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5. IsmaelTop’s “Money-Making” Secrets

• Spot-on Niches:
  • Decoration, Gardening, Education: Attract a female audience, less competition in French.
  • Pinterest Trends: Find hot keywords (like “summer outfit,” “DIY Easter”).
• Top-Notch AI:
  • ZimmWriter: Automatically writes 9 posts/day, saving ~€200/month.
  • Recraft/Canva: Create 63 pins/day, beautiful, fast, cheap.
• CTR Optimization:
  • Text overlay: Pins with text (like “These 10 Amigurumi are so cute!”) increase CTR by ~30%.
  • 7 pins/post: Increases display opportunities, spaced 24–48h apart to avoid spam filters.
• Smart Scheduling:
  • Publer.io: Schedules 63 pins/day, saving time.
  • Optimized Boards: Board names contain keywords (like “DIY Easter Centerpiece”).
• Ultra-Low Costs:
  • ~€50/month, 10x cheaper than hiring an agency (~€500).
  • Uses Kadence theme (free), anti-detect browser (to avoid bans).

Creative Points

• Google Search Operator: Uses “keyword site:pinterest.com/ideas” to find trends, increasing traffic by ~20%.
• Creative Text Overlays: A/B tests (e.g., “10 Cute Amigurumi” → “Which Amigurumi is Your Favorite?”), increasing CTR by ~1–3%.
• Effective VA: Hired a Filipino assistant (5h/week, ~€15/month) to manage Websites 4–5.
• Ezoic instead of Mediavine: RPM ~€6.32, suitable for French traffic, increased revenue by ~50%.
• Account Warm-up: Posts slowly (1–2 pins/day) for new accounts to avoid spam filters.

Mistakes and How They Were Fixed

• Mistake: Website 4 triggered spam filter (posting 1 pin too quickly). Fix: Post slowly (1–2 pins/day), requested account reinstatement (2–3 days).
• Mistake: Mediavine Journey had low RPM (~$0.46). Fix: Switched to Ezoic (RPM ~€6.32).
• Mistake: Pins without text overlays were repinned a lot but had low CTR. Fix: Only posts pins with text overlays.
• Mistake: Amazon affiliate CTR was low. Fix: Try Awin, optimize CTAs.
• Mistake: Spent too much time doing everything himself. Fix: Hired a VA, trying BlogToPin.

Suggestions for Those Who Want to Try

• Start Small:
  • Create 1 Pinterest account, 1 WordPress website (use free Kadence theme), choose a niche (Decoration, Gardening).
  • Post 3 articles/day using ChatGPT (free) or ZimmWriter (~€5/month).
  • Create 7 pins/article using Canva (free) or Recraft (free with limitations).
• Content and Promotion:
  • Write listicles (like “10 Best Garden Tools”) or tutorials (like “How to Plant Tomatoes”).
  • Find keywords via Pinterest Trends or Google (“keyword site:pinterest.com/ideas”).
  • Create boards containing keywords (like “Summer Outfit Ideas”).
  • Pins should have text overlays (like “This DIY Easter Decor is Stunning!”), post 24–48h apart using Publer.io (~€10/month).
• Optimization:
  • Add a Save on Pinterest button on the website (use Grow plugin or code with something like Claude 3.7 – Translator’s note: Claude 3.7 seems like an anachronism if the post is from 2025, but I’ll keep it as it was in the original text).
  • Monitor Pinterest Analytics (clicks, impressions, CTR).
  • A/B test text overlays (like “10 Cute Amigurumi” vs. “Which Amigurumi is Your Favorite?”).
• Initial Costs: €20–€50/month (hosting €10, domain €2, Canva €10, Publer €10).
• Learn More:
  • Read BlackHatWorld (search “Pinterest monetization”).
  • Watch YouTube videos on Pinterest SEO (channels like Kate Ahl, Anastasia Blogger).
  • Join r/Pinterest, r/blogging (Reddit).
• Important Notes:
  • Be patient for 3–6 months to escape the sandbox, achieve 10k clicks/month, and €100/month.
  • Post slowly (1–2 pins/day) for new accounts, use an anti-detect browser (like Multilogin).
  • Optimize CTR with text overlays, avoid image-only pins.
  • Follow Pinterest and AdSense policies to avoid bans.
  • Start with 1 niche, test before expanding.

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