Snapchat affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketers are familiar with the concept of earning commission by referring customers. In a practical sense, this entails motivating customers to click on affiliate links for the products you promote. This is typically a challenge for affiliates, as many social media platforms have restrictions on including these links.
Despite not being one of them, Snapchat enables the inclusion of direct affiliate links in any post, regardless of your follower count. Hence, Snapchat proves to be an excellent platform for executing affiliate marketing campaigns.
Later on in this text, we will discuss Snapchat ads, but for now, let’s focus on the three methods you can employ to incorporate affiliate links into Snapchat naturally.
- In snaps sent to your followers
- In Snapchat Stories
- In one-on-one chats
How to use snapchat for affiliate marketing
Now that we’ve established Snapchat’s potential as a viable option for affiliate marketers, here are some helpful tips to ensure its successful implementation.
Grow your snapchat following
Building a following becomes slightly more challenging on Snapchat compared to other social media platforms due to its intimate and personal nature once you have successfully created your account.
Building a large audience is not an unattainable feat, as evidenced by Kylie Jenner’s 36.5 million followers. Luckily, you don’t have to belong to the Kardashian-Jenner family to cultivate a following on Snapchat (although having that advantage would certainly be beneficial).
To initiate the growth of your following, follow this three-step process to add all your current connections.
- Head to your profile page
- Hit “Add friends”
- Select “All contacts”
With any luck, you have already gained several followers, potentially even a significant amount, consisting of friends, relatives, and coworkers. It is now the moment to expand your reach by utilizing your online presence on different social media platforms.
Gary Vaynerchuk, known for never letting a chance for self-promotion slip by, has enthusiastically supported this strategy. As evidenced here, during the peak of his efforts to popularize the platform, he consistently urged his enormous Twitter audience to join him on Snapchat as well.
Afterwards, ensure that the individuals on your email list are also engaged. Here are a few suggestions to help you accomplish this:
- Simply tell people to search for your username on Snapchat
- Include your Snapchat QR code in emails, making it quick and easy for potential followers to find you
Encourage users to take action by providing them with a motivating factor – something that provides them with a distinct motivation to become your followers. If possible, consider providing discount codes to new followers as a way to entice them. Alternatively, emphasize the benefits they will receive by following you, such as exclusive deals, new product updates, or unparalleled content.
Use augmented reality
In Q2 2020, AR content on Snapchat captured the attention of around half of its total user base, which amounts to over 180 million users on a daily basis. These individuals thoroughly enjoy the concept of augmenting reality by adding virtual objects, text, graphics, and other enhancements to their real-world surroundings.
Supermarket chain Lidl created an Easter-themed AR lens to drive engagement from their audience, and you can also enhance your snaps and stories with AR elements to achieve the same result. Numerous brands have already adopted this strategy.
You don’t have to go through the hassle of creating your own Snapchat Lens. Instead, you can easily include popular lenses in your snaps to enhance user engagement and create a more familiar experience. This strategy is effective because it provides users with the content they already enjoy.
Integrate high-quality stock video
While relying solely on product shots can have limitations, it is important to fulfill the desire of your Snapchat audience for superior visual content, which also encompasses videos. However, what options do you have if you lack videography skills or don’t have enough time to capture and edit extensive video material?
Luckily, there are valuable resources available that can assist in undertaking significant efforts on your behalf. These websites provide extensive collections of top-notch stock videos that can be used without any copyright restrictions. A few popular choices are:
- Life of Vids
- Pexels
- Pixabay
- Pond5
- Videvo
This way, you can avoid the concern of generating the content on your own, allowing you to dedicate more energy to the messaging.
Keep CTAs short & sweet
When it comes to messaging, it is important to keep your copy straightforward and brief. Sending excessive detailed messages is not suitable for Snapchat. Rather, communicate directly with your customers by using demographic information such as:
- Location
- Age
- Gender
Furthermore, ensure that it is absolutely evident what will be obtained by individuals upon clicking your affiliate link. In the case of linking to a tangible product, employ a straightforward directive such as “make a purchase now”. If the subject matter is more conceptual, such as a service, elaborate on the advantage that they will derive from participating in your campaign.
Invest in ads
Advertising on Snapchat may be a viable option for your affiliate business, unlike running social ads which may not be feasible for many affiliates due to the high CPA that frequently diminishes profit margins.
Snapchat ads are more affordable compared to other social networks.
By way of example, a three-day test costing $759.04 resulted in a CPM of slightly higher than $2.40. When compared to the continually increasing average CPM on Facebook, the significant value of this achievement becomes apparent.
Advertising on Snapchat could be a feasible option for many affiliates, implying the need to consider investing in advertising if financially possible.
By running Snap ads, your marketing message will reach a broader audience just like any other platform. Furthermore, you can aim at various customers with distinct video and copy combinations by running multiple ad sets and campaigns.
This implies an increased number of views on your content and a higher number of clicks on your affiliate network links.
Affiliate marketing on snapchat for publishers
Snapchat may not be the typical choice for affiliate marketing, but it is surprisingly uncomplicated when compared to other social media platforms. Whether through regular posts, stories, or direct messaging, you can effectively promote links and generate valuable leads from your Snap Ads.
Step-by-step guide to run affiliate program
Here is a concise, step-by-step guide outlining the essential actions required to operate affiliate activity on Snapchat.
- Outline a goal or strategy: Affiliate marketing can be used alongside more traditional affiliate activity on blogs and other social platforms. It may also help to build a more loyal following, more conversions, improved call to action, increase engagement and traffic.
- Expand your target audience: Publishers can start off with family and friends and expand their following by sharing their Snapchat profiles.
- Stay informed of the platform’s affiliate disclosure rules and guidelines: Publishers need to stay informed about disclose affiliate links and the latest articles.
- Share unique and relevant content that resonates with the audience: Creating unique content to advertise plays a large role in standing out from the crowd and attracting new followers. You need to focus on creating stories that connect with users. For example, covering live events, posting about an exclusive offer for your followers, etc.
- Actively engage with followers regularly: An active presence will help build loyalty and trust. Affiliates can also engage with their following by sending direct snaps for a more personal approach.
- Measure performance to find what is working and what is not: Using data will assist with making relevant optimizations where necessary.
Different ways to include affiliate tracking links
There are three methods to incorporate tracking links that are more straightforward to implement compared to other social media platforms.
- Snaps are sent directly to followers.
- In Story posts.
- Directly in one-on-one and group chats.
To complete any of the three methods, simply capture a photo or video and then click on the paperclip icon located in the camera editor. This action will prompt the feature to display an overlay, allowing users to enter a URL. Publishers, specifically, can input their distinct tracking link at this point.
Side notes
To ensure compliance with disclosure rules and guidelines, it is advisable to consistently disclose affiliate links through direct linking while promoting brands. Each social network offers distinctive features that brands and affiliate marketers can utilize to entice potential customers, enhance engagement, generate traffic, and foster loyalty.
In order to optimize their affiliate marketing efforts, publishers and advertisers should initially assess their own objectives and marketing approaches. By gaining a deeper comprehension of Snapchat’s functionality, target audience, and benefits, affiliates and brands can then determine if it resonates with their business objectives.
For improved results and conversions, it is important for them to remember the strategies and tips explained above.
