The mechanics of affiliate marketing on Instagram operate similarly to other platforms, whereby an influencer earns a commission from a business for driving sales of its product or service. The commission rate is monitored using a unique code or URL.
Setting Up an Instagram Affiliate Marketing Program
If an affiliate comprehends the exact advantages that Instagram affiliate marketing can offer, they can commence planning to initiate their affiliate program. For Instagram users seeking to create a fresh affiliate program, here’s a systematic guide.
Establish Instagram Profile
Designing an impressive Instagram profile is an arduous task, regardless of whether the individual is a corporate entity, social media influencer, or affiliate marketer. At first glance, the process appears uncomplicated: snap a stunning picture, post it, incorporate a filter, and presto! You’re done.
Nevertheless, certain Instagram accounts have implemented measures to ensure that their profiles are distinct from others in order to increase their follower count. This can help influencers attract the attention of significant brands who desire to collaborate with them to reach a broader audience.
Select a quality username.
One tip is to pick a username that is easy to remember. This way, when other users tag the profile in their Instagram photos, locating it will be effortless. Avoid using strange characters in the username, as these can hinder the account’s discoverability through search.
Select an appropriate profile picture that is relevant to your image and purpose.
Afterward, it’s important to ensure that the image accurately portrays the essence of your affiliate program. For instance, if your program is a company, it’s appropriate to use a logo rather than a personal picture. On the other hand, if it’s an individual, a well-taken profile photo is usually enough. The image and username should complement each other to effectively represent the brand of the profile.
Ensure that the Instagram account is set to public mode.
It is important for the Instagram profile to be accessible to all. Making the Instagram account private will require approval for every follower, which can slow down the process of increasing the follower count. As the follower count is a crucial metric for selling affiliate products, this can be detrimental.
Generate a bio that is informative.
It is crucial to ensure that the Instagram bio provides relevant details about the user or company. Considering the limited 150 characters available to showcase the brand’s essence, every character ought to be utilized effectively.
It is crucial to provide both the website link and a means of communication. This is significant for both influencers and brands. Since bios cannot be searched for keywords and hashtags presently, there is no requirement to incorporate them into the bio.
Employ captions and geo-tagging for better image optimization.
To achieve maximum engagement with Instagram affiliate marketing, a photo must be compelling and should provide pertinent details, while also prompting followers with a question. This approach is crucial for delivering sought-after information and stimulating interaction with posts.
Geo-tagging comes handy when a customer is trying to locate something. If a blogger chooses to use geo-tagging, they can showcase the location where the picture was captured. It is convenient for people to locate stores if brands geo-tag their store locations.
Incorporate tags and hashtags that are relevant to your specific niche.
For an affiliate marketer to effectively post a photo, they need to ensure they use appropriate tags. Discovering the most suitable tags requires thorough research into their audience’s hashtag usage. It’s not always helpful to use the most popular tags as they may not yield long-term benefits.
A blogger in the travel niche ought to incorporate travel-related tags. Using a hashtag related to vitamins would not align with their content. If they use an irrelevant hashtag, they may experience lower engagement from their audience.
Influencers who have 1,000-5,000 followers on Instagram had an average engagement rate of 4.8% on their generated content worldwide in 2021. This suggests that influencers should use all possible strategies to boost engagement.
Ensure that you add a URL to your comments.
If individuals are following a brand or influencer, they typically encounter pictures on their news feed instead of going straight to a page. Hence, incorporating affiliate links beneath the image is essential to increase the volume of traffic directed to the page or to a specific product page.
9. Shopping on Instagram
Instagram has made it convenient for its users to shop online compared to other social media platforms. They have made organic posts easily shoppable and offer an Instagram Shopping Guide for those new to affiliate marketing on the platform. According to Entrepreneur magazine, the majority of shopping enthusiasts (83%) rely on Instagram for discovering products.
It is projected that in 2023, up to 35% of Instagram users in the US will make purchases directly on the platform, which is why the platform is highly utilized by brands for influencer marketing due to its emphasis on shopping.
In 2021, Instagram introduced a shopping product drops feature that enables brands to create anticipation prior to a product launch. By leveraging this feature, astute brands can arrange for influential affiliates to build excitement prior to the launch, as fans can receive reminders to make purchases when products become available.
It is recommended that brands label their products.
If brands tag products on Instagram, their followers can easily shop them. This feature allows brands to add five products to a single image, along with displayed pricing for visitors. Clicking on the product or affiliate link redirects them to the product page, increasing the chances of a purchase. Employing this tactic is an excellent strategy for generating more sales.
Select an Affiliate Platform.
Afterward, you need to choose and register on an affiliate platform. Prominent affiliate platforms provide several advantages to affiliate marketers, such as establishing ties with influencers, innovative tracking systems, reporting utilities, and payment processing systems.
Those who are new to affiliate marketing can benefit from using an affiliate platform like Commission Factory to determine which commission structure is most suitable for their sales efforts. This platform also facilitates connections with micro-influencers and potential customers. Tracking technology is crucial since it enables influencers to monitor clicks and sales.
Choose the Commission Rates.
After choosing and becoming a member of an affiliate platform, the next step is to establish the commission rates. This entails determining the amount an influencer will receive for each sale completed through the promotion of a discount code on their Instagram posts.
How to Do Affiliate Marketing on Instagram
1. Switch to a Creator or Business Account
Having a creator or business account on Instagram is a crucial measure, although it is not compulsory.
Having this label attached to your account signifies your credibility to both your followers and the organizations you collaborate with, granting you the perception of being a reliable and honest figure that is not attempting to deceive or exploit anyone for personal gain.
2. Find Affiliate Partners or Businesses that you Want to Work With
In order to commence affiliate marketing on Instagram, it is essential to seek out an affiliate program that sparks your interest. A good instance of an affiliate program is Amazon Associates, which offers a commission ranging from 1 to 10% contingent on the product category.
A different approach is to directly contact the businesses you wish to collaborate with, outlining the connection between your audience and their offerings, and the potential benefits this could bring them. In addition, it’s possible for businesses to initiate an affiliate partnership with you, which underscores the necessity of creating a business profile or creator account to showcase your credibility.
3. Choose Products Relevant to your Niche and the Type of Content you Create
Make sure to select products or services that are relevant to your niche, audience, and content when finalizing your partnerships. If you are a technology creator, teaming up with a beauty brand does not correspond with the kind of impact and content you generate.
Having faith in the items, enterprises, or services you endorse is crucial. If your listeners act upon your advice, and their experience with the product isn’t satisfactory, you risk losing the trust that you’ve gained through your hard work.
Testing out products or services before entering into a partnership is considered a wise approach to make sure that the collaboration is mutually beneficial.
4. Share your Unique Links or Codes
The method of earning money as an affiliate is by having your audience make purchases using your personalized code or link. It is essential to share your codes in various platforms such as Feed posts, Stories, Reels, and profile Bio to make them visible to your followers. If you have at least 10k followers, you can incorporate a swipe-up link on your Stories.
To be transparent with your audience, it’s a recommended approach to explicitly mention that the shared links are part of a paid partnership when you share them.
Affiliate Marketing on Instagram Examples
We’ll review various instances of individuals on Instagram who employed affiliate marketing in distinctive approaches.
1. Sean Garrette
Sean Garrette employs affiliate marketing by including a Linktree in his Instagram bio, which directs his followers to various affiliate partnerships.
2. Cash Jordan
Cash Jordan, an agent specializing in real estate in New York City, includes affiliate codes from his partnerships in his post captions. He collaborated with Roadway Movers recently and produced an Instagram video detailing the service while informing his followers about the 10% discount they will get using his unique code.
3. Adriana Lopez
Adriana Lopez, a blogger who specializes in travel and lifestyle, frequently partners with various travel and lifestyle companies as an affiliate. She recently published a post featuring an affiliate code that enables her audience to obtain a discount when using it to book their upcoming trips.
4. KarenBritChick
An influencer located in New York utilizes Instagram Stories to distribute affiliate links with a user-friendly clickable link sticker for instant shopping access. Additionally, customers may opt to insert her personal code at checkout.
5. Jesse James West
The photograph depicts Jesse James West, a fitness influencer who narrates his exclusive ordeal with a particular brand. He promotes their products, providing an affiliate code for his followers to utilize.
