Because if you\u2019re targeting 18 \u2013 30-year-olds, 57% of them almost exclusively use Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 47% of boomers also hang out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it has 1 billion active users, so it\u2019s not exactly a social media graveyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram affiliate marketing might just be worth a second look if you want a new traffic source to tap into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let\u2019s take a look at how you might go about becoming an affiliate influencer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram affiliate marketing<\/strong> is when you take the key principle of affiliate marketing \u2013 earning commission through referrals \u2013 and apply it to one of the biggest social networks on the planet. The difference is that you do this using pictures instead of text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s one of the most popular forms of affiliate marketing. 61.4% of affiliate marketers use Instagram to promote products and drive traffic, according to our affiliate marketing statistics<\/a> page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Something else that makes Instagram different is that it\u2019s the preferred platform for the majority of social media influencers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then you need to factor in that around 70% of Millennials value the opinion of influencers<\/a> more than anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Influencers have huge clout when it comes to brand awareness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So your potential customers actually use Instagram to find reviews of products they want to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That places it in a unique position among all the other social media platforms<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is why it\u2019s wise for an affiliate marketer to test working with this social platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might not like social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t profit from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or at least make it another spoke in your affiliate marketing strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram is about images though so you won\u2019t be able to rely on your typical affiliate marketing tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, you\u2019ll have to grab a visitor\u2019s attention with photos and images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And somehow fit a pre-sell for those products into the same tiny screen area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, now is probably a good time to accept that you\u2019re going to become an Instagram influencer in your own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means I\u2019ll use the terms affiliate marketer and Instagram influencer interchangeably throughout this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, it\u2019s just going to get confusing really, really quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So prepare for your 15 minutes of online fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let\u2019s look at how you go about setting yourself up in the Instagram affiliate marketing game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you set off on your journey to dominate the world of Instagram influencer marketing you\u2019ll need an affiliate program to promote<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do that by searching for the affiliate program for a brand or product you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can be as simple as dropping the company in question an email, introducing yourself, and that you\u2019d like to promote their products or service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or you can sign up with some affiliate networks instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way you can choose from literally hundreds of different advertisers and brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bigger networks recognize that social influencers can drive a lot of traffic and interest to their advertisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is why some of them have a separate affiliate portal for those involved in influencer marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amazon\u2019s Influencer Program<\/a> is one of the best examples of how to approach this.<\/p>\n\n\n It\u2019s basically the same as the standard Amazon affiliate program<\/a>, paying you a commission for referrals sent through your affiliate link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you get a dedicated page where you can share your recommended products with your Instagram followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, you don\u2019t need to set up an external blog for affiliate marketing purposes if you don\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That type of offer makes the average influencer sit up and pay attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Awin doesn\u2019t give you a dedicated landing page but they do have a separate page for future influencers<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And they do actively work with Instagram and other social media influencers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CJ affiliate network<\/a> is also happy to work with social influencers, so they\u2019re worth checking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the final affiliate network that gets a mention is Rakuten Advertising<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re a huge e-commerce company, so influencer marketing is second nature to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Affiliates will be familiar with these networks if they\u2019re already active in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if not these networks are a good place for influencers to search for programs to promote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: Awin<\/a> is the only network where there\u2019s a fee to become an affiliate ($5) \u2013 but they refund that with your first commission payment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way to find Instagram affiliate programs <\/a>is to simply search for Instagram influencers already operating in your niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s see what we find when we use a topic that\u2019s grown in popularity over the last few years \u2013 prepping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My research eventually brought me to a page called Everyday Carry<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n For those of you who don\u2019t know, an EDC (Everyday Carry) is the small survival kit you carry around with you every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve got 279k followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That isn\u2019t huge for Instagram when compared to celebrities with 20 million followers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But for an affiliate marketer, this is a huge focused audience to be monetized with a variety of products or services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You might have noticed they have \u2018Instagram Stories\u2019 (categories) listed above their Instagram posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you tap on any of these you\u2019ll be presented with a gallery of images related to that \u201cStory\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, I tapped on \u201cSurvival pens\u201d and swiped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ker-ching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only have I identified a niche for my influencer marketing plans, but I now also know what affiliate program they use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But how do you actually promote your affiliate offers on Instagram?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew you were going to ask that question next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Read more: How to Become an Amazon Influencer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding affiliate links to images or text on a WordPress or other blog is easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes minutes to learn how to link out to products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But how do you add affiliate links to your Instagram posts or content?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s actually far easier than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if we take a quick step back to the tactical pens on the Instagram page for Everyday Carry.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you tap on that \u2018Story\u2019 you\u2019re brought to a gallery of tactical pens.<\/p>\n\n\n And when I swipe up to \u2018See More\u2019 I\u2019m brought to the Everyday Carry blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The external blog post contains reviews of the best tactical pens \u2013 each containing a link to Amazon where I can purchase my tactical pen of choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And if I just happen to buy one of these products, the blog owner will earn a commission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From traffic sent from their Instagram account to their blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is Instagram affiliate marketing in motion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But you do need a business account with at least 10,000 followers to be able to use the swipe-up link feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Instagram Business account is free though and comes with other perks like marketing data insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So make a note of that for reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also just add your affiliate link to your image description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t something you see very often, mainly because you can\u2019t actually tap on the link and go straight to the product page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that makes it kinda clunky for your visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how one Star Wars collectibles affiliate marketer links out to products:<\/p>\n\n\n That\u2019s a link directly to a page on eBay listing Tie Fighters for sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As I said, the downside here is that the link isn\u2019t clickable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So your followers would have to copy and paste the link into their browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Star Wars fans might be happy to do that\u2026but most normies won\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201c\u2026link in the bio\u201d approach works really well if your influencer marketing plan is to only promote one affiliate program at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or you just want to send followers to your blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example from the Everyday Carry page:<\/p>\n\n\n They use a service called Linkin.bio by Later.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This turns your Instagram feed into a landing page populated with clickable images:<\/p>\n\n\n Every single image can then link out to your blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use this service (it has free and paid options) or simply place a short link to an affiliate offer in your bio instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only snag is that you can only have one link in your bio at any one time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019d either have to rotate through different affiliate marketing programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or use something like Linkin.bio instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are becoming increasingly popular with Instagram influencers, and by association, affiliate marketers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is probably down to the fact that they can be given a shout out in a promo post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that\u2019s all the marketing work the influencer has to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the affiliate tracking stuff \u2013 if your followers buy anything – is handled by the advertiser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could mention a different coupon code every day if you wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And without ever having to update the link in your bio or mess around with landing pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using Instagram doesn\u2019t mean you can avoid using the dreaded affiliate marketing income disclaimer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you can keep it relatively straightforward by simply including the #ad or #spon tags in any Instagram post that might generate affiliate revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does everyone do this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But certain affiliate networks will shut your account down if you forget to add your affiliate disclaimer<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019re better off adding it – just to make sure you\u2019re covered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 Read more: How to Promote Affiliate Links<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve covered the foundational stuff let\u2019s look at how some best practices when it comes to making the most of your Instagram affiliate marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n Instagram was originally a platform for hipsters to share their retro-inspired photos with their friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Its audience might have shifted towards Millennials and Gen Z\u2019s but the core idea is the same – sharing photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Memes and other images can be effective in small doses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you won\u2019t get the same engagement rate with your followers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s also why you should make sure to never use stock photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ig\u2019ers can spot them a mile away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, most people can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019ll simultaneously ruin your credibility with both groups of followers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And while we\u2019re on the subject of engagement\u2026you might be wondering how Instagram compares to Facebook on that marketing metric?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no comparison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on what study you read, content posted to Instagram gets 3x \u2013 6x the engagement rate of the same content posted to Facebook instead.<\/p>\n\n\n Rival IQ\u2019s social media benchmark report<\/a> is well worth a read if you want a deep dive into Instagram marketing metrics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It puts a lot of assumptions to bed e.g. Facebook has better engagement than Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s very tempting to give your Instagram profile a boost by buying a few thousand followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, isn\u2019t that how affiliate marketing on social media works?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not a good assumption to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mainly because when affiliate program managers notice that you have 50 posts and 50,000 followers\u2026it\u2019s going to take them 5 seconds to figure out what you did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then instantly decline your application because your next \u201chack\u201d is to send them fraudulent clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve been warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are smarter and easier ways to gain followers on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the next tip on our list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might sound clich\u00e9d as hell, but run a handful of paid-for posts to get your name out there when you first get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then boost that by running some kind of competition or giveaway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Social media addicts love free stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re also likely to share your story with their friends \u2013 there\u2019s still social clout associated with being \u201cfirst\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An added bonus is that these posts are obviously promotional in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you can add your affiliate link directly to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s basically the same idea as using a \u2018Boosted Post\u2019 on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Love it or loathe it, TikTok has made short vertical videos popular again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So much so that YouTube<\/a> is doing their best to umm\u2026imitate it with \u201cYouTube Shorts<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, this means really putting yourself out there in public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the engagement rate with sub-1 minute videos right now is ridiculous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you find yourself tempted to pitch a new product every day, then don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spamming your audience with random offers won\u2019t achieve anything except reducing your follower count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are smarter ways to make money online with influencer marketing than just spamming your feed.<\/p>\n\n\n You are on Instagram to make money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not to get caught up in influencer drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something that would be an absolute nothing burger in real life can stick to you like glue online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And influencers (and their followers) tend to dog-pile in negative hype situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the best practice is to simply avoid drama \u2013 it won\u2019t benefit your affiliate marketing except negatively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You do not need to have 1 million followers to make decent money with Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, the more focused your niche is, the smaller your follower audience will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s fine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re far better off having 10,000 fully engaged followers than 100,000 random followers who only stay subscribed out of curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better engagement means higher conversion rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s how micro-influencers operate \u2013 under the radar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram is obviously a social network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So take part in that by following other related accounts that are not direct competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And try to interact when they post on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick comment is enough, or share it when you think your own followers would dig it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaving a few comments each day for the first few months should be enough to get the ball rolling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, you can\u2019t just take the \u201c\u2026build it and they will come\u201d approach \u2013 you have to put at least some effort into creating relationships with other creators on the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The temptation is to cram as many tags as possible into each post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that\u2019s actually counterproductive to your Instagram affiliate marketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, these are how people find your content when they search Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A travel blogger should only use tags related to travel for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A photographer should only use tags related to photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a post from Everyday Carry to highlight this:<\/p>\n\n\n Each tag relates to an item in the image, the niche, the profile they\u2019re posted to or a specific brand name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you won\u2019t find any \u201c#SafeFromZombies\u201d or \u201c#ApocalypseNow\u2019 tags added for good measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your tags aren\u2019t just window dressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So make good use of a small number of tightly focused tags in your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything more than that is just fluff or your ego speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram is the home and birthplace of the social influencer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the truth is that social influencers really aren\u2019t anything other than extroverted affiliate marketers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of us regular affiliates lurk in the shadows, publishing content, acquiring links, and arguing in Facebook groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, IGers are out there and are busy getting eyeballs on their images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And in all kinds of obscure niches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome):<\/p>\n\n\n Jenna reviews products and foods beneficial to anyone suffering from IBS\/IBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She doesn\u2019t have a huge following, but she does actively monetize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then at the opposite end of the affiliate spectrum we have a page dedicated to Funko Pops:<\/p>\n\n\n With a staggering 120k followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That makes sense though because this is a really narrow niche to be in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But one with lots of \u201cravings\u201d fans who are always on the lookout for new Funkos to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Lego Funko figures:<\/p>\n\n\n These are here to show you that Instagram affiliate marketing isn\u2019t only about makeup, travel or tech gadgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s far more interesting than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let\u2019s get down to the nitty gritty here and look at the advantages and disadvantages of Instagram affiliate marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Being able to offer you a simple \u201cYes\u201d on whether or not you should dive into Instagram affiliate marketing here would be ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it\u2019s a bit more nuanced than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you make money on Instagram?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer here is, \u201cYes\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Instagram affiliate marketing?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to get started with affiliate marketing on Instagram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Amazon](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//amazon-influencer-program-1024x306.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Everydaycarry](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//everydaycarry-intagram-page-1024x360.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow to promote affiliate offers on Instagram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Swipe-up in Instagram Stories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Everydaycarry](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2020//11//everydaycarry-instagram-story-with-link-1024x566.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIn your image description<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Star](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2020//11//star-wars-instagram-post-with-affiliate-link-1024x383.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIn your Instagram bio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Everydaycarry](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2020//11//everydaycarry-instagram-page-bio-link-1024x360.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Later.com](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//later.com-instagram-feed-1024x351.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCoupon codes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Legal stuff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Revenue and growth tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Don't](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//dont-use-stock-photos-1024x384.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDon\u2019t use stock photos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Engagement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Instagram](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//instagram-engagement-1024x584.png/")
Don\u2019t buy followers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sponsored posts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make use of video<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t spam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pretend](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//pretend-to-hate-drama-1024x758.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAvoid social media drama<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Less can be more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Socialize<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Limit your tags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Everydaycarry](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//everydaycarry-instagram-post-with-tags-1024x360.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nExamples of affiliate marketing on Instagram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Instagram](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2020//11//instagram-affiliate-marketing-example1-1-1024x440.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Instagram](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2022//01//instagram-affiliate-marketing-example2-1024x453.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Instagram](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2020//11//instagram-affiliate-marketing-example3-1024x406.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nPros and cons of Affiliate marketing on Instagram<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Cons<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Should you start affiliate marketing on Instagram?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n