![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-twitter-tiktok-interest-over-time-1024x522.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTwitter has generally been on an upward trajectory in the last couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the same period, TikTok has surged onto the scene out of nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And LinkedIn\u2026 well, LinkedIn has pretty much stagnated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So why would affiliate marketers ever consider the Microsoft-owned platform when there are so many alternatives out there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Actually, there are lots of reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Use LinkedIn for Affiliate Marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
LinkedIn touts itself as \u201cthe world’s largest professional network<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s impossible to quantify that claim, but with almost 740 million members<\/a><\/strong> in over 200 countries and territories, it\u2019s certainly big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, it\u2019s much bigger than Snapchat or Twitter and not far behind Instagram or TikTok in the user stakes.<\/p>\n\n\n But it\u2019s not just about quantity \u2013 it\u2019s also about who those users are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like how Clubhouse<\/a> surged to fame through its popularity with A-listers and thought leaders, LinkedIn is where business powerbrokers hang out online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An estimated 63 million decision-makers<\/a> use the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, more than one in every 12 LinkedIn users has the authority to make decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is born out by the fact that 80% of B2B marketing leads<\/a> generated through social media<\/a> come from LinkedIn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A significant percentage of the affiliate marketing community is leveraging this. Our affiliate marketing statistics<\/a> page shows that 19% of affiliate marketers use the platform to drive traffic and promote products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The platform\u2019s audience shares some other attractive qualities, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, it massively over-indexes for high earners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among households with annual incomes of less than $30,000, just 27% use LinkedIn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that shoots up to 60% for households whose annual earnings surpass $100,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you\u2019re targeting affluent individuals with a lot of buying clout, LinkedIn could be the platform for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve deduced that LinkedIn can <\/em>be a viable part of your affiliate marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what does that look like in practice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, to put it simply, using LinkedIn as an affiliate marketer is all about forming connections, then leveraging those connections to push your products and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the terms of your chosen affiliate program, you can then earn a flat or percentage-based commission rate on those referrals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it\u2019s more or less the same as on any other website or social platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there are some key differences that are worth highlighting here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LinkedIn offers a lot of ways for affiliate marketers to incorporate their links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, you can publish a blog post<\/strong> within the platform…<\/p>\n\n\n You can share organic posts<\/strong> with your network via a personal profile…<\/p>\n\n\n You can sign up for a company page<\/strong> and use it to send branded posts…<\/p>\n\n\n Or speak directly to your target audience via members-only groups<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n And you can reach out to connections manually or by using LinkedIn automation tools<\/a> (and even non-connections, if you\u2019re prepared to pay for a Sales Navigator licence) through direct messaging<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n With such a wealth of tactics, LinkedIn can be a real affiliate marketing gold mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But to make it work, you need to start by building an audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I just mentioned, there are two flavors of profile on LinkedIn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to building a following, those two profile types aren\u2019t exactly on an equal footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, people are much more likely to interact with personal profiles than company pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard to verify this through up-to-date figures, but a Forrester study<\/a> carried out back when Google+ was still a thing shows LinkedIn company pages see an average engagement rate of just 0.054%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you have 10,000 followers on your company page, an average post will generate 5.4 interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why even bother?<\/p>\n\n\n\n By contrast, a decent engagement rate for a personal account on Linkedin is around 2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, company pages have limited functionality:<\/p>\n\n\n So if you\u2019re going to use LinkedIn as part of your affiliate marketing strategy, do it from a personal profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means building a personal following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To build a following, you need to give people a reason to connect with you by posting regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But how often should you be posting as an affiliate marketer? And when should you do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, we\u2019ve got some stats<\/a> to help us answer these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to posting frequency, there\u2019s a big dropoff in clicks once you exceed five posts a week, or one per working day.<\/p>\n\n\n More specifically, pages with at least 100 followers generate an average of two clicks apiece on their first two posts per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the 10th post in a week, that drops to around 0.5 clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s likely because LinkedIn doesn\u2019t want you to spam your network with constant activity \u2013 it favors quality over quantity, and so should you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for timings, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re posting more than twice a week, any <\/em>weekday can work well \u2013 but definitely avoid weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a whole Twitter account<\/a> dedicated to awful LinkedIn posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At time of writing, it\u2019s got 172,000 followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To avoid falling into the same trap as those hapless posters, make sure you\u2019re actually adding value<\/em> through helpful, insightful content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t just launch into a sales pitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The average LinkedIn member is way too savvy for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, focus on the things that matter to the people you\u2019re trying to engage \u2013 content that helps them resolve their pain points or achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A simple blog post or text-only update can work perfectly well, but don\u2019t be afraid to test more striking content types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Embedding rich media \u2013 like imagery and videos \u2013 can help your affiliate marketing content stand out in a busy LinkedIn feed.<\/p>\n\n\n In fact, LinkedIn members are 20 times more likely to share videos<\/a> than any other type of post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means you get more eyes on your content (and hopefully more clicks on your affiliate links).<\/p>\n\n\n\n While LinkedIn is often described as a business networking platform, it\u2019s still a social network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that word \u2013 \u201csocial\u201d \u2013 holds the key to building a following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, there aren\u2019t any shortcuts here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only way to \u201clook like\u201d you\u2019re part of a community is to actually do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means joining the same groups as the people you\u2019re trying to reach; getting involved in conversations; and responding to comments on the posts and content you share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for low-touch, high-yield affiliate marketing strategies, this isn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the flip side, once you\u2019ve forged a reputation as a trusted community member who genuinely knows what they\u2019re talking about, your life as an affiliate marketer becomes much simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By that point, people will be more than happy to check out a product or service you recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a slow burn, but the results are worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019ve built a following on LinkedIn by publishing valuable content and engaging with people in your niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congratulations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now it\u2019s time to start monetizing that audience. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s nothing stopping you from including affiliate links in your LinkedIn posts, blogs, comments, or direct messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it pays to be cautious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, for starters, most affiliate programs request that you publish a disclaimer with your links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, LinkedIn automatically shortens links in posts:<\/p>\n\n\n People won\u2019t be able to see where you\u2019re sending them \u2013 so they might not appreciate you including affiliate links in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, it\u2019s inadvertent, but you don\u2019t want to look like you\u2019re trying to mislead anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, as with any social platform, you shouldn\u2019t spam LinkedIn with one affiliate link after another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pretty soon, your followers will start to zone out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep it up and you may even get your account restricted or blocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you can\u2019t go overboard with publishing links on LinkedIn, how can you earn money from your affiliate program of choice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s simple: treat it as an exercise in inbound marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By which I mean, create high-quality content on your own site, include affiliate links where relevant, then share it to your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Send people to a blog post, or build a landing page with a lead generation form to capture email addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way, you can start building an email list<\/a>, too \u2013 offering another avenue to incorporate your affiliate links<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sponsored content on LinkedIn is a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On one hand, it can get you in front of a lot more customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just look at the difference in organic and paid impressions for a LinkedIn company page I run:<\/p>\n\n\n Don\u2019t be fooled \u2013 that organic activity does produce some<\/em> impressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s just dwarfed by the numbers those ads are generating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, advertising on LinkedIn is a lot more expensive than on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.<\/p>\n\n\n That means it\u2019s only suitable for high-ticket affiliate programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even then, it\u2019ll really eat into your margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, the vast majority of affiliates should concentrate on LinkedIn\u2019s real strength \u2013 organic engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why? Because it\u2019s a lot higher than on other platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Facebook, the average organic engagement rate is a paltry 0.18%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But as I\u2019ve already noted, a decent organic engagement rate on LinkedIn is around the 2% mark \u2013 that\u2019s 11 times higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re still with me, I assume you\u2019re pretty keen to integrate LinkedIn in your affiliate marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let\u2019s look at a couple of affiliates who are already doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arguably the simplest way to promote affiliate products on LinkedIn is by writing blogs on its built-in blogging platform<\/a>, Pulse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That gives you the opportunity to add the necessary disclaimer in your post, along with links to the product, course, or service you\u2019re promoting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how that looks in practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, that\u2019s not the only way to do it (and it might not be the best, either).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this next example, we\u2019ve got a sneaker affiliate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, you wouldn\u2019t necessarily think of LinkedIn as the best platform for a B2C brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But maybe it\u2019s not such an unlikely match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, LinkedIn is predominantly a business platform \u2013 but its members are people too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of them are affluent professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve got money to spend \u2013 so why not spend it on your affiliate products?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, the affiliate in question has shared a post linking out to a blog on its website:<\/p>\n\n\n As you might expect, that blog contains affiliate links pointing at some of the Nike products it references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a simple, effective way to steer people toward products or services that might not be an obvious fit for LinkedIn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By now, you understand how the platform can fit in with your affiliate marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But is it worth all the effort?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s assess the pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, is LinkedIn suitable for affiliates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That depends on your audience and product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I showed in the examples above, it\u2019s not impossible to promote B2C products on the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you\u2019ll likely see better returns if you\u2019re pushing a course or some other B2B service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, bear in mind that the vast majority of people exclusively use LinkedIn in a business context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might browse Instagram on your lunch break, scroll Facebook on your commute, or check Twitter on your couch in the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s unlikely you\u2019d do the same with LinkedIn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The upshot is that people spend less time<\/a> on the site than on other social networks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combined, all these factors mean LinkedIn isn\u2019t the simplest platform for affiliate marketers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But it can definitely work if you put the hours in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for a simpler approach? Check out our FREE training<\/a> on building highly profitable authority sites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s be honest. LinkedIn isn\u2019t the sexiest social platform. Look at how search interest in the business networking site compares to interest in Twitter \u2013 another member of social media\u2019s old guard \u2013 and TikTok, one of the rising stars. Twitter has generally been on an upward trajectory in the last couple of years. Over … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[653,17],"acf":{"coauthors":null},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"gs-tiny":false,"xl":false,"xxl":false,"xxxl":false,"xxxxl":false,"xxxxxl":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Norris","author_link":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/author\/phil-norris\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Let\u2019s be honest. LinkedIn isn\u2019t the sexiest social platform. Look at how search interest in the business networking site compares to interest in Twitter \u2013 another member of social media\u2019s old guard \u2013 and TikTok, one of the rising stars. Twitter has generally been on an upward trajectory in the last couple of years. Over…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54956"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54956\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Worldwide](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//worldwide-active-users-on-social-media-2020.png/")
What Is LinkedIn Affiliate Marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Blog](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//blog-post-on-linkedin.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-organic-post-example.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-ah-brand-page.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Affiliate](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//affiliate-marketing-group-on-linkedin.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-direct-messaging-example-1024x561.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow to Build an Audience On LinkedIn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-personal-profile-vs-company-page-1.png/")
Nail Your Posting Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-weekly-clicks.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAdd Value When You Post<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use Eye-Catching Formats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-post-visual.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJoin in the Conversation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Use LinkedIn for Affiliate Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use In-Platform Affiliate Links Sparingly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-sponsored-post-with-link.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAdopt An Inbound Marketing Approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be Smart About Sponsored Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-organic-vs-sponsored-posts-impressions-1024x356.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"How](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////www.authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//how-much-does-click-cost-on-each-social-network-3.png/")
LinkedIn Affiliate Marketing Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-post-with-affiliate-link.png/")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Linkedin](https://www.authorityhacker.com/"https:////authorityhacker.com//wp-content//uploads//2021//03//linkedin-post.png/")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nPros and Cons of LinkedIn Affiliate Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Cons:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Should You Start Affiliate Marketing on LinkedIn?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n