Addicted with Scrolling Reels on Instagram? Can’t get that song out of your head that you have never heard before? Reading posts about a start-up people can’t stop talking about? It’s fast, it’s effective, and it’s impactful, the social media game will make you a star in no time. The power that social media has is truly efficacious. Also, this is one of the reasons why social media is a powerful tool for affiliate marketers. Sure affiliate marketing is a great way for several big-scale or small-scale brands to make money online. But, the main reason they can do so is that they know how to use social media tools and platforms effectively. Before we learn how people have been using social media for affiliate marketing, let’s get to know how affiliate marketing works in simple words.
How does it work for brands & creators?
Let’s assume a brand, big or small, sets up a referral system or joins it. Here, creators play an important role in connecting consumers with products through affiliate programs. Creators strategically align themselves with affiliate programs that resonate with their content niche. Armed with unique user codes or links, creators seamlessly incorporate relevant products into their online content or social media posts.
As they refer traffic or drive sales, the creator, or “the affiliate,” earns a commission. This mutually beneficial arrangement financially rewards the affiliate and exposes the brand to an audience they might not have reached independently. Most importantly, this is a great example of how people these days are using social media for affiliate marketing. Today, you’ll see the best affiliate networks in India doing the same.
Crack the social media game
Most people think that they have cracked the social media game by simply posting here and there. One of the most common myths people carry with them is that frequently posting on social media can help you grab your audience’s attention in no time. False, incorrect, and inaccurate. Perhaps, you should take some time out to understand how it works.
Indeed posting frequently would help but that shouldn’t be your recipe for successfully using social media for affiliate marketing. Just like marketing campaigns, you need a plan of action. Here, you should gather the resources that will help you get started. After that, you should start accessing your advertising goals and your target audience. Most importantly, optimize your promotions to fit different social media platforms.
How to use social media for affiliate marketing
Want to know how people are using social media for affiliate marketing? Well, here are 4 tips that can help you.
1. Begin by setting up your affiliate program
Wondering how? Here are some suggestions. There are several affiliate tracking software that can help you. They provide you with useful functions and features with which you can run your affiliate program in-house. This will include referral links and custom affiliate sign-up pages. You will also get shareable marketing materials and a precise performance report. Technical setup in this sense is one thing but what you need to focus on is conversions & commissions.
Conversions
A conversion is when a customer signs up for an email, takes a free trial, or successfully makes a payment. In that sense, affiliates earn a commission when their referred customers purchase e-commerce. This is the kind of action that can help an affiliate get conversions.
Commissions
Commissions can differ. For instance, if a referred customer clicked on your link and purchased from a brand’s sale then you could get a flat rate or a certain “%” of the sale. There are also one-time commission payouts or recurring commissions. That said, this is again a great way of using social media for affiliate marketing.
2. Select the right social media platform
The trick is to plan things first and then implement them. That is why, right in the beginning you need to find the social media platform which will help you in achieving your affiliate marketing goals. Surely, huge social media platforms like Instagram, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and in some locations TikTok too. But make sure to try out more topic-focused platforms such as Pinterest, Reddit, and Quora. These platforms receive traffic from millions of people.
If you want to decide which social media platform will be the most suitable one for you then you should research about three things: Sales process, target audience, and the type of Ad.
About the sales process
Sales is what brands, businesses, and agencies are relying on all the time. Therefore, it is important to know as much as you can about the sales process. For instance, in B2C, the sales process is short. This is because the customer here decides if they want to make a purchase or not. In B2B, the process will involve more than just one decision from the customer. Here, the customer can take more time to analyse whether they need the product/service or not.
Basically, if you take time out to analyze and research what the sales process would be, it will help you identify which platform will be a good fit for your affiliate marketing efforts. It is important to understand that different platforms offer different ways to share content and reach customers.
Target Audience
Make it a priority to find out who your target audience is and on which social media platforms are most active. Indeed, you won’t be able to categorize them organically. Why? Well, users on social media platforms are made up of different demographics. For instance, TikTok and Instagram are filled with Gen Z sharing and creating content. Whereas, Millennials prefer to be more active on LinkedIn and Twitter. Also, fresh graduates Gen Z, and mid-senior-level corporate millennials stick to LinkedIn. (Mostly in search of jobs but they also engage themselves in content).
Hence, guessing the key demographics such as age, location, gender, income, and spending habits can help you reach your target audience while using social media for affiliate marketing.
Ads & Content
Here you need to identify what ads your brand uses and what content would be suitable for bringing in engagement from the audience. The best ways to use ads and content to promote your brand are Images, Videos, Reviews, Tutorials, Live streams, Tweets, and Pinterest Pins. The idea is to advertise and market the brand’s products and services. Also, to see how it coordinates with different social media platforms.
In short, Images promoting fashion products and travel services do great on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest. Likewise, tech gadgets and fitness-related products require advertising in action. For that, YouTube is the right platform.
3. Network with more affiliates on social media
Well, networking in the field of affiliate marketing will only help you achieve progress. That said, one of the best strategies for using social media for affiliate marketing is networking with more affiliates. If you find the right affiliates, you’ll find the right social media platform too. For instance, nobody will partner with an affiliate who uses Facebook, when your marketing would do better on Youtube. Make a list of influencers and Micro-influencers for networking purposes. Apart from Influencers, you can also rely on customers to promote your brand.
Yes, you heard it right! You must have read in all these articles that influencers are the key but customer promotions are authentic and genuine too. Many consumers would purchase if the recommendations were from their family members or friends.
4. Unmissable content
One of the best things about using social media for affiliate marketing is that you can create unique and interesting content for your audience. While one could be uniquely promoting a brand, it may win the audience’s hearts for the creative outlook. Wondering how to create viral content to bring in the engagement from the audience?
Text
You can start with writing content that the audience relates with. It can be a random tweet or a story that highlights a customer’s success on a platform like Linkedin. Text promotions can also include marketing text, detailed product descriptions, awards, features, and so much more. Make sure to keep it crisp and savvy as per the audience’s liking.
Images
In this section, you’ll need attractive graphics or content that will make them explore the post more. Make sure to make your graphic game strong and relatable for great engagement, especially on platforms like Instagram and Linkedin. Along with that, do not stuff product pictures in the images. Maybe introduce them to how you came up with the idea of that product.
Video
Video Viral Marketing is one of the best things about using social media for affiliate marketing. But what can you include in a 30-second video or a 15-second video? Well, you can be creative and keep things crisp here. Make sure to include product reviews & demonstrations, tutorials, and more.
Conclusion
If you strategically utilize the features and tools of famous social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others, you can win at the affiliate marketing game too. That said, affiliate marketers can tap into the vast potential of social media to drive traffic, increase conversions, and ultimately boost revenue.
Success in social media affiliate marketing indeed requires a thoughtful approach, understanding the target audience, and staying abreast of evolving trends. It’s crucial to establish authenticity, provide value, and foster trust with followers to create a loyal customer base.
