Using Instagram to Promote Your Affiliate Program Links
When you’re working with an internet marketing affiliate program, Facebook seems like the obvious place to begin your advertising campaign. But did you know that Instagram now has more than 700 million active monthly users? That’s a phenomenal potential audience for your affiliate program’s links. But how do you use Instagram for marketing?
It’s simple, really. Just use Instagram as you would any other funnel, platform or advertising hub.
The Instagram Platform Approach
If you’ve been working with an online affiliate program long enough to be thinking about branching out into advertising spaces, you already know the importance of having a strong website. The same applies to using Instagram. Insta-users are quality-driven. Far more so than Facebookers and Twitterers. They want their content to be rich, engaging and original, so you can’t just throw adverts at them and hope for the best.
To make it big on Instagram you need to go big on quality, so spend some time getting it right – and don’t forget to use your Bio. If you’ve already chosen your affiliate program, build your page around that. For dating offers, for example, you could take either a fun, or a romantic approach, depending on your affiliate program’s style. Make it original. Make it clever. Make it different. And your followers will come. Then, once you’ve got your followers, you can start working in your links. Using the Insta platform, just as you use your website, to bounce followers onto your pay per sale links can be incredibly cost-effective – you’re not even paying to host your account.
The Instagram Funnel Approach
If you’re unsure about getting your affiliate program’s message across in pictures (don’t forget that you can caption each pic!), then you could use Instagram to funnel visitors back to your own website. It’s a slightly longer process, and while people don’t want sales messages rammed down their throats, it can be tricky to hold their attention through multiple clicks. However, the benefit of the funnel approach is that Insta-users don’t see you as an advertiser. If they funnel through to your website though, it’s because they think that you’ve got something interesting to say. This makes them more likely to follow your recommendations and click on your links.
The Instagram Advertising Approach
To advertise your links on Instagram you just need to search through and find accounts with advertising spaces. Some account holders just won’t go there. BUT, a huge number are just like you, and using Instagram to make money. Advertising fees are often minimal and yet can provide a significant audience for your website, or your affiliate links. Look for brands with a similar area of interest, see who they’re affiliated with and look at their analytics. Make your choice from there.
Getting Insta Followers
If you like the idea of using Instagram but are finding building followers difficult there are a number of things you can do:
- The cheapest and easiest way to gain the maximum impact and keep attracting new viewers, it to use the #hashtag. Anyone interested in your topic/s will find you far more easily.
- If you’re willing to pay a small fee – anything between $5 and $100 – you can buy a shout out from an Insta Influencer (Shoutcart is a good place to find these).
- It’s also possible to buy followers. While this is great at increasing your credibility, because the more people who follow you the more people will want to follow you, you do need to be careful. Your aim is to generate clicks for your affiliate program, and purchased followers will not be clicking your links.
Do this right and with Instagram and your affiliate program, you could be earning $$$ in no time.