Orji-Oko UzorTABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
- An introduction to affiliate marketing on Instagram
- How do I make money on Instagram
- So, how does Instagram affiliate marketing work?
- How do I monetize on Instagram using affiliate marketing
- Do I need Instagram followers for affiliate marketing?
Introduction
Relatively, Instagram is a young social media platform compared to Facebook. But it is quite unique as it is growing in popularity rapidly. Research has proved that 500 million people of different ages visit Instagram on a daily base. On the platform, people share photos, a visual reflection of their lives. The rapid growing popularity of social media platforms presupposes. The fact that the advertising market within it is developing as well. A research carried out in 2017. Shows that 70% of all businesses were found to have accounts on Instagram. In the right hands of a good affiliate. Such areas might become powerful tools for buying and monetizing traffic. Particularly for a newbie or even a dummy.
Usually, a newbie in affiliate marketing is one who desires to earn but is restricted by their initial funding. For this very reason, to work with social media networks is the first and right step forward. Instagram has a number of features, and it is recognized as one of the best starting points. First, it will offer a lot of low-cost traffic. Secondly, it is the meeting point of a loyal customers that facilitates the work. Thirdly, competition in the social media world is not that high. Thus allowing a pressure-free environment. That will be characterized by healthy innovation, ideas. And interactions springing from healthy competition.
Now, let’s look at those things that will guide a newbie in affiliate marketing on Instagram.
An introduction to affiliate marketing on Instagram
Affiliate marketing on Instagram is exactly what it sounds like. Essentially, you might partner with user who have a relevant following. Those known as influencers. This type of marketing is performance-based. Your goal is to have your audience interact with your brand or products. However, it makes a lot of sense to leverage Instagram. Considering the facts it’s the platform with the highest engagement rates.
Affiliate marketing on Instagram allows you capture the attention of the users. People who might likely be interested in your products or services. In this case, using Instagram may be a gentle yet effective way. To boost your awareness and drive conversions. In this age, customers might be skeptical of commercial ads. And equally celebrity endorsement. However, Instagram influencers will help increase trust. By providing an element of social proof to your promotions. More businesses turn to influencer marketing. Why? Because of the authenticity it offers. But people often follow these affiliates. Reason being that they admire and respect them. And therefore they value their opinions and suggestions.
How do I make money on Instagram
Let’s look at how you can make money on Instagram.
Become an affiliate marketer on Instagram
Affiliate marketing is a huge business and one of the popular ways to make money online. However, many people don’t know that this strategy can be put to use on Instagram. It involves you signing up with a brand or company. Then you to promote their products or services for them. When someone buys a product or signs up for a service. After they come through a link provided by you. Definitely you will receive a commission.
Affiliate marketing is ideal for you when you have a large followers. And through it you will be able to make a cool passive income.
Promote affiliate products via shoutouts
Probably you are very keen to jump on the affiliate marketing train. But certainly don’t have an audience to promote the products to. Well, there’s one you do and that’s using shoutouts. An Instagram shoutout is a paid promotion on a very popular Instagram influencer’s page. This might be in the form of a screenshot of your Instagram account. An image and any hycaption of your choice.
Sell physical products with shopping on Instagram
Do you have an eCommerce shop, or sell products on platforms like Etsy or Amazon? Then using the “shopping on Instagram” feature to increase your revenue is a must for you. This feature has made it very easy for people to sell products and make money on Instagram. Shopping on Instagram will allow you to add shoppable tags to your images. When Instagrammers click on your tag. Extra information about this product, immediately will be displayed on their screen. Importantly, and super excitingly for for you if you own an eCommerce stores. A view on your website call to action button will equally be displayed with the extra product info. The button will be linked directly to the product page on your online shop.
Make money through photographs and digital images
Looking at other platforms, Instagram is the perfect place to display your beautiful photographs. And equally digital images. But when your images have something truly different to offer. Then Instagram will be a great platform to promote and sell them. To be able to make money on Instagram from photography. You must offer something different and special.
Display sponsored posts on your Instagram page
If you have a large following, becoming an ‘influencer’. Displaying sponsored posts on your Instagram account will be a way to make money on the platform.
Let’s see how to do this:
Pick a niche – When businesses are looking for influencers to promote their products. They need someone who has a following comprising people in their niche.
Don’t buy fake followers – Don’t engage in buying fake followers because they won’t be engaging in your posts. Organically grow your followers with your impactful posts.
Create an engaged community – An engaged community that will comment, like, and share your posts. Is a key of becoming a successful influencer. To create this kind of community. You must put in constantly and consistently post high quality images. That will interest and inspire your audience to ask questions. Then you must be available to respond to comments, and become a well known figure within your niche.
So, how does Instagram affiliate marketing work?
This is done through establishing partnerships. Between you, the affiliate marketer and placement of an advertisement of a company’s products or services. You may decide to place the ads on your website, social media platforms, or anywhere. You depicts the product or service in your posting and earn commission. That’s when a sale is made it’s attributed to your post. Through a URL link that will be customized with unique affiliate code added. When these affiliate marketing are done on Instagram. It’s regarded as affiliate marketing on Instagram. But clearly affiliate marketing is not limited to Instagram as a platform!
The brand being marketered and promoted gains customer interest. And your profile working as the affiliate is used to engage its user base on the product being promoted. When there’s a sale you earn money on the product being advertised. So, it is mutually beneficial for both you and the brand.. This is the reason why affiliate marketing is influencer marketing’s new best friend!
How can affiliates like you promote links on Instagram: When you can’t link on Instagram?
Well Instagram does not allow you to place a link any time you post a photo. So how can you get people to enter a link with your affiliate code and buy product? There are a few ways, as long as you’re creative and think outside of the box:
Affiliate link in your bio (permanent)?
The obvious one is for you to use the link in your bio to send people to the site. This works better when you are always promoting a particular brand, product or link. You simply tell people to click on the link in your bio.
Affiliate link in your bio i(semi-permenant)
When you need to promote a different product with each post. You will still use the link in your bio but you will want to update it to the latest affiliate URL. This is done each time you publish a new post.
Use a linkable Instagram gallery app
This helps you set the link in your bio to be your personalized Instagram gallery app URL. And once someone click on it. They will be brought to a screen of clickable Instagram posts that will them to your affiliate links.
Include the affiliate link as swipe-up in Instagram stories (business accounts with 10,000 followers only)
Probably you happen to own a business account with 10,000 followers. You will see the option to add a swipe-up link to your Instagram story. This will make it easy for your followers to visit the website on the other side of your affiliate link.
Include the affiliate link in your photo, photo description or Instagram story
How do I monetize on Instagram using affiliate marketing
Whether you work from home as a stay at home mom or you work online while traveling the world. We at Urbizboost understand the share the problem you’re facing. That’s boosting your traffic and making money. In other words, you’re looking for ways to monetize your time and effort. While you do something you feel passionate about.
Let’s consider the three things that will boost your traffic
Content
You need to master the act of creating great content, and it is worth the effort.
Traffic
You must understand that the more followers you have the better. However, there are two key points that need to be looked into:
- Nowadays, engagement is becoming extremely important to brands and companies. They are looking forward to work with influencers.
- Even with your small followers you can make money. Provided that you have succeeded to build an audience. Who easily relate to what you are sharing.
Monitize your time
There are a few ways to make money on Instagram. So let’s dive in:
Sponsored posts and paid ads
Influencers make money while they advertise your brand on Instagram. Bigger accounts generate more money per campaign. And they might invest less effort in finding brands to work with. Sponsored posts might include pre paid campaigns, creating dedicated content per request. Advertisements of
products and places, and more. Smaller accounts, with 1,000 to 5,000 followers get approached. But you may equally find products to promote through dedicated platforms. Which had connect between influencers and collaborators.
Create and sell your own products. These might be two types of products:
Selling a product you created according to your own knowledge or expertise. This is extremely obvious among bloggers teaching about blogging. And selling an e-course and e-book as well as coaches and wellness and fitness instructors. Currently, many travel bloggers are teaching others how to start a travel blog.
You may equally sell self-branded products. Using a print fulfillment company such as Printful or Teespring. These might be items such as T-shirts, cups, hats, phone covers, calendars and more. One great and perfect thing about using a platform such as this. There are no costs associated with selling the products you have designed. Just a cut if orders are made by your customers. To create your own products becomes effective if you have built for yourself a brand. And you have a targeted audience who may easily relate to your message or ideas.
Do I need Instagram followers for affiliate marketing?
Well, the answer is… it depends! Probably you will expecting to hear something else, hear me out.
When companies are looking to work with influencers. They want to be sure that their marketing budget is well-used. What brands really consider is how well your followers is engaged. They equally look at how your follower count and engagement rate fit. Equally considering the quality of your post and your niche together.
You engagement rate is gold
Well, the amount of followers you have might be from 1,000 to 1 million. To be able to make money from Instagram. One thing is sure and that’s high engagement rates. There’s no need, posting content on Instagram. When your followers aren’t seeing or interacting with it.
For example, imagine you had $200 and wanted to earn more money with it. You could easily invest it with a person. Who had thousands of potential buyers at their fingertips. But you noticed that’s just a hundred or so were paying attention to what they said. Your best bet would be to invest that $200 with someone. Who only had a thousand potential buyers. And they are all constantly paying attention to what they say or post.
Note
The key to make money on Instagram is not on follower count. But it is having a good engagement rate. Your engagement rate is the total number of likes and comments on your posts. Divided by the amount of posts, divided by your followers, multiplied by 100.
An Instagram marketing platform states that engagement rates between 2-3% is average. And rates between 4-6% is considered high. An engagement rate that breaches double digits is regarded to be “viral.”
Meaning when your engagement rate is high. It informs brands that your followers do hear what you are saying. Better still, they are listening! Immediately they will invest their money with you. Because they know that your followers will buy their products.
Your niche matters a lot
Do you know that many people rely on social media to make decisions on what to buy. And close to half of them rely on the opinion of influencers. Whether you understand it or not. People out there are constantly looking for recommendations to follow. And yours can be one of them! If you are very passionate and knowledgeable in one niche. You could be making money just to promote brands and products you love already!
Users in these niches work with a various brands. Create a wide range of content. And do have great success in monetizing their Instagram accounts. Some niches are very specific. That you don’t need to have many followers to start getting sponsored posts. There include hamburgers instead of food. Or acne skincare instead of beauty. Many brands now work with microinfluncers in these specific niches. For them to promote their products because they have a more engaged and targeted following.
Earn extra as an affiliate
To partner with brands isn’t the only way to make money with your Instagram account. Apart from working directly with brands in sponsored posts. You could equally use affiliate marketing to make money on Instagram. Basically with a promo code or affiliate link. The affiliate marketing networks you are working with will track all sales. And when your recommendation garnishes they will pay you a percentage of the profit.
Selling affiliate products is pretty simple as recommending a product. As long as you will always remember to include your tracking link or code. The best place to start is with products you have already used. Then recommend and research to know. If the brands are already a part of affiliate marketing networks.
There are hundreds of thousands of affiliate programs available for you to join. Some of the top affiliate marketing networks to join include the following:
- Amazon Associates
- Linkshare
- Shareasale
- Commission Junction
- Clinkbank
Earn even more with your own products
The best way to monetize your Instagram account is by selling your own digital products. Just like an Instagrammer by name Lucy Davis in the fitness niche. Who made over $20,000 in six months through selling her ebook online. And promoting it on Instagram. Selling on Instagram isn’t as hard as it may sound. It is as simple as writing an ebook in your niche and market it to your followers!