Affiliate Links On Social Media: The Do’s And Don’ts For Earning Ethically
Do you promote affiliate links on social media but aren’t sure if you’re doing it right?
Affiliate marketing has become a lucrative way for businesses, influencers and creators alike to generate an income from their content.
In this post, we discuss what to do and not do when promoting affiliate links on social media.
How does affiliate marketing work on social media?
Affiliate marketing is easy to do on a website where you can highlight a bit of text and hyperlink an affiliate URL to it.
But because so many platforms we use today, including TikTok and Instagram, don’t allow us to add links to posts, we need to get creative.
To promote links, influencers either create entire posts about affiliate products, including reviews, tutorials and demonstrations, or simply dedicate small portions of each post to an affiliate product.
You can add affiliate links to Facebook posts, Twitter (X) posts and YouTube video descriptions directly, but you can’t add links to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts captions.
TikTok and Instagram allow you to add one external link to your bio.
Many influencers manage what’s known as a “link-in-bio page” because of this. It’s a simple web page that contains nothing more than a list of links displayed as buttons.
They add a link to this page in their bio instead of sending viewers directly to their website.
When they have a new affiliate link to promote, they add it to the page. Then, when they need to promote it, they say something along the lines of “you can get it by visiting the link in my bio.”
We mostly recommend using Shorby for creating bio pages, but Pallyy is a fantastic option as well if you need additional features out of a social media tool, such as scheduling and inbox management.
The do’s of promoting affiliate links on social media
Do find affiliate products that suit your audience
Consumers may be used to being advertised to by creators on social media, but that doesn’t mean they like it.
To reduce your odds of annoying your viewers and increase your odds of earning commissions, promote affiliate products that suit your audience.
These are products from your niche as well as products that suit the demographics that consume your content.
For example, if your audience is made up of mostly men, consider promoting male grooming products.
Do test out affiliate products yourself
Your viewers don’t pay you directly for the affiliate earnings you earn from them, but if they trust you, they will buy products you recommend.
Don’t take this trust for granted.
Test out every affiliate product you want to promote yourself. Make note of any flaws and imperfections you notice, and ask yourself if they’re big enough to make you uncomfortable promoting the product to your audience.
Don’t include personal preferences in your reasons for not promoting an affiliate product.
Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean your audience won’t like it.
If nothing else, having the product in your hand allows you to create better affiliate content.
Do research products thoroughly
Public perception about a product or brand is important when you’re deciding which affiliate products to promote.
A product may be high quality and quite useful, but if consumers don’t trust the brand that makes it, they aren’t going to buy it.
This is why it’s important that you research products and brands thoroughly before you start promoting them in your content.
Enter the brand’s name in Google’s News tab, on forums like Reddit and on various social media platforms.
Look them up on review sites as well.
Do create a link-in-bio page
You should definitely create a link-in-bio page if you want to promote affiliate links on social media.
This type of page makes it really easy for your viewers to find web pages you’re trying to promote, especially the web pages your affiliate links point to.
You can add other links to it as well and add links to every social media platform you’re active on.
Again, we recommend Shorby if all you want to do is create a link-in-bio page and Pallyy if you’re in the market for a social media management tool as well.
Pallyy is particularly good value for money when you consider all the features you get access to.
Do use a “pretty” link shortener
Affiliate links are not nice to look at. This is because they contain a unique affiliate ID that lets the brand’s affiliate system know which affiliate brought in a sale.
This is how the affiliate system knows to distribute earnings from a commission to you and not another affiliate.
A link shortener allows you to create what’s known as a “pretty link,” or a link that’s easier to read, type and speak.
This makes it easier for you to promote the link on social media. You can say “get yours at example.com/sneakers” instead of “get yours at the link in my bio.”
Sniply and Replug are great link shorteners for affiliate marketers.
You can also use Pretty Links or ThirstyAffiliates if you have a WordPress site.
Do offer value in affiliate content
Many influencers make the mistake of promoting products in the same way TV presenters used to present products on infomercials.
In other words, they focus more on advertising products and less on providing value in their respective niches.
To avoid doing the same, make sure your affiliate content provides value.
Share facts and demonstrate the product in ways your viewer won’t find on its product page.
Use the product to create tutorials and guides that aren’t related to the product itself. For example, a cooking influencer can create a video demonstrating how to do a specific cutting technique with a particular set of knives.
You can also create tutorials and guides for the product itself, especially if the manufacturer’s help docs are pretty basic.
Do provide affiliate disclosures
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires affiliate marketers to disclose whether or not a link is an affiliate link. Failing to do so puts you at risk in receiving notices and fines from the FTC, which are as high as $51,000 per violation.
For social media, the FTC states that if your endorsement of a product occurs in a video, your disclosure must be in the video as well.
If the endorsement is in an image, the disclosure must be in the image.
If the endorsement is in a livestream, the disclosure must be “repeated periodically so viewers who only see part of the stream will get the disclosure.”
Do promote affiliate links on multiple platforms
Hopefully, you aren’t putting all of your eggs in one basket and only posting to one social media platform.
If you are, be sure to branch out to other social media platforms as much as you can, even if that means reposting content from your main platform to other platforms.
You should promote affiliate links on those other platforms as well.
This ensures you still receive affiliate commissions even when one of your channels suddenly dries up for one reason or another, such as TikTok facing a ban in your region.
The don’ts of promoting affiliate links on social media
Don’t promote affiliate links too often
Like I said, social media users have gotten used to influencers promoting affiliate links, but that doesn’t mean they like it.
Be sure to balance your social media calendar with non-affiliate content.
Create comedic videos, tutorials and guides and host livestreams that have nothing to do with the affiliate products you promote.
True supporters won’t have an issue with you creating affiliate content here and there, but it’s best to reward their support with pure, value-focused content as often as you can.
Don’t engage in affiliate link stuffing
Social media posts are short by nature. It’s very easy to engage in a blackhat affiliate marketing technique known as “link stuffing” because of this.
Link stuffing refers to a practice in which several affiliate links are promoted in the same post.
It’s best to promote one affiliate link per affiliate post you make to avoid overwhelming your audience. It also increases commissions for that link.
The exception would be for posts that are designed to have multiple links, such as list and comparison posts.
Don’t try to hide an affiliate product’s flaws
It’s one thing to choose to promote an affiliate link even though it’s flawed. It’s another to try and hide those flaws.
You may be tempted to gloss over a product’s imperfections in exchange for receiving a large commission rate, but it may cost you.
Your audience’s trust is far more valuable than any commission you earn from an affiliate product. Don’t squander it by promoting low-quality products.
Don’t ignore negative press about an affiliate product
This ties in with the last point I made.
Just as you shouldn’t ignore a product’s flaws, you shouldn’t ignore negative press about it.
If general consumers already don’t trust a company, they may not be able to be swayed by your endorsement.
Even worse, they may not be willing to trust you if you decide to work with that company.
Final thoughts
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money from your social media presence but it’s got to be done right.
Use the advice above to put together a strategy that works for your brand and your content.
Related reading:
- Proven Affiliate Marketing Strategies To Grow Your Blog’s Income
- How To Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money (Beginner’s Guide)
- Best Affiliate Platforms And Networks Compared
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