Instagram is a really popular social network, with around 2 billion users every month. It's a great platform for affiliate marketing because it has a wide range of users with different interests. This means you can advertise and promote different affiliate offers to a large audience.
The way Instagram is set up allows you to create targeted accounts focused on specific topics, which helps you show users the products that are most relevant to them. Whether you're promoting sports equipment, educational courses, or online marketplaces, Instagram offers plenty of opportunities to connect with people who are interested in what you have to offer. By providing high-quality offers, you can build a loyal following and make the affiliate marketing process on Instagram easier.
But some restrictions on Instagram are worth mentioning. Firstly, you can only have one external link in your profile for free. If you want to include links in your posts, you'll need to pay for targeted advertising. Secondly, Instagram has strict moderation, similar to Facebook. It's easy to get banned on Instagram, even for offers that are borderline against the rules.
Despite these restrictions, Instagram is definitely worth exploring for affiliate marketing. In this guide, we'll show you how to get started with affiliate marketing on Instagram from scratch. We'll cover launching advertising campaigns, earning your first money, and recommend some of the best affiliate programs. We'll also share case studies from successful advertising campaigns.
How to get traffic from Instagram
The process of using Instagram for affiliate marketing is similar to other platforms with a large user base, but there are some specific features and tools you need to know. Let's talk about them now.
First, you'll need a business account to run ads on Instagram. You can create a new account within the app or switch your existing account if you already have followers. This business account needs to be linked to a Facebook account, and you'll use the Ads Manager platform to launch your advertising campaigns. In the Ads Manager, you'll add your Instagram business account and create a new advertising campaign.
There are two main goals for promoting on Instagram:
- Traffic: This is for those who want to attract new followers.
- Engagement: This is for those who already have an audience and want to increase their activity.
The next step is choosing an offer to promote on Instagram. Ideally, it should be something in demand but not too competitive. Finding such offers can be challenging, but with some experience and testing, you'll figure it out quickly. It's a good idea to name your campaigns so that you can easily keep track of them as their number grows.
Another important setting is where you want the traffic to go. If you want people to visit a webpage, choose the option for "Website." Don't forget about tools like proxies, VPNs, and anti-detect browsers if you need them. Once you've made these settings, you can launch your campaign on Instagram and start making money.
How to grow your Instagram account and make money with affiliate marketing
There are three main ways to grow your Instagram account and make money on it through affiliate marketing. One way involves using the Instagram platform itself, while the other two methods work around it.
Paid advertising
To start, you can use Instagram's Ads Manager to set up targeted ads. The key is to follow Instagram's rules and avoid promoting anything that's not allowed. You can define your target audience based on different factors.
First, you can choose the geo you want to target. This can be a specific city, region, or even a radius around a particular area on the map. Keep in mind that people's behavior and the cost of acquiring customers may vary depending on where they're located. For example, competition for clicks tends to be higher in big cities, which can affect the cost. To manage your ads effectively and make the most of your budget, it's a good idea to create separate campaigns for different cities or regions. Also, consider the unique characteristics and mindset of people in each area.
The second factor you can target is socio-demographics. You can specify the age, gender, and preferred languages of your target audience.
Instagram also allows for detailed targeting. This means you can narrow down your audience based on their interests, purchasing behavior, marital status, and more. It might seem complicated at first, but the platform provides helpful tips and explanations to make the targeting process easier. The more accurately you describe your target audience, the better your chances of reaching them and optimizing your ad spending.
However, it's important not to go overboard with targeting parameters, as it could limit the reach of your ad campaign on Instagram.
You can also set your budget distribution by specifying the number of daily debits or total debits, controlling the price for interactions, and setting different limits for different days.
Mass following and liking
Another simple way to grow your Instagram account and make money is by mass following other accounts on Instagram and liking their content. Here's how it works: Create an Instagram account, complete your profile, add some quality content, and include a link to your landing page in the "Website" field.
With this method, you subscribe to other users and like their posts. When people see your interactions, they might become curious and visit your account. If they find your offer interesting, they may click on the link to your landing page. Ideally, this is how you generate traffic and potentially make money.
Doing all the subscriptions and likes manually would be time-consuming, so it's better to use automation tools. There are many services and programs available that can handle these actions for you, based on your specified preferences. This way, you can save a lot of time and effort.
Purchasing posts
The third method involves buying advertising space on other popular Instagram accounts. To do this, you need to have your own Instagram account.
When buying advertising, it's important to focus on the quality of the audience rather than just the number of followers. It's easy to inflate follower counts artificially, so it's recommended to check the audience for authenticity and the absence of bots. There are various online services that can help you with this verification process.
Top 3 affiliate programs to promote on Instagram
When looking for affiliate programs to promote on Instagram, there are a few things to consider. First, you'll want to make sure the program allows traffic from social networks, especially Instagram. Most affiliate programs don't allow shady traffic sources, however, Instagram is usually clean, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is a great option because it's directly connected to one of the biggest online marketplaces in the world. This means the terms of cooperation are clear, and you can earn higher payments compared to other affiliate programs that offer multiple brands. The main verticals you can focus on here are e-commerce and apps.
To join Amazon Associates, you'll need to create an Instagram account and have at least 500 followers. It's a requirement for their account moderation process. The maximum commission you can earn is 10%, and the final payout rate depends on factors like the total sales, product category, and number of transactions.
Here are some advantages of Amazon Associates:
- They pay partners automatically
- It's easy to sign up
- They provide a wide range of free tools for affiliate marketing and analyzing your activity.
ClickBank
ClickBank is different from Amazon because it's a program that includes offers from various advertisers. It's mainly focused on stores that sell digital services in different niches. With some offers, you can earn up to 75% in commissions.
Other benefits of ClickBank for affiliates include:
- Training on effective affiliate marketing strategies
- A helpful support service
- A referral program
- Detailed reports to track the quality and performance of your campaigns.
ShopStyle Collective
ShopStyle Collective is designed for content creators like bloggers and content creators who want to monetize their work. It operates on a model called CPA (cost per action), which means you earn a commission when someone purchases through your link. The commission amount depends on the specific seller. You can also collaborate with brands to create promotional materials and get paid for it.
To join ShopStyle Collective, you'll need to go through an interview and become an influencer. Once you're accepted, you'll enjoy the following benefits:
- The opportunity to promote products from over 1000 sellers
- Access to real-time statistics and analytics
- A mobile app to make your work easier.
Case studies of affiliate marketing on Instagram
Let's take a look at some interesting case studies of how people have found success with affiliate marketing on Instagram
Case Study 1: Making $1,800 by selling e-commerce products in Arabic-speaking countries
In the e-commerce vertical, there are many interesting offers that can resonate with the audience. In this case study, the affiliate decided to promote a specific product called DVR to audiences in the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain. They created videos showing the product's features and benefits, with some attractive people in the videos.
The videos had minimal text and focused on showing the phone consultations, good discounts, and cash on delivery.
They targeted men aged 26 and older, and the campaign had to be stopped sometimes because they ran out of products in their warehouse. It seems that people in those countries were willing to leave their phone numbers but didn't want to fill out registration forms.
In the end, they made $3,700 in sales but had expenses of $1,900.
Case Study 2: Promoting a gambling offer
Although gambling is not considered a whitehat vertical, it is still popular and profitable in many geos. In this case study, the affiliate chose an offer from casino.com, which provided a low KPI (key performance indicator) and a $145 bonus for First-Time Depositors (FTD).
To execute the ad campaign, an Instagram account was created for a Swedish mechanic. The account appeared ordinary, except for occasional posts showcasing the individual playing and winning at online casinos.
The affiliate designed ad creatives by capturing winning moments on video using a phone camera and adding joyful and emotional comments. These videos were then uploaded to Instagram.
The ad campaign helped his account to get more followers, likes, and visitors who clicked the link on the profile. The campaign was set up as an “engagement campaign” targeting Swedish men between 27 to 50 years old.
In the end, the campaign incurred $3,000 in expenses but generated $7,540 in revenue.
Conclusion
If you're thinking about driving traffic to Instagram and making money through affiliate marketing, just like those successful affiliates in the case studies, MyBid has all the tools you need to improve your advertising strategy and save costs. But before you dive in, it's a good idea to get familiar with how Instagram works and what it involves. You can watch videos, read forums and Telegram channels, and ask questions about anything you're curious about. Once you feel confident, you can start looking for affiliate programs in areas that you know well, which accept Instagram as a source of traffic. Oh, and don't forget to start with a smaller budget for testing purposes. That way, you can get a better understanding of how to make Instagram work for you before investing your entire budget.
