Instagram makes affiliate marketing accessible to everyone

All Instagram users will be able to share links in Stories, eliminating the need for 10k followers for actionable content.

Instagram is the leading social media
platform for influencer campaigns, helping increase brand recognition and drive
sales by leveraging the engaged audiences of the platform’s creators.

Currently, it’s a challenge for affiliates to
promote brands through trackable links on Instagram. Although larger accounts
with over 10,000 followers have more in-app tools and features, smaller
influencers struggle to monetize content on the platform – restricted to a link
in bio to direct followers to purchase recommendations.

But this is all set to change following this week’s announcement.

Now, all Instagram users will be able to add
links to their Stories using the link sticker feature. With this, products,
links, brands or anything else the content creator wants to share can be easily
linked for their audience to click on and, ultimately, to make a purchase.

Why is this important for affiliate marketers?

The rollout of link stickers means Instagram
users, regardless of their follower count, can now include affiliate links
directly in their Stories alongside the content they’re promoting, versus
potentially being restricted to a ‘link in bio’ option – opening up more avenues
for creators and brands alike, as they’ll no longer be limited by benefits afforded
to macro-influencers. The resulting effect is more partnerships, sales, revenue
and commissions.

For creators on ShareASale, to start promoting
merchants in your Instagram Stories with the sticker, all you need is an affiliate
link for the page or product. Once you have added content to your Story, simply
select the tool from the top navigation bar and paste in the ShareASale
affiliate link. You can then add it to your Story.

Outside of the link sticker functionality, there
are a few other ways to include affiliate links in your content:

• Link in bio: This is a great,
  prominent place to add an external ShareASale deeplink that is evergreen and permanent.
• Save as a highlight: This allows users to click on your links beyond the traditional 24-hour
  Instagram Story lifetime.
• IGTV: Incorporate ShareASale links within the video description of an IGTV
  and add it to an Instagram Story (you can click to access your content
  library).
• Discounts: Using ShareASale’s exclusive coupon codes, creators can use individualized voucher and coupon codes to encourage conversions. Merchants on ShareASale can create these for their affiliate partners within their account by going to Creatives > Deals and Coupons. These are assigned to specific affiliates and allow them to earn commissions for driving sales without needing a link.