How to use the power of the Instagram network in affiliate marketing?
You have recently launched your affiliate programme and you would like to find influencers on Instagram among the affiliate types that you activate?
Do you want them to talk about your products, introduce them to their community and help you generate sales?
Good idea! But how do you approach them? What to offer them? How do you pay them? Do affiliate marketing and Instagram work well together?
Affilae has listed a few key tips for successful affiliations on Instagram!
First of all, let’s take a quick look at the value of Instagram as a prescriber network.
A few figures
Created in 2010, Instagram is a social network and a cross-platform photo and video service.
The activation of this lever makes it possible to build brand awareness, but also to sell its products and services.
As a prescriber lever, at the beginning of the conversion tunnel, Instagram’s main objective is to build awareness, to make the various influencer communities discover products and services.
Even if it is true that awareness actions are more inherent to this lever, some influencers have very dynamic communities and also generate conversions.
- Proof by example, product demonstration induces trust and it is not uncommon at all for influencers to be autonomous in the conversion tunnels.
Identifying the right influencers and recruiting them
There are several types of Instagramers, categorised according to their subscriber volume:
A genuine, unique, dedicated relationship:
Each influencer has their own signature, their own theme (otherwise known as editorial strategy). It is important to note that a good synergy between the brand and the content creator is essential to ensure a lasting collaboration.
So, don’t hesitate to get to know their content, the hashtags used under their photos and their profile descriptions before contacting them.
This can only help you build quality partnerships.
For example, the number of subscribers is important, but it is the engagement rate that counts: Engagement rate = ((Like + Comments) / subscribers) X 100
Thus, and this is important, a small community that is engaged and loyal on a daily basis is sometimes more impactful and responsive than a large community with a low engagement rate.
To help you identify the potential of an Insta-influencer you can use Insta-search or tools such as HypeAuditor.
Remember: Influencers like human contact, not opportunistic. Act like one to convince them.
Some tips:
- Contact: Personalised messages, not automated ones.
- Budget: Negotiated deals must be win-win. You need to think about reconciling the content creation the influencer does for you with your need for performance. (See below).
- Promotion: Think about their community and if your positioning allows it, why not, beyond the interest of the product itself, offer them to distribute a dedicated promo code.
What are the Instagram broadcast formats?
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Pinterest are all different social networks with their own specific mechanisms.
Instagram has managed to stand out by surfing on the visual trend while leaving room for creativity.
Les différents formats de MEA possibles :
- Links in Stories are possible thanks to the famous “Sticker button” (formerly “Swipe up”). This functionality is available since the end of 2021 for all profiles and without minimum number of subscribers as it was the case for the “swipe-up”.
- tip : As a story is available for 24 hours, it is possible to put it in the “Featured Story” section so that it is visible beyond the daily deadline.
- Dedicated coupon code campaigns. Affilae allows you to allocate dedicated coupon codes to your influencers and pay them on the sales they generate.
- L’idée est de se passer du lien de tracking et de les rémunérer sur les ventes.
- The link in the description is a unique and short link, visible on the main page of the Instagram account.
- The idea is to do away with the tracking link and pay them on sales.
It can be redirected to any link, such as an article, a linktree, a bitly or to the advertiser’s homepage.
- IGTV is a video that is longer than a story and has no expiry date. This type of format is similar to the one YouTube can offer with the possibility of putting a description and inserting several affiliate links.
Tip 1: It is currently impossible to track Instagram posts (except via a promo code), however a post can increase brand awareness through increased visibility.
Tip 2: Affilae offers several types of tracking url
In order for Affilae to be able to detect your links on Instagram, we advise you to pass them under a Parameter or redirection format, the SEO type with a hashtag being already a format used by Instagram. The links will not be considered as commercial links.
Which remuneration models for your Insta-influencers?
An important point to keep in mind is the balance of partnerships / profitability of your partners.
Obviously, as a brand, the most interesting thing for you will be to pay your partners on sales, so you don’t take risks.
But in this case, it is your partner who takes the risk, the relationship is then unbalanced and not very motivating for the partner. The reverse is also true.
So how do you reconcile the need for performance with the need to secure the time invested by the partner in creating content for your brand?
There are several methods of remuneration, almost all of which are possible:
- You can send products! This is the primary remuneration for content creators who need to have product in hand in order to give a personalised and real feedback to their community.
- Cost Per Acquisition is a method of remuneration which consists of paying the affiliate for each sale made via their link (is in %).
- Cost Per Click is a method of remuneration that consists of paying the affiliate for each click on their link (is in €).
- Fixed fee: the affiliate asks for a specific amount (is in €).
- Customised promotional codes.
Have you thought about hybrid remuneration?
This is our advice for reconciling your performance needs with the security needs of your partners’ content creation.
For example, an Instagrammer can be paid at CPC + CPA by making a story. This way, the brand can ensure profitability because it will not pay a sum that may take up its entire budget for the month and the content creator can ensure an income thanks to the CPC.
Alternatively, you can base it on a small fixed fee (150-200€) + CPA.
To sum up, the interest of affiliate marketing in the negotiation of influencer partnerships, and particularly on Insta, is to go beyond the one shot with a product sent, but to build a lasting relationship with your influencers by inducing recurrence!
Now, all you have to do is conquer instagram!
