How to Launch an Instagram Affiliate Marketing Program
Ready to launch your Instagram affiliate marketing program? Here are seven simple steps:
#1: Determine Your Goals
Before you kick off your affiliate marketing program on Instagram, it’s essential to define your SMART goals and metrics.
What’s your ideal conversion rate for affiliate link clicks that lead to a sale?
How many clicks (or sales) do you want affiliates to bring in per month, quarter, and year?
This will help guide the kind of Instagram influencers you work with, the types of discounts you offer, and help you drive your strategy forward.
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#2: Scope the Competition
When it comes to creating a fruitful Instagram affiliate marketing program, don’t be afraid to take a peek in your own backyard for inspiration.
Making note of structure, pricing, and influencer partners, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of competitors’ affiliate programs in your industry.
What are they doing well? What can you do better?
#3: Choose Your Affiliate Network
While you can create your own affiliate program from scratch, affiliate networks are the best option for first-time programs.
Platforms like Rakuten, Pepperjam, and PartnerStack provide features like tracking technology, reporting tools, and payment processing.
Select the platform that best aligns with your goals, then choose your commission model:
Our advice? If your focus is revenue (bottom of funnel), cost per acquisition is the way to go.
#4: Set Your Commission Rates
Once your Instagram affiliate marketing program is officially underway, it’s time to map out how much you’ll pay an influencer for each sale (or click) they drive.
There are a lot of different ways you can do this. Here are a few ideas:
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Analyze your profit margins: Commission payments ultimately come out of your profit margin, so understanding how much profit you are willing to trade for a higher volume of sales is essential
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Check your competitor notes: How much commission do your competitors pay out? What is the industry standard?
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Ask your affiliate network: Affiliate networks have tons of experience and are likely to provide you with a wealth of information
NOTE: Once you’ve nailed your price, you’ll also need to set your payment terms. This is usually 60-90 days to allow for returns or exchanges, but will depend on your individual sales cycle.
#5: Create a Compelling Affiliate Program
You can’t reap the benefits of an Instagram affiliate marketing program if no one actually wants to participate in it.
The best way to incentivize? A tiered program with the option to unlock extra rewards.
Think: a higher commission rate for a higher volume of sales, or a one-off bonus payment.
It’s a short poem — you motivate influencers to promote your brand all while fairly rewarding them for the effort they put in.
#6: Find Influencers with Influence
Depending on your Instagram marketing goals, you may want to strategically hand-pick influencers to get the most from your affiliate campaigns.
With ‘s influencer marketing services, real humans (not robots) will help find top creators that match your brand.
Plus, you can easily manage multiple campaigns all in one spot. Schedule a call today to learn more.
#7: Analyze & Adjust
Once your affiliate program is up and running, it’s important to keep track of what’s working, what’s not, and adjust.
Are influencers properly representing your products and brand? What is your return rate? Which influencers are generating the most sales?
Dig into the detailed reporting provided by your affiliate network to reveal how many affiliate links have been generated for your brand, the amount of clicks driven, and the total sales value.
NOTE: We recommend tracking and analyzing your affiliate marketing data on a monthly basis to keep a pulse on your program.