4 Ways Social Media Can Help Your Affiliate Marketing Strategy

Most businesses utilize social media to promote their brand and build relationships with potential customers. It’s a highly popular marketing channel thanks to its expansive reach and highly measurable analytics. But have you given much thought about how you can use it to support affiliate marketing efforts?

Common practice is to use social as a channel for promoting blog posts and promotional offers. Most businesses use it as a broadcasting tool instead of trying to generate truly social interactions. But as mobile usage increases, people are less inclined to read lengthy blog articles on the run. Instead, they’re spending more time on social platforms where they can absorb short snippets of information. In this article, we look at 4 ways you can capitalize on this trend by using social media can support your affiliate marketing strategy.

Information Gathering

A strong understanding of your audience is essential for the success of any marketing campaign. But if you don’t have big budgets to spend on focus groups and market research, then it can be difficult to know where to look. Social media can help you to research your primary audience without breaking the bank and ensure that your campaigns are well-targeted.

There are lots of different ways to go about this, but seeking out existing groups is often the simplest. Search for Facebook groups related to your product or service and look at what people are posting about. What questions are they asking? What topics are they interested in? What kind of posts get lots of comments? This can guide you on the types of content that you should be producing when promoting affiliate products.

Generate Targeted Leads

One of the best things about social media is its potential to generate targeted leads. The viral nature of some posts means there are lots of opportunities to reach hundreds of thousands of people who wouldn’t otherwise know you. But quality trumps quantity every time, especially when it comes to converting prospects into purchasers.

To generate high-quality leads you’ll need to take a targeted approach. Try joining the groups that you found during your research and start interacting with people. Become active in forums and take part in Twitter chats. Answer questions and comment on other people’s posts so that you start to develop relationships within the group.

In time, you may be able to post your own content in the group (subject to their rules) or find that people start following you of their own accord. Since these people already have an interest in the topic relating to your affiliate products, they’ll be much more likely to purchase than cold leads. Just don’t post affiliate links directly into groups as that can come across as spammy. Instead, post links to your blog posts where they can learn more about the product before deciding whether to buy.

Focus on Appropriate Platforms

There are now hundreds of social media platforms with new ones being launched every week. This can make social media marketing a little overwhelming since it feels like you need to be everywhere at once! But the truth is, some platforms will be more suitable for your affiliate efforts than others.

There is no single ‘best’ social platform to support affiliate efforts. The right one will depend on your target audience, the product that you’re promoting, and your preferred marketing tactics. Some platforms are popular with specific age-groups (Instagram among millennials) and genders (Pinterest among women). Video content goes hand-in-hand with YouTube but if you’re writing blog posts with affiliate links then you’ll need a different channel.

The key is to focus on one social platform and focus on making that successful. Once you’ve built up a following, have decent engagement, and are generating stable affiliate referrals, you can scale your efforts to additional platforms. This way you won’t get overwhelmed and can concentrate on getting the fundamentals right.

Develop Genuine Relationships

Social media should be used to develop genuine relationships, it’s not just about ‘ticking a box’ in your marketing plan. Invest time in getting to know your followers and cultivating a real sense of community. Doing this can help you to develop your page or group as a hub of information for your industry. Answering questions and posting helpful content can also position you as a credible authority in your niche.

If people feel like they really know you, then they’ll be much more likely to read your articles and click on your affiliate links. They will also be more likely to value your opinion and trust your product recommendations, which can increase conversions and commission. Building genuine relationships may take time and effort, but it will pay off in affiliate returns.

Using Social Media to Support Your Affiliate Marketing Strategy

So, there are 4 ways that you can use social media to support your affiliate marketing strategy. Using social platforms for information gathering can help to inform your content strategy and ensure you target the right people. Focusing on appropriate platforms will ensure you focus on those with the best return and don’t overstretch your resources. By developing genuine relationships, you’ll increase engagement and conversions too. Combining all of these efforts will help you to boost the results of your affiliate efforts and maximize their returns.

Looking for Help to Leverage Affiliate Marketing?

At Advertise Purple, we can help you to extend your reach and generate high-quality leads through affiliate marketing. We have a network of best-in-class publishers that create engaging content that’s aligned with your strategic objectives. Plus, you’ll benefit from our industry-leading technology which makes tracking and reporting a breeze.

Our experienced team of professionals is always up-to-date with the latest developments in affiliate marketing. We can help you to set up a brand-new affiliate program or manage an existing campaign to maximize results. We can even have one of our affiliate managers do a complementary analysis and strategy session.  Contact us today by calling 424-272-7400, filling out the form below or emailing [email protected].

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