Free Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing
You may have heard nothing is free, and while that may be true, there is one thing that is free and yours for the taking, free traffic. In fact, it can be difficult to choose just a few of the many available free traffic sources for affiliate marketing. Although these traffic sources do not cost any money, they do take your time and effort to be successful. So how far you are going to call them free is for another day to debate.
However, remember that “free” does not always equate to “easy.”
It takes more than just posting links online to have a successful content strategy. Choosing the right platform, mastering the platform’s inner workings, and creating engaging content are the three pillars of building a devoted customer base. In this post, we discuss free sources for affiliate marketing and how you can approach it with the right strategy.
Choosing the Best Free Traffic Sources for Your Audience
The temptation to follow the latest and greatest trends in the hopes of making a quick buck is understandable. However, you shouldn’t always build your company around a trending topic.
Finding the right platform for your business might help you generate stable, predictable income. What does “right” mean here? Consider the following questions for further clarity:
What is your niche?
Doing some preliminary research into your specific niche will help you zero in on the sites where your material will have the most impact. Find out where your target demographic spends time online. Once you know what it is you want to sell, you may narrow down your target audience. Find out where that specific customer hangs out online so you can better serve them.
What do you need to show that your product is the ‘one’?
This depends on your skills and experience in addition to the deal you’re marketing. Pick a site that will highlight your best qualities and those of your chosen product.
What is the relationship between user culture and your business model?
Even if two platforms appear to have identical functionality, they may still encourage distinct user behaviors. Even though Linkedin and Twitter both allow users to publish text-based updates, users are likely to exercise greater restraint when their connections include prospective employers.
How will the algorithm impact your business?
Keep in mind that the firms behind these sites are typically only interested in the bottom line. Rankings of material on various platforms vary, and these rankings are often updated by new algorithms.
Once you have considered these, you are all set to go. There is no point in investing your energy into something that will not pay off. With that said, here are the free traffic sources you have been looking for.
Check out this video on Free Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing:
Top 5 Free Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing
1. TikTok
Even though it’s the newest platform here, TikTok isn’t the smallest. Its 700 million monthly users dwarf those of Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat combined. Users span multiple generations, from teens to those in their 40s, despite the site’s stereotype as a hangout for young people.
Pro-Tip
Lists and stories are particularly well-suited to the platform, as they pique users’ curiosity and motivate them to watch the entire video. People are more likely to click on a link after having their attention captured, giving you the opportunity to provide them with additional details.
Requesting that your followers click the “link in bio” is a potent call to action, despite the fact that TikTok does not permit links in non-sponsored postings.
2. Twitter
When something big happens in the world, a new movie comes out, or an amusing meme emerges, you can be sure that it will first be discussed on Twitter. Despite having only 262 million members, this platform is among the most dynamic online.
And Twitter users are receptive to brand participation on the platform. There is one caveat, however: it must be completed in the “proper” fashion. Users on Twitter aren’t interested in being sold to; they want to have conversations. Popular types of content on the site include satire, memes, and controversial opinions. Simply posting your link won’t cut it.
The usage of Twitter threads to advertise affiliate links is yet another option.
Tweets are organized into threads when they share a common link. In order to enhance the likelihood that the Twitter algorithm will promote your tweets and that people will share your opinions, it is best to include your link near the end of a Twitter thread rather than in the initial tweet.
Pro-Tip
Are you considering promoting evergreen content? You can increase the number of clicks on your profile by including links in your pinned Tweet and bio. Instead of constantly plugging your links, you may concentrate on writing interesting Tweets. You can expand your fan base and increase visits to your website.
3. Instagram
With 1 billion active users every month, Instagram has replaced traditional living rooms in many ways. Teenagers, parents, and grandparents alike can all enjoy themselves on the platform. Half of all American adults between the ages of 30 and 49 already have profiles, and the platform’s average age continues to climb.
Customers are ready to buy on Instagram.
The Instagram algorithm will give you what you want (in the form of an ad) if you want it badly enough, or so the joke goes. The site’s precision in delivering content that will most interest its users makes it a great platform for reaching that audience.
The fact that there are already so many users on the site makes it difficult to attract attention. If you want to be successful at affiliate marketing on Instagram, you need to focus on growing your influence rather than randomly posting links.
Pro-Tip
Take advantage of everything the site has to offer. You may use the same concept for a feed post, narrative, reel, or IGTV. Customers need to be exposed to a product or service a median of eight times before they make a purchasing decision. It’s more probable that users will remember your offer when they’re ready to buy if you recycle the same message across different content kinds.
4. Pinterest (Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing)
Although it appears to be a social network, Pinterest actually functions as a search engine. Its 320 million monthly visitors are looking for ideas and information to “pin” on their virtual inspiration boards.
About 60% of its current users are female, while male audiences of a younger demographic are making up ground. Pinterest’s user spending is the most fascinating statistic. Almost half of all American households with a six-figure income or more use Pinterest, boosting the site’s average purchasing power to well over $75,000 per year.
However, just because someone pins a post does not guarantee they plan to make a purchase.
Users on Pinterest are often in the research phase of the buying process. That’s why mailing lists work so well on the site. Facilitate the customer’s journey from first interest to final purchase by inviting them into your affiliate marketing funnel.
Pro-Tip
Use large, easy-to-read fonts and attention-grabbing headlines to encourage people to click through to your pin’s destination. After that, you may help them take action by sending them a series of welcome messages that introduce them to your product or affiliate offer gradually.
5. Youtube (Free Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing)
After Google, Youtube is the most popular video-sharing website and the second most popular search engine. Even if you’re not a natural-born performer, you can still monetize your YouTube channel. Videos with a clear message, such as reviews, roundups, and tutorials, are quite effective in drawing in viewers.
The system does not punish you for including links in the video description, unlike on other sites. Users who are in the market for instructional films are likely to be far along in the purchasing process. This suggests they might be seeking a quick way to purchase something online.
Pro-Tip
Marketers often aim for a 4-5 percent clickthrough rate on their YouTube videos. To increase your click-through and conversion rates, use these strategies.
- Incorporate calls to action (CTAs) into your video that direct viewers to the links in your profile.
- Create video end screens and visual call-to-action like “Link in the description.”
- If you want users to know, like, and trust you, you need to keep their attention with high-quality content.
- Create a link to a limited-time offer or other lead magnets to start building your email list.
Videos from YouTube can be embedded into product review templates in affiliate content to increase dwell time and conversions far beyond those of photographs directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Conclusion
There exist many other platforms when it comes to free traffic sources for affiliate marketing. These include Q&A websites and forums, Reddit, and Linkedin. The beauty of the internet is that it leveled the playing field financially. Using these methods, even inexperienced content makers can make a name for themselves.
Remember that building an audience and a customer base takes time, but the reward is worth the effort. Spend time getting to know your audience on whichever channel you choose to use so that you can provide them with the information they need.