Affiliate marketing on social media is all about balance: engaging content that resonates with audiences and drives conversions.
Our research highlights the strategies and formats that work best, offering actionable insights for brands and creators looking to optimize their efforts.
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How We Know: Research at Later
Later has a full team of researchers who support our product, marketing, and service teams to make sure our user’s needs are front and center in everything we do.
This survey was conducted in June 2024, gathering insights from 198 social media creators to explore their affiliate marketing tactics that work.
Instagram Is Still the Go-To Social Platform for Affiliate Marketing
Our research shows that Instagram remains the top platform for sharing affiliate links, with 71.8% of creators using Stories and 70.4% leveraging link in bio pages (such as Later’s Link in Bio) to promote affiliate products.
Interestingly, although many of the surveyed creators also manage blogs or websites, this traditional affiliate-sharing method is used far less frequently, with only 40.8% using it for affiliate links.
This trend highlights a shift: while blogs and websites have long been staples in traditional affiliate marketing, social media influencers find that directly embedding links into their Instagram content—particularly Stories and Reels—drives better engagement and results.
Data from proprietary research conducted by Later's User Research team in 2024.
Stories and Reels Drive the Highest Conversions
Not only are Stories and Reels the most common formats for sharing affiliate links, but they also deliver the strongest conversions.
Instagram Stories top the list as the highest-converting format (59.2%), followed closely by Reels (46.5%).
Stories add a personal, immediate touch that prompts followers to swipe up or tap links, while Reels, though they don’t allow direct links, drive impressive engagement due to their shareable and highly engaging format.
For brands, focusing affiliate campaigns on Instagram’s Stories and Reels is a strategic way to maximize reach, engagement, and conversions, with the added benefit of authentic creator-driven content.
Data Insight: Leveraging Instagram Stories and Reels for affiliate links combines high audience reach with powerful conversion potential, making these formats essential for brands seeking measurable impact.
Data from proprietary research conducted by Later's User Research team in 2024.
Authentic, Integrated Content Wins
When it comes to content, authenticity is the clear winner—a concept that’s long been recognized in influencer marketing. The most effective marketing is also more subtle.
Rather than straightforward product reviews (38.7%) or tutorials (27.5%), and certainly more than overt tactics like giveaways or contests, lifestyle content that seamlessly integrates the product is the top-performing approach, with 54.9% of creators seeing strong results when they weave products naturally into their everyday lives.
Here, the product doesn’t need to be the main focus; instead, audiences follow creators whose lifestyles they admire and resonate with.
This subtle integration aligns with what the audience values and aspires to, making lifestyle-driven content the most impactful for affiliate marketing.
Data from proprietary research conducted by Later's User Research team in 2024.
Authenticity is so crucial that 50% of creators only promote products that align with their personal brand and interests.
This alignment is not just a preference but a strategic choice: genuine endorsements foster trust, leading to stronger engagement and conversions.
Key Takeaways for Brands and Creators
Our research highlights a few critical strategies for successful affiliate marketing:
For Brands:
Partner with the Right Creators: Partner with creators whose audiences and values naturally fit your brand. This alignment builds credibility and drives engagement.
Support Authentic Content Creation: Give creators the freedom to integrate products in genuine ways. Authentic, lifestyle-based content performs better than direct sales tactics, leading to stronger results.
Provide Clear Compensation Models: Establish fair and transparent compensation to strengthen partnerships and sustain collaboration. For insights on effective compensation, read our article on preferred compensation models by creators.
Leverage Data and Insights: Use tools like Later Influencer Marketing to track real-time performance, optimize campaigns, and make data-driven adjustments for maximum impact.
For Creators:
Be Selective with Products: Choose products that align with your lifestyle; authenticity builds trust and boosts conversions.
Engage with Your Audience: Interaction fosters community, keeps content visible, and connects more deeply with followers.
Optimize Your Bio Link: Use bio link tools (such as Later’s Link in Bio) to organize and promote affiliate links, making it easy for followers to access and engage with your recommendations.
Track Performance: Use analytics to refine your strategy, optimizing future collaborations based on what works best.
Start Scaling Affiliate Marketing on Instagram
For brands ready to level up their affiliate marketing, Later's Mavely integration offers all the tools needed to work effectively with creators. Here’s why marketers love working with Later for affiliate marketing:
Generate Custom Affiliate Links in Seconds: Create unique tracking links for each influencer and watch sales and engagement data roll in automatically.
Access Real-Time Performance Insights: Track live campaign metrics including clicks, conversions, and commissions. Make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns.
Automate Commission Payouts: Let Mavely handle influencer payments automatically. No more spreadsheets or manual processing is required.
Keep Your Existing Networks: Already using Rakuten, Impact, or CJ? Perfect. Mavely supports all major networks.
Connect with Major Retailers: Access 1,200+ brands including Walmart and Target. Send your audience where they're already shopping and boost conversion rates.
Book a demo today to get started.
