Any avid Instagram user is likely familiar with hearing, “Swipe up here, don’t forget to enter my code,” as they tap through their Instagram Stories.

In fact, in 2017, Instagram updated its settings to allow all business accounts with 10,000 or more followers to add links to Instagram Stories. By adding the link feature, businesses can now link to its products, company announcements, and really any call to action on the internet. Prior to this update, the feature was only available to verified Instagram accounts. (Here is a great resource for using Instagram Stories for business.)

Instagram and other social media platforms constantly update their settings and improve features to better serve their users. This update is no different and was likely a direct response to increases in number of affiliate marketing and brand partnerships.

A recent Forrester study covered by MediaKix examined affiliate marketing in the U.S., predicting the total affiliate marketing spend will continue to grow at a rate of 10 percent each year until 2020. The report also noted that in 2017, the spend on affiliate programs was around $5 billion, and projects that by 2020, affiliate marketing spending will reach more than $6 billion.

With more than 80 percent of brands utilizing affiliate marketing programs, and no signs of slowing down, it’s important for marketing departments to assess whether affiliate strategies make sense for their company and its objectives.

For background, affiliate marketing, although not a new practice, has seen a second wind through social media and the popularity of blogging. Through these affiliate programs, entrepreneurs can partner with brands and established companies to market their products and obtain a portion of the profits. In 2018, we’ve see brands team with lifestyle, fashion and food bloggers to raise awareness and increase sales of new products.

The blogger then directs the user to the website, often providing a discount or promo code. On the back end, the blogger not only receives a profit for facilitating this sale (when the consumer buys the product), but they also receive a percentage of a purchase if the user decides to purchase something else but still accessed the website from the affiliate’s link.

Influencer marketing, another powerful marketing strategy, can help brands achieve online marketing and sales objectives by connecting prominent industry figures with the brand – as a way to verify products, services commonly through social media, or contributed articles, etc.

Both influencer and affiliate programs can be effective. However, the key difference lies in the profitability for the third-party individuals. For example, affiliate marketing is a business model using a third-party’s marketing as an approach to make revenue, and influencer marketing is a technique utilizing the third-party resource for social media relationship building and content development. (More on differentiating the two strategies can be found here.)

So how can affiliate programs align with PR efforts, which prioritize earned efforts?  

Often, PR pros recommend influencer programs because they connect brands with industry leaders that can help build credibility and trust among target audiences. This strategy is typically free of costs, and a great practice for smaller companies or startups.

For larger (B2C and B2B) companies and brands with flexible budgets, affiliate programs are a great way to interact with target audiences who associate with these affiliates (i.e., William Sonoma targeting food bloggers, who are followed by William Sonoma’s target demographic).

Integrating PR with affiliate and blogger outreach increases conversion and brand awareness. Below are a few high-level steps PR teams can take when approaching affiliates:

• Define the target audience of the launch or announcement. As with all properly executed PR campaigns and announcements, it’s important to outline who the company is targeting with a pitch, launch or announcement. Completing this step will help narrow the pool of affiliates to consider.
• Segment affiliate lists and conduct outreach to secure or refine affiliate partners. With the target audience defined, PR and marketing teams can work together to tap existing affiliates, or identify new affiliates who have a strong following consisting of the target demographic.
• Educate affiliates about the brand and objectives for the campaign or product launch. After you secure a group of affiliates who have strong connections in your target audience, share relevant announcement materials and the key messages with the affiliate’s so they have a clear understanding of the objects and what you want them to share with followers.
• Develop content for affiliates to share that promotes the product or solution. For example, affiliate bloggers could share previously developed content or articles showcasing the product, such as, “My 10 favorite apps or kitchen supplies, etc.” The article would include links to download the app or access the website and view/purchase the product.
• Work with the affiliate and brand to track and share results. Following the campaign, PR teams and affiliates can track and showcase coverage with one another. For example, if the affiliate was mentioned in an article, sharing the article on social media or again on the affiliate’s platform will help maximize these efforts, raise awareness of the product, and increase conversions.

Although affiliates help raise awareness of products and increase sales – similar objectives of PR teams –  it’s important to facilitate partnerships rather than protect strategies or be afraid of losing value from the other.

Marketing coordinators can eliminate these concerns by training and talking with their affiliate and PR teams to ensure campaigns have an active and effective role for each party.