Instagram is a great marketing tool for many e-commerce businesses, but the platform has several limitations that impact how affiliate marketing activities can take place in it.
We've listed the core limitations below:
Linking is not supported on Instagram posts. You can post a link in your Instagram post caption, but the link won't be clickable. It will only post as plain text.
Clickable links can be placed in the biography of the Instagram user. The biography section is one of the few places Instagram users can place a clickable, working link.
As of October 21st, 2021, all Instagram users can put links in their Stories. This feature was previously limited to verified accounts and high-profile content creators.
Instagram users can also place links in IGTV captions/descriptions.
Any other clickable/linked objects in Instagram (Swipe up functionalities, sponsored posts, ads, etc.) are the result of paid ads or business accounts.
The workaround
What most Instagram affiliate marketers who use Instagram do is include a coupon code in the caption of a post or story. Read more below!
Tracking conversions with Coupons
Coupons can be used to track conversions back to the affiliate that drove that purchase.
Tapfiliate has coupon tracking capabilities. However, this functionality needs to first be available in your e-commerce solution as well as have the capability to connect with Tapfiliate.
Some of our integrations have Coupon tracking as a built-in capability. If this is the case, you'll see the feature highlighted in green at the top of the integration guide.
In other cases, you may have to hook up your cart or eCommerce software to Tapfiliate. This technical guide explains you or a developer can arrange this, using either Zapier/Integromat, or the REST API.