Social media may have started as a way to improve communications between family and friends, but it has weaved itself closely into the marketing and advertising landscape. Brands would be missing a critical piece of their marketing strategy if they don’t have a strong presence on at least two social media channels. Today, brands are using these channels to talk to their customers and to make the persuasion element more personal.

To make the experience more authentic for new customers, brands often engage the help of influencers from their relevant industries to persuade peers to try their products/services.

Are You An Influencer?

Influencers are ordinary people like you and me who have gained a very strong popularity on their social media channels. It could be Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or even YouTube.

An influencer using social media to help the brand reach more customers is a win-win situation for both. Brands get more exposure, and hopefully more sales. Influencers are rewarded monetarily or through free products or loyalty points.

The Right Way to Earn From Your Social Media Reach

Referrals are a great way to earn money from your social media reach. You don’t need to be a very popular influencer to earn money. You just need to have a good social media following of people who trust your word.

How to Refer

A good referral program is very easy to follow. You will have to sign up with the referral program. Once you do that, you will be given a URL or a tracking code. Sometimes if the brand offers more than one product, there will be different URLs for each product. You will have to search the product on their portal and dig out the URL. Once you have the referral, the rest of the process is pretty simple.

Sending a referral is as simple as sending an email to your followers or pasting a referral link on your social media channel. To make your referral more persuasive, a good idea is to make it personal. Show them how you are using the product and how it’s benefiting you.

Who To Refer

Here’s where most influencers fail. While many are making a six-figure income through referrals, there are many who find that referrals haven’t made them a single penny.

So, what are the successful ones doing?

The answer is very simple. They are referring products and programs that they themselves like and use. Promote products that you would also recommend to your BFF or your husband. Your mom even.

That works so much better than just promoting every other product because your referral is honest. And believe me; your followers are able to spot an honest referral like a child spots an ice-cream kiosk. They can feel your excitement, and they need to see that excitement to get excited about buying the product themselves. After all, they have been following you pretty closely and they know you.

A Few Expert Referral Tips:

To get your referral marketing plan going, here are some tips you can apply to earn from your social media reach:

Sign up to the right program

Choose a referral program that resonates with your social media presence. Something your target market will likely buy. If your target market is moms, then referring a store selling nicotine products probably isn’t the best idea.

Tell a Story

Create content around the referral. You can’t just drop a URL and expect your followers to go shopping. Your follower should know why that product is for them. Talk about how the product will help them. Weave a story around the product.

Research your product

Buying or using a product doesn’t necessarily mean you know all about it. To sell the product, you need to become an expert in it. The best place for that is this through the brand’s own website. The website will give you some good selling points that you can tell your followers. Don’t copy them word for word. Make it personal and more believable.

Always be honest

Let your followers know you will be earning something from referring the brands. If you don’t, there could be backlash later on and you might lose followers and reputation then. Be honest from the beginning. Tell them the referral earns you money to buy you a cup of coffee or to keep the place running.

Do A Facebook Live Session

Videos are so much more persuasive than any other form of content. A live video on your Facebook page will help you talk to your customer. They can ask questions about the product or service. End the live with a referral link to give your customers something to do.

Instagram Strategy

For Instagram, a beautiful flat lay of the product works very well. It holds the attention of the reader so they want to learn more about it. You can post the referral link on your bio and direct your followers to the bio from the picture caption.

Write A Blog Post

With a blog, you can write a sponsored blog post about the brand or product. You can write expansively about your experience with the brand. Talk about who might benefit from the product. Don't just fill up the post with praises. Again, be honest. If you have a mailing list of your followers, sending them emails is a more personal way to connect with them.

Referral Programs That Can Help You Earn From Your Social Media Reach

Some good programs that can help you earn from your social media reach are:

1. Super X-Fi Headphones: Super X-Fi is High-end multi-speaker system that gives you the feeling of listening to audio in a professional studio. You will have to buy from them first to avail their referral program.
2. Legal Start: Legal start is a legal consultancy that provides lawyers to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Once you book your first consultancy, they offer you to recommend them and earn a commission.
3. Adore Beauty: Adore Beauty is an online beauty store in Australia with over 200 brands and more than 10,000 beauty products. Adore Beauty’s referral program offers you a 10% commission and is free to join.
4. Blend Mount: Blend Mount is a company that offers car accessories from back view mirrors to computer mounts. Their referral program allows you to earn 10% commission on your referrals, once you setup an account with them.
5. VaporDNA: VaporDNA is a premier online vape store that sells a wide range of electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, and accessories. They offer a 10-15% commission for all referrals that turn into sale.
6. Zee Dog: Zee Dog is a Brazilian company that connects dogs with people. Zee Dog also offers you the opportunity to earn from your social media reach when you recommend the brand to the friend. The friend also earns a discount on their first purchase.
7. Every Well: Every Well is a take at-home lab test company where customers can check for allergies, and other health conditions. For every referral, you get $25 and your friend bags a 15% discount. Something for the both of you.
8. Dock A Tot: Dock A Tot is a baby product company offering parents to choose premium and comfortable products for their children. Their referral program earns you a $5 for every recommendation and your friend will also get $10 discount on their first purchase.
9. In Board: Another very good referral program is one developed by In Board Technology. It gives you a referral URL that you can post on your social media channel and start earning. You can earn as much as $100 for your referrals.
10. Life Mode: Life is a company offering premium dietary supplements and cutting-edge brain-boosters. If you choose their referral program, you’ll be getting a 15% commission for all sales coming from your URL and your followers can enjoy a 10% discount on their first sale.

You might have to use some of these brands before they invite you into their referral program. That’s because it makes the referral experience more authentic for both you and your followers.

All ready to earn from your referrals? Remember to follow our Referral Assistant page for tips on how to share.