Can I Post Affiliate Links on Facebook?

According to digital marketing firm Zephoria, there are currently more than 3.1 billion active Facebook users. It’s easy to see why affiliate marketers would want to tap the social media site to share their links. But while the potential for a huge windfall is there on Facebook, can you post affiliate links on the platform?

Yes, you can post affiliate links on Facebook. But there are a few things that you should remember when you do so, such as:

• Following the platform’s guidelines on ads and posts.
• Putting a disclosure that informs people that you’re earning a commission from these links.
• Engaging members of the Facebook Groups you’re posting on.

What can you do on Facebook and how do you get people to notice your affiliate links and click on them? 

Go for the Kill: Posting Affiliate Links on Facebook

One of the easiest ways for you to market your affiliate links on social media sites such as Facebook is to write an inviting caption that explains the benefits of the product and then pasting the link after it.

For instance, if the product is canned kale juice, you can first talk about the benefits of kale and what it can do for your health. This will introduce the product to your connections and may help them decide to click on your link.

However, this might not result in a lot of clicks. For one, you’re limited by the number of Facebook friends you have or the members who liked that particular Facebook page or group where you posted the link.

Write a Blog Post

An indirect way to do some affiliate marketing on Facebook is to write a blog post that contains affiliate links and then share the link to that particular blog post.

This works better for several reasons. For one, you will be able to include more links in your blog entry without it looking spammy and overselling. For instance, a blog post on the best beauty products for aging skin can include anywhere from seven to 15 affiliate links, all of them the best.

You cannot do that with a direct post on your Facebook page. It will look spammy and nobody will want to read a lengthy status.

Another reason that a blog post works better is that it’s good for search engine optimization. If you have interesting, informative, and entertaining content, you can get these ranked on Google for more traffic. In effect, you work on one blog post that:

• Allows you to include as many affiliate links as you want
• Put up a post that search engines will love and increase organic visitors to your site

When to Use What

When it comes to direct links, these work better if you are working with pay per lead programs, free trials, or complimentary product samples. It’s easy to convert and people are interested in these products.

But for most products, consumers will need to get to know you first before they buy from your links. So if you want to influence or persuade people to buy the products you are promoting, writing a blog post is the better way to do that.

Where Should You Place Your Links?

When it comes to where to place your affiliate links, your top choices are:

• Your own Facebook profile page
• Facebook Ads
• Facebook Groups
• Facebook Pages

Affiliate Links as Facebook Ads

You can take out a Facebook ad for your affiliate link marketing, but be sure that you don’t violate the platform’s rules. Facebook wants the best user experience for everyone. 

For instance, if a consumer buys a product from a Facebook ad, and it does not deliver the promised results, then more people will be wary of Facebook ads in general. This will be bad news for Facebook because if people don’t click on the ads, there will be fewer advertisers.

If you are taking an ad, there are guidelines that you must adhere to.

Facebook reviews both your ad and your landing page to ensure that these conform to community guidelines. The social platform will approve most ads within 24 hours, but it may take longer than that for some cases. 

Once your ad is approved, Facebook with being running your ad. You can manage or view the results in the Ads Manager. But if it is rejected, you have to make sure that you have not violated any of its ad policies before you ask for reconsideration.

Most of the time, however, it’s because your ad might have some form of prohibited content. Check out their Community Standards to ensure that your ads do not violate any of them.

There are also products and services that you cannot advertise on the platform, including unsafe, illegal, misleading, or inappropriate content.

• Adult content, services, and products
• Before and after images in personal health products
• Drugs
• Multilevel marketing
• Paycheck advances, bail bonds, and payday loans
• Penny auctions
• Software with malware or spyware
• Tobacco
• Unsafe supplements
• Weapons and explosives

You should also stay away from sensational, controversial, or fake products. And because Facebook checks the landing page, be sure that this is properly working.

Deceptive and misleading claims might also lead to the rejection of your ad.

FTC Guidelines

The Federal Trade Commission requires posts, ads, and pages that contain an affiliate link to have a proper disclosure. If you earn a commission from a retailer, you will need to inform your readers and site visitors about it. 

The FTC explains that disclosing that relationship with a retailer can help people decide on how much weight your endorsement has.

Affiliate Program Guidelines

Aside from ensuring that you follow guidelines from Facebook and the FTC, you will also need to read up on the rules set forth by your affiliate program. There are some programs that prohibit taking out an ad of any form to market your links.

For instance, Amazon will not pay you for sales that come from search engines or paid advertising. 

Free Ways to Put Up Affiliate Links on Facebook

As we have mentioned, you can easily put affiliate links on your own Facebook profile. You can either post the link itself, with a short explanatory caption. Or you can write a blog post that can inform your readers better and include more links.

Or you can post the link on Facebook Groups and Pages. There is one big advantage when you go for Pages and Groups, one is that these Facebook properties often have members who are ready to listen to what you have to say and check out what you have to sell.