A great video doesn't help if viewers can't find the link. Each platform handles links differently, and the rules change, so check each platform's current help pages.
Where links go
- Your bio: most platforms allow a link in your profile. Many creators point it to one page that lists the products from their videos.
- A storefront page: one page with the products you recommend, each with your affiliate link. Amazon offers one to eligible creators through its Influencer Program, and other services do too.
- Product tags and shopping features: some platforms let eligible creators tag a product right in the video (TikTok Shop in the US, for example).
- Descriptions and comments: on some platforms, links there can be tapped; on others they can't. Check before you rely on it.
Follower minimums
Some platforms only allow a link in your bio, or shopping features, once your account reaches a certain number of followers or passes other checks. The thresholds differ by platform and by country, and they change, so check each platform's current rules rather than a number you read somewhere. Until you qualify, keep building your audience, and only say “link in bio” once the link is really there.
Post regularly
Regular posting helps more than any single video. Pick a pace you can keep for months, for example a few videos a week, and stick to it. Posting at roughly the same times helps your regular viewers find you. You can post your best videos on other platforms too: export them without another app's watermark, since some platforms show watermarked videos to fewer people.
Don't spam
- Don't post your link in other people's comments or in unrelated groups.
- Don't send links in direct messages to people who didn't ask. In Canada, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) applies to commercial electronic messages, direct messages included.
- Don't post the same video over and over, or use extra accounts to push it.
- Don't buy followers, views or comments. It breaks platform rules and makes your numbers useless.
Answer comments
Reply to questions, especially about size, fit and how the product holds up over time. If someone asks whether you get paid, say yes, the same way your disclosure does. Honest replies often do more than the video itself.
Keep your links working
Products go out of stock, change or disappear. Once a month, open the links in your bio or on your page and remove the ones that no longer work, or that point to something you wouldn't recommend any more.
Before you post, open your own link on your phone, the way a viewer would. Does it go to the right product, in the right country?