Affiliate marketing traffic has the potential to generate significant sales for your product through referrals. Investing a small amount can yield a high return on investment. However, it is crucial to ensure that your referrals originate from high-quality and targeted traffic sources in order to optimize the conversion rate.
This article will discuss traffic sources, their various types, and provide examples of both free and paid sources that can be used to generate sales through affiliate marketing.
What Are Free Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing?
Free traffic sources for affiliate marketing are platforms or methods that can assist in generating visitors to your affiliate links without incurring any costs.
These methods have been proven to be effective in generating leads and driving traffic to affiliate links.
Some affiliates choose to use free traffic sources to promote their affiliate links, and they have achieved significant success.
However, free does not imply simplicity.
Building an audience requires a significant time commitment.
Saving money can be offset by investing additional time and effort.
Is it worth the investment?
Yes.
It is possible to run a successful affiliate marketing business using free, organic traffic, as long as you choose the appropriate platform and employ the correct strategy.
How to get unlimited free traffic to any affiliate link?
To get free traffic to an affiliate link, you need a content marketing strategy. This includes creating content on social media, blogging, and engaging with influencers. You should also interact with other affiliates in your niche and do keyword research. Using SEO and influencer marketing can help you reach more potential customers and drive traffic to your link. By using multiple channels and making the most of each opportunity, you can increase your chances of generating leads and driving more traffic.
10 Affiliate Marketing Traffic Sources
Free traffic source #1: SEO
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization,” a technique used to enhance the visibility of content and websites in search results.
This is a reliable source of organic traffic for your website, as opposed advertising on Google’s search results, where you pay for each click. Achieving good Google rankings guarantees a consistent flow of free visitors actively seeking the information you provide.
If you’re interested in increasing your website traffic through SEO, consider exploring these SEO tips for affiliate marketing, provided by industry experts.
Google is a well-known company that was founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. and has a worldwide search engine market share of over 92%.
Google held its initial public offering (IPO) in 2004 on the NASDAQ Global Select Market Composite, where it traded under the symbol “GOOG”. Furthermore, Alphabet Inc. was formed in 2015.
Sergey and Larry resigned in 2019 and handed over control to Sundar Pichai. However, they made a comeback in 2023 to address potential concerns related to AI companies, including OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT.
As of May 2023, Alphabet (Google) has a market capitalization of over $1.4 Trillion.
What is organic traffic?
Organic traffic is a significant aspect of online marketing and SEO strategies as it brings in valuable and targeted visitors to a website at no cost. It originates from search engine listings and is influenced by organic algorithms that aim to optimize return on investment.
Free traffic source #2: YouTube
YouTube is a popular search engine that serves multiple purposes, including providing inspiration, entertainment, and information to millions of people every day.
Uploading videos on YouTube is free and can help you attract organic views through YouTube’s algorithm if your content matches what people are searching for, similar to utilizing SEO on Google.
Currently, uploading informative videos has become more convenient, making YouTube a potential free traffic generator for your affiliate business. This is particularly true if your niche aligns well with this type of content, as certain videos tend to perform exceptionally in this regard:
- Examining the contents of commonly purchased items.
- Videos explaining how to do something.
- Reviews offer a chance to observe the product in action.
The video description can be utilized to include keywords, which can help attract a larger audience to your videos. Additionally, the description offers an opportunity to include affiliate links, directing viewers to your affiliate website as organic traffic. Furthermore, apart from being a valuable source of free traffic, you can also promote your affiliate offers through Youtube ads by linking your Google Ads and Youtube accounts.
Free traffic source #3: TikTok
TikTok was launched in September 2016 as A.me and later rebranded as Douyin. It is a subsidiary of Chinese tech company ByteDance.
In 2017, it became international as TikTok, a name derived from the sound a large clock makes while ticking, tick-tock.
There are concerns about the potential compromise of user data on TikTok, leading to calls for its ban in the U.S. Some speculate that the motivation behind these calls may stem from competition between social media platforms rather than solely national security concerns.
To attract a younger audience and boost website traffic, it is advisable to consider TikTok as a platform worth exploring.
TikTok is a social media app that focuses on the sharing of short videos, particularly music-related ones. It can be seen as a video-based equivalent of Instagram. The platform has gained immense popularity among the younger demographic, but being relatively new, it still has relatively low competition.
TikTok can be a beneficial platform for reaching a young audience and generating free traffic.
An effective way to begin is by placing affiliate links on your profile bio. Tools like hoo.be or linktr.ee can be used to create bridge pages that contain multiple affiliate links and showcase the products you are promoting.
TikTok is a platform that has the potential to drive free traffic, but it is currently underutilized by marketers. Additionally, TikTok offers the opportunity to create paid ad campaigns that can further enhance your affiliate performance.
Free traffic source #4: Twitter
Twitter is a popular social media platform that can generate a substantial amount of traffic. This is evident through the impact of tweets from influential individuals such as Elon Musk on cryptocurrency rates. Regardless of their number of followers, users with a free account can potentially generate clicks and visits.
Twitter is a useful platform for promoting your content and participating in discussions. Engage in conversations by using relevant hashtags. When appropriate, include affiliate links in your tweets without being overly promotional. Instead, focus on contributing to the conversation. By approaching Twitter in this manner, it can be beneficial for your business.
Twitter revolutionized the world in July 2006, bursting onto the scene with a brilliant and innovative platform that forever changed the way we connect and unleash our thoughts upon the world.
In October 2015, Dorsey returned as CEO of Twitter after leaving in 2008. In 2021, he resigned and Parag Agrawal took over as CEO.
Twitter became a publicly traded company in November 2013, generating $1.8 billion through its initial public offering (IPO) and resulting in a market capitalization of $31 billion.
In 2022, Elon Musk successfully acquired Twitter for $54.20 per share, resulting in a total cost of approximately $44 billion.
If you are a blogger or have a website that offers valuable product reviews, comparisons, or buyer guides, it is recommended to also have a presence on Twitter. This can help you reach a different audience, leading to increased website traffic and affiliate sales.
Free traffic source #5: Instagram
TikTok, a popular video platform, is often referred to as the video version of Instagram. Instagram has a large user base and is a popular platform for browsing, finding inspiration, and entertainment.
To effectively attract free traffic, it is essential to go where your audience is. Instagram is a valuable source of free traffic that should not be overlooked. If your affiliate site can incorporate visual content and you have not yet utilized Instagram, creating an account today may be the most advantageous way to attract additional free traffic in the future.
A limitation of receiving free traffic from this social platform is that not everyone is able to attract targeted visitors to their page due to Instagram’s restriction. Each post is limited to a maximum of 30 people at a time, regardless of the user’s number of followers or the use of hashtags or geotags. Nevertheless, there are strategies to work around this rule.
Instagram was founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. The app was launched on October 6, 2010, and less than two years later, in 2012, Facebook acquired the startup for $1 billion.
Based on statistical data, Instagram has a user base of over 143 million in the United States alone.
Free traffic source #6: Snapchat
One more popular social media platform on this list of free traffic sources is Snapchat, which is known for its content that is visible for a limited time.
Snapchat allows users to create “snaps,” which are short videos or pictures. Consistency in posting on Snapchat is important for attracting a free audience and building a following. The platform is popular among the younger generation because it captures their short attention spans.
Snapchat offers a paid option through Snapchat ads, which can help increase website traffic. If you are interested in learning how to start using Snapchat ads for affiliate marketing, you can refer to we can track’s page on setting up affiliate conversion tracking in Snapchat ads.
Snapchat was founded on September 16, 2011, by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, who met at Stanford University. Reggie was reportedly removed from the company after a few months for reasons related to his behavior.
In 2011, the trio launched Picaboo, which did not receive significant attention. They made some enhancements to the app and subsequently relaunched it as Snapchat.
Snapchat became a publicly traded company on March 2, 2017. It currently has a market capitalization of over $13 billion and boasts over 290 million daily active users.
Free traffic source #7: Q&A Websites and Forums
Q&A sites and forums, such as Quora, provide a platform for individuals to ask questions and receive answers from other users, promoting discussion on various topics. If you are seeking to generate free targeted traffic for your website, one potential strategy is to actively participate in these discussions by creating an account on a reputable Q&A site relevant to your industry.
When providing comments on people’s questions, it is recommended that you include backlinks for further information. It is important that you follow the forum rules and avoid self-promotion. Each comment or answer should primarily aim at helping the person who asked the question.
Quora was established on June 25, 2009, by Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, both former Facebook employees, and was made available to the public in 2010.
Free traffic source #8: Pinterest
Creating an account on Pinterest may not be free, but it is a valuable source of organic traffic for any website. Pinterest is particularly effective for promoting affiliate content through visuals. In fact, it surpasses Instagram as a platform where users can find inspiration and discover impressive designs, home interior ideas, and other creative content.
To generate free visits from Pinterest, produce appealing content that resonates with your audience. Seek inspiration from popular boards in your niche and discover methods to provide value. Your objective is to create content that people desire to repin, which will result in increased free traffic.
The development of Pinterest began in 2009 by its founders Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp. It was made available to the public on August 10, 2012.
The company became publicly traded in April 2019, generating $1.43 billion in its initial public offering and resulting in a market capitalization exceeding $10 billion.
Pinterest has over 463 million monthly users, making it a valuable source of free traffic.
Free traffic source #9: Reddit
Reddit is a highly effective but often overlooked free traffic source. If you haven’t heard of it, that explains why it’s not widely used.
Reddit is a social media platform where users can submit content and engage in discussions on a wide range of topics in specific subreddits. The most popular content is upvoted by users, leading to increased visibility and reach.
Reddit was founded in 2005 by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, who were roommates at the University of Virginia. In October 2006, Condé Nast Publications acquired the site for a reported $10 million to $20 million.
In 2011, Reddit was acquired by Condé Nast’s parent company, Advance Publications.
The company underwent multiple funding rounds over the years and secured $700 million in August 2021, resulting in a valuation of over $10 billion. It is anticipated that Reddit will go public in 2023.
Reddit is a platform that hosts over 100,000 active communities and has more than 13 billion posts and comments. It also receives around 57 million unique visitors on a daily basis, making it one of the most frequently visited websites globally.
Free traffic source #10: SEO again!
SEO is a valuable method for generating continuous organic traffic through Google. Additionally, it is worth considering the potential for gaining extra free traffic from other sources while implementing SEO strategies.
This is the explanation of our intended meaning.
Improving SEO requires focusing on your backlink profile. This includes the number of websites that link back to your content. Backlinks indicate high-quality content and improve Google search rankings. One method to enhance your backlink profile is writing guest posts for relevant blogs and websites. By offering your writing services for free, you can receive a link back to your website. This strengthens your backlink profile and drives free traffic.
If you have a website that receives a lot of traffic and already follows an SEO strategy, you can further increase your affiliate revenue by signing up for the top pay per click affiliate programs available. Be sure to look into this opportunity.
Bonus tips for More Free Traffic from Existing Sources
In addition to adding new channels, there are alternative methods to expand your audience without incurring additional expenses. One effective approach is to increase the amount of organic traffic from your existing sources and efforts. To summarize, let’s examine some best practices that could further enhance your free reach.
Try guest posting on other blogs in your niche
Guest posting is a practical strategy for increasing website traffic, establishing authority within a specific field, obtaining backlinks for future SEO purposes, and attracting readers from other blogs.
Guest posting may be worth considering as a beneficial opportunity if you haven’t tried it yet.
Write articles and submit them to article directories
To get more free traffic from your articles, upload them to free article directories like Medium. This will expose your articles to the large number of visitors these websites attract daily, helping to build your brand reputation and increase your organic reach. Avoid spamming your content with promotional links, but feel free to include links to relevant content on your website that enhances your article.
Writing is only a part of getting the most from your content. Promote!
Many individuals mistakenly believe that simply publishing an article on their affiliate site will generate traffic without any additional effort. However, this approach is flawed as it overlooks the importance of promoting the article to maximize free traffic.
This involves sharing your content on various social media platforms. We have discussed several free sources of traffic in this article that can be utilized for this purpose. Additionally, promoting your articles on social media will allow you to share relevant and valuable content, thereby increasing your reach and number of followers.
Promoting your content is crucial in attracting a high volume of free traffic to your platform, possibly even more important than creating the content itself.
Some additional thoughts on how to get traffic for affiliate marketing
There is no one best way to get traffic for affiliate marketing. Traffic is crucial for earning commissions and fees. The best method for getting traffic depends on your audience. If the product is something people buy impulsively or didn’t know they wanted, social media is a good option. For visually appealing or inspirational products, Pinterest might be a good choice. And if you’re promoting something with many questions, focus on SEO.
There are numerous methods to generate traffic for affiliate marketing. This article has provided you with some ideas, but the most effective approach is to remain open-minded and continuously search for new strategies that suit your needs.
Conclusion about the Best Ways for more Free Traffic
One advantage of the internet is that you can gain significant affiliate traffic from the sources we provided, whether they are free or require payment.
Finding your perfect target audience and focusing on it can be time-consuming. When choosing a traffic source, consider important factors.
Affiliate Traffic Sources FAQs
Which is the best traffic source for affiliate marketing?
The best traffic source for affiliate marketing varies depending on factors like your niche and target audience. Search engine optimization and advertising are generally effective in generating traffic for your product page. Social media is also a reliable medium to attract high-quality traffic.
How do I get free traffic for affiliates?
There are multiple methods to obtain free affiliate traffic. You can share product-related content with links on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. You can improve your website’s search engine rankings for specific queries. You can engage in discussions on online forums and Q&A sites, and more.
What are the top 3 sources of paid traffic?
Search engine advertising and social media advertising are commonly used methods to generate paid traffic. These sources provide an effective way to increase views and conversions for affiliate offers.
