If you’ve ever posted your affiliate link somewhere and watched it sit there with zero clicks, you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not doing anything wrong by trying. The problem isn’t you. The problem is the link itself, or more specifically, how it’s being shared.
Here’s something that surprised me when I first learned it. Posts that link out to an external site see their reach drop by an average of 219% compared to posts that don’t. That’s not a small dip. That’s the platform actively burying your content because it would rather keep people scrolling than send them away.
So if you want to know how to get more clicks on affiliate links, the answer isn’t “post your link more often.” It’s “build trust first, then offer the link as a natural next step.” That’s exactly what the five strategies below are built around. None of them require a huge following, a budget, or any technical skills.
If you’re brand new to this whole world, start with my Start Here page first. It’ll give you the bigger picture this post fits into.
Why aren’t people clicking my affiliate links?
People aren’t clicking your affiliate links because platforms actively reduce the visibility of posts containing outbound links, and because strangers have no reason to trust a link from someone they don’t know yet.
Think about your own behavior for a second. When was the last time you clicked a link from someone you’d never interacted with before, just because they posted it? Probably rarely, if ever. But when a friend tells you “hey, I tried this and it actually worked,” you’re far more likely to check it out.
That’s the entire shift this post is about. Instead of leading with the link, you lead with a real moment, a story, a question, something that gets a person to engage with you first. The link becomes something you offer after that connection exists, not instead of it.
Action step: Before you share your link anywhere today, write down one honest sentence about something you tried recently related to your niche, what happened, and how it turned out. That sentence is your starting point for every strategy below.
How do I get more clicks on affiliate links using Facebook?
You get more clicks on affiliate links through Facebook by sharing personal stories on your profile and in relevant groups that invite conversation, then sending your link privately to people who respond, rather than posting the link publicly.
Strategy 1: Personal Facebook posts that invite conversation
Your personal Facebook profile is a surprisingly underused tool for this. The trick is sharing a short, honest story about something you tried, struggled with, or figured out, and then inviting people to ask for more if they’re interested.
Here’s what this looks like in real life. Say you’ve been experimenting with a new tool or method in your niche. You might post something like: “I spent way too long trying to figure out [specific problem] the hard way. Turns out there was a much simpler fix. If you want to know what it was, comment below and I’ll send it your way.”
No link in the post itself. Just a genuine moment and an invitation. When people comment, you message them directly with your link, ideally with a sentence or two of context, not just a bare URL.
Action step: Write one post like this for your own profile today. Keep it under three sentences. End with a clear, low-pressure invitation to comment.
Strategy 2: Facebook Groups, helping first, sharing second
Facebook Groups built around your niche are full of people actively asking questions, which means you don’t have to create demand, it already exists. Your job is to answer those questions like a helpful person would, not like someone trying to sell something.
For example, if someone in a beginner-focused group asks “does anyone actually make money doing this?”, a generic “yes!” with a link attached gets ignored or removed by moderators. But a reply like “I wondered the same thing for months. What changed things for me was [specific approach]. Happy to share more if it’s useful” opens a real conversation, and often leads to that person messaging you directly.
Always check group rules first. Most groups are fine with this kind of genuine engagement but will remove posts that look like direct promotion.
Can email really help me get more affiliate link clicks with a small list?
Yes, and in some ways a small email list works even better than a large one. Lists under 5,000 subscribers often see open rates above 25%, well above the 15-25% average across most industries, because subscribers on smaller lists have more of a personal connection with the sender.
Strategy 3: Email even a tiny list, told like a story
If you’ve collected even 10 or 20 email addresses from people who downloaded something free from you, that’s a list worth using. The mistake most beginners make is either never emailing that list at all, or emailing it only when they have something to “sell.”
Instead, treat your email like a quick note to a friend. Tell them what you tried, what happened, and what you’d do differently. Mention your link once, maybe twice, as part of the story rather than as the whole point of the email.
For example: “Quick update, I finally tried [thing] after putting it off for weeks. Wish I’d started sooner. If you’re curious, here’s where I got it: [link]. Let me know if you give it a go!”
If you haven’t started building a list yet, my post on building an email list for affiliate marketing walks through the basics, and 5 simple email habits that keep your list engaged covers what to do once you have one.
Action step: If you have any email subscribers at all, even five, send one short, story-based email this week. Don’t overthink the subject line, just be honest about what it’s about.
Do short videos actually help affiliate link clicks?
Yes, short videos can be particularly effective for beginners because smaller accounts under 5,000 followers tend to see engagement rates around 4.2%, which is higher than the platform average, meaning the algorithm often gives new, small accounts a real chance to be seen.
Strategy 4: Short, unpolished video content
This is the strategy that scares people the most, and it shouldn’t. You don’t need good lighting, a script, or editing skills. What works is simply talking to the camera the way you’d talk to a friend, about something specific you tried or learned.
A video that says “okay so I tried [thing] for the first time and here’s what actually happened” performs better than a polished, scripted promo, because it feels like a real person sharing a real experience. End with an invitation: “if you want to know what I used, message me and I’ll send the link.”
Don’t worry about getting it perfect. Record it, post it, and move on. You can always make another one tomorrow that’s a little better.
Action step: Record a 30-second video on your phone today about one specific thing related to your niche. Don’t re-record more than twice. Post it.
How does blogging help me get more clicks on affiliate links?
Blogging helps you get more affiliate link clicks because it gives you a permanent home for your content where links aren’t penalized the way they are on social platforms, and because blog posts can continue attracting readers through search long after you publish them.
Strategy 5: Simple blog posts written like advice to a friend
Unlike social media, blog posts are exactly the place where outbound links belong, search engines and readers both expect them there. A short post of 300-500 words, written in a conversational tone about something you wish you’d known earlier, naturally creates a place for your link to live.
Structure it loosely like this: what you were struggling with, what you tried that didn’t work, and what finally helped (with your link included naturally at that point). This mirrors how other proven traffic strategies on this blog work too, content that helps first, and links that follow naturally from that help.
Once you’ve written a post like this, you can share it in the Facebook groups and conversations from Strategies 1 and 2, giving you a single piece of content that supports multiple traffic sources at once.
Putting it all together
None of these five strategies require you to be an expert, have a big following, or spend any money. What they have in common is that the link comes second, after a real moment of connection, a story, a question answered, a video watched, or a blog post that actually helped.
Pick one strategy from this post. Use it once a day for seven days. Notice what gets a response and what doesn’t, then keep doing more of what works. That’s the whole system, and it’s the same system that works whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been at this for a while.
Products, Tools, and Resources
- Affiliate Marketing Traffic Tricks: 5 Proven Strategies, for a broader look at driving traffic to your content: read it here
- Building an Email List for Affiliate Marketing, if you haven’t started collecting subscribers yet: read it here
- 5 Simple Email Habits That Keep My List Engaged, for once you have a list: read it here
Ready to Build This the Right Way?
An honest guide to building your affiliate business the right way. No income claims, no fluff, just the framework that actually works.
Social media platforms reduce the reach of posts that contain outbound links, since they’re designed to keep users on the platform. On top of that, people are unlikely to click a link from someone they don’t know or trust yet, so the link itself often isn’t the problem, the lack of connection is.
No. Strategies like personal Facebook posts, helpful comments in groups, and short videos can work with very small audiences, sometimes even better, since smaller accounts often get stronger engagement from the people who do see them.
Yes. Small lists often have higher open rates because subscribers have a more personal connection with the sender. A short, honest email to even 10 or 20 people can lead to real clicks.
No. Simple, unpolished videos recorded on a phone often perform just as well, sometimes better, than polished content, because they feel more genuine and relatable.
Blog posts are one of the best places, since links are expected there and don’t get penalized like they do on social platforms. Social media and email are better used to build connection first, with the link offered as a natural next step.
