Biggest Affiliate Marketing Trends in 2021

Biggest Affiliate Marketing Trends in 2021

We know, we know… staying on top of all the affiliate marketing trends can be tricky with consumer needs and technology constantly changing. That’s why we’ve compiled this helpful list of the biggest affiliate marketing trends in 2021.

We did this by following marketing-related news and, more importantly, predicting trends by assessing what worked in the past and what consumers see as having enough value.

So in this article, we will outline the overall trends dominating the affiliate marketing industry. Find out what’s driving these trends and how to successfully incorporate them into your work.

New Social Media Trends: Instagram Reels and TikTok

There’s no denying the absolute power that these two features and platforms have in marketing these days.

The main idea is that you are exposed to both your friends’ posts and to a worldwide platform that you necessarily may not be following.

The videos shared there quickly get millions of views, so branch out to reap these new affiliate marketing opportunities. You may be poised to get many new consumers. And for a fraction of the budget that you would usually have to invest.

True, TikTok has no place for putting affiliate links directly, but affiliates can incorporate landing pages and links in their bios.

If you are an affiliate, you need to jump on the bandwagon and better understand these fast-growing platforms.

Biggest Affiliate Marketing Trends in 2021
Stay on top of social media trends (Image source: Unsplash)

Bye-Bye Third-Party Cookies

Did you hear the major news? Google Chrome sees around 70 percent of overall web use, and it announced it plans to block all third-party tracking cookies by 2022!

Apple is following suit and making tracking optional. It will be based on user opt-in.

Yes, this will very much affect the way sellers and publishers deal with affiliate marketing. But fret not – it will mostly be a question of how well you adapt to novel ways of getting and processing information. First-party affiliate programs, a.k.a. the ones run via independent sellers, will offer the flexibility and entry to data required for success.

Keep in mind that this will be among affiliate marketing trends both this year and the next one.

App Tracking and Cross-Device Tracking

Cookies may be running out of fashion, but there are other players gaining popularity.

If you are an affiliate, you should check that the affiliate program you are running lets app tracking and cross-device tracking occur.

In 2020, due to corona, app-based purchases jumped by 54%. With more than 120 billion dollars spent through apps last year, one can only expect these numbers to rise even more!

It seems like app tracking, and cross-device tracking is becoming a must, right?

But what is app tracking? That’s when a user buys an item or service through an application that the affiliate can monitor and claim as their own. If your affiliate program isn’t using app-tracking, you may be losing money.

Cross-device tracking means that one user can track via a couple or more devices – mobile, desktop, and more. Sometimes, a user will look into an item on one device and buy it via another. So affiliates need to be able to track the product thoroughly to get that coveted commission.

Prioritize app tracking and cross-device tracking in affiliate marketing in 2021.

Video Continues Its Rise

Not that surprising, but video content is continuing its climb as a content marketing medium.

According to Wyzowl’s video marketing stats for last year, 84% of people surveyed said that a brand video influenced their decision to buy a service or item. And 66% said they would prefer a short video to watch when learning about a product or service.

That’s quite telling, right? Your consumers will be grateful to have a video that can let them buy a product quickly. Adding such content can generate more profit for you.

You don’t even have to be so evident in advertising! Make a shorter clip that explains and educates people how to use your service and product and what edge it gives them.

Just think about all those YouTube influencers and their popularity, and it will be easy to comprehend why video is king at the moment.

Conclusion

The affiliate marketing trends we have discussed here will impact the marketing landscape considerably, so make sure you’re getting in on the fun. Last year impacted the way we purchase and sell in many ways, and you need to do some catching up.

Follow our Naffitive blog for more information in the future to learn to navigate the marketing arena!

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