Riya · SEO
Maya · Web
Rebecca · Social
Victor · LeadsHow to Promote Affiliate Links in 2027: Free and Paid Channels
The most reliable way to promote affiliate links is to put them on your own review pages, then use every other channel to send people to those pages. Posting a bare affiliate link works on some platforms and gets removed on others, so check each one's rules first. Below is what each channel officially allows, what works there, and where you can promote affiliate links for free.
| Channel | Affiliate link allowed? | Where the link goes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own site (Google, AI search) | Yes, marked rel="sponsored" |
In your reviews and roundups | Free to start |
| Yes, with disclosure | On the Pin | Free | |
| YouTube | Yes, in descriptions; tick "paid promotion" when it applies | Video description | Free |
| TikTok | Through TikTok Shop's affiliate program and links in your bio | Product links, bio | Free |
| Not clickable in captions | Bio link, Story link sticker | Free | |
| Yes, using the Brand Affiliate tag, if the subreddit allows it | Posts and comments | Free | |
| Yes, Amazon allows it for opted-in subscribers | In the email | Free to start | |
| Paid ads | Depends on platform and program; Google Ads rejects pure bridge pages | A landing page with real content | Paid |
Part 01Start with your own review pages
A link inside your own review keeps working no matter which platform changes its rules, and it's where Google and AI search send buyers. Google asks you to mark affiliate links with rel="sponsored", and says "using affiliate links to monetize a website is fine."
Every other channel below then points to that page: a pin to the roundup, a video description to the review, a Story sticker to the comparison. The click data on your site tells you which channel actually sends buyers. See how to build an affiliate marketing website and SEO for affiliate marketers.
Part 02Pinterest
Pinterest says affiliate links "are one way for creators to make money on Pinterest": you add the affiliate URL to a Pin and can earn commission when people click through and shop. Disclose the affiliate relationship in the Pin description.
What works: one vertical pin per roundup or review, with the product in use and a short promise ("5 pour-over kettles we tested"). Pins keep getting traffic for months, so they suit evergreen roundups.
Part 03YouTube
Put affiliate links in the video description. If a video features branded content, sponsorships, endorsements or other commercial relationships, YouTube says you "have to let YouTube know by selecting the paid promotion button," which adds a disclosure label at the start of the video. Say the disclosure out loud as well.
What works: "X vs Y" and "after 3 months" reviews, with the link to your written review in the first line of the description.
Part 04TikTok
TikTok Shop's affiliate program lets creators earn commission on products they feature in videos and LIVEs, and TikTok also provides trackable affiliate links you can share in your bio. For products outside TikTok Shop, send viewers to your own review page through your bio link.
What works: a 20 to 40 second clip with one surprising test result, then "full comparison at the link in bio."
Part 05Instagram
Links in Instagram captions aren't clickable. Use the link in your bio and the Link sticker in Stories, which every account can now use.
What works: a Story sequence (the problem, your test, the result) ending with a Link sticker to the review. A comment-to-DM tool such as ManyChat can send the link to anyone who comments a keyword.
Part 06Facebook
Post in your own Page and in groups whose rules allow it. Most groups restrict promotional links, so contribute answers first and link to your review only when it answers the question.
Part 07Reddit and forums
Reddit provides a Brand Affiliate tag for posts or comments with commercial intent, and many subreddits set stricter rules of their own or ban affiliate links outright. Read each subreddit's rules before posting. Q&A sites such as Quora are similarly strict about self-promotion.
What works: a genuinely useful answer to someone asking for a recommendation, with a link to your review page rather than a bare affiliate link. Votrix's lead generation reads people's posts on social media and Reddit, so you can find the threads where someone is asking for exactly what you've reviewed.
Part 08Email
Amazon allows its affiliate links in emails to subscribers who opted in (it bans them in offline material such as printed matter and ebooks). Email is also the channel you own outright.
What works: collect emails on your reviews ("get our next test results"), then send a short weekly email with one tested product. Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, and Votrix can send emails automatically.
Part 09Paid ads
Google Ads lists, as insufficient original content, "destinations where the only purpose is to send users to another site," including "bridge pages, doorways, gateways." Send paid traffic to a landing page with your own review and evidence, not a headline and a button. Some affiliate programs also limit ads that bid on the brand's name, so check the program terms. See our affiliate landing page guide.
Part 10Where to promote affiliate links for free
| Free channel | Effort | How long until it works |
|---|---|---|
| Your own site + Google | High: write tested reviews | Months |
| AI search (cited in AI Overviews, ChatGPT) | Same pages, written to be cited | Months |
| Medium: one pin per page | Weeks to months | |
| YouTube | High: film and edit | Weeks to months |
| TikTok, Instagram | Medium: short clips | Days to weeks, less lasting |
| Reddit, forums | Low per post, high to do well | Immediate, if the answer is useful |
| Low once the list exists | Immediate to your list |
Part 11Disclose on every channel
The FTC says the closer the disclosure is to the recommendation, the better, and "Paid link" right next to a link should be adequate. "Affiliate link" on its own may not be understood. On video, say it and use the platform's disclosure tool; on Amazon links, include "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."
Part 12Promote on every channel without doing it all by hand
Promoting a review across five channels every week is the part most affiliates drop. Votrix keeps it running: after building the site from one sentence (free, hosting included), AI automation writes scripts by scenario, makes the images, videos and captions, and publishes them; runs SEO and GEO so the review pages themselves get found; sends emails automatically; and makes ad creative for paid campaigns. Its built-in data shows which channel sent the visitors who clicked through to the retailer.
Quick answersFrequently asked questions
On Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok and email, following each platform's rules. A website still helps: it's the one place no platform can remove, and Amazon accepts websites as well as some social accounts. Votrix builds one for free.
For lasting traffic, your own review site plus Pinterest and YouTube. For fast feedback, short video. For the highest trust, email to people who signed up.
Give them a reason on the page: your own photos, one measured result, a clear verdict, and a "Check price" button right after it. Then track button clicks per page and improve the ones that get visits but no clicks.
SummaryWhere to start
Pick one review page and promote it on two channels this week: a Pinterest pin and one short video, both pointing to the page, both disclosed.
Run the whole affiliate workflow with AI
Votrix builds the site from one sentence, then keeps SEO, GEO, social media and ad creative running, with click data built in. Building the site is free, hosting included.
