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As a social media marketer or someone trying to build your social media presence, you know that it isn’t enough just to post new content — the times you post also play a crucial role.

So, if you are wondering what the best times to post on social media in 2024 are, I have got you covered. In this post, I have compiled some of the key statistics from leading studies on the best times to post on social media.

Best Time to Post on Instagram

Instagram has surpassed 2 billion monthly users, with most of its base accessing the platform via mobile.

Here are some of the most recent and relevant studies around the best time to post on Instagram:

Based on analyzing 5.5 million social media posts, Buffer states that the best times to post on Instagram are 7 AM to 8 AM on weekdays.
According to the same report, the best day to post on Instagram is Friday. The worst day is on Sunday.
The worst times to post are 11 PM to 12 AM and 1 AM to 2 AM.
SocialBee suggests that the best times to post on Instagram are between 11:00 AM and 02:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and at 10:00 AM on Saturdays.
According to a SocialPilot study on over 50,000 Instagram accounts, the best time to post on Instagram is between 7 AM and 9 AM.
Later states that the best time to post on Instagram is 4 AM.

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While posting at the right time is important, it is also important to optimize your posts with the right caption so that they reach the maximum audience. You can use tools like Hubspot AI Social Media Caption Generator to easily create engaging and impactful copy for your posts.

Best Time to Post on Facebook

When it comes to the best times to post on Facebook, marketers report almost identical numbers as they do on Instagram.

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According to Buffer, the best time to post on Facebook is between 9 and 10 AM.
The best days to post on Facebook are Fridays. The worst are on Saturdays and Sundays.
The worst times to post are 4 AM to 5 AM and 11 PM to 12 AM.
According to SocialBee, the best times to post on Facebook are between 8 AM and 1 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Best Time to Post on X (Twitter)

After analyzing over 1 million tweets, Buffer found that the best times to post on this text-based social media platform is 11 AM on Mondays and Fridays.

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SocialBee states that the best time to post on X is between 9 AM and 4 PM on Thursdays and Fridays.
For better engagement, SocialPilot suggests posting in the mornings between 8 AM and 10 AM and evenings between 6 PM and 9 PM on weekdays.
On weekends, it’s best to post between 11 AM to 5 PM.

Best Time to Post on LinkedIn

Roughly 31% of U.S. adults use LinkedIn to network and share their professional endeavors. It’s no surprise that it’s the only social platform to report a weekday as one of the top days to post.

CoSchedule suggests posting on LinkedIn at 12:00 PM, 10:00 AM, and 1:00 AM.
The best days to post, according to them, are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Wednesdays.
The lowest-performing days are Sundays, Saturdays, and Mondays.
According to Buffer, you can get high engagement if you post between 9 AM and 5 AM on weekdays.
SocialPilot states the best time is between 10 AM and 12 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Best Time to Post on Pinterest

The best times to post on Pinterest, according to CoSchedule, are 12:00 PM, 6:17 PM, and 8:02 PM.
The worst times are 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM, and 1:00 AM.
The best days to post are Fridays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
According to SocialPilot, the best times to post on Pinterest are on Fridays at 3 PM.
On weekends, posting on Saturdays from 8 PM to 11 PM is ideal.

Best Time to Post on YouTube

82% of U.S. adults use YouTube and data from a 2023 Pew Research study suggests that its reach is growing. So, how can you get the best reach on the platform? Let’s dive in.

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Buffer states that videos shared between 3 and 4 PM on Fridays tend to get the highest number of views.
According to SocialPilot, the best time is between 2 PM and 4 PM on weekdays.
Sunday is the best day to post, between 9 AM and 11 AM.

While reports and surveys state one thing, YouTube experts have a slightly different opinion on the best time to post on YouTube.

This is what Robert Benjamin, a social media expert with more than 708K subscribers on YouTube, has to say.

“Personally, I have found the best time to post to be 10 AM – 12 PM, but this can be largely dictated by the relationship that you have with your audience. My recommendation to anyone uploading YouTube content is that they try to post on a regular schedule so that their audience knows when to expect a video.”

Jensen Tung, a content creator and entrepreneur with more than 457K subscribers, believes that the best time to post depends on your audience demographic and time zone.

He states, “There is no one-size-fits-all best time to post. It depends on your audience’s demographic and the time zone most of your viewers are in … YouTube Studio can show the exact hours your audience watches your content. Let that data inform your posting time.”

Best Time to Post on TikTok

Since 2020, TikTok has become the go-to short-form video platform for Gen-Z and Millennial consumers.

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Studies by SocialPilot show that the best time to post on TikTok is 10 to 11:50 AM, 2:30 to 4 PM, and 6:30 to 9:30 PM from Tuesdays to Thursdays.
Hopper states 10 AM to 11 AM mid-week as the overall best time.
According to Buffer, the best time is 2 PM on Mondays, 4 PM on Wednesdays, and 8 AM on Saturdays.

Creating an Effective Posting Schedule

Although each social network sees its engagement increase at specific hours and days of the week, you’ll still have to tailor your approach to your audience.

Use this data as a guide if you don’t have enough data yet. Once you start posting regularly and have collected data, review it to determine when your audience is most active on the platform and what posting schedule they respond to the most.

You may find that certain content types work better when posted at certain times. For instance, your videos may perform well when posting in the morning, while your images may do better in the late afternoon.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2017, but was updated for comprehensiveness.

Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better.

I’m an inclusive marketing consultant and the founder of Thompson Media Group. I also follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons. When I go to a restaurant’s website, I’m wondering, does their menu work for “People like me?”

Your ideal customers are going to have these questions, as “people like me” often refers to an identity consumers hold.

And, people with underrepresented and underserved identities often wonder about how their identity might impact the degree of success they can achieve with your brand and, if it will impact whether they’ll feel like they belong.

It’s up to you to ensure your brand sends the right signals with your content — to communicate “You Belong Here,” to all the people you want to serve. And, one of the best ways to do that is with an inclusive SEO strategy.

In this post, I’ll explain how to implement inclusive SEO strategies that help you draw in a diverse audience.

How to Communicate “You Belong Here” to The People You Serve

When you know the ‘why’ behind your customer’s questions, it’s easier to create SEO-based content that gets to the heart of what they need to learn about you.

My pro tip is to focus your efforts on delivering experiences that make it easy for your ideal customers to feel like three key statements are true for your brand:

“This brand sees me and my identity.”
“People like me have achieved success here.”
“The customer experience for people like me has been considered.”

Let’s dive into how you can deliver on these ideals.

1.”This brand sees me and my identity.”

No one wants to feel invisible but, unfortunately, people from marginalized communities often feel ignored by brands who focus all their attention on those who are part of the “mainstream.”

That’s why people who are often ignored are so thrilled when a brand takes the time to “see them.”

I keynoted a conference a couple of years ago. Afterward, I saw social media comments from attendees who had referenced how the speaker lineup at the conference made them feel.

Here’s one example where the attendee felt “seen” because she liked seeing women of color like her represented by conference speakers.

And in the other example, the attendee felt invisible because she didn’t see any speakers in her age group.

In the State of Representation in Marketing study I conducted, 63% of respondents over 50 said it was important for them to see people in their age group represented in the brands they buy from.

Overall, age was the second most important factor to them in terms of areas of representation consumers of all ages needed to see to feel like they belong.

Make your customers feel seen by using your content to acknowledge that your customers are different in a way that feels authentic.

2. “People like me have achieved success here.”

The people you serve are coming to you because they want you to help them solve a problem, but not everyone achieves success at the same rate.

Over the years I’ve educated many clients about how consumers’ identities have a direct correlation to the degree of success they achieve.

As a brand, it is important for you to be aware of whether specific customers aren’t thriving as others are. This awareness positions you to put solutions in place to close any existing gaps.

Here’s an expert interview I conducted that explains this concept a little further, using an example called “The water vs. the fish principle.”

In this episode of the Inclusion & Marketing podcast, I go deeper into various factors that influence your customers’ success, such as race, gender, and sexual orientation, along with advice on how to mitigate them.

In the State of Representation in Marketing study, 52% of consumers said customer testimonials were the area of representation most important to them for the brands they are considering buying from.

Showcase people from underrepresented and underserved communities achieving success with your brand. Doing so will give people who share those identities confidence that they can achieve success with you as well.

3. “The customer experience for people like me has been considered.”

I haven’t met anyone who enjoys feeling like an afterthought.

But, far too often, consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities are treated like afterthoughts in the experiences brands deliver. This, in turn, results in a less-than-stellar experience when interacting with a brand.

In the video below, Erin Perkins, a disability advocate, shares her frustration with a common brand experience.

My pro tip is to show your customers they belong with you by delivering stellar experiences that work for all the identities you’re serving.

From talking to thousands of consumers, I’ve learned it is often the small details that make stellar experiences.

One consumer shared about a delightful experience at a hotel, “the towels were super plush and oversized to fit anyone’s size.

It is the small things.” Another consumer expressed gratitude that she didn’t have to ask for an accommodation with one brand, because it “was already available.”

And another consumer told me she wished brands knew “everyone is different, but we all wanted to be treated the same.”

Your customers, no matter their identity, want to feel like they are important as they go through your customer experience.

When consumers feel they are important, they are more likely to be loyal to you as a result. Consumers who feel like a burden or an afterthought will go somewhere else.

Components of an Inclusive SEO Strategy

Once you’ve defined which identities your brand will champion, focus on delivering content that speaks directly to those consumers.

Below I’ll go over the key components of an inclusive SEO strategy that will help you do exactly that.

1. Include SEO-optimized content on your website that answers common identity-based questions.

Many people from marginalized communities are aware of the ways in which they are different and how that impacts their experiences as consumers.

To minimize friction and poor experiences, they will often do advanced research to find out whether or not a brand is for them before making a purchase.

Having SEO-optimized content on your website will help them find the information they need quickly.

In addition, the fact that you’ve taken the time to proactively provide content about the specific topic they’re concerned with showcases that you “see” consumers who have this need and that you considered their experience in advance.

For example, I follow a gluten-free diet. Anytime I’m considering a new restaurant, I need to browse their menu in advance to find out if there are options for me to eat.

However, restaurants often don’t have that information available on their websites. Sometimes I conduct a secondary search to try and find a menu, but I land on unrelated websites like Find Me Gluten-Free.

It’s a missed opportunity. And, almost every time this happens, I end up going to a different restaurant that caters to gluten-free diets and clearly highlights this in its menu options online.

This page from Google’s website is a good example. It showcases the accessibility features of Google Pixel phones by including a sponsored video.

It also includes testimonials from individuals in the disability community who use the features to accomplish their goals.

My pro tip: Think about the various identities of the people who have the problem your brand solves. Then brainstorm what common identity-based questions they will have, and create content on your site that makes it easy for them to get the answers to their questions, so they can move forward with you.

2. Create an optimized Google Business Profile.

My husband once searched ‘peluqueria’ (the word for barbershop in Spanish) on Google, and got no local results. When I queried “barber shop,” I got a result for a location less than 50 feet from where we stood.

Simple adjustments to that business’ Google Business Profile, would have helped it appear for my husband searching in Spanish.

Vero Massage Therapy is a great example of an optimized Google Business Profile, as it makes it clear to LGBTQ+ and Latino communities that they are welcome at the spa.

Salon 54, pictured below, also does a great job at this by including key accessibility information to let all visitors understand their options.

To activate this inclusive SEO strategy for yourself, create a Google Business Profile and add the attributes that make sense for your brand based on the customers you serve.

I have a podcast episode, linked below, all about how to optimize your profile for multiple languages and identity groups.

Real customers can also leave reviews (and you can encourage them to do so) of your business highlighting their experiences.

When prospective customers see uncurated reviews from people like them on your profile, it gives them the confidence they need to take the next step forward with you.

The image below is from Klickrr, a text-marketing software company that has customer reviews on its Google Business Profile.

3. Understand your brand’s values and how you live those values over time.

HubSpot’s Consumer Trend Survey found that consumers care that companies take a stance on social issues, and 42% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand based on their commitments to diversity and inclusion.

The people you serve want to know what your brand values are, and how you practice them on a daily basis.

This could look like creating content that talks about your journey to inclusivity and how you build relationships with and support different communities.

I think MindBodyGreen is a great example of doing this successfully, especially with their blog post highlighting why they removed the word “infertility” from their website.

Sephora also does this by highlighting their progress toward their diversity goals.

The Home Depot also communicates its lived values with content highlighting its “Retool Your School” program, which supports historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The program has existed for 15 years, and the brand’s YouTube channel even has a playlist of the impact the program has had on campuses over the years.

My pro tip is to implement this component of an inclusive SEO strategy by creating content that highlights your values, and then continuing to publish SEO-optimized content that demonstrates how you’re living your values.

Your customers won’t know about your values or how you live them if you don’t tell them. It isn’t bragging, or being performative to talk about the work you are doing and the impact you are having on communities.

It’s an inspiring way for the people you serve to see what you’re doing and hold you accountable to your goals.

Besides, the more consumers are able to see your commitment to causes and communities that are also important to them, the more drawn they will be to your brand.

Small Tweaks Can Make Your SEO Strategy More Inclusive

Any effective strategy has to start by understanding your customers.

Acknowledge the diverse identities of your customers, and work to deliver experiences through your content that satisfy the questions people with different identities might have when it comes to your brand.

When you show that your values align, conversions increase.

Welcome to HubSpot’s Expert Edge Series, where we interview top execs at major brands to explore their perspectives on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry.

Over the past few months, you might’ve noticed a shift in HubSpot’s social strategy.

The more traditional B2B posts have given way for a social media presence that is funnier, more casual, and definitely more meme-ified.

Which led me to wonder: What’s the reason behind the shift?

As HubSpot’s Global Director of Social Media, Bryna Corcoran, told me: “About seven months ago, we started to speak to the next generation of marketing or sales reps — we started to use the Gen Z and millennial tone-of-voice. We started to dabble in internet culture; we started to post memes, which, you know, definitely got us some questionable faces. We started to make it more of a conversational community. And it’s working.”

Turns out, it’s more than just working. In the past seven months alone, HubSpot’s social team has seen 84% year-over-year growth on LinkedIn.

Here, Corcoran shares with me her tips for growing a LinkedIn community, as well as her broader insights on how to succeed across social platforms in 2024.

HubSpot’s Director of Social On Creating A Strong LinkedIn Strategy, Becoming Relevant to Gen Z, and Experimenting Constantly

LinkedIn’s Audience Has Changed: So Your Content Should, Too

When I sat down with Corcoran, the first question I asked her was simple: Why LinkedIn?

She told me there are several reasons. For one, some users have found it harder to thrive on X (previously known as Twitter), so they’ve gradually migrated to LinkedIn for that similar “open-forum town square” feel.

Additionally, more Gen Z’s and younger millennials are now turning to LinkedIn for career development and job searching.

So the social team saw an opportunity: Why not test out their Twitter tone-of-voice — short, text-only casual posts, or what she calls “shower musings” — on LinkedIn?

And it blew up.

Corcoran says, “In the beginning, we were unsure how our new strategy would perform, so we treaded lightly by posting only a few times a week. But I’m happy to report that we’re gaining followers faster than ever, and that’s because we’re taking a personal approach.”

She adds, “It’s almost like we’re turning HubSpot into a person, rather than a brand, by discussing the musings of how our customers are thinking or feeling on a daily basis as they try to grow their companies.”

LinkedIn’s Users Expect to Interact With Businesses on the Platform, So It’s a Good Platform to Lean Into

There’s another benefit to LinkedIn, too — while Instagram and Facebook are largely for personal connections, users expect to interact with businesses on LinkedIn. In fact, it’s the purpose of the channel.

In other words: Businesses aren’t breaking through quite as high of a barrier on LinkedIn when it comes to figuring out authentic ways for users to interact with them.

As Corcoran told me, “Don’t sleep on LinkedIn — It is one of the most credible platforms. To be on the platform, you need to put your real first and last name, and your work history is accurate, and you’re a reflection of the school you went to or the company you work for … so you’re much more likely to contribute thoughtfully on LinkedIn compared to other platforms.”

She continues, “So what we’ve found on LinkedIn is a vibrant community of people who just like being on the platform, and like sharing their thoughts. Of course there are debates, but they’re healthy debates. And so we’ve found people who are inspired to engage with us, talk to us, talk to each other, have civil discourse, laugh with us, and thumbs-up each other’s comments.”

One other big plus and differentiation for LinkedIn? Its ability to amplify your content to new audiences simply by engaging with the content. If Corcoran and I are connected as colleagues but I don’t follow HubSpot and she comments on or likes a HubSpot post, LinkedIn will auto-publish that interaction and post to my own feed. Which means LinkedIn provides incredible opportunities to broadcast your content to reach new prospects and leads simply through light-weight engagement.

Take an Audience-First Approach With Any Social Strategy — While Also Leaning Into Cultural Relevancy

Roughly six months ago, Corcoran and her team decided to develop new, fresh personas for their social channels to enable them to take an audience-first approach. Now, when they’re crafting a piece of social content, they’re able to keep that person top-of-mind.

For instance, one persona they’ve developed is the sales rep who is trying to get their cold calls answered. From there, it’s easier to brainstorm clever, relatable text-based thoughts that could resonate with that persona and make her feel like HubSpot understands their challenges.

Corcoran told me she also looks at cultural moments. “We look at things that people are talking about outside of the HubSpot universe. What’s top of mind for them? If we can connect to what’s going on in culture, it’s even stickier and more relatable.”

She adds, “In the beginning, there was a little bit of the ‘let’s try everything’ method, because it was uncharted. So we decided to test a lot: Does our audience gravitate to a Barbie meme? Are we rubbing people the wrong way if we lean into grammatical errors because that’s how Gen Z types?”

Now, before Corcoran’s team posts anything, they ask themselves three questions:

Who is this for?
What’s the HubSpot way in?
How can we connect it to culture?

If they can strike those three things well, they typically find success. But, as Corcoran points out, they don’t crush it every time — and they’re still learning.

You Might Be Surprised By What Types of Content Performs Best With Your Audience, So Testing is Key

When HubSpot won a G2 award recently, Corcoran’s team posted a traditional, official asset to highlight the award. And it got widely shared.

But then, later that afternoon, they decided to post a Miley Cyrus Grammy awards image with the caption, “buying myself flowers to celebrate all these G2 wins”.

As Corcoran told me, “That blew up. People were really energized by the fact that we had a little bit of swag with our G2 announcement. And the more fun, personality-driven approach accomplishes the same goal for us as the more corporate-looking post: Driving awareness.”

One thing we’ve found,” She adds, “is if a post is too polished or clean on social, it gets misunderstood as an ad. So if we’re doing a video, we take a TikTok or Reels approach where it’s just 30-seconds shot on an iPhone and we put it out.”

If you work for a B2B company, it can be tempting to pigeonhole your brand on social as polished, professional, and formal. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case — the more you can personify your business, the easier it will be for decision-makers to connect with your brand.

Of course, what works best for one business will flop for another. So it’s equally critical you continue to test and iterate over time. At the end of each month, for instance, Corcoran and her team look at every single post and say, ‘Okay, how did this one perform? Was it short and easy-to-read? Was the graphic too corporate-y?’

As Corcoran notes, over time, you begin to notice themes. And those themes can help you get better at predicting what performs well with your audience … and what doesn’t.

(Bonus Tip: Corcoran suggests posting on LinkedIn three to four times per week; but she encourages businesses to avoid posting on the weekends, since people typically aren’t using the platform during their time off. Additionally, she’s seen the most success posting first thing in the morning, around lunchtime, or around 5-6 PM — basically, when people are waking up, when they’re taking a lunch break, or when they’re winding down after work.)

Shares Means Your Content Connected Emotionally With Your Audience

Finally, I asked Corcoran how she measures success on social. How does she know her team’s social posts are driving business impact?

Here’s how Corcoran thinks about it: “We know a Miley Cyrus meme won’t get you to purchase software, but we want you to be aware of HubSpot — that we’re present, that we’re culturally relevant — so that we’re top-of-mind when you are in the buying motion.”

She continues, “Our master goal is brand awareness and product consideration, and the way we measure brand awareness is through engagement: Whether that’s liking, commenting, or sharing.”

In particular, she told me she gets really excited about shares — because that tells her that the content connected emotionally with the user on some level. It means a user slowed down and said, ‘This is so relevant to me that I need to share it with someone else.’

Corcoran says, “Oftentimes, that person will share with someone who hasn’t heard of HubSpot, and suddenly they’re curious about us.”

With Social, Be Willing to Test the Boundaries 

Ultimately, if there’s one thing I learned from Corcoran, it’s this: B2B businesses have historically played it safe when it comes to creating engaging content on social media.

But social media users’ expectations are rapidly evolving, and it’s critical your business continue to evaluate and iterate on its own social strategy to reach new audiences and drive brand awareness in 2024 and beyond.

Post Content

If I were a creator, one of the first channels I’d explore is YouTube affiliate marketing.

Think about it: Whether you’re sharing a tutorial or a product review, you can add affiliate links to every YouTube video description you create.

Not only that, but you can also stack multiple links to products you recommend without having to put them all in one “link in bio.”

Plus, you don’t have to worry about viewers leaving your page to go search for your product recommendations. Instead, all they need to do is scroll down while watching your video.

While affiliate marketing is often seen on other channels like Instagram, TikTok, or blogs, creators sometimes overlook YouTube as a worthwhile affiliate channel.

So, I want to explore whether or not YouTube affiliate marketing works and how to do it well, according to experts.

Table of Contents:

What is YouTube Affiliate Marketing?
YouTube Affiliate Pros and Cons
YouTube Affiliate Marketing Done Well
YouTube Affiliate Marketing Blunders
Does YouTube Affiliate Marketing Actually Work?

Like other affiliate channels, YouTube affiliate marketing relies on custom links to track the sales you generate from promoting to your audience.

On average, creators earn anywhere from $100 to $5,000 per month in affiliate revenue, according to data from Statista.

And while other channels like Instagram or blogs can be used for affiliate marketing, the industry’s investment in video is one reason creators and marketers should consider YouTube for their affiliate marketing platform of choice.

In fact, 52% of marketers leverage YouTube as part of their social strategy as video becomes a higher priority. You can learn more about YouTube marketing in this HubSpot Academy course.

YouTube Affiliate Marketing Pros and Cons

While I’ve watched many YouTube videos and purchased products using creators’ affiliate links, I’ve never experimented with YouTube affiliate marketing myself.

I was curious to learn what makes YouTube a good channel for affiliate marketing, who it’s best for, and why other channels may work better, so I talked to a few marketing experts.

Pro: Building Trust (with Users and Google)

The first advantage is that it allows creators to reflect their personalities and demonstrate their expertise and qualifications more easily.

“In the age of AI, consumers no longer follow text recommendations at face value,” suggests Austin Tuwiner, head of growth at Geniuslink and a long-time affiliate marketer and YouTuber.

“It’s more about who is behind those words. By establishing a history of videos and expertise in a niche, you will become an industry leader and a go-to source for information.”

Jesse Lakes, CEO and co-founder of Geniuslink, reiterates that trust is a factor not only with your audience but also with Google.

“YouTube’s search API isn’t experiencing the havoc caused by Google’s recent updates for website search, where many affiliate-based websites are getting penalized, unlisted, or just seeing their traffic radically drop,” he says.

Pro: Clickable Links

I don’t know about you, but one of my pet peeves about Instagram is not being able to click on links unless they’re in the bio.

When I get product recommendations from an influencer’s video or post, I’m sometimes deterred from visiting someone’s “link in bio” if it means having to click away from what I’m doing.

One of the greatest benefits of using YouTube for affiliate marketing is that it allows you to add many links to the video’s description.

Instead of having to click away from the video or open a new tab to search for the product mentioned, you can simply scroll down a bit to click on the affiliate links.

Plus, Lakes suggests that regular YouTube users are already familiar with the act of finding a product link, so there’s no need to “train” your audience to perform a specific behavior.

Pro: Long-form Content

Another advantage of using YouTube for affiliate marketing is the ability to thoroughly discuss and consistently feature the product in videos.

This is due to the long-form nature, suggests Samantha Zink, founder of Zink Talent, an influencer talent agency.

“Unlike static images or quick videos on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, YouTube allows for a vlog-style approach, providing ample time to showcase and sell the product effectively,” says Zink.

She adds, “Longer-form videos offer more opportunity to engage the audience and highlight the product‘s benefits. YouTube’s audience tends to appreciate vlog-style content, fostering a deeper connection and potentially increasing purchase likelihood.”

Con: Platform Risk

Like all other social media channels, you don’t own your audience. YouTube isn’t immune from algorithm changes, and most creators rely on the algorithm to drive traffic to their videos.

Tuwiner highlights this risk, saying that, “Even if you master the algorithm, it can change at any time, sending your traffic and affiliate commissions downhill.”

If you’re like me, this might make you a little uncomfortable and will be a risk that you have to weigh as you move forward with your affiliate marketing.

Con: Production Time

Another consideration while pursuing YouTube affiliate channels is that it usually takes much more time and resources to create content for YouTube than other channels.

Creating a long-form, high-quality video requires recording (which usually entails multiple takes), editing, and then optimizing for YouTube search.

Depending on the type of content you create, you may not want to spend a lot of time making this kind of video.

However, Tuwiner suggests that if the ROI is good enough, the time investment is worth it.

Con: Limited Tools

Lakes also suggests another potential disadvantage of using YouTube affiliate channels is the lack of platform-specific tools.

“YouTube has been trying to roll out tools for improved product recommendations but the general consensus so far has been that they aren’t great or very rewarding,” he says.

Affiliate Marketing Done Well

So, how does affiliate marketing on YouTube look in practice? I found some videos that demonstrate how to execute YouTube affiliate marketing successfully.

Life With Mar

Product reviews are some of the best types of videos for affiliate marketing, and I wanted to include an example of a product review video demonstrating how to successfully use YouTube as an affiliate channel.

Below is a clothing review and try-on video created by blogger and YouTuber Life With Mar.

In this video, Marlene Srdic, the creator behind the channel, reviews multiple items from the lifestyle brand Quince. I personally am a fan of that brand, so I was curious to hear someone else’s unfiltered opinion.

In the video, Srdic shares multiple outfits that she put together using pieces from her Quince haul. However, she also pairs the Quince pieces with clothing and accessories from other brands and adds those affiliate links to her description.

As you can see in the screenshot of her video description below, Srdic adds affiliate links and codes for everything she is seen wearing in the video, even if she doesn’t specifically mention it.

Image Source

In fact, Srdic shared with me that link organization is key for YouTube affiliate marketing.

“I usually number them on the screen and in the description box so people can find them easily,” she says. “I also try to describe the product if the product name itself isn’t super clear.”

Why I think it works: Finding organic ways to include as many affiliate links as possible is a smart move on Srdic’s part. But it’s also helpful for viewers like me who may be looking for more shopping recommendations.

And when it comes to making recommendations that your audience trusts, authenticity is key, says Zink.

“The key is to authentically incorporate affiliate products into your content, ensuring that each mention feels natural and genuine,” suggests Zink. “By consistently featuring the product across multiple videos, viewers will develop trust in your endorsement and believe that you genuinely use and love it.”

Linus Tech Tips

How-to videos and tutorials are another type of video that works well for affiliate marketing. One channel that successfully shares these types of videos is Linus Tech Tips, an industry leader in consumer tech.

Here’s an example of one of their successful tutorial videos, which has 12 million views and counting:

I like this video because it’s a helpful tutorial for anyone interested in building a PC. But from a marketing perspective, it also offers an organic opportunity to link to specific products and parts mentioned throughout the video.

Why I think it works: Building a gaming computer is not an easy task. It involves many steps and many parts. This video solves both problems by breaking down the process step by step, mentioning every part involved, and letting viewers know where they can buy those parts.

This video also integrates both active and passive recommendations, which Lakes suggests are the main categories of affiliate links you can use on YouTube.

Active recommendations are the recommendations for the products and services used or highlighted directly in the video.

Passive recommendations are typically seen in the second half of the description.

These are typically the same for each video and can help answer more general questions and recommendations, such as what gear was used to create the video or what products or services the creator regularly recommends.

Affiliate Marketing Blunders

It can also be helpful to see how *not* to do affiliate marketing on YouTube.

Out of curiosity, I searched YouTube for “freelancing tools” to find a video that recommended freelancing products and services and included affiliate links.

I clicked on the first one I saw. (Since this is for research purposes and not to shame anyone, I have blocked out the channel name).

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The entire video lacks personalization. In addition to featuring stock video clips and quick product demos, I’m fairly certain it uses an AI voiceover to read its list of recommendations.

When it comes to the affiliate links, it’s clear that they were just dumped into the description in the order they were listed with no additional personalization.

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All of this to say, if I were in the market for new freelancing tools to add to my tech stack, would I trust the recommendations that came from this video? The answer is no.

There’s nothing compelling about this video from a viewer’s perspective.

While the thumbnail that says “13 Best Tools for Freelancers for 2024” may have encouraged me to click the video, hearing a robotic voiceover made me want to exit immediately.

What I’d Change: This video comes from a company channel and not a creator, but I think it would be worthwhile to designate someone from the company to be the face of the YouTube channel.

I am way more likely to trust a human who’s suggesting their favorite tools over a faceless, voiceless computer making recommendations.

As Zink says, “Affiliate marketing thrives with creators who possess the skill for selling, regardless of the size of their following. It’s crucial for them to cultivate a loyal audience deeply invested in their recommendations.”

Does YouTube Affiliate Marketing Actually Work?

If you’re comfortable creating long-form videos and investing time into the channel, affiliate marketing on YouTube is worth it.

However, there’s one caveat: you have to build an audience *before* you try monetizing your videos. For affiliate marketing to work, you must first get traffic and views on your videos. This takes time and dedication.

You’ll have to figure out what types of videos drive the most traffic, try out various thumbnail designs to see what attracts viewers, and experiment with different content structures to understand your retention rate.

Lakes suggests, “Until you are actually getting some views on your videos, some engagement in your comments, and your subscriber count is beginning to grow regularly, it’s not worth focusing on affiliate marketing.”

Once you prioritize subscriber growth, views, and retention rate, you can gradually start adding affiliate links for products or services that make the most sense for your videos and audience.

Growing and understanding your metrics is also important if you want to get into YouTube ads, too. You’ll need to know what your CPM, or cost per 1,000 impressions, is to see how much advertisers will pay to reach your audience.

To sum it up, YouTube affiliate marketing works.

From what I’ve seen, you must put in the work to create valuable video content and build an audience. But once you do, YouTube affiliate channels can be a great way to increase your revenue and exercise your influence.