Instagram affiliate marketing is simple on paper: you recommend a product, someone buys through your link, you earn a commission. The hard part on Instagram is the link. You cannot put a clickable link in a caption, most viewers never visit your bio, and stories need a swipe. The creators earning real money in India solved this by sending the affiliate link in a DM when someone comments on the Reel. This guide walks through the whole setup, including the disclosure rules.
Step 1: Join programs that pay in India
- Amazon Associates (India). The default. Commission varies by category, typically a few percent, and the cookie is short, so the click needs to be close to the purchase.
- Flipkart Affiliate, Myntra (via networks), Nykaa, Ajio. Good for fashion and beauty, often better rates than Amazon in those categories.
- Affiliate networks (Cuelinks, EarnKaro, Admitad and similar) let you link to many stores with one account.
- Brand programs. Direct-to-consumer brands often pay 10 to 20 percent. Ask the brands you already use.
Step 2: Make the Reel about the result, not the product
"Unboxing this tripod" gets fewer buyers than "how I film alone with a ₹900 tripod". Show the product doing the thing your audience wants done. Mention the price on screen; it filters out people who were never going to buy and keeps the ones who will.
Step 3: Get the link into a DM
This is the step that separates creators who earn from creators who post. In the caption: "Comment LINK and I'll DM it to you." When someone comments, a comment-to-DM tool sends them the affiliate link privately, within seconds.
Why it works better than link in bio:
- The link arrives while the person is still interested, in the app they are already in.
- The comment itself boosts the Reel's reach, which brings more commenters.
- If the link is a product page, it can arrive as a card with the image and price, which gets tapped more than a bare URL.
Tem does this free: pick the Reel, set the keyword, paste your affiliate link. It detects Amazon, Flipkart and other product links and sends them as a card when the DM thread is open. Every link is tracked, so you see taps per Reel, not just "sent". See how to sell on Instagram DM for the message copy that converts.
Step 4: Add a follow gate for repeat sales
If you post product Reels every week, ask commenters to follow before the link is sent. Almost everyone who wanted the link follows, and your next recommendation reaches them without paying for reach. Skip it for one-off deals with a deadline.
Step 5: Disclose, every time
In India, ASCI guidelines require creators to disclose paid and affiliate relationships clearly, and Amazon's terms require a disclosure too. Put "affiliate link" or "#ad" where people will see it: on screen in the Reel, in the caption, and in the DM itself ("This is an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no cost to you"). It does not hurt conversion; it builds the trust that makes the next recommendation work.
Track what sells, drop what does not
Amazon shows you clicks and orders per tracking ID. Use one tracking ID per Reel (or check the per-Reel taps in your DM tool) so you know which content actually earns. Most creators find two or three product types carry the account; make more of those. And do not delete a Reel that is slow in the first day; product Reels often get picked up by search days later.
Want the comment loop itself explained? Read how Reel comments grow your account.