Unfortunately there seems to be a ‘magical cloud’ around the subject of affiliate marketing. I think it’s largely down to the ‘mega ego’ most marketing bloggers opt to take on when running an online business.
Before we get into the subject of how to earn money through affiliate marketing I thought it was best to throw a little disclaimer out there…
Affiliate marketing is not, and never will be, easy money. I have no magical powers or loophole techniques to share with you in this article. After reading it you will NOT get rich overnight.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s get into the real ‘guts’ of the subject…
How Does Affiliate Marketing Really Work?
So what is affiliate marketing? How does affiliate marketing really work?
Well let’s tackle the initial question first. Affiliate marketing involves a website publisher ( aka YOU ) promoting a businesses products or services.
If you manage to sell any of these products or services from your website you are rewarded with a commission of the sale price.
You don’t have to pay anything to become an affiliate marketer – it’s the quickest way to get started earning online ( quickest does NOT mean easiest ). If you have a website you are good to go!
( If you are interested in FREE affiliate marketing tutorials we recommend checking out the education at the Wealthy Affiliate. Read our full review on their services HERE )
Affiliate Marketing Opportunities
There are quite literally millions of affiliate marketing opportunities floating around the internet. If there is a product you can be 99% sure it will have some sort of affiliate program.
When you sign up for one of these programs you are provided with a unique affiliate link ( usually a simple URL code ) that you can use to refer buyers to the product site.
If the buyers use your link to get to the site then make a purchase you will see a commission.
Please don’t be put off by this affiliate link code – it is extremely easy to get to grips with. Most decent affiliate marketing opportunities will offer attractive links in banner or image format. These are simple images that your website visitors can simply click to be taken to the product sales page.
In most cases you will also be provided with real time stats so you can track which of your links are the most successful. More importantly – you can also keep track of your commissions.
Making Money Affiliate Marketing
There are three main forms of earning techniques offered by affiliate programs…
Getting Paid on a Sale Basis – This is the most common form of affiliate marketing where you are paid a commission off every sale you make.
Pay Per Click Marketing – With this format you don’t have to worry about making any product sales. All you have to do is refer visitors to the product website. You will receive a small payment of cash for every visitor you direct to the product destination.
Lead Based Marketing – I don’t see this type of affiliate marketing so often these days but I’m told it still exists and is still profitable. With this format you are paid for every lead you send to a business. You direct visitors to a website where they will be confronted with a contact form. If they fill out this contact form in full you will receive a payment for the lead.
What Are The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing?
How many work online opportunities did you come across before landing on this page today? I’m pretty sure you’ve been tempted by other options out there and are still considering them now!
So what are the benefits of affiliate marketing? Why should you consider it ahead of all the other options out there?
1) Cheap to Start
Internet marketing is a very cost effective way to earn online if done correctly. There are no production costs involved as the seller takes care of all that. You don’t need to rent a property and you don’t need to hire a workforce – build a simple website and away you go!
2) The Reach
Starting up a local business in the center of town won’t provide you with a platform to target a global market. The internet gives ANY business a global reach to target customers from all over the world.
3) No Shipping or Customer Support
You don’t have to worry about storing crates of products and you don’t have to worry about defects – the product owner handles this side of things!
All you have to do is concentrate on promoting the products you choose. Packing, shipping and complaints are all handled by the seller NOT the affiliate.
4) Passive Residual Income
When you work a 9 to 5 job you are normally on a set salary for the hours you work. Affiliate marketing offers you the opportunity to create passive income if you are willing to work at it. As I mentioned above – it is hard work and it takes dedication but if you have what it takes it could really change your life!
5) Forget The Commute
I used to hate getting up in the morning and travelling into work every day ( I still do if I’m honest with you! ). Affiliate marketing offers you the chance to work from home and become your own boss.
That means you are able to take a sick day when you need it, you can plan to spend more time with the family and you can start work when you want.
How does that sound to you?
Affiliate Marketing Tips And Tricks
Now before we go further into this section of the article I need to point out the importance of getting some sort of marketing education.
I will be covering some affiliate marketing tips and tricks BUT I strongly recommend taking up a solid internet marketing course first. I did my training at the Wealthy Affiliate university where they have a totally FREE starter account along with all the tools needed to succeed.
But if you are looking for a little help to get you started right now, here are a few important affiliate marketing tips and tricks…
1) Less is More
When I first started out in affiliate marketing I was spoiled for choice and I ended up trying to promote EVERYTHING. If I thought it looked cool I was all over it and promoting it within the hour.
This was a BIG mistake and one which I won’t be repeating again!
If you spread yourself to thin with each product it will show in your content. People ( readers ) will notice that you are not really into the product on offer. Your attempts at engagement will seem robotic at best and you will therefore not get the results you were looking for.
Try and pick products that you find interesting and make sure they are ALL relevant to your website niche.
2) The Adsense Path
If business seems to be lagging a little on your own website you may well want to look into a secondary traffic source. At the end of the day – the more people you send to the product sales page the more commissions you are likely to make!
Many affiliate marketers opt to use Google Adsense as a way of guaranteeing targeted traffic to a sales page.
Now, before we go any further I should point out that this type of traffic is bound to hurt your wallet in some way. Depending on the keywords you go for – Adsense adverts ain’t that cheap!
Before doing ANYTHING with Google Adsense I would recommend taking the PPC tutorials the Wealthy Affiliate offer. There is a certain process involved with successful advertising campaigns and it must be learned first before dipping your toe in the water!
3) Product Demand
A product may sound really awesome to you but how popular is it out there in the real world. Unfortunately this is yet another mistake I made when first starting out with affiliate marketing.
Market research is key to locating the ‘strong’ products within your niche. It provides you with information that allows you determine if it’s a product your audience will need.
You could be the best marketer on the planet but the fact of the matter is this – if your product is a low demand product it WILL NOT sell.
4) Stay on Top of Things
Every week I come across a new affiliate marketing technique that interests me. Marketers are cunning folk that will try anything new to get ahead of the competition.
Make sure you are on top of things and don’t fall behind. Stay up to date with all the latest internet marketing tactics and try using the ones you feel suit your business.
5) The Tools of The Trade
Ever heard the term “A workman is only ever as good as his tools”? Well I’m afraid there’s a great deal of truth to that saying.
I thought I’d end this article on the importance of getting the right tools and training BEFORE seriously taking on affiliate marketing.
It’s not a particularly hard subject but there are A LOT of topics to cover. Going in blindly will only result in you wasting your time and in some cases your money.
If you are interested in FREE internet marketing tools and tutorials we recommend checking out the Wealthy Affiliate. Read our full review on their services by clicking the link below: