How To Get Started In Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing has now been around for several years and decades. The popular marketing tactic helps common people earn money through an additional source of income. It also helps companies generate more revenue online while keeping their marketing and advertising cost low. More than 81% of business organizations (brands) today are using affiliate marketing. Every year the spending towards the affiliate market increases by approximately 10%, which shows the increasing popularity and success of this marketing platform.

WHAT IS AFFILIATE MARKETING

Affiliate marketing entails marketing the products of some other company or person and receiving a commission for it. Affiliates have to search for the products they would want and enjoy, and promote them online. They will receive a commission when a customer clicks on the product’s web page link and/or when a sale is made. On the Internet, affiliate links are used for tracking sales from different websites. The step-by-step procedure of affiliate marketing is given below.

1. The affiliate marketer will show a link or an ad for any online store/product web page on its blog, website, or social network.
2. Customers will click on the link or the ad.
3. The hyperlink will take the customer to the store’s website.
4. The customer purchases the product/service.
5. The details of the transaction and the purchase are recorded on the affiliate network.
6. The store confirms the purchase as a valid purchase.
7. The transaction and the purchase are credited to the affiliate marketer for the commission.
8. The affiliate marketer is paid for the transaction by the company.

GETTING STARTED WITH AFFILIATE MARKETING

An affiliate marketer is an important part of an affiliate marketing network, other prominent role players being the product creators/sellers and the consumers. Affiliates are also called publishers and can be companies or individuals that can market the products/services of another company to the end consumers in an appealing way. It is the job of the affiliate marketer to promote the business offering and to persuade the consumers. The market will reveal to the consumers how the particular product is beneficial or valuable for them and why they should be purchasing it.

PAYMENTS MADE TO THE AFFILIATE MARKETERS

In some cases, the affiliate marketer will get paid the commission only when the sale is made. Therefore, the affiliates have to be innovative and creative and do all that is necessary to ensure that the sales take place. Affiliate marketing where the marketer is paid only when the sale is made is called “pay per sale” affiliate marketing.

There are also other alternative payment structures in affiliate marketing. For instance, in the “pay per lead” program, the affiliate can be paid when the leads are converted. The affiliate has to only convince the end consumer so that he/she visits the website of the merchant and takes the required action. The actions include filling out an online contact form, subscribing to the newsletter, or signing up for a trial among others.

Another important payment module in affiliate marketing is “pay per click”. Here the sale is not necessary for the affiliate marketer to earn. The affiliate will be provided the incentive or the commission when it can redirect the customers to the website of the merchant. It increases the web traffic to a particular business and merchant website and may result in greater conversions.

As an affiliate marketer, you will be catering to the needs of a very specific consumer set or audience. You will promote the product following the interest of the audience. Unlike mass marketing, affiliate marketing appeals to a particular market niche and customer segment.

WAYS TO DO AFFILIATE MARKETING

There are now many different ways through which one can conduct affiliate marketing and earn a passive source of income. Some of how you can start affiliate marketing are given below.

BLOGGERS: bloggers may post the reviews and descriptions of a particular business offering (service or product) on their website and highlight its positive points/aspects. The blogger will include a link in the blog that will redirect the readers and the web visitors to the merchant’s website.

INFLUENCER: influencers can sway and influence the opinion of a large number of people. They have a good following on social media platforms (suggest Instagram and Facebook) and other online forums and instances. Influencers can therefore easily redirect their followers to the websites of the merchant/seller.

EMAIL: affiliate marketers may also work through email. They may have email lists that they can use to promote a business offering. These emails may directly communicate the benefits of a product to the end consumer and/or may also include a hyperlink to the merchant’s website.

MICROSITES: a microsite is different from the website of the merchant’s organization or a marketer’s blogging website. These websites have relevant content for the specific audience and are straightforward calls to action. They make part of paid searches that affiliate marketers can use to promote products and to earn a commission.

MEDIA WEBSITES: these websites can create web traffic at any time. They may have an audience consisting of millions of visitors and followers. The affiliate links and the banners can be used for advertising certain products on these websites.

TIPS FOR BEING A SUCCESSFUL AFFILIATE MARKETER

Below are some tips that will be useful for you when you choose one or more channels for affiliate marketing.

CREATE A RAPPORT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE: to be a successful affiliate marketer, you need to create an audience and following that has a common and specific interest. You can also establish yourself as an expert in the area and can promote a wide range of products.

RESEARCH: you should be convinced that the product or service that you are promoting is good enough. You can create trust and deep relationships with your followers when you can promote truly valuable products.

REVIEW: you can try the service or product that you want to promote and write a comprehensive review on it. It will be highly informative and useful for your followers and audience.

USE MULTIPLE SOURCES: your affiliate marketing efforts and channels may include multiple sources. For instance, you can use blogging websites, microsites, and also be an expert and influencer in the area and niche.

CONCLUSION

Affiliate marketing networks are growing throughout the world. While it is a reliable source of income, it also requires regular efforts. See to it that you are promoting valuable products and services and also keep in touch with the latest trends in affiliate marketing to be successful.