Affiliate marketing can be a great way to partner with products and services aligned with your values and earn some money in doing so.
But in order to be a Superstar affiliate, there are lots of things to consider before you sign up to every program going!
What does it actually mean to become an affiliate?
When you sign up to become an affiliate for another person or company, you will receive commission in return for referring sales. So essentially you promote something via your own networks, using your unique referral web link. If an individual who has clicked on your unique link decides to purchase, you receive a percentage of the total sale amount. This amount varies considerably depending on which program you’re signing up for.
You may also include display/banner advertising on your website or blog – the images are provided by the affiliate program and you add the banners ensuring you add your own unique affiliate link as the click through.
How much can you earn as an affiliate?
How long is a piece of string! This really does depend on you and how much time and effort you are willing to dedicate to becoming an affiliate. For many people, affiliate income is just another way of generating additional passive income but for others, it’s their main source of income. If you’re already in business, I’d suggest picking one program initially and see how it goes. Some programs offer recurring commissions, so you get a monthly payment for as long as the person who has bought from your link remains a customer
Who or what should you become an affiliate for?
When you are personally promoting an affiliate program as ‘you’, my best advice is to ask yourself the following question:
“Would I promote this if I wasn’t being paid?”
Try to find affiliate programs for products you genuinely believe in and already use yourself. Your credibility is at stake if what you’re promoting is of poor quality, so you really need to do your research. Find products your customers would find interesting and beneficial.
Affiliate websites
Here are a few affiliate websites to get you started
- Amazon affiliates: affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Clickbank: clickbank.com
- ShareaSale: www.shareasale.com
- LinkShare (Rakuten Marketing): rakutenmarketing.com/en-uk/affiliate
Ways to promote as an affiliate
- Social media. Promoting via your social networks is one of the top ways to gain referrals. You can freely promote across all social media networks but be respectful of your audience. Remember to include a clear CTA (call to action) on all your posts, i.e. ‘Register here to get started’ or ‘Find out more here’.
- Video. An excellent way to really get the message across is to make videos of yourself either reviewing the product, interviewing the program creator or simply sharing your experiences. Upload videos to YouTube and share across social media.
- Webinars and exclusive bonuses. These are really popular ways to encourage affiliate sign ups. If people sign up via your link after watching a webinar, let them know about the special exclusive bonuses they get access to.
- Writing reviews. One of the first things to start doing is writing reviews. These reviews can be written straight onto your social media as posts, or you can share links to blogs and articles where you review products. Remember though, just because you’re an affiliate don’t make something sound like it’s the best thing since sliced bread if it’s really not! Be honest and transparent and your audience will respect you for it.
- Email marketing. Share your reviews via email. You can also talk about the product, share testimonials, make recommendations and suggestions on how your audience might use the product.
Some do’s and dont’s
- Do ask. If you need additional materials from your program provider, or have an idea for a way they could promote it, speak up! They are there to make your job as easy as possible, so tell them what you need.
- Don’t spam Facebook groups. Always check the posting rules of groups you’re in and promote only when appropriate to do so
- Do be honest and transparent. If you’re sharing affiliate links anywhere online, it’s prudent (although not compulsory) to add a short disclaimer such as ‘This post contains affiliate links – I will gain a small commission if you decide to purchase’. I also like to say I only promote products I use myself.
- Don’t give up too quickly. Remember the 7x rule of marketing – people need to be exposed to your sales messages at least 7 times before they buy. Persistence is key with affiliate marketing.
- Do be ‘you’. The program you’ve signed up to will generally provide you with swipe copy text which you can share via email or social media but remember to amend it to add your voice and inject your personality as much as possible. People trust YOU, so make ensure you aren’t just copying and pasting robotic sounding sales script.
Finally, when you join an affiliate program, it’s pretty exciting and there’s a temptation to promote as much as possible straight away – remember…
‘Slowly, slowly catchy monkey’
Take your time. Schedule your posts and don’t let your affiliate promotions fizzle out after the first couple of weeks – persistence pays.
What are your experiences with affiliate marketing? I’d love to hear your views, comment below…
