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Want To Continue Working From Home? Try Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing has become a popular option for those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the recession. While it can be a risky venture with no guaranteed income, it has the potential to be highly lucrative for those who are willing to put in the effort.
Successful affiliate marketers can earn six- and even seven-figure incomes with dedication and hard work. It may take some adjustment for those used to a regular wage, but affiliate marketing can be a rewarding career choice for those who find their stride.
With more consumers buying online, affiliate marketing professionals are competing with other marketing like PPC, SEO, email marketing, and content marketing, to name a few of the more popular strategies.
Affiliate Marketing is less orthodox and uses advertising, marketing, reviews, coupons, and, you name it, just about any means to get consumers to purchase.
Consider these recommendations to get set up for your new role as an affiliate marketer.
Choose A Niche
Before you promote anything, focus on a niche that interests you. If you love sports, then that could be your niche.
Do lots of research on what is popular in sports and why the product is in demand. Consider timing your move to promote a product with an upcoming event. For example, the Olympics or a grand slam tennis tournament and promote effects associated with that event.
If you love your work, time is well spent on research, analysis, and product selection.
Research Affiliate Programs
Look for affiliate programs relevant to your chosen niche. Many companies and online platforms offer commissions for promoting their products or services through affiliate programs. Plus, if you’re into a business like ours, you can join platforms like PartnerStack for B2B SaaS businesses.
You could also get started with Amazon Associates or ClickBank, among others.
Select products or services.
Once you’ve found affiliate programs, choose products or services within those programs that align with your niche and have the potential to appeal to your target audience.
Marketing Assets
Without your online assets, you must use paid advertising like Google Ads. However, before you do, work on creating your own online purchases, including a website with an eCommerce store, a blog, social media profiles, and an email list.
Build a website or blog.
Create a website or blog to promote the affiliate products or services. This is your platform to share valuable content, reviews, and recommendations for your niche. You can use website builders like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace to set up your site.
Blog
Content is everything, as Google’s algorithms now detect high quality from poor. For SEO, you need many unique, relevant, informational blog posts and articles that attract visitors.
Create high-quality content
Develop high-quality content that provides value to your readers. This could include product reviews, tutorials, guides, or any other relevant content that engages your audience and encourages them to take action.
Your blog is a perfect container for capturing customer data for future promotions. Your email list sign-up form can be visible in the left or right-hand column of every article you publish on your blog.
Focus your copywriting for all website and blog content on what you love, which is the niche you’ve chosen; this way, there’s no hurdle to jump every time you need to contribute another post to promote a product.
With time and practice comes expertise; before too long, you’ll love adding new content and sharing it with your followers and email recipients.
Use interactive content like quizzes, surveys, and videos to mix it up. Note that when all your content is high quality, your site will gain the reputation that the products you are selling are high quality, too.
Incorporate affiliate links
Insert your affiliate links strategically within your content. Ensure the links are relevant and natural rather than spammy or intrusive. You can place them in product reviews, comparison articles, or within call-to-action buttons.
Did you spot it? Yes, you can promote your products in your posts and articles. Just follow Google’s link requirements. For all your affiliate links, always use the nofollow or sponsored tag.
An ESP (email service provider) specializing in bulk email delivery should manage your email list. The ESP’s software contains your lists with auto sign-up and unsubscribe features. This is important as you’ll want to comply with the anti-spam law. Plus, as your email list grows, it will reward you with affiliate marketing revenue from the products you promote via email marketing campaigns.
Email marketing is a strategy to learn about as it’s low cost and has a high ROI (return on investment).
Social Media
Hopefully, you’re already on social media, including sites that are good for business, including Facebook. Set up a page specifically for your affiliate marketing activity.
Once you’ve got your website and blog online, you can add a social sharing plugin to share your blog posts and products with your followers on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. However, when you’re just starting out, focus on the social media platform with the most followers and activity, as it’s easy to waste a lot of time on these sites with little reward.
You may also choose to try the platform’s paid advertising feature. Remember, whatever paid promotion you do, you will get their email address when they land on your website. Use a pop-up and encourage sign-up with a promotion or special offer.
Track and Analyze Performance
Monitor the performance of your affiliate marketing efforts using analytics tools. This will help you understand which strategies work effectively and which need adjustment. Pay attention to click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall revenue generated.
Build Relationships
Establish relationships with your audience and engage with them through comments, social media, and email. Building trust and credibility can significantly impact your success as an affiliate marketer.
Stay Updated and Adapt
Keep up with the latest trends and changes in your niche and the affiliate marketing industry. Adapt your strategies to maximize your earnings and stay ahead of the competition.
