By now everyone has written, read, or shared a blog online. Every day millions of blogs are written and shared online but how can you make a living from being a blogger? Good question, but first you have to fully understand what affiliate marketing really means.
Affiliate marketing means that an arrangement between an online retailer is made to pay commission to an external website for generating traffic or referrals.
Now, that’s the standard interpretation of ‘affiliate marketing’ but in order for you to fully understand how it works and how to make a stable living from this form of marketing, we’ll need to dig a little deeper.
It’s also a great idea to complete a copywriting or social media marketing course to bring up your level of understanding of how digital marketing works.
How does affiliate marketing work?
You’ll want to know how to make affiliate marketing work for you, right? So, let’s take a closer look at how this type of marketing works.
Affiliate marketing has become a very popular way of earning a living online and it may even turn out to be a passive income builder once you become established. However, it’s important to note that despite a relatively broad-based income, there’s much more to affiliate marketing than simply referring an online audience to a product or e-commerce site.
Being a blogger is the most effective way of making a stable income from affiliate marketing. Many bloggers place banners for their affiliate marketing partners in their blogs. These banners include a link to the sponsors’ website page they want to promote.
You can also become involved in affiliate marketing by placing a sponsor’s banner including their link on your website. In fact, many businesses make a lot of money by doing this. Strategically placing sponsor’s banners on your website can generate a lot of leads for your sponsor.
What not to do
Since affiliate marketing involves lots and lots of content it’s also important to note ‘what not to do’ when learning how to make affiliate marketing a stable living. The number one thing to avoid is to come across as making any type of sales pitch.
When you are an affiliate marketer it’s also vital not to leave out an affiliate disclaimer on all your sponsored posts.
How to make affiliate marketing a stable living
So you’ve been blogging for a while now, so much so, that you’re even considering making a living from your blogging or website. Let’s face it – it’s a really good idea, but your affiliate marketing business must be set up correctly. Before you can start earning a decent income you would have two major factors in your favour, which are, a large number of social media followers and a number of paying sponsors on board.
Once these two main factors are in place, you’re ready to go! Keep in mind when you start negotiating with sponsors that you’ll have to agree on an affiliate commission upfront and should be reviewed every six months or so.
Here are a few more tips and techniques that show you how to make an affiliate marketing a stable living:
- Finalise banners and links beforehand – Before you start an affiliate marketing contract make sure you and your client agree on the banners, buttons, and links that must be used. When this basic information is incorrect or unclear, driving traffic to your client’s site can be a dismal failure and worse still you can be easily blamed for failing to include the correct banner, button, or link.
- Create great content – We all know that consistently creating great content that is current and relative is easier said than done. Achieving this takes time, effort and a lot of creativity.
- Great SEO techniques – You need to drive good quality traffic to your client’s site and practicing good SEO techniques is a good way to source this traffic.
- Use Google Ads – If your budget allows, you can generate a lot of traffic from PPC ads, just make sure these specific ads accept direct links.
Above all, be authentic – Savvy online consumers can’t be lied to. So remember above all else – be authentic in your promotion of a brand.