Guide To Affiliate Marketing
The rise of the World Wide Web today has opened up new avenues of earning money for individuals. A portal that was once said to be an expert’s domain is a plaything for even the most basic of users. So, if you are someone who has been looking for a steady stream of income for themselves, then affiliate marketing is the way to go. The idea remains simple. You promote other people’s product via an affiliate network and earn a commission from the same if people end up buying the product. Now, as simple as this idea may look like, the execution of it is something completely different. In this post, we will offer you a simple guide to affiliate marketing for beginners new to this concept.
1. Parties to affiliate marketing:
There are four basic parties that are involved here mainly:
- Merchants:
Merchant is often known as the product creator, retailer, seller, and advertiser. In most cases, the merchant and the network tend to be the same as most companies have their own affiliate programs. - Affiliate:
Affiliates are known as the marketer and are the one that runs the affiliate links on behalf of the clients. The affiliate then receives a certain amount of commission for every successful purchase made by the customer. - Network:
The network is the platform where the affiliate program is operated. The platform forms an integral part here and is the connecting link between the merchant and affiliate. While you can simply promote a product by yourself, having a network in the form of ClickBank or Commission junction can prove to be useful while handling the payment and product delivery. - Consumer:
This is the final customer who clicks on the affiliate link and purchases the product. A purchase is what leads the affiliate marketer to earn a commission. The affiliate’s job is to market the product the best way they can to the consumer so that they are tempted to make the purchases. Sales are integral if the affiliate is looking to earn some revenue.
2. How does Affiliate Marketing work?
The first and foremost step here is to find yourself a company or a product to promote. Find something related to your niche or a product you feel comfortable or at ease with. For example, it makes sense to promote beauty and makeup products if you have beauty and makeup tutorials and write-ups on your blog. Once you have identified your niche, it is the time to join up a partner program that would be ready to make you their affiliate. Once you have joined the program, you shall be provided with a unique ID which you shall add in all your affiliate links on the blog. Promoting the product can be done in different ways like writing reviews, displaying ads, sending newsletters to potential customers, etc.
3. Getting started with Affiliate Marketing:
You can start by creating a website for yourself. Making a website today is not that big a deal and there are many tutorials and vids that will show you how to make one. An easier way is to set up your website with the help of WordPress. This is easy to use and set up. All you need to do is
- Buy a domain (NameCheap, GoDaddy). Ensure that you pick a good name that is easy to spell out and understand.
- The next step here would be to set up hosting. There are numerous hosting platforms available and it is imperative that you put your money with a reliable provider.
- Installing a Content Management System(CMS) is the next step here and WordPress is again a handy option for newbies to use. Set a theme next on your site. There are a wide variety of options available here in this regard.
- Once all this is done, you can then move ahead to creating content for your website. Your content is what will attract customers in the first place and prompt them to check out what you have in store. The better the content on the website, the easier it will be to draw in followers and customers. Looking for a powerful web hosting plan for your website? Head to HostGator and get up to 43% off on all new subscriptions.
4. Joining Affiliate Networks:
As mentioned before, affiliate networks act as a connecting link between the marketer(you) and the merchants (product creators and retailers). Merchants use affiliate networks to showcase their products and services. For affiliate marketers, this is a way to sign up as an affiliate, search for products and track your campaign as well as earnings to date. There are various affiliate networks you can join, most probable ones include ClickBank, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, Amazon Associates. Add performance cloud sites plan for your website. Get it at a low price of $8.95 on Bluehost.
So, there you have a basic guide to affiliate marketing. How about starting today?