Long story short, affiliate marketing is a way to make money by recommending a product or service to someone else. Think of it as a sales commission opportunity. While some businesses and companies charge a fee for affiliate membership, there are countless others that let you sign up for free. Before you jump the gun and become an affiliate for any and every affiliate program you see, take a few moments and consider the following:
Your target audience is a group of consumers who want to purchase the products/services you are promoting. For example, if you’re an affiliate marketer for Barnes and Noble, your links need to reach avid readers, college students, teachers and people who prefer to shop online.
How are you going to market these products/services?
Once you have your target audience in mind, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to reach them. In most cases, you’re awarded a commission when someone clicks on your affiliate link and completes a purchase. It’s your job to get your link out there to as many potential buyers as possible.
Will you…
- send emails to all of your friends and family members?
- direct consumers to a website to click on your affiliate links?
- use social media to share your links with new friends?
- utilize pay-per-click marketing and create your own advertisements?
- use article marketing to write reviews about these products/services and provide a link for readers?
As you can see, there is a lot to consider before joining the world of affiliate marketing. It’s a great way to make a profit at little to no initial cost. However, if you don’t have effective methods in place to reach your target audience, you’ll rarely see a commission if ever.