If you’re an influencer (even an aspiring one) or just interested in making a living online, the terms “affiliate marketing” has probably crossed your mind or you social media stream. But is it actually worth it? The short answer is yes. But before we go into more detail, let’s first make sure we understand what affiliate marketing actually is!
What is affiliate marketing?
Simply put, affiliate marketing is promoting other people’s products or services through your own social media or website and being paid when someone clicks on a product link that leads them to a merchant’s site. They make a purchase, you are paid a commission for having referred them.
The best part of affiliate marketing is that it can be done from anywhere in the world—which means that if you have an internet connection and some spare time, you can start earning income right away!
You don’t need to have any prior experience with this type of work before beginning either; there are tons of training courses available online that will teach you everything from optimizing your social media profiles to gain followers to how to use SEO (search engine optimization) for affiliate marketing.
Look to the Long Term
You may be thinking that affiliate marketing is a get-rich-quick scheme. It isn’t. You will not become an affiliate marketer and be able to quit your day job in a week or two, nor should you expect to do so. Becoming a successful affiliate marketer takes time. There are no shortcuts, and if you’re looking to make money quickly, this isn’t the right field for you. This is a long-term game.
You need to build trust and authority with your audience by creating content that’s useful and valuable over time—and doing so consistently over several months or even years.
You’ll also have to wait for the traffic coming from Google (or other search engines) until you rank for a specific keyword phrase, which can take some time (we’re talking months).
In order to succeed in affiliate marketing and earn passive income, you’ll need to invest time and energy into producing valuable content.
But it can be a lucrative business. Take a look at your favorite influencer. Or check out people like Pat Flynn, creator of the business Smart Passive Income who has made a multi-million dollar business from it.
Top Tips for Getting Started
- Decide on your niche
- Be authentic
- You need traffic
- Give yourself time
To get started with affiliate marketing, you’ll need a product or service that people want to buy. This could be anything from information products (like ebooks) through software programs all the way up to physical products like clothing or groceries! It all depends on what kind of audience you have built up so far in your business journey and what kind of products would appeal most strongly towards them at this point in time.
People are turned off by inauthentic people. When deciding on which products to promote the biggest rule of thumb here is to only promote products you would actually use. And this also applies to your content. Whether it is a blog or a social media channel, be your authentic self. This not only builds a following faster but your audience will be loyal, they will know they can trust you and that you are not just after a quick buck but want to offer them something of value.
Once we have selected our product(s), we need something else: How do we find potential customers? We need traffic! Without traffic there will be no conversions; without conversions there will be no sales; without sales there will be no commissions earned by us as affiliates who drive those leads etcetera etcetera ad nauseam until death do us part….
Finally, remember that this whole process takes time! Don’t expect overnight success – if it were that easy everyone would be doing it! The best way for aspiring affiliate marketers to grow is by putting in consistent effort over time without giving up when things get tough or slow down temporarily (which they will).
The benefits of becoming an affiliate marketer
- It can be fun
You get to meet new people, try new products, and you get to create content you enjoy and share it with others.
- It is flexible
You don’t have to work any set hours, which means you can work around your schedule and spend more time with friends and family while still earning an income.
- It can be lucrative
As we said before, with hard work and perseverance it can be a very lucrative business. As long as you have the right mindset and are willing to put in the time and effort, you can earn a substantial amount of money from home.
What next?
There is no denying that affiliate marketing is a great way to make money from home. You just have to be realistic about what it takes and how much time you’ll need to invest in order for it to succeed. If you’re willing to put in the effort, then there’s no reason why you can’t take advantage of this opportunity!
If you’re looking for a way to make money online, affiliate marketing is worth a try.
Have you tried affiliate marketing? What one thing would you tell someone ready to try it for the first time? Leave a comment below and share your knowledge.
AUTHOR BIO:
Racquel Lynch, founder, and CEO of Convergence Scientific Communication and Convergence Social. She is a Biomedical Science graduate with extensive experience in science, education, and business.
