Here are some of my best affiliate marketing tips (affiliate marketing explained).
- Focus on relationships first. Affiliate marketing is all about trust. When a friend recommends a product to you, you listen. Not so much when just any old Joe does. In fact, if you're like me, it makes you skeptical.
- Focus on building traffic next. More traffic means more eyeballs and therefore more people who will potentially buy the product(s) you promote.
- Choose products that help your reader solve a problem or address a fear.
- Promote products you can genuinely recommend, preferably because you've used it yourself, or because you can confidently promote it based on solid evidence that it's a good product.
- Promote products you are already using. When I started this blog, it was a no-brainer to sign up as an affiliate with Bluehost since that's the hosting company I was already using myself. Food blogger? What's your favorite cookware? Write a post about it. Craft blogger? What's your favorite crafting tool? Write a post about it.
- Review your old posts and look for affiliate opportunities. Have you ever mentioned a product, perhaps in passing, that you use? Maybe you didn't even think about it at the time, but is there an affiliate program for it? Find out (just google "affiliate program [product/company]") and update those posts with your affiliate links.
- Think of what your readers will realistically buy. You have to know your audience. If your blog is mainly about living frugally, they're probably not going to buy luxury products. I know, obvious.
- Think of how much your readers will realistically spend. When I was writing my ebook, I was stuck on pricing. I asked around for opinions. Surprisingly, a number of people suggested I price my ebook at $47! The idea behind this was to price according to value, not size. But in my mind it was crazy. My network was composed of a lot of stay-at-home mom bloggers, many deal bloggers and my collective audience was comprised mostly of women without a whole lot of disposable income. I knew there was no way anyone was going to pay $47 for my 30-page ebook.
- Having said that, don't just promote products that don't cost a lot. If there is a truly useful product that's on the pricier side, it can still be worth the promotion even if only a few people buy it. If it's a product of exceptional quality that is truly a good investment (i.e. KitchenAid Mixer) or if it's a product that's unique, specialized or one-of-a-kind (and you've used it yourself), go for it.
- Think of when your readers will realistically buy. Maybe you should avoid holidays (when people are away from their computers like July 4) or maybe you should target holidays (like the day after Thanksgiving) but know the difference.
- Promote products within a post, not just in your sidebar. Include your personal experience with the product. Your own photos of yourself using the product are excellent.
- Be honest. Talk about what you like a don't like. Be fair and build trust. It will serve you well later.
- Having said that, there have been many discussion among bloggers about whether you should post a negative review or not. I'm all for honesty, but I would first contact the company and let them know your post won't be totally favorable. Maybe they can fix it or maybe you can just skip the review altogether.
- Use effective calls to action in your posts. Do you end your posts well?
- Hone your sales or copywriting skills.
- Make sure you create catchy titles to draw people in. My main tip here is to make it personal, not sales-y. What would you be more likely to read? "It Makes My Site Hum" or "Review: Bluehost Hosting"?
- Promote products in your email newsletter or in your footer.
- Promote products or affiliate posts on Twitter or Facebook.
- Add a bonus of your own to the product. (A great tip from ProBlogger.)
- Disclose your affiliate relationship. Make sure you let your readers know when you are using affiliate links. The way I've opted to do this is to include a disclosure statement at the end of any post that contains affiliate links. I also link to my general Disclosure Policy page. Here's a generator that helps you create your own Disclosure page.
- Diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one affiliate product basket. Promote multiple affiliate products. Better yet, diversify across all income streams. In other words, utilize affiliate marketing, but also utilize other forms of income generating potential like selling your own product, offering a service, or selling ad space on your blog.
- Having said that, strike a balance. Don't pursue any and every income generating opportunity. Pick a handful (3-5?) and develop those well.
- Make sure your non-affiliate content is consistent and high quality. One of the most common answers to the question "I lose interest in a blog when _____" was when a blog had more sponsored or affiliate posts and less meaty content posts. Sprinkle your affiliate marketing posts among your pillar content, not the other way around.
- Make sure you attach your affiliate link to images! I see this all the time: an affiliate marketer is promoting a product in a post, but when I click on the image, I'm taken to the upload page of that image, instead of the sales page for that product. In the age of sites like Pinterest, users are accustomed to clicking images so make sure yours send them to the sales page and not a dead end!
- Don't forget affiliate programs for services. While products are typically what affiliate marketers promote, there are many services with affiliate programs as well. There are many freelancers who offer some sort of commission (future discounts or even cash).
- Be an affiliate marketer for offline merchants as well. We've all seen brick & mortar businesses offer a discount to those who provide a referral. If you have a local blog and promote the products or services of a local business, ask them how you can be included in their referral program.
- Create a "Tools I Use" or "Things I Love" page. Many readers enjoy seeing a handy list of your favorites, plus it's an easy and excellent way to highlight some affiliate links.
Got any more tips to add? Feel free to leave them in the comments!
Related posts: Affiliate Marketing Explained, Part 1 and Affiliate Marketing Explained, Part 2.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Great tips! Since I just started blogging in January I am still really just getting my toes wet in affiliates. However, I did notice that pictures and real life demonstrations of the product really help. For instance, I have several food posts where I talk about my favorite cook books and show what I have cooked out of them, and then included amazon links, sure enough I sold a few cook books.
Great idea! Congrats on the sales.
Love all these tips! I have just started getting more into promoting affiliate products and this list will help. I never really thought of going back through old posts and updating them.
This is really helpful. I've been blogging on and off for years but this is my first time to try and use affiliates. My husband and I were just having a pow-wow session about how to take our infant site up a notch. This is just in time.
Glad it was helpful, Jenny!
I'd love to hear what affiliates are working well for folks currently.
I find most of them pay out such a teensy, beensy percentage that they aren't worth the trouble.
Definitely agree with all your tips! I'll only mention deals or buys if they're directly related to my site mission.
It really depends on your niche and your readers. I've learned the most by watching others in my niche and seeing what they seem to promote frequently. For me personally (and from what I've heard others say), creating your own product is so much better than most affiliate marketing.
Hey Amy,
Great, practical tips. I especially like #8. I went through much the same thing when pricing my ebook. It goes to show you that who you're marketing to, their life style and values all have an impact.
#10 and #12 are important tips as well.
Take Care,
Liz
Thanks Amy for these tips. I agree with Liz about #8. Great info to keep in mind and thank you for making a big step easier to understand!
Some good tips. I fully agree that it's all about trust and it is always good to recommend an affiliate product that you have actually used. Why risk your reputation on a product you don't know if it's any good or not? If people buy one dodgy product from your site, they will probably never make that mistake again. That it why my blog strongly advocates ethical affiliate marketing. It's the best long term stragey for affiliate marketing success.
Hi Jon. Yes, it takes so much time to build trust, no sense losing so much of it with one wrong promotion! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks Amy for these tips!
Excellent Blog! I really admire your thinking and the way you have put these information in this post. Thanks for sharing an informative post!
First of all i would like to thank you for sharing this great info with us.You are really doing a great job.
How i can improve my site http://www.globeleshop.com in this regard?
Starting your own home business has never been easier, thanks to the internet. With the help of the internet you have access to people from all over the world, right from your own home. While there are many types of businesses you can start, affiliate marketing is one of the best. It can give you an extremely large income and all you have to do is learn some new skills. If you can read and write you can have a very successful online business.
Nice information,. i think this post very good.
if we want to be a profesional affiliater, we must struggle for looking opportunity in every moment.
thank you Amy for your sharing.
Really good post. i will return and read it again
A very helpful article indeed
I especially liked the tip number 27
Hey, Amy. Those are really mind blowing tips. i think now i got a explicit idea what I am looking in affiliating marketing Thanks for all help here.
Those are really some fab tips listed here. I hope this will work and help me.
Thanks for the help
Great post indeed.
cheers !
Very well written! Thanks for sharing these tips. Something as simple as adding your affiliate link to images is one I've overlooked sometimes lol. What has worked the best for me is adding bonuses to the affiliate offer.
For example If someone buys an ebook product I will give them a 1 hour free phone call showing them how they can use it for their business. It helps you stand out and make more money!
Great tip, Brandon! Thanks for sharing.