How one can be a profitable affiliate marketer: Development methods & suggestions

By Phil Norris March 28, 2024

Do you know the typical affiliate marketer makes simply over $8,000 a month?

Not dangerous for a job that allows you to work anyplace, set your individual hours, and earn passive revenue.

However, as at all times, there’s a catch:

That determine is massively skewed by affiliate entrepreneurs with 10+ years of expertise, who herald a median month-to-month revenue of $44,000+.

In the meantime, if you happen to’re in your first yr of affiliate internet marketing, you possibly can anticipate a barely extra humble return of $636 a month. Which in all probability gained’t even cowl your payments, not to mention fast-track you towards a lifetime of luxurious.

Nonetheless, if you may get via these tough first two years, the rewards are there for the taking.

And we may also help you get there by sharing our high tips about find out how to be a profitable affiliate marketer…

The place to put up affiliate internet marketing hyperlinks

Let’s begin with the fundamentals of find out how to promote an affiliate hyperlink. There are 4 fundamental channels you should use, every with its personal strengths and weaknesses:

Web optimization

Search engine marketing (Web optimization) includes constructing a search-friendly web site that targets the forms of key phrases your viewers is on the lookout for. It’s the #1 supply of site visitors for affiliate entrepreneurs.

However Web optimization is hard. If you happen to’re concentrating on a key phrase with first rate search quantity, you’ll seemingly be competing with big, generalist publishers like Forbes and Enterprise Insider, so that you’ve obtained your work reduce out getting anyplace close to the highest #10 search outcomes.

Natural search can also be extraordinarily risky, with a 13-month examine of 28,000+ domains discovering that <5% of internet sites preserve their high #10 rankings for an entire yr.

👍 Web optimization execs:

• Free site visitors supply
• Targets certified buyers trying to find particular data
• When you’ve constructed a well-optimized website, it will probably preserve producing site visitors for years

👎 Web optimization cons:

• Constructing an Web optimization-friendly website takes numerous time
• Nonetheless a lot work you set in, it’s extraordinarily tough to outrank huge publishers
• Search engine algorithms change frequently, so your rankings may tank in a single day

E-mail

E-mail advertising has the best return on funding of any advertising channel, but it’s one thing of an untapped useful resource — particularly amongst new associates. In reality, skilled affiliate entrepreneurs use e-mail advertising 47.8% extra than rookies.

Not solely are the bills minimal (simply the price of your e-mail advertising platform), however investing in e-mail additionally reduces your reliance on search and social algorithms by letting you share affiliate hyperlinks straight to your viewers’s inbox.

👍 E-mail execs:

• Low prices
• Excellent return on funding
• Reduces reliance on search and social algorithms

👎 E-mail cons:

• You’ll want some form of exterior mechanism to develop your e-mail record (like a touchdown web page or web site)
• It may take time to develop your e-mail record

Paid media

Paid adverts on engines like google and social media largely work on a pay-per-click (PPC) foundation, which is precisely what it appears like: you create an advert, set a funds, and solely pay when somebody clicks via to your touchdown web page.

It’s a fast and handy method to drive site visitors to your affiliate website — you possibly can construct an advert marketing campaign in a couple of minutes, then begin producing clicks the second you set it reside. Nonetheless, it’s not low cost, with an common cross-industry cost-per-click of $4.22 (and no assure that the clicker goes to purchase something).

Given that you just would possibly solely be making a couple of dollars in fee per sale, PPC simply isn’t cost-effective in numerous affiliate niches.

👍 PPC execs:

• Constructing advert campaigns is fast and simple
• As soon as a marketing campaign goes reside, you can begin producing site visitors immediately

👎 PPC cons:

• Prices-per-click are prohibitively excessive in some niches
• When you cease paying, your site visitors stops too

Natural social

Natural social media includes posting on platforms like Fb, Instagram, and TikTok with none PPC advert funds. So it’s type of like Web optimization: you’re counting on the standard of your content material and your optimization efforts to succeed in your required viewers.

Sadly, natural attain on most social platforms has plummeted in recent times. To make issues worse, the likes of Fb and TikTok wish to preserve you on their platform, not click on via to an affiliate web site (or your affiliate companion’s retailer) — so it’s changing into more and more unreliable as a site visitors supply.

Which explains why affiliate internet marketing specialists use natural social media 26.7% much less than rookies.

👍 Natural social execs:

👎 Natural social cons:

• Natural attain is declining on most social platforms
• Arduous to show social views into web site site visitors

The simplest technique for affiliate internet marketing success

Most profitable affiliate entrepreneurs use a mix of channels to succeed in their viewers and drive site visitors towards their affiliate companions’ web sites.

It at all times pays to diversify. That manner, your complete enterprise mannequin gained’t be ruined by a single algorithm replace. Additionally, the extra your viewers sees your content material, the extra seemingly they’re to click on via. Which, in flip, means they’ll see extra of your affiliate hyperlinks too.

So leveraging a number of channels is nothing new.

Nonetheless, there’s one particular multichannel affiliate internet marketing technique that’s surprisingly underused.

It really works like this:

1. Determine a particular ache level your viewers needs to resolve
2. Construct an internet course to assist reply that ache level
3. Promote the web course (sometimes, the course is free, however some associates cost a small charge for his or her course content material)
4. Use the course to suggest particular on-line instruments or merchandise that may assist resolve your viewers’s ache level
5. Everytime you promote a device or product, add an affiliate hyperlink so that you receives a commission when folks click on via and purchase

This tactic is so efficient as a result of the individuals who join your on-line course are on the lookout for solutions — they usually belief you to supply them. 

So if you suggest a product, they’ll sit up and take discover.

Let’s check out an actual affiliate website that’s making financial institution via this system…

CASE STUDY: Legendary Marketer

Legendary Marketer is a advertising training firm that provides (paid) on-line programs on matters like promoting digital merchandise and constructing a training enterprise.

However that’s not the solely manner Legendary Marketer makes cash. It additionally employs the technique we described within the earlier part to generate a ton of affiliate commissions.

Regardless of the number of programs it sells, Legendary Marketer’s homepage is geared towards selling one particular product: its 15-Day On-line Enterprise Builder Problem. 

Simply have a look at these two outstanding CTAs:

While you click on via, you’re greeted with messaging that speaks to arguably the most important ache level for anybody making an attempt to construct an internet enterprise: determining find out how to get began.

Legendary Marketer guarantees that will help you overcome that problem — and all for the low, low one-off value of $7.

In reality, the value tag is virtually irrelevant. If you happen to attempt to stop the web page, you’ll be hit with an exit intent popup providing precisely the identical course for simply $1:

Why so low cost?

As a result of they don’t notably care how a lot cash they make from truly promoting the course. Their actual earner includes peppering their course content material with product suggestions (and affiliate hyperlinks) to generate clicks and commissions.

As an added bonus, enrolling within the course requires handing over your e-mail handle to Legendary Marketer — which suggests they’ll preserve sharing suggestions straight to your inbox.

To be clear, none of this implies the 15-Day On-line Enterprise Builder Problem isn’t legit.

There’s nothing improper with incomes cash from recommending high-quality merchandise, simply as long as you’re upfront and sincere about it.

Different affiliate internet marketing course concepts

I believe we will all agree that Legendary Marketer has hit on a extremely efficient affiliate internet marketing technique.

However we’re not essentially suggesting you do precisely the identical factor. In any case, there are many different niches to focus on and ache factors to resolve. As an example:

Ache level: Get your first 500 e-mail subscribers

It is a traditional concern for brand spanking new affiliate entrepreneurs (and, certainly, for any enterprise proprietor or content material creator who needs to leverage the advantages of e-mail advertising), which makes it a incredible match for an internet course.

Earlier than you begin creating the course content material, you’d search out a bunch of affiliate packages for instruments to assist folks construct their e-mail record. We’re considering:

• A graphic design device like Canva for designing and making a lead magnet
• A touchdown web page builder like AWeber to create a lead seize touchdown web page
• An e-mail advertising platform to arrange automated campaigns (once more, they’ll do that via AWeber)

Ache level: Earn six figures on Etsy

One other frequent ache level — as a result of each Etsy service provider needs to earn more money.

You’d comply with the identical course of when constructing this on-line course: contemplate all of the instruments Etsy sellers would possibly must develop their income, then join the related affiliate packages and add their hyperlinks to your course content material. Instruments like:

• PickFu for optimizing product photos, descriptions, movies, adverts, and product pricing
• Vela for managing Etsy product listings
• Outfy for automated social media administration for on-line shops
• LeadDyno for selling an Etsy retailer via affiliate internet marketing

And, after all, AWeber for constructing an e-mail record and working e-newsletter campaigns to drive site visitors to an Etsy retailer.

Ache level: Make your first dropshipping sale

Like affiliate internet marketing, dropshipping is a well-liked facet hustle, serving to folks construct a income stream with out coping with most of the greatest challenges of working a “correct” e-commerce enterprise, like:

• Spending a ton of money upfront on merchandise
• Managing retailer stock
• Coping with product transport

So it’s not laborious to see the enchantment of launching a dropshipping retailer. However, identical to with any on-line enterprise, most wannabe dropshippers don’t know the place to start — making this an ideal on-line course area of interest.

Once more, there’s no scarcity of merchandise (with affiliate packages) you possibly can promote, together with:

Plus they’ll want an e-mail advertising device, which is the place AWeber is available in.

4 affiliate internet marketing finest practices to drive extra clicks and gross sales

Constructing a profitable affiliate internet marketing enterprise isn’t nearly having the appropriate technique. You additionally must execute it successfully. Make it occur by following these finest practices:

Select a various vary of affiliate companions

Your affiliate companions — also referred to as advertisers — are the individuals who pay you for selling their merchandise. So it’s truthful to say they’ll play an integral position in your journey to affiliate internet marketing success.

Naturally, affiliate advertisers wish to construct sturdy, mutually helpful relationships with their finest associates. 

But it surely’s necessary to do not forget that they’re companies, not charities, in order that they is likely to be compelled to vary their phrases and situations at a second’s discover. As an example, Amazon  — one of many world’s greatest affiliate advertisers — famously slashed commissions throughout a number of classes again in 2020, placing a significant dent in lots of affiliate entrepreneurs’ earnings.

If you happen to put all of your eggs within the metaphorical basket of a single associates program, an identical choice out of your affiliate companion may decimate your small business. 

So it undoubtedly pays to unfold the danger round by selling a number of affiliate packages (e.g. different markets like eBay and Etsy are a superb substitute for Amazon).

Promote high quality affiliate merchandise

While you’re on the lookout for affiliate companions, it’s straightforward to be blinded by engaging fee charges.

However the actuality is that the highest-paying merchandise aren’t essentially the very best on your viewers. Sadly, the precise reverse is commonly true: they’re solely paying huge commissions as a result of in any other case nobody would suggest them.

Whereas it’s tempting to concentrate on making as a lot cash as attainable within the brief time period, your affiliate enterprise shall be an entire lot extra sustainable if you happen to solely promote high-quality merchandise. So take the time to take a look at buyer evaluations earlier than signing up — and, ideally, suggest merchandise that you just truly use.

Construct an asset, not a social channel

Certain, there are actual affiliate entrepreneurs making huge cash from their followings on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

However there’s an issue: these people don’t truly personal their viewers. TikTok and YouTube do.

You is likely to be considering: “So what? I don’t care if TikTok holds all of the playing cards so long as I’m nonetheless being profitable.” Nonetheless, there are some main downsides to this strategy.

For starters, tastes in social media change quick. If folks all of the sudden lose curiosity in your chosen social platform, BAM, there goes your viewers — and there’s no assure they’ll comply with you to a totally different platform.

It additionally leaves you overly reliant on social algorithms. If TikTok or YouTube determine they don’t need folks to see your content material anymore, you’re useless within the water.

That’s why we imagine the very best path to changing into a profitable affiliate marketer is to construct your individual web site. Or, on the very least, a touchdown web page you should use to seize e-mail addresses.

Goal high-intent key phrases

Earlier on this article, we identified that Web optimization is the highest site visitors supply for affiliate web sites.

However not all search site visitors is equally useful.

It’s tremendous to have one or two items of content material devoted to top-of-the-funnel matters (like find out how to begin an internet enterprise). However the bulk of your Web optimization-focused articles or movies ought to goal commercially targeted key phrases.

Usually, business key phrases appear like this:

Folks trying to find these types of phrases are shut to creating a shopping for choice. So in the event that they discover (and luxuriate in) your content material, there’s a superb likelihood they’ll click on via to your affiliate companion’s website and make a purchase order.

Supercharge your affiliate internet marketing success with AWeber

Constructing a profitable affiliate internet marketing enterprise is tough work. And there aren’t any ensures — in any other case, each affiliate marketer can be a millionaire.

However we will assure that you just’ll stand a a lot better likelihood if you happen to construct an e-mail record, then goal your subscribers with common newsletters recommending all of your favourite merchandise.

That’s why you want AWeber.

Our drag-and-drop builder and AI writing assistant make it fast and simple to create lovely, participating, high-converting advertising emails, whereas our touchdown web page builder and signup varieties offer you all of the instruments to develop your record.

Join your free AWeber account right this moment.

And, when you’ve completed it, why not be a part of our associates program and unfold the love?