If you are one of the many people considering to be an affiliate marketer, you are probably aware that there is an overload of information when it comes to what steps to take, and how to do it.
One thing that is for certain however is that there are no shortages of rumors, myths, and innuendo as well going around. There is also no shortage of advice on the topic, short-cut hacks, stories of success, case studies, and also a promise that you can make money while asleep. Therefore, it becomes difficult for many people who are new to the whole thing as to what is actually real and what is just hype.
This is the main reason why we endeavored to write this article. It was so that you can get a much clearer picture of the real story of affiliate marketing. We have separated fantasy and myths from reality and we will finally give you the much-awaited answer to the question of, “is affiliate marketing actually worth it?” We will also give you a much clearer picture of what it is actually like to enter an industry that is a billion-dollar one and is also mostly operated by people exactly like you. These are people who, like you, sit in front of their computers from the comfort of their own homes. Hence, let us first take a look at some of the basic aspects of this type of marketing.
Affiliate Marketing: What Exactly Is it?
Affiliate marketing basically takes place when you get to earn a commission when you promote another company’s products or services online. In essence, affiliate marketers are responsible for taking care of the online side of marketing on behalf of the merchant. The main goal here is to drive traffic into the client’s website and also get them higher conversion rates. Whenever there is a conversion or click earned, then that particular affiliate marketer is then paid a commission by the client.
This detailed guide for affiliate marketing will help you get a deep understanding.
How does it work?
In general, these types of marketers host websites in which they market offers on behalf of the brands and businesses they are affiliated with. This is done in numerous ways such as videos, reviews, blogs, ads, product links, and much more. The payment received by these marketers is kind of predetermined. Sometimes they earn a commission when any customer clicks on their links. Other times, they only get this commission when there is a conversion of a click to a sale.
In a nutshell, this is how affiliate marketing actually works:
Step 1: Select a niche
Step 2: Get into an affiliate program
Step 3: Market products and services
Step 4: Better track and optimize the conversion rate
Step 5: Receive your commissions
How to get started?
Listen, watch, and then learn
The very first thing that you ought to do when you get started is to get to know and learn as much as possible about this type of marketing. This should include familiarizing yourself with the many strategies and tools that are available to you.
Probably the thing that you need to ask yourself when you start affiliate marketing is to understand what type of product you would want to promote. After extensive thought on that subject, you will then need to select a niche within that market segment.
Selecting a Niche
There are a lot of niches, or varieties and categories, of products from which you can choose what particular niche it is that you want to focus on. A few things that marketers in this industry base their selection on are as follows:
- How crowded is the particular niche? How much competition is there in this niche? The more affiliate marketers a niche has, it will be that much harder to compete and to also drive traffic and hence, overall conversion rates.
- Are you sure you know the niche well enough in order to be able to work with it? The best idea is to focus on particular niches that you have a real interest in. For example, if you are a person who is really into fitness, then that might be the niche that you should select.
- For the products or services that you are considering promoting, one important thing to consider and the question is whether or not you have personal authority on the subject. It also matters if you have personally used the product or service or not. This is very obvious, but it still must be mentioned here- you will be much better equipped to promote services and products that you actually use and are therefore really familiar with. It is not necessarily a must, but it really does help a lot.
- The next question that you need to ask yourself is whether or not you are prepared to invest the time required to make yourself familiar with a niche that you may not be familiar with. The fact of the matter is that you do not really need to be an expert in the particular niche that you select. What matters much more is that you are ready to invest time and energy in learning more about the niche and making yourself an expert on the topic.
You also need to be aware of the latest tactics and also trends that marketers in this industry are using. Fortunately for you, there are numerous online communities that you can get into in order to get the fundamental knowledge and also support that you will need to be successful at affiliate marketing.