Whether you are an eBook author blogging about your book's subject in order to promote your book, or a work-at-home-mom (or dad) blogging recipes, affiliate marketing is one way to monetize your blog and generate unlimited income.
Affiliate marketing is when one person markets another person's (or company's) products.
Bloggers do this by placing links and ads on their blogs that, when clicked, take readers to a sales page.
The product owner or company pays bloggers a percentage of any sales that come through their blog.
The percentage varies from product to product.
Blog owners are compensated in a variety of ways, including being paid when a unique visitor takes a desired action, such as making a purchase, or when a visitor simply clicks through to a site (pay-per-lead).
For blog and website owners who want to take the plunge into affiliate marketing, there are three things to keep in mind: selecting affiliate opportunities, maximizing those opportunities, and understanding affiliate agreements.
1- Selecting Affiliate Marketing Opportunities: If you are new to affiliate marketing, you would probably be surprised at how many companies have incorporated affiliate programs into their business models, including Amazon (which calls affiliates "associates").
The reason so many have done so, is that affiliates act as non-salaried sales people who are only paid when they have fulfilled an objective (delivering a lead or delivering a sale).
Using affiliates exponentially increases a sales force without a company acquiring new risks and liabilities (salaries, taxes, insurance, etc.
).
For site owners, finding products that complement their site's theme is important.
For this site, for instance, which caters to eBook authors and internet marketers, it would be ridiculous for me to market toaster ovens or shoes.
On the other hand, site owners have to take into consideration the fact that they probably do not want to market products that compete with their own.
A site/blog owner who sells her own dog training videos, for instance, would more than likely stay away from endorsing videos from other dog trainers.
An important consideration for affiliate marketers to consider, is whether a product is digital or whether it needs to be shipped.
While affiliates do not have to stock products (they are drop-shipped by the company), a long shipping time means a longer pay out period.
Digital products, which can be charged for and downloaded immediately, mean that the affiliate is paid more rapidly.
2- Maximizing Affiliate Marketing Opportunities: Blog owners can maximize their affiliate marketing opportunities in a number of ways.
One way is to include a variety of ads on their site.
Using banner ads in a side column, or after each post, for instance, can bring great rewards.
Some readers respond better to text, so including a number of text links and ads throughout the site can also be helpful.
Blog owners should learn to analyze traffic and click through rates.
Those ads that receive the best click-through rates should be kept while those that don't entice a reader to take an action, should be switched out.
Another way bloggers can increase their affiliate income is by driving traffic to their site.
I have identified more than 100 traffic methods that can increase the number of visitors to a blog, including podcasting, article writing and video teasers.
Creating mini-sites is another way to increase affiliate income.
A mini-site is a 1 - 2 page site that has one purpose only, usually to make a sale.
A blogger can utilize mini-sites by peppering his/her blog with links to the sales page.
The sales page (mini-site) is then crafted in such a way as to encourage visitors to take action.
Bloggers can also include opt-in boxes on their blogs.
This permission marketing method allows bloggers to send targeted emails to those who opt in.
Every now and again, those emails can promotional material about affiliate products.
3- Understanding Affiliate Agreements Before signing up as an affiliate for any program, it is important that blog/site owners fully understand the affiliate agreement.
Some agreements limit the type of marketing a blogger can take part in.
Others restrict web content.
Still others specify specific ads that can be used by affiliates.
Disregarding any of the agreement rules is not only unprofessional, but it can get you into trouble (it is a business agreement after all).
Affiliate marketing is a wonderful, lucrative way for bloggers to monetize their sites.
Affiliate marketing is when one person markets another person's (or company's) products.
Bloggers do this by placing links and ads on their blogs that, when clicked, take readers to a sales page.
The product owner or company pays bloggers a percentage of any sales that come through their blog.
The percentage varies from product to product.
Blog owners are compensated in a variety of ways, including being paid when a unique visitor takes a desired action, such as making a purchase, or when a visitor simply clicks through to a site (pay-per-lead).
For blog and website owners who want to take the plunge into affiliate marketing, there are three things to keep in mind: selecting affiliate opportunities, maximizing those opportunities, and understanding affiliate agreements.
1- Selecting Affiliate Marketing Opportunities: If you are new to affiliate marketing, you would probably be surprised at how many companies have incorporated affiliate programs into their business models, including Amazon (which calls affiliates "associates").
The reason so many have done so, is that affiliates act as non-salaried sales people who are only paid when they have fulfilled an objective (delivering a lead or delivering a sale).
Using affiliates exponentially increases a sales force without a company acquiring new risks and liabilities (salaries, taxes, insurance, etc.
).
For site owners, finding products that complement their site's theme is important.
For this site, for instance, which caters to eBook authors and internet marketers, it would be ridiculous for me to market toaster ovens or shoes.
On the other hand, site owners have to take into consideration the fact that they probably do not want to market products that compete with their own.
A site/blog owner who sells her own dog training videos, for instance, would more than likely stay away from endorsing videos from other dog trainers.
An important consideration for affiliate marketers to consider, is whether a product is digital or whether it needs to be shipped.
While affiliates do not have to stock products (they are drop-shipped by the company), a long shipping time means a longer pay out period.
Digital products, which can be charged for and downloaded immediately, mean that the affiliate is paid more rapidly.
2- Maximizing Affiliate Marketing Opportunities: Blog owners can maximize their affiliate marketing opportunities in a number of ways.
One way is to include a variety of ads on their site.
Using banner ads in a side column, or after each post, for instance, can bring great rewards.
Some readers respond better to text, so including a number of text links and ads throughout the site can also be helpful.
Blog owners should learn to analyze traffic and click through rates.
Those ads that receive the best click-through rates should be kept while those that don't entice a reader to take an action, should be switched out.
Another way bloggers can increase their affiliate income is by driving traffic to their site.
I have identified more than 100 traffic methods that can increase the number of visitors to a blog, including podcasting, article writing and video teasers.
Creating mini-sites is another way to increase affiliate income.
A mini-site is a 1 - 2 page site that has one purpose only, usually to make a sale.
A blogger can utilize mini-sites by peppering his/her blog with links to the sales page.
The sales page (mini-site) is then crafted in such a way as to encourage visitors to take action.
Bloggers can also include opt-in boxes on their blogs.
This permission marketing method allows bloggers to send targeted emails to those who opt in.
Every now and again, those emails can promotional material about affiliate products.
3- Understanding Affiliate Agreements Before signing up as an affiliate for any program, it is important that blog/site owners fully understand the affiliate agreement.
Some agreements limit the type of marketing a blogger can take part in.
Others restrict web content.
Still others specify specific ads that can be used by affiliates.
Disregarding any of the agreement rules is not only unprofessional, but it can get you into trouble (it is a business agreement after all).
Affiliate marketing is a wonderful, lucrative way for bloggers to monetize their sites.