How one can be a profitable affiliate marketer: Progress methods & ideas

By Phil Norris March 28, 2024

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

Not unhealthy for a job that permits you to work wherever, set your personal hours, and earn passive revenue.

However, as all the time, there’s a catch:

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

In the meantime, for those who’re in your first yr of internet online affiliate marketing, you possibly can count on a barely extra humble return of $636 a month. Which most likely received’t even cowl your payments, not to mention fast-track you towards a lifetime of luxurious.

Nonetheless, if you will get by way of these difficult first two years, the rewards are there for the taking.

And we may also help you get there by sharing our prime tips about methods to be a profitable affiliate marketer…

The place to publish internet online affiliate marketing hyperlinks

Let’s begin with the fundamentals of methods to promote an affiliate hyperlink. There are 4 most important channels you should utilize, every with its personal strengths and weaknesses:

Search engine optimisation

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

However Search engine optimisation is hard. In the event you’re focusing on a key phrase with respectable search quantity, you’ll doubtless be competing with big, generalist publishers like Forbes and Enterprise Insider, so that you’ve acquired your work minimize out getting wherever 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 prime #10 rankings for an entire yr.

👍 Search engine optimisation professionals:

• Free site visitors supply
• Targets certified buyers looking for particular info
• When you’ve constructed a well-optimized web site, it will probably hold producing site visitors for years

👎 Search engine optimisation cons:

• Constructing an Search engine optimisation-friendly web site takes a number of time
• Nonetheless a lot work you set in, it’s extraordinarily troublesome to outrank large publishers
• Search engine algorithms change usually, so your rankings may tank in a single day

Electronic mail

Electronic 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. The truth is, 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.

👍 Electronic mail professionals:

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

👎 Electronic mail cons:

• You’ll want some type 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 advertisements on serps and social media principally work on a pay-per-click (PPC) foundation, which is strictly what it feels like: you create an advert, set a finances, and solely pay when somebody clicks by way of to your touchdown web page.

It’s a fast and handy approach to drive site visitors to your affiliate web site — you possibly can construct an advert marketing campaign in a couple of minutes, then begin producing clicks the second you set it dwell. 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 may solely be making a couple of bucks in fee per sale, PPC simply isn’t cost-effective in a number of affiliate niches.

👍 PPC professionals:

• Constructing advert campaigns is fast and straightforward
• As soon as a marketing campaign goes dwell, 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 finances. So it’s type of like Search engine optimisation: 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 lately. To make issues worse, the likes of Fb and TikTok wish to hold you on their platform, not click on by way of to an affiliate web site (or your affiliate associate’s retailer) — so it’s changing into more and more unreliable as a site visitors supply.

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

👍 Natural social professionals:

👎 Natural social cons:

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

The best technique for internet online affiliate marketing success

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

It all the time pays to diversify. That manner, your entire enterprise mannequin received’t be ruined by a single algorithm replace. Additionally, the extra your viewers sees your content material, the extra doubtless they’re to click on by way of. 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 internet online affiliate marketing technique that’s surprisingly underused.

It really works like this:

1. Determine a particular ache level your viewers desires to unravel
2. Construct a web based course to assist reply that ache level
3. Promote the net 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 instrument or product, add an affiliate hyperlink so that you receives a commission when individuals click on by way of and purchase

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

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

Let’s check out an actual affiliate web site that’s making financial institution by way of this system…

CASE STUDY: Legendary Marketer

Legendary Marketer is a advertising training firm that provides (paid) on-line programs on subjects 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:

If you click on by way of, you’re greeted with messaging that speaks to arguably the largest ache level for anybody attempting to construct a web based enterprise: determining methods to get began.

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

The truth is, the worth tag is virtually irrelevant. In the event you 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 really 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 deal with to Legendary Marketer — which suggests they’ll hold 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 fallacious with incomes cash from recommending high-quality merchandise, simply as long as you’re upfront and sincere about it.

Different internet online affiliate marketing course concepts

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

However we’re not essentially suggesting you do precisely the identical factor. In spite of everything, there are many different niches to focus on and ache factors to unravel. For example:

Ache level: Get your first 500 e mail subscribers

This can be a basic concern for brand new affiliate entrepreneurs (and, certainly, for any enterprise proprietor or content material creator who desires to leverage the advantages of e mail advertising), which makes it a improbable match for a web based course.

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

• A graphic design instrument 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 by way of AWeber)

Ache level: Earn six figures on Etsy

One other frequent ache level — as a result of each Etsy service provider desires to make more cash.

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

• PickFu for optimizing product photos, descriptions, movies, advertisements, 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 by way of internet online affiliate marketing

And, in fact, 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 internet online affiliate marketing, dropshipping is a well-liked aspect hustle, serving to individuals construct a income stream with out coping with lots of the largest challenges of working a “correct” e-commerce enterprise, like:

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

So it’s not arduous to see the attraction 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 applications) you possibly can promote, together with:

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

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

Constructing a profitable internet online affiliate marketing enterprise isn’t nearly having the precise technique. You additionally must execute it successfully. Make it occur by following these greatest 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 internet online affiliate marketing success.

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

However it’s essential to keep in mind that they’re companies, not charities, so that they is likely to be compelled to alter their phrases and circumstances at a second’s discover. For example, Amazon  — one of many world’s largest affiliate advertisers — famously slashed commissions throughout a number of classes again in 2020, placing a serious dent in lots of affiliate entrepreneurs’ earnings.

In the event you put all of your eggs within the metaphorical basket of a single associates program, the same determination out of your affiliate associate may decimate what you are promoting. 

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

Promote high quality affiliate merchandise

If you’re searching for affiliate companions, it’s simple to be blinded by enticing fee charges.

However the actuality is that the highest-paying merchandise aren’t essentially the most effective in your viewers. Sadly, the precise reverse is commonly true: they’re solely paying massive 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 doable within the brief time period, your affiliate enterprise shall be an entire lot extra sustainable for those who solely promote high-quality merchandise. So take the time to take a look at buyer opinions earlier than signing up — and, ideally, suggest merchandise that you just really use.

Construct an asset, not a social channel

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

However there’s an issue: these of us don’t really personal their viewers. TikTok and YouTube do.

You is likely to be pondering: “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 individuals immediately lose curiosity in your chosen social platform, BAM, there goes your viewers — and there’s no assure they’ll comply with you to a completely different platform.

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

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

Goal high-intent key phrases

Earlier on this article, we identified that Search engine optimisation is the highest site visitors supply for affiliate web sites.

However not all search site visitors is equally worthwhile.

It’s fantastic to have one or two items of content material devoted to top-of-the-funnel subjects (like methods to begin a web based enterprise). However the bulk of your Search engine optimisation-focused articles or movies ought to goal commercially targeted key phrases.

Usually, business key phrases appear like this:

Individuals looking for these types of phrases are shut to creating a shopping for determination. So in the event that they discover (and luxuriate in) your content material, there’s a very good probability they’ll click on by way of to your affiliate associate’s web site and make a purchase order.

Supercharge your internet online affiliate marketing success with AWeber

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

However we will assure that you just’ll stand a significantly better probability for those who 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 straightforward to create lovely, partaking, high-converting advertising emails, whereas our touchdown web page builder and signup types provide you with all of the instruments to develop your record.

Join your free AWeber account at this time.

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