9 Ways You Can Become An Affiliate All-Star

By Olivia Dello Buono January 22, 2015

Affiliate marketing has become a trending topic in the digital marketing community, and for good reason! This low-risk, high-reward opportunity is great for those who want to monetize their love of a product.

Despite some claims, affiliate marketing won’t make you an overnight millionaire. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a serious profit. Successful affiliates are advocates for the products they’re referring – and they’re reaping the rewards!

Keep reading to find out if affiliate marketing is right for you – and tips on how you can become an affiliate all-star.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Think of affiliate marketers as the middlemen between clients and brands. Is there a product or service you don’t hesitate to recommend to family or friends? Partnering with these brands is a great way to get rewarded for your endorsement.

Affiliate marketers earn commission by referring traffic and sales to a retailer’s website through their own promotional efforts. Prospective affiliates can join a program through a merchandiser directly or a network that manages multiple affiliate programs.

What Are The Benefits Of Affiliate Marketing?

• Low-Risk, High Reward: Becoming an affiliate usually doesn’t requires start-up fees or an investment.
• Advanced Tracking Tools: A good affiliate program provides you with the tools to measure your campaign’s effectiveness.
• No “Selling” Experience Required: It’s as simple as creating good content.
• Not Your Average Job: Create a steady flow of income by promoting a company’s products and services.

Choosing A Niche

When choosing an affiliate marketing program, first ask yourself a few questions:

• Are you knowledgeable in the topic?
• Is the content something people are searching for?
• What problem are you trying to solve?
• Is there room for growth? Can you add value to the content?

Your answers will help you identify if a niche is right for you.

How Do You Drive Traffic?

When you sign up, you’ll receive a unique affiliate commissions code. This is used to track the visitors and sales that were directed from your efforts. But how do you drive traffic to a merchandiser’s website in the first place?

Some common affiliate promotional strategies include:

• Blogging
• Building up an email list
• Social Media
• Videos + Podcasting
• Writing reviews
• Word-of-mouth
• Paid advertising
• Banners
• Email Marketing
• Social media ads
• Contests

Don’t be afraid to get creative in your approach! Blogs like Affiliate Tip, AM Navigator, ShareASale and ABestWeb are great resources for campaign inspiration.

How Do You Build An Audience?

There are a number of tracking tools that give you the power to track the reach of your campaigns. Some frequently used services include:

• Google Analytics is a free service that lets you measure your advertising ROI, track your social reach and manage your applications. With its suite of features, you can analyze visitor traffic and ensure you’re getting the most out of your marketing efforts.
• Page Insights provides information about user activity on your Facebook page. You can view metrics, identify your most engaging posts and gather information on your audience.
• YouTube Analytics lets you monitor the performance of your channel, with up-to-date metrics and reports.

9 Ways To Be An Awesome Affiliate

What’s Next?

Have a passion for email marketing? Consider becoming an AWeber affiliate! You’ll receive 30% recurring commission for every referral that signs up for our service. And we provide you with the tools you need for success. Visit our Partners page to get started.