Affiliate Marketing

Nowadays its easier to make money online directly from your bedroom while still on your PJ’s. One of these ways is through affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is a way that one can make money by earning commission for referring new customers to a site through clicking banners and links placed on your blog/website.

In other words, you enter into an agreement with a business seeking marketing, and in return you earn a commission from the number of redirected users who clicked the banners and/or purchased a product and service.

Many online businesses that sell shoes, clothes, electronics, domains, softwares etc…. In most cases they have affiliate programs.

When you write an article in regard to a given topic that is associated with that business, you can add a link in which you recommend the site to your readers. If the reader visits the site through the added link and buys a product, you earn a commission.

For this to work, you need reliable internet, and a website or blog of your own which will act as the base ground for your online marketing.

Hint : You can create a website / blog with WordPress, which has a nice layout and SEO optimization. (See our earlier article on creating a website with WordPress)

Secondly, you need to sign up on affiliate marketing networks like 123rf.com, amazon, and even online shopping ecommerce websites – any network that has its own affiliate marketing system.

Once you sign up on those sites, you’ll be able to view the number of people that have clicked on the advertisers’ banners and track the number of those redirected to the businesses’ sites.

Those clicks are what earn you a commission.

The commission you earn will vary according to the array of products available. Some stuff like clothes can earn you a commission of around 8%, whereas phones and accessories about 3% roughly.

On other sites, you can earn up to 15% on successful orders made by clients via your website.

The biggest challenge in the affiliate marketing is stiff competition from giant sites like Google and Facebook. Also, many businesses opt for social media marketing for increased views and wider reach on targeted potential customers.

Different affiliate programs have various ways of making payment to clients. Some popular modes of payment include PayPal, Cheque, Western Union, Wire Transfer…..

Bottom line : For increased chances of earning online, I’d recommend using various ways to monetize your blog / website. Some sites might have affiliate marketing working better than AdSense ads.

Also, though it’s not necessary to have a blog for affiliate marketing, since you can embed the affiliate redirect link on other online content you own, having one is an added advantage for better promotion.

Joining an affiliate program is free of charge and requires no qualification, though having marketing and copywriter skills could come in handy.

The amount one can make from affiliate marketing has no limit, it all depends on the type of program you are promoting, the number of conversions you’re making.

Tips : If you are considering affiliate marketing, try to promote mostly the products which you use every day. It could increase your chances of better income online.

I hope this article will help you. Feel free to share your feedback or ask questions and remember to check out our other articles for a deeper understanding on creating successful businesses online.