Can you really make money with affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a great way to monetize your online presence and grow your business. As an affiliate marketer, you partner with companies who sell products or services and promote their products on your blog, website, social media channels, email newsletter or some other digital outlet.

When visitors click on links within your content and make a purchase, you receive a commission from the company as a referral fee for helping bring them business.

For many businesses and individuals, affiliate marketing can be an excellent source of side income. However, there are so many scammy programs out there that it’s hard to know whether affiliate marketing is worth your time and effort. This article will answer all of your questions about the ins and outs of this business model.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's marketing efforts. This is often done via links in the affiliate's articles or by using a special affiliate code that the reader can use when clicking on a link and visiting the merchant's website.

Affiliate marketing is a way to make money blogging, or any other online presence, without having to make or manufacture your own product.

Affiliate marketing is also referred to as:

• "Performance marketing"
• "Referral marketing"
• "Link marketing"
• "Associate marketing"
• "People marketing"
• "Web marketing"
• "Digital marketing"
• "Direct marketing"
• "Digital advertising"
• "Network marketing"
• "Online marketing"
• "Online advertising"
• "Ecommerce"
• "Helping others"
• "Helping businesses"
• "Increasing sales"
• "Increasing brand awareness"
• "Earning passive income"

How does affiliate marketing work?

Affiliate marketing is a relationship between two parties: the affiliate (you) and the merchant (the company whose product you’re promoting). You sign up with a network and then select a product to promote – say an online course, a tool for organizing your day, a website builder, etc.

You write a post about the product on your blog, social media channels, or email newsletter, and add a link to the merchant's site. When a reader clicks on the link and then makes a purchase, you receive a commission on that sale.

Who Is the Ideal Affiliate Marketer?

There’s no typical affiliate marketer – people from all walks of life use affiliate marketing to earn income and make money from home. However, there are some important things to know before starting this business model so you can increase your chances of success.

You have to enjoy working online – There’s no way around this. If you don’t enjoy working online and prefer the solitude of a home office, affiliate marketing probably isn’t right for you. You must have a strong online presence – You must be able to build an online presence and drive traffic to your content (blog posts, videos, etc.).

This can be done with blogging, social media, paid ads, or a combination of these. You have to have a compelling marketing message – Your marketing message must stand out and be unique so you can attract prospective customers and partners.

You must have patience – Successful affiliate marketers don’t give up after a couple of months. It can take a year or more to build a profitable affiliate marketing business. You must be willing to learn and adapt – Affiliate marketing is not a get rich quick scheme. You must be willing to invest time, energy, and money upfront with no guarantee of a return.

Pros of Affiliate Marketing

There are many advantages to affiliate marketing if you do it right. Here are a few:

• You don’t have to manufacture or sell the product – This can be a huge advantage if you’re not interested in creating a physical product, have a sensitive medical condition, or are unable to physically manage a manufacturing operation.
• You can make money with a digital product – If you’re an expert in a particular field, you can create an online course and/or a digital product like an eBook and earn money each time someone purchases it.
• You can reach a global audience – Since the internet is a global phenomenon, you can earn money while helping people from other countries.
• You can earn a recurring income – Once you build up a large enough referral network, you can earn a recurring commission on sales from people who purchased from the merchant through your affiliate link.
• You can work from anywhere – As long as you have an internet connection, you can earn money from affiliate marketing.
• You can use the profits for charitable causes – Many affiliate marketers donate a portion of their profits to charity.
• Commissions are based on performance – You only earn a commission when someone clicks through your link, buys a product, and completes a transaction.

Cons of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing isn’t a perfect business model, and there are a few drawbacks you should know about before getting started.

• You have to compete against other affiliates – While you’re trying to bring customers to your affiliate offers, other affiliates are trying to do the same. Competition can be fierce, especially in highly profitable industries.
• You have to deal with customer support – When customers have questions, or are unsatisfied with the product, they contact you. While some merchants have great policies, others will leave you to deal with customer support.
• You have to manage your finances – One of the biggest drawbacks of affiliate marketing is that you have to manage your finances. You have to track your earnings, manage your expenses, and plan for taxes.
• You don’t own the customer – If you earn a commission from a sale, you don’t own the customer. The merchant does.
• Affiliate marketing is not a long-term business model – Affiliate marketing is a temporary business model. You don’t want to rely on this as a long-term source of income.

How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business

If you’re ready to get started with affiliate marketing, there are a few things you need to do.

• Pick a niche – Choosing the right niche for your affiliate marketing business can increase your chances for success. Pick a niche that is popular, has a high profit margin, and has a low barrier to entry. You can use tools like Google Trends and the Google Keyword Planner to find popular industries and keywords.
• Create a website or blog – Your website is the first thing customers will see when they do a search. It’s also your digital home base where you can provide valuable content, collect email addresses, and drive traffic back to your affiliate offers.
• Start building your email list – Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. Start collecting email addresses and driving traffic back to your website as soon as possible.
• Create a marketing plan – Successful affiliate marketers have a marketing plan they follow each day and don’t let up. Your marketing plan should include several ways to earn traffic, sell your product, and get people to sign up for your email list.
• Join an affiliate network – You can’t just link to any product and expect to make money. You have to be a part of an affiliate network that has a contractual agreement with the merchant.
• Stay on top of trends – Stay on top of industry trends and changes so you can adjust as necessary.