Let’s talk about affiliate marketing for beginners today. As we all know, making money online is easier than ever before. If you have an engaged audience that trusts you, you can make obscene amounts of money online.
Affiliate marketing gives you access to a range of products from millions of sellers across the globe. As an online affiliate, all you have to do is promote people’s products, and for every successful sale, you make a commission.
That is the convenience and ease that affiliate marketing brings to us all. That brings us to the most obvious question. What on earth is affiliate marketing for beginners, and how can I get started right away?
This post will take a deep dive into this not-so-new concept and break it down into bite-sized chunks.
By the end of this read, you will know what affiliate marketing for beginners is, how to get started and avoid many rookie mistakes.
Let’s start with understanding the concept of affiliate marketing.
- Affiliate Marketing For Beginners: What is Affiliate Marketing?
- How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
- How Do Affiliate Marketers Get Paid?
- How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
- The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing
- Excellent Tips for Success
- Examples of Successful People Who Have Made a Living From Their Blogs by Using This Method
- Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners
- Rookie Mistakes to Avoid as a New Affiliate
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Affiliate Marketing For Beginners: What is Affiliate Marketing?
According to Investopedia, it is where a company advertises by using third-party publishers. In this case, you are the third-party publisher.
You don’t need to have special education or skills to make money as an affiliate marketer. Anyone who can build an audience can start promoting affiliate marketing products and start earning commissions.
Your biggest goal as an affiliate is to get people to buy products or services, and you, in turn, earn from your efforts.
There are two ways with which to view affiliate marketing for beginners. If you have a business, affiliates can be vital in bringing new leads to your business. The use of affiliates to promote your business is excellent for two main reasons.
First, you leverage other people’s networks to grow your customer base. Secondly, third-party recommendation makes people trust your business much faster.
If you have no product or service to promote, you can become an affiliate for just about any product.
Many businesses today are looking for affiliates to promote their businesses. Affiliate marketing is not limited to digital products.
Companies like Amazon and way fair that deal in physical products also have affiliate programs that anybody can join.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
So how exactly does a person become an affiliate marketer? Isn’t there some sort of criteria to slap on that title? The honest answer is no; there isn’t.
Affiliate marketing for beginners, you don’t need to do anything extraordinary to become an affiliate. All you need is to know what it means and how to get great deals.
To begin with, you will need to join an affiliate program. An affiliate program is a site that allows you access to affiliate marketing products that you can promote. Some popular affiliate marketing for beginners platforms include;
Once you have created an affiliate account with any of these platforms, it is time for you to find products to promote. There are millions of affiliate marketing products available today.
Most companies that sell on the internet today are already offering affiliate programs to their users. Chances are, you have bought something through an affiliate or seen an affiliate marketing prompt on some of your favorite software.
Many companies give users a prompt to join their affiliate programs by inviting friends and family. That is the most basic level of affiliate marketing for beginners, and it can be a full-time business for those that put in more effort to learn how to promote.
There are many ways that you can promote affiliate programs. One vital thing to remember for affiliate marketing for beginners is that you need a plan that you must follow to make any money as an affiliate.
Like any other business, consistency and focus on a single niche are better for long-term success.
Here are some excellent practices that can help you start strong.
How Do Affiliate Marketers Get Paid?
Affiliate advertising is getting more popular, not just because it’s a fast and affordable way to make money but also because many consumers don’t need to buy products to earn commissions.
Pay Per Click.
The program provides a way for the affiliate to get money when they bring in more customers. They get paid based on how much traffic their website has received.
Pay Per Lead.
PPC affiliates are paid for the conversion of leads. An affiliate must convince the customer to visit the website of the Merchant and do the required act.
Pay Per Sale.
The Merchant pays a percentage of the product’s sale price when customers referred to the affiliate have bought the product. This means that before an affiliate can get paid, they must first find a customer who will buy their product.
How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
Affiliate marketing for beginners is easy for most people. There are many affiliate marketplaces and products, and it can be confusing, especially for complete beginners. The main things that you need to do when getting started include;
Pick a Niche
A niche is a select part of the market that your business will focus on. An example of a niche within the health and fitness sector is the Keto Diet.
The big idea is to focus on a subject that you know many people are already interested in. Choosing a broad niche can affect how much traffic you get.
People are generally particular when they look for things online. It is better to be niche than expand as you go by bringing in related topics.
An excellent way to pinpoint your niche is by looking at your interests.
Whichever the case, if you have a hobby or interest, others have the same interest, and some products exist within this market.
Choosing a niche within a more significant industry can be very helpful, especially if you are a beginner. The fitness industry is a huge one globally. People are generally very keen on treating their bodies, and there is always something new and hot popping up.
Jumping on trends can be very beneficial for a market as large as that of fitness and health.
Find a GREAT Product.
The product you choose to promote is just as crucial as the niche you decide to go for. A good product sells well.
For a product or service to sell, it needs to be of high quality and value to whoever is buying it. Finding a great product might mean looking for buyer feedback or tracking the sales volume of that product.
A good product will usually have a medium to high sales volume and still have good margins for you as an affiliate.
Finding a great product to promote is essential in affiliate marketing. A common saying among seasoned affiliates is that it will take the same effort to sell low and high-ticket products.
If you can find a product with significant margins to start you off, you will make way more money with the same number of customers compared to a low-ticket product.
Keep in mind that cheaper products might sell in larger volumes compared to more expensive products. So keep all these factors in mind when finding a product to promote.
Understanding how a product works is vital when you are looking for an excellent affiliate product to promote. It will generally be harder to answer customer questions and appear confident when you have no idea what the details of your product are or how it works.
Suppose you can acquire a sample, especially for cheaper affiliate products. In that case, it will go a long way in helping you answer questions and offer honest reviews of the product based on your own experience.
You can even try out the 15 Day Online Business Builder Challenge. It’s what almost any successful affiliate I know started with. The good this is I wrote an in-depth guide about it.
Select a Platform
To make money as an affiliate, you will need to pay extra attention to where you promote your products. A great product without an audience is as good as no product at all.
There are multiple ways people are promoting affiliate products today. Before you choose a direction, you need to determine can consistently create content to promote your affiliate products.
Here are some ways to start promoting your affiliate products.
Start an Email List
Email is one of the most acceptable ways to market a business online. When you choose email marketing, you can easily promote multiple products within a single niche.
Email marketing begins with list building. You need to find excellent email marketing software such as GetResponse or AWeber and create a landing page.
Find a copywriter or write catchy copy to draw in people to your list. A great way to get people to sign up is by giving them something in exchange for their email. Use these lead capture plugins if you are a WordPress user.
Learn to create value from the get-go because the rate of competition is high where online marketing is concerned. An ebook, checklist, or guide can get leads to give you their emails.
Create email sequences to promote your chosen products and focus on building a more extensive list and providing great value in your emails.
Avoid spamming your subscribers with sales messages. Instead, focus on building a relationship that goes both ways.
Creating helpful content always pays the price. Providing solutions and being helpful creates trust in you, and in return, whatever you recommend goes.
Blogging
Starting a niche blog is another excellent way to market your affiliate marketing products. A blog allows you to share ideas in your way.
A great blog has a few traits. To begin with, you need to structure your blog site in a good way. Make it easy for visitors to access your content and make your content easy to scheme.
In addition to a good, responsive design, you need to put extra focus on creating valuable and quality content.
Research and give your readers something to come back to when they bump into your blog post.
Again, helpful content is paramount to growing a loyal audience. Find out what people are searching for in your niche and create content based on their needs.
That will help you rank better in search engines, and your readers will be glad.
One beautiful thing about starting a blog is that you can use your blog as a way to grow your mailing list. Using more than one medium is always a great way of diversifying your business.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is a powerhouse for many marketers. It’s a great way to draw attention to just about anything.
There are several ways to use social media for marketing your affiliate products. Based on what you are selling, here are some great ways to use social media marketing as an affiliate marketing tool.
Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly users. It also has thousands of groups in any niche you can imagine.
Facebook is great if you want to market your products without spending too much money upfront. Facebook organic marketing works well for high ticket products if you can create a group of your own.
You can also choose to use Facebook ads as a way of promoting your affiliate offers.
Another excellent affiliate marketing platform is TikTok. Video content performs better than text and audio. Tiktok allows you to create short videos that can be great for promoting a variety of products.
One TikTok channel focused on a niche can promote any number of items within that very niche.
Instagram is also great, especially if you are targeting a younger audience. Makeup and fashion and any number of courses can do well on Instagram.
Pinterest is an image-based search engine but is often looked at as a social media. Pinterest works remarkably well for people who have blogs.
Creating beautiful and relevant pins can be a great way of driving traffic to your blog and mailing list. Pinterest has over a million monthly users making it a great place to fish for highly targeted audiences.
But Here is The Catch…
Choose a platform that you can own and has growth potential. Social media is great, but you are at the mercy of algorithms, and competition is high for most people.
Email and blogs are great places to build and nurture your audience. Stack multiple media to take advantage of the different opportunities that they all bring.
The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an excellent way for anyone to make money online today. You have the possibility of making an income that is entirely passive (for the most part).
Easy to Get Started
One great benefit is that anyone can learn how to promote products as an affiliate. Most businesses just care about your ability to sell.
They won’t question whether or not you have a degree and multiple PhDs. It does not matter if you cannot sell.
Anyone with an excellent internet connection and the consistency and willingness to learn can become a master affiliate.
Easy to Scale
Another benefit is that it’s easy to scale your business as an affiliate. You don’t carry inventory, and you are not focused on product development.
That means you can invest your profits into promoting your affiliate marketing products. You can also add more products to your list if they are all under the same niche.
You don’t carry the risk of failed products as heavily as the brand owner does. You can easily choose different products if the ones you first choose don’t perform well.
Global Audience
Another benefit that is not often spoken about is that people across the globe have access to affiliate marketplaces. Some opportunities are usually location-based, and that cuts out a massive chunk of the market.
Affiliate marketing is often not limited by geography. Not only can you promote products across borders, but you can also become an affiliate anywhere in the world.
That makes the nomadic lifestyle not just a mere possibility but a reality for many people.
A Ton of Products
The final benefit worth mentioning is the sheer number of products available to you as an affiliate. You can expand as you learn how to grow your business.
Some affiliates start with a single website and end up setting up multiple websites in many niches. Learn the game and put the knowledge you gain into practice, and the rest will be history.
Excellent Tips for Success
Here are some great tips to reduce your learning curve and improve your success chances if you are starting.
Stick to a Single Niche.
Having a single niche will make it easier to build an audience. It also gives you the freedom to promote a variety of related products.
It is easier to grow your audience based on interest. An excellent example of how you can leverage people’s interest to draw them in is, say, a dog lovers blog.
You can promote dog accessories and still sell training guides to dog owners. You can also easily link back to other articles and widen the scope of information that your audience gets.
Stick to a Single Platform When Starting
Focus on creating your content when you are just starting. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It pays well if you put in the work beforehand.
Don’t start promoting on too many platforms in the initial stages of your business. Instead, find one platform and stack the other platforms as you go.
If you have a blog, focus on filling it with valuable content that your audience enjoys. Add on social media and start building your mailing list as you go.
Doing too many things at the same time is expensive and time-consuming. Not to mention the learning curve that comes with each new platform you add on.
Test Different Styles of Content
Do not be afraid of trying out a variety of content. Your audience might just surprise you by responding well to something you didn’t expect. Stack different platforms and create great content.
You can use text, audio, and video interchangeably and keep a record of what performs well. Play around with how you display your content and start learning how to write copy that sells. That will help you build confidence and increase your sales as you go.
Be Consistent
It takes time to build a website. It takes a lot of time to build up an audience, but if you stop, then nothing happens. Learn from youtube, blogs, and other sources and put what you have learned into practice.
Consistency cannot be stressed enough if you are a beginner in affiliate marketing. Learning how to stay the course when you do not see results is challenging. Many new affiliates are looking to make a quick buck, and that doesn’t always pan out.
Taking your time to understand the game and putting in the necessary work will pay off big time in the long run.
Always Look at The Volume of Products Sold
There is nothing worse than putting a lot of effort only never to get a sale. Take your time to research the products before spending money on ads and content writers/ creators.
Most affiliate marketplaces give you this information. If other affiliates are successful in selling the product, chances are the market wants that product.
Pay attention and make decisions based on more than a hunch. Having a clear idea of what is happening in the market will help you make clear decisions.
Examples of Successful People Who Have Made a Living From Their Blogs by Using This Method
Many people today make a full-time living as affiliates. Most influencers and public figures use their platforms to promote a large variety of affiliate marketing products.
Affiliate marketing can be a primary source of income and even a retirement plan. Once you have a system that works, what is left is scaling your affiliate business and diversifying.
Here are some notable affiliate marketers that have made a name for themselves in the affiliate marketing world.
John Chow
John Chow is a seasoned blogger and affiliate marketer. He is best known for teaching people how to make money blogging by leveraging the power of affiliate marketing.
He took his blog from zero dollars to when he started making 40,000 each month in just two years. Thousands of readers and people flock to his site to find out the best new ways to make money through their blogs.
In addition to that, chow has managed to be the author of many valuable books for bloggers and entrepreneurs. Affiliates can take a leaf from him when setting up their blog.
His strategies have helped hundreds of bloggers find financial and time freedom. Chow claims he took his blog to the next level by only working two hours a day.
Today, chow describes himself as an author, speaker, dot-com mogul, and entrepreneur. He proves that not only is it possible to make a full-time earning blogging, but it also opens up possibilities.
You can check out his blog here.
Neil Patel
Neil Patel is a powerhouse in the world of blogging. Not only is he a well-known SEO expert, but he is also an affiliate making a great living selling affiliate marketing products on his website.
He teaches business owners and entrepreneurs how to improve their online marketing strategies and build websites that outlast the different changes as time passes. He has spoken in multiple events and inspires many beginners in blogging to reach for the stars.
Neil Patel is also a best-selling author and has been mentioned by Forbes as one of the top 10 marketers.
The success he got on his blog became one of the hallmarks of his overall success. He was mentioned as one of the top influencers by the wall street journal and still serves entrepreneurs and small business owners.
John Crestani
John Crestani is an affiliate marketer and educator. He is well known for his youtube content that is explicitly geared to affiliates. John has made millions promoting affiliate marketing products, and he shows his students the best practices to start earning as he does.
He has his products that he promotes entirely through affiliates. His free tutorials give newbies a glance into the multiple ways to promote their affiliate links without spending any money on running ads.
Crestani owns multiple 6 figure businesses today and still helps marketers and business owners learn the secrets to successfully marketing their businesses.
Check out his LinkedIn profile here.
Missy Ward
Missy is a big name in affiliate marketing platforms. She is a seasoned affiliate marketer, a stay-at-home mom, and a philanthropist.
She co-founded the Affiliate Summit Corporation, which helps entrepreneurs and business owners succeed in affiliate marketing.
She encourages new affiliates to take their time and realize it takes work to build your business as an affiliate.
She is proof that this industry is far from being male-dominated, and anyone, even a stay-at-home-mom like herself, can get a lot of success as affiliates if they do it right.
She keeps a blog talking about her business ventures and other issues that you can find here.
Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners
There are hundreds of affiliate marketing programs you can join today. There are different kinds of products that you can promote as an affiliate. You can choose to promote digital products or physical products, or a combination of both.
The affiliate marketplace you choose to join can limit the type of products that you can promote. It is okay to join several different affiliate programs to the more products within your niche that you can promote.
Let’s look at some great affiliate programs anyone can join to start making money online;
15-Day Online Business Builder Challenge
I recommend 15-Day Online Business Builder Challenge to new affiliates since it’s a practical challenge and has an outstanding affiliate program.
Each day of the challenge brings in new skills, fresh ideas, and mastery of fundamental marketing concepts and how to set up your online business for success.
It takes a few steps to be accepted into their program and get your affiliate link. Check out this review of the whole program before making a move.
Amazon
It is one of the popular affiliates programs out there. Not only is it available globally. There are thousands and thousands of products you can review.
Amazon is a great place to find just about anything. which means that you can start your affiliate marketing site on any nice and still have many products to look at. That makes amazon an excellent affiliate program for the absolute beginner.
To get started with Amazon, you need to sign up for the amazon associates program and promote different things.
It is best to create a simple site and review different products if you want y7our business to pay you long-term. An amazon review site can very well give you passive income for many years.
Keep in mind that this platform deals with physical products for the most part. Ensure you read the guidelines and understand how amazon pays their affiliates when you first set up your account.
Some pros of the Amazon affiliate program are, first, you can sign up from anywhere in the world. It is also free to start with tons of available resources to help you sell more available online.
Amazon has many products, which is an excellent place for people to scale beyond a single product.
One con is that the commission rates keep changing, and this will affect your profit margins.
ClickBank
The network is one of the most popular affiliate marketplaces in the world. You will get access to tons of digital products to promote.
Digital products are products you can sell entirely online. They include ebooks, courses, and anything that is sold in a digital format. Clickbank will give you access to hundreds of products that you can promote in your content for a commission.
They recently introduced CPA marketing, which is excellent for new affiliates since you can earn well for your efforts.
There are many niches to pick from, given the site has been around for a little over two decades.
Make sure you do your revision when picking out products on ClickBank to promote. You can easily land on low-quality products as there are many vendors on this platform.
It is among the most prominent affiliate marketplaces in the world. That means that you will also face some competition if your niche is too broad. Ensure you select products that are not oversold but still have significant margins.
Jvzoo
It is another affiliate marketing platform that you can check out if you are looking for a marketplace with varied products. JVZoo has also been available to affiliate marketers for more than ten years.
One great perk to using this affiliate marketplace is the high rate of commissions that many affiliates get.
Like many affiliate programs, JVZoo is free to join. This site takes the time to choose its affiliate marketing products to ensure affiliates have access to valuable products that their customers will like. That is a great way to build your affiliate business and nurture your audience in the right direction.
This platform is easy to join and has many great products you can promote. The commissions are also on the higher side compared to click bank.
The payout threshold is also low, meaning you can access your money pretty fast.
Overall, it is a great contender and is also great for beginners.
Digistore24
Digistore24 is an excellent affiliate platform that newbies can consider when they are getting started. Not only do you have access to hundreds of great digital products, but you can also choose based on your niche.
It is easy to set up and offers you a dashboard that you can use to keep track of your sales. This platform is available to affiliates across the globe, and sign-up is completely free.
You will access various products that you can promote and great commissions on most of these products.
A lot of digistore24 users like that they can access their money quickly when using the platform. You can easily connect your PayPal account, and they also offer many payment methods depending on your location.
That is another excellent affiliate marketplace that beginners can use when getting started.
Share A Sale
ShareASale is the go-to affiliate network for affiliates looking to make money on autopilot.
They offer two major services: The Affiliate, and Merchant Customer Set (Affiliates).
ShareAsale has everything you need with features like; personalized customer experience design tools that help build trustworthiness in your business image – no matter what niche it’s located within-, social media campaigns designed around conversion optimization technology which means increased sales conversions at better rates than most companies would be able without any investment except time!
Rookie Mistakes to Avoid as a New Affiliate
A lot of people sign up for an affiliate program and never make a dime. Affiliate marketing is not about making a quick buck. That is especially true if you are just starting as an affiliate.
Here are some mistakes to avoid when starting as an affiliate.
Don’t Promote a Product You Don’t Understand
You will find many affiliate marketing products when you sign up for your affiliate account. Your niche might have hundreds of great products.
Ensure you choose a product that you can sell quickly. While some products might have high commission rates, you should pick products that you can easily explain to a potential buyer.
That will make it easy to create your content, and it will be easier to convince prospects that the product is right for them.
Don’t Expect Fast Results.
While some lucky people can make a sale the first time they promote products, this rarely happens. Create a plan and stíck to your schedule.
A lot of gurus will tell you they know the best way to promote affiliate marketing products. Some people have great content that you can use to improve your online marketing skills. Many more people are struggling to make a sale, so be wary of the advice you get online.
Remember, it does not matter what channel you use to promote your affiliate marketing products. What matters most is your ability to build an audience that trusts you. That will take time, and you need to stay the course to see the numbers going up.
Choose a Great Affiliate Program.
Every affiliate marketplace is different. The perks of each one vary from the next one.
Take your time to read and understand the terms. That can save you time and increase your income significantly.
While Clickbank has a wealth of products to choose from, their commissions are low compared to JVZoo.
Payouts will also vary based on the platform you choose. Some have a high minimum payable amount, which might delay the period between earning and getting paid.
Choose GREAT Products
If you promote products that clients don’t like, they will point their fingers back at you. Great products are products that your buyers will enjoy, and the commissions are still good.
Take your time to read what customers are saying about the products you intend to sell. Information is readily available today, and a single Google search can make all the difference in whether a customer buys or doesn’t buy what you are promoting.
A good product is also one that sells. Check to see that other affiliates are already making money selling that product before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Let’s answer a few of them:
How Do I Start Affiliate Marketing as a Beginner?
To start affiliate marketing, you need to choose a niche that you are comfortable promoting. After finding your appropriate niche, it’s time To sign up for an affiliate program. There are many programs that beginners can join and find thousands of products.
You need to find a way to promote your affiliate marketing products. Social media or a blog are great ways to start building an audience and selling. Learn some digital marketing tricks and tips that you can apply to reach the largest possible audience without spending too much in running ads.
How Much Do Beginner Affiliate Marketers Make?
According to Ziprecruiter, affiliate marketers earn an average of 42,000 USD each month. The high earners make an average of 60,000 USD monthly.
The amount of money you make as a beginner is dependent on how big your audience already is at the time of starting.
As a complete beginner without an audience, your earnings will be zero. You have to do the work to see your income rising.
How Much Money Do you Require to Get Started in Affiliate Marketing?
Signing up for an affiliate program is free. The only cost of starting is buying a domain and web hosting if you want to use a blog to promote your offers.
If you prefer email marketing, the cost of the software you use will be the only upfront cost
when starting your business.
A domain and hosting cost an average of 50 USD annually. The cost of email marketing software is 10 USD each month on average.
Is Affiliate Marketing Easy?
Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to make money today. You don’t have upfront costs, you don’t hold any inventory, and most of all, you have access to multiple products within the same niche.
Work on learning how to market your affiliate marketing products online successfully and growing your audience. Many free resources available on google and YouTube can make you pro if you stay consistent.
Most affiliate marketplaces also offer affiliates free access to pictures and sometimes even content to promote their products. Companies help their affiliates because it is in their best interest if affiliates perform well.
Start Your Affiliate Marketing Journey Today
Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to make passive income. Once you have understood how your market works and built an audience, the sky is the limit with what you can achieve.
Getting started is the easy part for many people who want to get into affiliate marketing. Learning how to stay consistent and avoiding the shiny object syndrome can help anyone build a successful affiliate marketing business.
Remember, you will not make huge sales when you are just getting started. Applying best practices can make the difference between whether or not you become successful in your niche.
Before winding up this affiliate marketing for beginners guide, I would advise you to check out the 15-Day Online Business Builder challenge, that is, if you are starting as an affiliate.
Start your affiliate journey today.
