Let me guess, you’ve heard the term affiliate marketing before and you’re wondering just exactly how that works. Or better yet, you’ve been consuming other people’s blog content and think to yourself, “how do they make money blogging?!” Well, I’m going to break down just how bloggers make money and how entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue through affiliate marketing.
If the term “affiliate marketing” is new to you, no worries, simply put, it’s like getting a referral fee or commision for letting people know about a specific product. Each company sets up their own affiliate program, so the percentage and commission structure may vary from program to program.
That’s how many bloggers (think fashion and beauty bloggers) make money. They use tools like Liketoknowit and Shop Style Collective to earn a commission on third party products that they sell. Unlike multi-level marketing companies like LuLaRoe or Avon, affiliate marketing does not require inventory. You simply share a customized URL link that tracks the clicks and sales. And like I mentioned, the structure and payment of each program vary, some do it strictly based on sales in a cost per acquisition (CPA) model, while others offer a pay per click (PPC) model, where you can earn money based on the valid clicks received.
Sounds pretty easy and straightforward, right?!
Well, sorta. In order to be really successful with affiliate marketing like the top beauty and fashion bloggers, you have to have high traffic sites or social media influence with quality followers in order to make major money. It’s feasible but takes a lot of work, time, and commitment to get to that level of success.
If you’re sitting here thinking I’m not into fashion and don’t want to sell beauty products, no worries! Affiliate marketing is available to almost any industry. And, this is where entrepreneurs leverage their audience and the tools and resources that they are already sharing to bring in additional revenue.
The same principle applies here as well, the larger following and more traffic you have, the more money you can make with affiliate marketing, but I promise you don’t have to have thousands of followers to make your first sale with an affiliate program.
Most online tools and resources offer some sort of affiliate program, you just have to sign up for it.
As a creative entrepreneur, and marketing and branding strategist, most of the tools I am already using in my business offer an affiliate program. Some offer commision, the standard method, while others offer discounts or free months of service for every referral provided.
The beauty of authentically sharing products that you know and love is it becomes easier to talk about them. I am able to effortlessly share the tools I use in my business while earning a commission because I genuinely believe and trust in the products that I share with my audience.
If you try to sell a product just to make a commission I promise your audience will know.
3 STEPS TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR FIRST AFFILIATE SALE
1 | Sign up
Do a quick assessment of the current tools and products you are using, identify the ones you believe your audience will value and see if they have an affiliate program. If they do, sign up! It’s usually very straightforward. Remember it is really important to only share products that you know, love and use, your audience will know if you aren’t being real with them, and you’ll quickly lose trust if you try to sell just for the sake of selling.
2 | Talk About It
Create a blog post or social media post highlighting the benefits of the product or tool. This could even be a how-to post, to make it a true value add!
3 | Share It!
Distribute the blog post on your various channels, on your social media platforms, in a value-add email to your email marketing list, go live on Facebook or Instagram and get it out there!
WHO I’M AFFILIATED WITH
As I mentioned, I am only affiliated with tools and software I’ve been using to help me grow and manage my business. I found myself constantly sharing these products with my clients and audience.
And, you guessed it, if you click or purchase from any of these links below, I may make a commission from it ????
It’s also really important to note, as you begin your affiliate marketing journey, you are required by law to let your audience and readers know that you are making a commission from the affiliate marketing links on your website.
So, here’s a roundup of the businesses I’m affiliated with:
Dubsado
a client relationship management (CRM) tool, to help with contracts, invoicing, + client workflows.
Save 20% off your first month with code SIMPLYSIANNE
Quickbooks
track and manage all of your expenses online
and with my referral, you’ll save 50% off for your first year!
Square
an online payment gateway that ties directly into Dubsado, making getting paid super easy!
Bluchic
beautiful and easy to use feminine WordPress templates for the female entrepreneur
BlueHost
host your website with my favorite hosting company (trust me when I say I’ve tried them all, and this is my fave!)
CoSchedule
all of your content in one place, in an easy-to-move calendar format, this is how I stay on top of all my blogging and social media posts
The Contract Shop
contracts written specifically for creative entrepreneurs and freelancers
Dropbox
a cloud-based file management system perfect for keeping my files synced no matter the device i’m on
