You’ve clicked on the link, you’re reading the first line of this article so I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that you’re interested, or at least curious about affiliate marketing or other legitimate online business models.
No? OK then this article probably isn’t for you, but read on anyway and maybe you’ll be surprised.
It’s nothing new; a person doesn’t want a traditional ‘day job’, working for someone else so they open up a shop selling products that they source from other places.
When I was growing up in the UK in the 80s and 90s, I knew tons of this kind of shop. Some of my parents’ friends were pretty successful but gradually this kind of independent trader disappeared from the high street to be replaced by big brand stores and supermarkets.
These shops had an advantage, the friendly (or at least comically unfriendly) shopkeeper, a local, personal vibe. The problem is they just couldn’t compete in terms of prices and range of goods.
What happened to the traditional high street shopkeeper?
Well, these people do still exist but you’re unlikely to find them on the high street anymore. They have a new home and it starts with www.
Their billboards and newspaper ads have been replaced by Facebook and search engine ads. Their friendly greetings have been replaced by weekly emails to their lists.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry. You asked me a question:
What is affiliate marketing and is it something I can do?
Well, that all depends on exactly who you are. Affiliate marketing is an excellent business model for people starting out online for three main reasons:
1. Developing your own range of products to sell online is a time-consuming task, especially as you’re starting out. As an affiliate marketer, you don’t need to do that, you’re just publicly endorsing other products that are already proven to be in demand.
2. It’s incredibly simple to get started; all you need is a website, social media accounts and an autoresponder service.
3. There are so many opportunities; almost every online shop selling both physical and digital products and every service provider has an affiliate program. You can model your business around literally anything that you are interested in
How does affiliate marketing work?
I said it’s simple, right? Well I wasn’t lying to you, but there are a few different ways it could work for you:
If you have a blog or social media following you can inform them about products you think they will like. If they buy them through your posts, you get a commission at no extra cost to them.
Another way is to create an email list by offering something in return, we call this a ‘lead magnet’. You start by providing your email subscribers with useful, inspirational, or entertaining content in your emails. Then you can also send them offers and you get a commission in the same way.
The third way is through direct advertising. You create an ad (on Google, Social Media, YouTube, etc) and when someone buys the product through your ad…you get the picture.
Here are 7 reasons why I chose affiliate marketing and why I think you should too
1. You only have to sell products that you personally believe in
Almost every online seller has an affiliate program. Don’t believe me, just google ‘your favourite brand’ + “affiliate” and see what results come up. Often it is through third party affiliate networks but the commissions are the same.
That means you can choose any products that you have personally used, or that you trust and then promote them in whatever way you choose. You don’t have to buy every product that you promote but doing so gives you an insight and adds to your credibility. If you haven’t tried it yourself, then just be honest about it, don’t lie to your customers.
2. Low Start-Up Cost
Signing up for affiliate programs is often free with programs like ‘Amazon Associates’, the same goes for affiliate networks like ‘ClickBank‘. There is often a short application process to sign up but that’s it.
As for the marketing itself you can jump straight in and market (more or less) free of charge by creating a blog, YouTube channel, or through your social media platforms.
Running your business online is a much more affordable investment than setting up a physical shop where you have to pay rent, insurance, pay for the stock, shipping, etc and with low to almost zero risk.
3. You get to be yourself
What puts a lot of people off marketing in general, is the idea that all marketers are manipulative liars. Well, that might have been the case in the glory day of Madison Avenue but this is a whole new era. People aren’t so easily convinced by flashy jingles and slogans and generally distrust large corporate brands. We’re actually moving back to the mindset of buying locally from someone you know and trust. So the most successful affiliate marketers are the ones who are completely genuine.
4. You can do it with limited IT skills
If you know how to shop online, you can easily learn to sell online. OK you need to know your way around a computer, basic word processing, etc.
If you’re making videos you will need to learn how to edit them. Even setting up a website is ridiculously easy these days. With enough time and patience, you can learn anything from YouTube.
5. You can get started as a side-hustle
Unlike a traditional business, you can get started with a few hours a day. Most people I have met started while still holding down a day job or freelancing in other fields.
The real beauty of affiliate marketing is the fact that once your ads are set up, it runs automatically, making money for you 24/7. The internet never sleeps, somewhere in the world someone is seeing your ad and deciding to buy your products.
6. Your’e a ‘local trader’ on the global market
Your business is 100% online and the internet is everywhere. That means your customers are everywhere. You can reach anyone in the world who is interested or in need of the products you are endorsing, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home. If you’re into travel as a lot of affiliate marketers are, then you can do it from anywhere in the world.
7. Online business is uniquely scalable
The fact that your advertising is completely online, means that it is especially scalable. Every advertising platform has detailed analytics data that shows you exactly which ads are converting (making money), and which aren’t. You can quickly and easily pull the ads that aren’t working and boost those that are so they generate even more income.
What I personally love about the affiliate marketing opportunity
For me personally it’s not just a business venture, not just about making money, the money is really important but it’s also a massive personal investment in yourself. In learning the skills to start my own online business I have also learned a lot about myself, improved my standard of living, not just in financial terms, I increased my self-confidence and pride in myself.
It’s completely sustainable. Once you have the skills, you have them for life. In the current climate, you could find yourself abandoned by your employer and out of a job from one day to the next, your skills and knowledge will never leave you.
The Real key to success online
There are three things that I believe are really key to success online.
1. Getting the right training. You can learn everything you need from YouTube videos and Blogs, but that takes time. The most effective way to learn new skills is in a dedicated training course, created by people with proven results, and delivered step-by-step so you don’t get overwhelmed.
2. Earning while you’re learning. If you can instantly apply the skills you get in the training, you will get results much sooner and your learning becomes faster and more sustainable.
3. Mentorship. Like attracts like, if you surround yourself with a community of other people learning the same skills, your success will be accelerated.
With all that in mind, I want to be completely honest with you and tell you upfront that getting started isn’t easy and the only person who can guarantee your success is you.
How to Get Started?
If you’re still reading this that’s a good sign. It means you’re serious about learning the skills you need to make an income online.
I recommend getting started with this FREE video series that’s been responsible for helping THOUSANDS of people just like you to start an online business from scratch and around their day jobs.
It’s completely free, on the level, and NOT loaded with all the usual BS and false promises that you usually get online.
If you have any questions about affiliate marketing, my own journey or the training that I mentioned here in the article, reach out and let me know or write a comment down below. Can’t wait to hear from you.
