Whether you are an established blogger or you are thinking about taking it up, you might want to think of some of the ways that you can make money from that blog. Of the many ways that you can do so, affiliate marketing is a great option.
This is a fantastic way for you to begin to build up a passive income on your site, and it is flexible enough for you to fit it to the theme of your blog! Let’s take a closer look at what affiliate marketing is, and how bloggers can use it within their content to make money.
What is an affiliate?
As an affiliate, a brand will pay you a small commission if they get a sale or conversion from a customer who was directed to their site by you. This is usually tracked through a special link that the brand will give you when you sign up to their affiliate program.
You might have already seen affiliate links on other blogs. If you are browsing your favourite recipe blog and the author has a link to buy their favourite pans or other cookware, there is a strong chance that this is an affiliate link!
You might have also spied the other popular form of affiliate tracker – the discount code. If you have ever decided to use a 10% off code given by one of your favourite bloggers, the company will track this code and pay the blogger commission based on how many times the code is used.
If you want to know more about affiliate marketing as a whole, check out our FAQs to find out more!
What types of affiliate program should you opt for?
More businesses than you might imagine have affiliate programs, so this means that you can choose brands for your blog that fit your niche perfectly. An affiliate link that does not fit in with your content will stick out like a sore thumb and might not convince your audience to click it. However, if you offer them a product or service that fits your theme and content within the blog, it is more likely to align with their tastes and preferences too.
For example, beauty bloggers will obviously want to explore their favourite brands, try out new releases, and track down the best products for their audiences. Many brands will offer them affiliate codes or links that can be used to give their audience a little extra with their purchase.
If you have a travel and lifestyle blog, you could find potential affiliate links for travel companies, online casinos, and much more. Those with home renovation or parenting blogs might be able to pick up retail affiliate links. There are so many different affiliate partnerships that you could join, and many chances that you could use affiliate marketing to make a little money through your blog.
How do you generate interest in your affiliate links?
Bloggers can’t just expect to sign up to an affiliate program, dump their link at the end of a post, and call it a day. You need to make sure that you are creating content that is of value to your audience that then persuades them to click on the link.
You need to make sure that your content itself is always going to be able to drive the results that you want to see. Consider the affiliate links to be an enhancement to the post, not the centre of it. Though they will be the way in which you make money through your blog, you cannot expect to be able to drive interest if you are not creating high-value content that will attract an audience. Focus on creating the best blog posts for your site, and you should hopefully see some return for your links.
What else do you need to know about using affiliate links?
Though there will be many things that bloggers need to pick up when they become an affiliate, one of the most important will be that they have to disclose their affiliate links. If you have an affiliate link or discount code, you need to clearly state that on the post. You can get in quite a bit of trouble if you don’t disclose your links properly, so all bloggers should be aware of the restrictions and guidelines before they create their first affiliated links.
Becoming an affiliate with your favourite brands is a fantastic way for you to be able to gain a little income from your blog. Many of the top bloggers that you might follow will be affiliates, so you should consider following in their footsteps. Find an affiliate program that you like, and get ready to offer your first link to your audience!
