Back to Basics: Making Money Through Affiliate Networks 101

Sitting here, writing this blog, it’s sometimes hard to remember that a lot of people visiting these pages are coming to us as complete beginners. Talking about using Instagram to boost your affiliate earnings is all very well, but not if you’re still struggling with the basics. If that’s how you feel, then this post is just for you.

So, let’s start with the obvious one.

What is affiliate marketing?

In short, affiliate marketing is all about working in partnership with other companies for mutual benefit. That’s why you’ll frequently come across the phrase ‘affiliate partnership program’. Brands looking to promote their goods and services will link up with other brands or individuals willing to do that promoting. The promotors get a fee, the brand gains exposure. Everyone’s happy.

Who is involved in affiliate marketing?

The merchant: The merchant is the brand looking to advertise. Affiliate2day can be classified as a merchant. Our aim is to work with relevant platforms that can get our dating offers seen by people who are likely to be interested in them.

The affiliate: This is you. Affiliates are usually individuals who run a niche website, or are social media influencers in some way. Don’t worry if this is not yet you – anybody can become and influencer, it just takes a little bit of work. Your goal as an affiliate is to drive your visitors/viewers to take an action that will earn you money from the merchant. This might be via a pay per signup dating site program or through a pay per sale set up. To gain success when working with affiliate networks relevancy is key – if you’re running a gardening tips or babywear website, then your audience probably won’t click on dating links.

The customer: Your customers are our customers. They’re the people who visit your website and follow your affiliate network’s links.

How do I get started in affiliate marketing?

If you’re starting from scratch and don’t already have a platform, you just need to choose a marketing area that you’re interested in. Then, you can either start a blog or website, take the social media approach or start a vlog. Or, if you want to increase your potential for making money, do all three. Tailor your content around your marketing subject, then you’re ready to go.

If you already have an active online presence, do some research and find an affiliate network which ties in with your content.

I’ve started my website, what next?

Now, your focus is getting people to see your content and click on your affiliate network links. So, do some keyword research. Use an analytics program to see which posts are gaining interest and create more like them. Look into advertising (we already have blogs on how to use Facebook, Instagram, email marketing etc..) and how you can use social media and forms to reach new people. Do all of this and it won’t take long before you have developed a viable revenue stream. And once you’ve started, all you need to do to keep it going is to produce fresh, regular content.

Joining an affiliate network can seem daunting to begin with. It’s like learning anything new; it feels insurmountable. But, with a little work and a little effort, things gradually become clear. And the extra income you’ve always dreamed of finally becomes a reality.