Affiliate Marketing
This means that if you click on that link and purchase an item I will get a commission, at no extra cost to you!
Affiliate Marketing is a great way to create an extra income stream, especially if you run a blog in a certain niche.
In its’ simplest form, affiliate marketing means as much as getting paid to promote products and/or services.
Of course, there are a lot of variations and a lot of different affiliate marketing platforms. In general, it all comes down to presenting your visitors a link, to a product or service, that identifies the ‘lead’ as one that came from you.
As the customer purchases the product or service you will be rewarded.
These rewards come in the form of either a single payment, a recurring payment, credits, or a discount.
Just dumping links on a website may work for some, but most affiliate marketers use a strategy to lead you (not mislead) to click a link. This may be by providing you information about the product or placing affiliate links in related content (as we do).
An unwritten rule with bloggers that use affiliate links (and most of them do) is that you provide more value to your visitors than you get out of the lead.
Before you start: Read my How to Start a Blog as a Newbie if you would like to start a blog and make money through affiliate marketing.
Affiliate Marketing Platforms
Every affiliate marketing platform has its’ own guidelines of do’s and don’ts, but in general, the following two are the same for all of them:
- Disclose that you may get paid for recommending a product.
In fact, you are legally required to do so! Make sure you tick all of the requirements. If you fail to comply you may be fined. - Do not mislead your visitors.
There is a legal and an ethical side to this one. Read the guidelines closely. Failing to do so may result in a ban.
Ethically: Be honest about the product when you are in affiliate marketing, don’t promote things you would never use yourself.
Depending on the platform, you get paid by bank transfer, postal cheque, gift cards, PayPal, or Payoneer. Often there is a minimum payment that you need to reach.
The Longlist
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ShareASale
This is legitI tried thisI like thisI made money with itWebsite: ShareASale
If you run a blog and would like to monetize it, then ShareASale is the perfect Affiliate Marketing Network for you, especially if you run a blog about making money online, side hustles, or about blogging itself.
The Awin Group acquired ShareASale in 2017, which grew the total experience to 20 years and making them a global company powered by 15 offices with over 1000 employees worldwide.
They host the affiliate programs of over 4,500 amazing merchants, making them the equivalent of an affiliate candy store. There are so many programs to join that the abundance makes it hard to choose.
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Fiverr
Website: Fiverr
When it comes to side gigs and generating an extra income stream, Fiverr is heaven. It is the world’s largest marketplace for digital services.
Let me show you some easy ways to make money with Fiverr.More about ‘Fiverr’ here -
Amazon Associates
Website: Amazon Associates
The affiliate program of Amazon is considered to be one of the largest there is. Of course, there is no surprise as Amazon has millions of products available.
This makes them ideal for blogs and websites with a very specific audience as you can deliver links to popular products for your visitors.More about ‘Amazon Associates’ here -
Impact
I believe this is legitI tried thisWebsite: Impact
Serving almost 2000 brands makes Impact a great partner for all kinds of bloggers, no matter what your niche is. Impact has categories in lifestyle, clothing, travel, internet services, pets, and more.More about ‘Impact’ here
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CJ Affiliate
I believe this is legitI tried thisWebsite: CJ Affiliate
CJ Affiliate, which was formerly known as Commission Junction is one of the older and biggest providers of affiliate programs. It was founded in 1998 and is now counting 14 offices worldwide.
Their About page is filled with prizes and awards won over the years.More about ‘CJ Affiliate’ here
Wrapping it up
Affiliate programs are a great way to make money online. It does take some effort to find a niche, create a blog, write valuable content, etcetera.
Once you have managed this, however, affiliate marketing creates a passive income stream, as your posts may be out there indefinitely.
What is your experience? Do you use affiliate links on your blog as well?
Let me know or share this post if you like it.
Thanks for reading! You are awesome!
