At no additional cost to you, as an affiliate of Amazon and other organizations, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. When you use my links, you also support this single mom. Thanks! Read the privacy policy and disclosure here.
If you want to make a passive income, read this!
The best way to make money is by creating a passive income. Whether you are a blogger, social media influencer, or a YouTuber, it is quite easy to get started with affiliate marketing to earn that passive income. Read on to find out more about making money with affiliate marketing, and how to get started…
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is advertising someone else’s product or service in exchange for a commission for people clicking and making a purchase using the affiliate link. The affiliate link is the specialized web link that is encoded so the seller will know to credit you with the referral. It will take the customer from the advertiser’s page (that would be you) to the seller’s page.
It doesn’t cost the buyer anything extra, nor should it cost you anything to post the link. You would just be getting that money for being a useful source for the seller to get a buyer.
How to get started in affiliate marketing…
Finding and getting started with affiliates can be quite easy. The most important thing is that you have a platform where the affiliate link can live. This can be:
- A blog
- YouTube channel
- Social media page
You will have to apply for these companies. Once accepted, you will get access to your special links the place on your preferred platforms. You will get a percentage of the sales when customers click your link to go to the page and make a purchase.
Some great affiliate marketing companies that are easy to join include:
- Brandcycle
- RewardStyle
- Amazon Associates (good for bloggers and YouTubers)
- Amazon Influencers (good for YouTubers, social media, bloggers)
- CJ Affiliate
- Sivan Social
What type of content is good for affiliate marketing?
No matter what niche you choose, you can find a way to make affiliate marketing work for you. Some great ideas for content include:
- YouTube videos or blog posts that solve a problem (add links in the post or description box on videos)
- Videos or blog posts for product reviews (add links in the post or description box on videos)
- Instagram style pics (add links to your bio)
Keep in mind…
1. Links do expire
So, the buyer will have to make the purchase within a specified amount of time for you to be credited. Each company will specify how long a trackback link will be valid.
Some links will require the buyer to make the purchase within 24 hours, some may credit you as long as the person makes a purchase within 30 days.
For example, someone may use your link and go to Amazon. Amazon links are good for 24 hours. The customer may not make a purchase right away, but they put their kids to bed, and come back 4 hours later and make a purchase on Amazon. You will get the credit as long as they did not use another affiliate’s link within that time frame. They do not have to click on your link again.
2. The person doesn’t have to buy the linked product.
If I post a Best Buy link for a $20 cell phone case, and a buyer uses my link to get to the Best Buy website but they don’t get the phone case. Instead, they get a $1,500 laptop. I will get the referral credit for laptop!
Referral links don’t require that the person buys that specified product.
3. Companies have various rules.
Be sure to read the rules for each company you are affiliated with. You may find that a company gives 1% for electronics, and another gives 3% for appliances.
Or you may find that customers don’t need to make a purchase, but that you get paid per click. This is the case with the free spell check program, Grammarly. I get paid for everyone that clicks my link. They don’t have to buy anything!
4. You have to let people know that your links are affiliate links.
Legally, you must let people know that your links are referral links. If you are a blogger, it’s easy to add a plug-in that allows you to place the disclaimer at the top of every post. It’s better to have the disclaimer there, so you don’t forget to add it.
On YouTube, I place this disclaimer in the description box of every video.
Don’t!…
Here are some things you DON’T want to do when it comes to affiliate marketing. Take note:
- Spam other’s pages (Use your own platform. No one likes spam. And it can get you banned!)
- Think affiliate marketing is a way to “get rich quick.” It takes work. Like, anything else worth doing.
- Join too many programs. If you join too many programs, you will get confused. Keep it simple. Especially in the beginning. Join no more than 3-4 programs.
Follow these tips and you be making money with affiliate marketing in no time. If you are interested in making a passive income with YouTube and becoming monetized, be sure to check out my post SECRETS OF A YOUTUBER: HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON YOUTUBE!
You can check out the video on this topic here:
