{"id":98145,"date":"2023-08-04T15:25:25","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T15:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/?p=98145"},"modified":"2024-04-16T16:03:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T16:03:34","slug":"how-to-start-affiliate-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Affiliate Marketing in 7 Easy Steps: A Beginner’s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you want to learn how to start affiliate marketing, you’re in the right place. We’ve built and sold<\/a> three profitable, six-figure affiliate sites and guided over 14,000 students to achieve similar success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing is easy to get into. It doesn\u2019t require much money to get started, and all you need is your laptop. But, most people find that it takes a lot more work than expected, and it can be tricky to compete against some of the bigger players in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll summarize everything we’ve learned about making this work into a simple seven-step process you can follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Start Affiliate Marketing in 7 Easy Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing is a way to earn money by promoting a company\u2019s products or services through a unique affiliate link. When someone clicks on your link and takes an action, like making a purchase, you earn a commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a win-win-win situation: the customer gets what they need, the brand makes a sale, and you earn money. As an affiliate marketer<\/a>, you\u2019ll join a program and get a custom affiliate link with a tracking ID. This helps the merchant track your referrals and make sure you get credit for any sales or leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are seven steps to starting (and succeeding in affiliate marketing), which we\u2019ll run through now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/em> Choose a Profitable Niche That You\u2019re Passionate About<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A niche is a specific area of focus, such as fitness, finance, or fashion. It\u2019s important to choose one because it helps you become a specialist, which means less competition and more trust from your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niching down can also improve your SEO, helping you narrow focus and build topical authority<\/a> in Google\u2019s eyes. The more defined your niche, the better, as it provides greater clarity and makes it easier to plan content and find products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best niches are ones you have strong knowledge of. You should also consider the competition, demand, and potential for monetization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When picking your niche for affiliate marketing, make sure it meets the following criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>It remains relevant over time:<\/strong> Choose an evergreen niche where demand doesn\u2019t fade. For example, credit repair is an evergreen niche because there will always be people looking to improve their credit scores. While the ski and snowboarding niche is more popular during winter. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>It offers multiple <\/strong>high-paying affiliate programs<\/strong><\/a>. Ideally, you want more than one to protect against affiliate program changes. So, if fashion is your niche, don\u2019t put all of your eggs into Amazon\u2019s basket.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>It has high demand:<\/strong> Aim for a niche with thousands of monthly searches for its keywords, indicating high demand and an existing market to tap into.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>It has low competition: <\/strong>It’s easier to get started in a niche with less competition. Some competition is good, as it means that there is likely money to be made.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>It aligns with your passion:<\/strong> Choose a niche that interests you. Your energy and dedication will make work more enjoyable and improve your chances of success.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>It’s a top earner.<\/strong> When it comes to earning potential, not all niches are created equal. Check out our affiliate marketing statistics<\/a> page to see which niches can earn the most money. Note that a higher earnings ceiling can equal higher competition, though. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the biggest affiliate sites<\/a> have capitalized on their passion and expertise to corner a niche, such as RetroDodo<\/a> (retro video games), Modest Man<\/a> (fashion for short men), Epic Gardening<\/a> (gardening \u2014 and it makes eight figures per year!). <\/p>\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Pro Tip:<\/strong> Niche down as much as possible when you start (e.g. Broad Niche: Finance \u2192 Sub-Niche: Retirement \u2192  Micro Niche: Gold IRA. You can always branch out later when you\u2019ve earned your stripes.<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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Niching down can position you as an expert, allowing you to dive deep into a topic and build trust. It also helps with SEO (search engine optimization) by increasing your topical authority in Google\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2<\/em> Build a Website (Or Platform) Where You Can Promote Your Products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing is one of the few businesses you can start with little to no money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing can be done without a website<\/a>, but we recommend starting one. However, you can use various alternative channels to promote affiliate products, such as YouTube, social media<\/a>, newsletters, and podcasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting a website these days is easy and affordable. The upfront cost for a domain name and hosting is just $2.98, and you\u2019ll pay $1.99 per month (to run hosting) for the first year. We\u2019d recommend using Brandsnap<\/a> to find a suitable domain name and using Siteground<\/a> (from $1.99) for hosting for your first website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 Check out our Beginner’s Guide on How To Build An Affiliate Marketing Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you prefer other platforms to promote affiliate deals, weigh up your strengths: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>If you\u2019re good at writing long-form:<\/strong> start a website and\/or email list<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>If you\u2019re good at short-form content: <\/strong>start with Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, or LinkedIn<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>If you\u2019re good at photography: <\/strong>start with Instagram<\/a> or Pinterest<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>If you\u2019re a good conversationalist:<\/strong> start a podcast (a caveat here: the podcasting medium offers little opportunity to promote clickable affiliate links) <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>If you\u2019re good at video: <\/strong>start a Tiktok<\/a> or YouTube<\/a> channel<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Pro Tip:<\/strong> Start with a single channel, so that you don\u2019t spread yourself too thin. Once you\u2019ve mastered the channel, you can add more channels later.<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

3<\/em> Join Relevant and Reputable Affiliate Programs or Networks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To promote affiliate product<\/a>s and earn commissions, you need to join affiliate programs or networks. While a program is a direct partnership between you and a brand, a network is a hub for multiple programs under one roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all affiliate programs are created equally, though, and there are six key areas you should look at before you start promoting a product:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Commission rate:<\/strong> Look for competitive rates that maximize your earnings.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Cookie duration: <\/strong>This is the \u201cwindow\u201d that a visitor has to buy a product after they click on your affiliate link so that you still get a commission. Longer durations increase your chances of earning commissions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Conversion rate: <\/strong>High commission rates aren\u2019t everything. Finding high-converting products can be even more profitable. Amazon Associates is still a great affiliate program despite lower commission rates.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Earnings per click (EPC): <\/strong>This metric shows the average earnings per click on your affiliate links. If you know how much you earn for each click, you can make informed decisions about which campaigns to focus on and optimize for maximum profitability.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Product quality:<\/b> Promote products with a good brand reputation that are valuable and align with your audience’s interests. Look for reputable brands that customers recognize and trust.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Customer support: <\/strong>Opt for programs or networks with reliable support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re just starting, accepting standard affiliate terms makes the most sense. Once you’ve proven your success to brands, you can negotiate better terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For beginners, the Amazon Associates program<\/a> is a great place to start. It has endless products and is available in most countries. As you gain traction, you can get set up on a few affiliate networks such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n