You don’t have to learn everything at once and a lot of your experience and growth will come through trial and error; having said that, it’s best to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can so that you can get started on the ‘right foot.’ Here are a few tips to help you get started…
1. Figure out who you are selling to
Defining a Target Market is a key task in building up an affiliate income. If you don’t know who you want to sell to, how will you decide what to promote? And dig deep here. Don’t just say ‘Men’ or ‘Parents’. Choose a people group that can be defined in just a few words; Like ‘Brand new single moms’ or ‘Older men with thinning hair.’
2. Make a list of what your target market needs
Sit down with pen and paper or a fresh document on your computer and think like your target market. What do they need right now? What do they consume a lot of? What do they want when they have extra money? You’ll probably come up with a pretty good list.
3. Choose affiliate programs carefully
Different merchants offer different commission rates. Scout out the highest commission rate with the best affiliate resources available. Check out the website and make sure that it is easy to navigate and buy from. Check things like Cookie duration to make sure that you have the greatest chance of profiting from your promotions.
4. Treat affiliate marketing like a real business
The more you put into your affiliate marketing the better your chances of gaining super affiliate status. Treat your affiliate marketing like a real business and it will grow and develop over time. Spend time writing reviews, articles and promoting the products you believe in.
5. Don’t plaster your website with affiliate banners
Introduce your affiliate recommendations in a natural way. A button or banner is great but may not make you too many sales, a product review or a personal recommendation will go further.
6. Don’t over promote products
It’s easy to get overexcited and over do the product offers with your subscribers. Keep some balance and give more than you take. This will keep your list happy and more willing to consider your offers. Of course, you do need to promote things to your list; after all this is your business, but try to find a balance between free information and product promotions.
7. Don’t give up too soon
Affiliate marketing is a business that builds up over time. You need to focus on developing your web traffic and email lists while you continue to faithfully offer your market what it wants and needs. As the months go by if you’re applying all the correct methods, your income will increase.
Those tips will give you a good starting point.