Choosing Products and Services to Promote
Affiliate Marketing A-Z
1. Affiliate Marketing A-Z
Estimated time: 10:55 minutes
(Completed)2. Affiliate Marketing 101
Estimated time: 14:53 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)3. Get Started in Affiliate Marketing
Estimated time: 11:23 minutes
(Completed)4. Choosing Products and Services to Promote
Estimated time: 13:16 minutes
(Completed) (Completed)5. Build Your Web Presence and Create Valuable Content
Estimated time: 14:37 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed)6. Conclusion and Next Steps
Estimated time: 08:55 minutes
Module 3 – Choosing Products and Services to Promote
Once you have determined your niche and defined your target audience, it's time to think about specific products that you can promote through your affiliate links. Start doing some research, keeping in mind the following questions:
⦁ Which brands, products, and services does your target audience talk about on social media, in forums, or in groups?
⦁ Who are the affiliate marketers in your niche linking to?
⦁ What products, services, or brands do you love and use regularly?
Brainstorm as many ideas as you can think of and keep a running list that you can add to when inspiration strikes. Take all of these ideas and Google the brand name or product + 'affiliate program' and see what Google returns. Visit the websites and look for an 'Affiliates' or 'Partners' link on the home page, which is usually in the footer. That will direct you to their affiliate page which will detail their program and provide contact information for an affiliate manager.
Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Affiliate Program
Before choosing an affiliate program to join, ask yourself these questions:
⦁ Is the product relevant to your target audience and niche?
⦁ Is the brand and/or price point compatible with your target audience?
⦁ Would your audience find this product useful and helpful?
⦁ Is the merchant's commission rate acceptable and fair? Do they offer bonuses and increasing commissions to affiliates who reach a certain sales threshold?
⦁ What is the affiliate program's policy on cookie life? Is it fair, and will it adequately reward you for conversions that may take time to happen?
⦁ What is the merchant's minimum payment policy?
Many large businesses have an in-house affiliate program, but a significant portion will have their program on an affiliate network. An affiliate network is an online platform that connects affiliates with merchants. Merchants join the network in order to showcase their program to a wider audience. They provide information about their product and their program, including commission structure. Through participation in a network, merchants can also track how the program is performing and all payments are coordinated through the network.
Affiliates join these platforms for a number of reasons. The network acts as a one-stop shop where you can browse affiliate programs within your niche that would appeal to your audience. Through membership in an affiliate network, affiliates also gain access to exclusive offers and can connect with an affiliate marketing community that will help them develop their skills.
How to Join an Affiliate Network
There is generally no cost for affiliates to join, but they must first meet the network's requirements before they are accepted. Networks add this application process to keep out spammers who lower the quality of the platform. At a minimum, networks will ask for your URL and require that you have an optimized website and relevant, quality content.
Make sure that you understand the network's terms of service before joining, specifically focusing on the payment terms. Some networks set a minimum payout amount per month. So, for example, if the network's minimum monthly payout is $1050, and you only earn $50, the network will withhold payment. Some even charge a fee to affiliates who do not generate commissions within a specified timeframe.
Once you are verified, you can start browsing the different affiliate programs featured on the network. Networks will help you sort through the opportunities, separating the programs by industry or category (e.g. travel, beauty, fitness). Plus, you can narrow down your search even further using a search tool. Once you find programs that look suitable, you can then apply directly to the merchant's affiliate program.
Some examples of affiliate marketing networks include: AWIN, ShareASale, ClickBank, JVZoo, Hotmart, Perform[cb], CJAffiliate, and the Amazon Affiliate Program.
Benefits of joining an affiliate network include:
⦁ Access to merchants who will only work with affiliates on a specific network
⦁ Affiliate tools that automatically track progress, commissions, and conversions
⦁ Merchants and affiliate programs that have been vetted and verified by the network
⦁ Secure payments that are made through the network
⦁ Constant source of new products, services, and offers to promote within your niche
Once you are part of an affiliate network, you still have to apply to each individual affiliate program. The criteria for joining these programs are similar to networks, but the process can be more rigorous.
What Do Affiliate Managers Look For?
A live, active website with a custom domain. For example, you would need to purchase a domain like 'thebestfitness.com' versus hosting your site for free on WordPress (thebestfitness.wordpress.com). Domains can be purchased from sites like GoDaddy and Namecheap. Don't use a social URL as your web presence.
A valid domain email address. Use your domain name in your email address instead of a free email service like Gmail. For example, your email should be [email protected] versus [email protected]. Networks and managers need to be able to identify and verify you. When you use a domain address, it proves that you are the owner of the site and makes you appear more professional.
Quality design and content. Make sure to use a professional theme on your website or blog. Clean up your sidebar and remove excessive ads or widgets. Republishing old, popular blog posts related to your niche will allow affiliate managers to see the content relevant to their product that has generated page views up top. Find out what other people in your niche are promoting and follow their path, applying to the same networks and affiliate programs. Finally, make sure to fully understand their product and service and how you would promote it so that you can easily explain why your audience is their target and that you understand their brand.
By this point, you should have a clear idea of what your niche is, who you are targeting, and the brands, products, and services you want to promote. Now, you'll be ready to establish your online presence and create valuable, relevant, and optimized content that will attract your target audience, build relationships with them, and establish trust.
Action Steps:
⦁ Research and identify 10 brands, products, and services your target audience is talking about on social media, forums, and in groups (yours or those within your niche if you haven't established your web presence yet). Use your Action Guide to write down your findings.
⦁ Take a look at the social media, blog posts, websites of the competition – affiliate marketers within your niche. Identify 10 brands and products they link to.
⦁ List 10 brands, products, or services within your niche that you use regularly.
⦁ Take your favorite 5 brands, products, and services that you have identified and do a Google search on them (searching the product name + 'affiliate program'). Visit the websites and read the terms of their affiliate program. Take note of any actions you'll need to take to comply to terms and services.
⦁ Research three affiliate networks that are popular within your niche and take a look at their application. Do you meet the requirements? If not, take note of what you need to improve (e.g., optimize your website, create a domain email address versus using your Gmail, etc.)
Once you have determined your niche and defined your target audience, it's time to think about specific products that you can promote through your affiliate links. Start doing some research, keeping in mind the following questions:
⦁ Which brands, products, and services does your target audience talk about on social media, in forums, or in groups?
⦁ Who are the affiliate marketers in your niche linking to?
⦁ What products, services, or brands do you love and use regularly?
Brainstorm as many ideas as you can think of and keep a running list that you can add to when inspiration strikes. Take all of these ideas and Google the brand name or product + 'affiliate program' and see what Google returns. Visit the websites and look for an 'Affiliates' or 'Partners' link on the home page, which is usually in the footer. That will direct you to their affiliate page which will detail their program and provide contact information for an affiliate manager.
Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Affiliate Program
Before choosing an affiliate program to join, ask yourself these questions:
⦁ Is the product relevant to your target audience and niche?
⦁ Is the brand and/or price point compatible with your target audience?
⦁ Would your audience find this product useful and helpful?
⦁ Is the merchant's commission rate acceptable and fair? Do they offer bonuses and increasing commissions to affiliates who reach a certain sales threshold?
⦁ What is the affiliate program's policy on cookie life? Is it fair, and will it adequately reward you for conversions that may take time to happen?
⦁ What is the merchant's minimum payment policy?
Many large businesses have an in-house affiliate program, but a significant portion will have their program on an affiliate network. An affiliate network is an online platform that connects affiliates with merchants. Merchants join the network in order to showcase their program to a wider audience. They provide information about their product and their program, including commission structure. Through participation in a network, merchants can also track how the program is performing and all payments are coordinated through the network.
Affiliates join these platforms for a number of reasons. The network acts as a one-stop shop where you can browse affiliate programs within your niche that would appeal to your audience. Through membership in an affiliate network, affiliates also gain access to exclusive offers and can connect with an affiliate marketing community that will help them develop their skills.
How to Join an Affiliate Network
There is generally no cost for affiliates to join, but they must first meet the network's requirements before they are accepted. Networks add this application process to keep out spammers who lower the quality of the platform. At a minimum, networks will ask for your URL and require that you have an optimized website and relevant, quality content.
Make sure that you understand the network's terms of service before joining, specifically focusing on the payment terms. Some networks set a minimum payout amount per month. So, for example, if the network's minimum monthly payout is $1050, and you only earn $50, the network will withhold payment. Some even charge a fee to affiliates who do not generate commissions within a specified timeframe.
Once you are verified, you can start browsing the different affiliate programs featured on the network. Networks will help you sort through the opportunities, separating the programs by industry or category (e.g. travel, beauty, fitness). Plus, you can narrow down your search even further using a search tool. Once you find programs that look suitable, you can then apply directly to the merchant's affiliate program.
Some examples of affiliate marketing networks include: AWIN, ShareASale, ClickBank, JVZoo, Hotmart, Perform[cb], CJAffiliate, and the Amazon Affiliate Program.
Benefits of joining an affiliate network include:
⦁ Access to merchants who will only work with affiliates on a specific network
⦁ Affiliate tools that automatically track progress, commissions, and conversions
⦁ Merchants and affiliate programs that have been vetted and verified by the network
⦁ Secure payments that are made through the network
⦁ Constant source of new products, services, and offers to promote within your niche
Once you are part of an affiliate network, you still have to apply to each individual affiliate program. The criteria for joining these programs are similar to networks, but the process can be more rigorous.
What Do Affiliate Managers Look For?
A live, active website with a custom domain. For example, you would need to purchase a domain like 'thebestfitness.com' versus hosting your site for free on WordPress (thebestfitness.wordpress.com). Domains can be purchased from sites like GoDaddy and Namecheap. Don't use a social URL as your web presence.
A valid domain email address. Use your domain name in your email address instead of a free email service like Gmail. For example, your email should be [email protected] versus [email protected]. Networks and managers need to be able to identify and verify you. When you use a domain address, it proves that you are the owner of the site and makes you appear more professional.
Quality design and content. Make sure to use a professional theme on your website or blog. Clean up your sidebar and remove excessive ads or widgets. Republishing old, popular blog posts related to your niche will allow affiliate managers to see the content relevant to their product that has generated page views up top. Find out what other people in your niche are promoting and follow their path, applying to the same networks and affiliate programs. Finally, make sure to fully understand their product and service and how you would promote it so that you can easily explain why your audience is their target and that you understand their brand.
By this point, you should have a clear idea of what your niche is, who you are targeting, and the brands, products, and services you want to promote. Now, you'll be ready to establish your online presence and create valuable, relevant, and optimized content that will attract your target audience, build relationships with them, and establish trust.
Action Steps:
⦁ Research and identify 10 brands, products, and services your target audience is talking about on social media, forums, and in groups (yours or those within your niche if you haven't established your web presence yet). Use your Action Guide to write down your findings.
⦁ Take a look at the social media, blog posts, websites of the competition – affiliate marketers within your niche. Identify 10 brands and products they link to.
⦁ List 10 brands, products, or services within your niche that you use regularly.
⦁ Take your favorite 5 brands, products, and services that you have identified and do a Google search on them (searching the product name + 'affiliate program'). Visit the websites and read the terms of their affiliate program. Take note of any actions you'll need to take to comply to terms and services.
⦁ Research three affiliate networks that are popular within your niche and take a look at their application. Do you meet the requirements? If not, take note of what you need to improve (e.g., optimize your website, create a domain email address versus using your Gmail, etc.)
