Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular business models in the last decade. Considering the obvious advantages it offers over more traditional models, it is easy to see its allure. There are no expensive investments, no overpriced equipment purchases, you don’t even need to have staff.
All you need is a well-developed website and a partner and you are off to the races. But don’t let its simplicity fool you into thinking it is easy.
To be successful in affiliate marketing, just like in anything else, you need to invest a lot of sweat and effort. Hard work is an essential ingredient that will make the difference between success and failure. But even hard work sometimes isn’t enough if you don’t apply the correct strategy.
Here are some examples of advanced affiliate marketing strategies that work in 2021.
1. Affiliate Marketing Overview
Before we get to advanced stuff, we need to explain how affiliate marketing works. The basic principle is very simple. The best way to understand affiliate marketing is to think about it as a way to monetize your platform’s popularity. We say platform because, in the beginning, the core of an affiliate marketing business was a website, but these days, you can also use social media. Popular Instagram accounts are very helpful in kickstarting your affiliate marketing business. You will still need a website of course, but you can use it as a funnel, to direct traffic to your partner’s website. This is how many popular celebrities operate their affiliate marketing businesses these days, by leveraging their armies of fans and followers on social media.2. Content is the King
Regardless of what various SEO black magicians are telling you, content is still the king and the best way to attract traffic to your site. Quality content will make sure you have enough visitors that the best affiliate programs will be ready to sign you and offer you a chance of monetizing your traffic. Your content should be related to your partner’s field. For instance, if your site is about scuba diving, partnering up with a site that sells scented candles won’t really entice your audience to purchase something. But getting a partnership with a sporting goods site, on the other hand, will do wonders for your bottom line.3. Integrate Your Social Media Accounts
We already mentioned that social media can play a pivotal role in the success of your affiliate marketing business. Proper integration of your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter account into your affiliate business can take up to a whole different level. The simple fact is that people respond better to social media than they do to websites. The level of engagement is much higher and it would be foolish not to take the advantage of it. The simplest way you can do this is by running ads, which can be very effective but are far from being your only option. Again, quality content can go a long way towards engaging your users and getting high conversion rates. The content you put out can be either yours or curated, but it has to correspond to your audience and steer them towards your partner’s site.4. Use Email Lists Effectively
Most people, especially younger ones, frown upon mentioning email lists, considering them somewhat of an anachronism and a relic of the past. To be honest, there is some truth in that take, but an email list, used properly, can be a powerful weapon in any aspiring affiliate marketer’s arsenal. Publishing a scoop can be very well done on Twitter, but for comprehensive information, emails are hard to beat. And you won’t establish yourself as an authority in your chosen field without supplying such information to your audience. Another vital part of a successful email campaign is to coordinate with your partner. You should time your email bursts with their product management, like revealing a new line or releasing a new product. This way you can make sure that your audience stays informed and creates a sense that you are on top of the game. All these lead to significantly higher conversion rates and much healthier profits.5. Create Webinars
Education should play a significant role in your affiliate marketing business strategy. Educating your readers on the latest trends in your field should be among your top priorities. According to Xant, webinars are among the best ways to create leads, since people who attend them are already interested in what you are selling. All you have to do is give them an excuse to reach for their wallets, and that step is much easier with an already engaged audience. One of the best ways to do it is to offer incentives, like giving a discount to all who attend the webinar. This way you are not only educating your audience and promoting your business.6.Product Reviews
Online reviews are the modern version of word of mouth, the oldest marketing technique in the book. Harnessing its power get to have a massive impact on your bottom line, provided you can do it properly. Right off the bat, get all ideas of fake reviews out of your head. They are easy to spot and will only get you labelled as a sellout, completely ruining any trust you have with your readers. Instead, get your customers to write to them and address any grievances they might have. People love being asked about their opinion, especially on something they have bought. Use this to your advantage. You will also need to learn how to deal with bad reviews. They had to be answered and you need to tell your side of the story. Don’t be afraid to apologise if you have made a mistake. Your customers will appreciate this and it will only increase their trust.
