Affiliate marketers and bloggers alike have been using the power of email as one of their most effective tools for years. And with good reason – email is easy to set up, it's cost-effective, and it gets results. You're not restricted by time or geography, so you don't need to spend hours on end driving around town looking for new clients. Email works best if you give people what they want at any given moment. That's why affiliate marketers often send out newsletters that contain useful information about products and services related to their business.
But there's another way to get traffic through email. It involves sending customers something other than just a link. What if you could offer them something valuable instead? Something that would help them grow their brand, build loyalty, or improve their bottom line? If you could do all those things while also earning money from the sale, wouldn't you want to try it? Well, here's how...
Yes, you absolutely can. But be careful where you place these links within your email campaign. A lot of readers will open your message in their inbox, but only skim over it because it doesn't look interesting enough (or maybe they haven't heard of this product before). This means that if you add an Amazon affiliate link somewhere in your email, very few people will click it. Instead, focus on adding your affiliate link in places where it won't distract from your content. The easiest way to avoid doing this is to simply keep your affiliate link in the footer of every single email. Not everyone reads the body copy of each email, after all. So make sure you've got yours included near the bottom.
If you really care about generating sales from your affiliate offers then you should probably consider creating multiple versions of your email template. One version might feature an image of a book, while the next features a picture of a computer screen displaying a desktop application. Both images lead directly back to your Amazon affiliate page.
This strategy has two advantages. Firstly, it helps to ensure that your subscribers see your affiliate links when they read the email. Secondly, it makes it easier for subscribers who aren't familiar with the subject matter to find your site without having to scroll too far down. Of course, depending on which platform you're working with, you may not even need multiple templates. Some platforms allow you to tweak your email design easily, making changes to text size, color scheme, and background colors. Others require you to upload a different template altogether. In either case, though, you'll likely want to test various options until you discover what converts better.
Absolutely. There are several ways you can insert affiliate links into your emails, including:
Amazon Affiliates program - this allows affiliates to promote specific products on Amazon.com via email, and earn commissions based on the amount of revenue those products generate. To learn more about setting up an account, check out our guide to affiliate marketing on Amazon.
PayPal Express Checkout - PayPal provides users with quick access to a variety of payment methods, including credit cards and bank accounts. Because PayPal transactions are processed quickly, you can include a direct link to the checkout page right inside your email.
Buy Now buttons - these links go straight to online stores, letting your audience purchase whatever items you recommend instantly. They're great for promoting ebooks, digital downloads, and physical goods, among others.
You'll notice that many of these types of links work well alongside CTA buttons. These are short phrases that encourage someone to take action immediately. For example, "Click here to order today" is much stronger than "Learn more". When combined with an affiliate link, both options result in conversions.
There are four main areas where you can place your affiliate links:
In the header - this is one of the strongest locations to display them, especially if you're trying to drive targeted leads towards a particular landing page. Your goal is to catch the reader's eye whenever they visit your website, so placing your links prominently in the header increases the likelihood that they'll notice them.
At the top of the email - in addition to catching the eye, putting your links at the top of an email ensures that they appear first thing when recipients view your email. This gives you leverage over competitors who might otherwise show up higher in search engine rankings.
For example, let's say you own a tech blog called TechCrunch. You'd want to include your affiliate links in the email headers above the fold. Doing so lets readers know exactly where to click, increasing the chance that they'll convert.
Near the bottom of the email - although less prominent, placing your links below the fold can still increase conversion rates. After all, some readers might skip past certain parts of your email entirely. By inserting them close to the bottom, they're forced to pay attention to everything else you wrote.
Below the fold - sometimes referred to as the dark zone, this part of the email contains hidden elements that aren't visible unless the user scrolls down. Placing affiliate links near the bottom of your email is a strong tactic to capture attention, since most visitors scan rather than read entire messages.
Creating an email newsletter isn't difficult, nor does it necessarily involve spending thousands of dollars on expensive software packages. Most email service providers provide basic functionality built right into their web interfaces, allowing you to craft professional newsletters in minutes.
The key is knowing which software works best for your needs. Some vendors specialize solely in mailing lists, meaning you'd never have to worry about building anything yourself. Others offer full-blown publishing capabilities that enable you to customize designs and layouts to match your branding guidelines.
Regardless of whether you choose to use prebuilt templates or write custom code, the process remains largely unchanged. Before launching your email campaign, you must decide what kinds of promotions you plan to run. Then you can determine the number of emails you intend to send per day, week, month, etc., as well as the frequency of each individual email. Once you've identified the content and schedule, you'll need to collect subscriber data. From there, you can begin crafting your initial batch of emails.
Once you're satisfied with the final draft, you can publish it to your chosen platform. Depending on which provider you're using, you might have to configure additional settings manually. However, once complete, you'll receive confirmation that your email was successfully sent. At this point, you can sit back and watch your numbers rise steadily.
Want to learn more? Here's how to start a successful email marketing campaign, plus 10 tips for improving future efforts.
If you're an online marketer looking to grow your business and boost sales through ecommerce, then it's likely that at some point you've asked yourself if there is any way of using affiliate links within your emails.
And the answer may well be yes!
So here we'll look at how affiliate links can work inside your own emails - whether they're newsletters or regular promotional messages. We're going to take a look at what works best when sending these types of promotions, as well as why affiliates might want to avoid certain parts of their emails (like product descriptions).
But first, let's go over the basics...
Affiliate links refer to web pages where someone else has taken out advertising on behalf of another company. For example, say you wanted to sell clothes under the brand name 'Varsity'. You could advertise this clothing line on several different websites but only pay commission once per sale made from those ads. If someone buys something from one of these sites, you get paid. This model is commonly used by big brands who need lots of visibility across many platforms. But what about smaller companies? How do you make money selling stuff without paying commissions to everyone?
There are two ways around this issue: either you become an affiliate yourself and set up your own site which sells whatever other people are promoting, or you create content based on them and send this to others via email. The latter method is called affiliate marketing.
It sounds complicated, so please bear with me while I explain further. Your goal should always be to find relevant, high-quality information to share with your readers in order to build trust and authority. So instead of just pushing your latest offer onto your subscribers, try to add value first. It doesn't matter if you're offering a free ebook or a $100 course – give away useful resources that will help your audience solve problems. Then, provide links to related offers where appropriate. In fact, emailing your subscribers often isn't even required.
This article covers some basic tips on how to run successful affiliate marketing campaigns, including how to choose the right offers to promote, how much to charge for each item sold, and how to maximize conversions. There's also a lot more advice than you'd expect to read on such a simple subject, too. To learn more, check out our guide to building a successful affiliate website and follow us on Facebook for updates on new articles.
No. However, users who sign into gmail.com/signup receive access to all sorts of useful tools and services. One of these includes a personalized homepage, which allows visitors to save favorite contacts, view their inbox history, manage account settings, etc.
The downside is that Google won't allow its customers to include affiliate links in their emails sent through gmail.com/smtp. As a result, marketers must resort to alternative methods to monetize their traffic.
However, not every service uses gmail SMTP servers. Some rely on third party providers, which means that you can still earn revenue through affiliate links if you don't live in the US. And since most major email clients support direct linking, your options are very limited.
Yes and no. On one hand, Google AdSense prohibits publishers from placing advertisements containing affiliate links. On the other hand, Google itself does not prohibit advertisers from doing so.
In short, if you publish a blog post on your personal domain and insert affiliate links throughout it, Google will flag this as suspicious behavior because of its association with spammy practices. That said, Google says that it will not remove posts automatically. Instead, they ask publishers to review their content and report any violations.
Google claims that they only catch less than 1% of cases involving affiliate links, but if you think that you've been caught, you can file a dispute form.
Note that Google's stance differs slightly depending on the type of publisher account you hold. Bloggers and small businesses are allowed to place affiliate links in their posts, whereas larger organizations may face restrictions due to anti-spam policies.
First off, before creating your email campaign, spend time researching the various programs available. Once you understand what makes a good product fit your niche, you can begin developing your strategy.
For instance, if you're trying to promote health supplements, you'll probably want to focus on men’s wellness products rather than women’s. Similarly, if you're targeting weight loss solutions, you'll benefit from focusing on specific diet plans. By following trends like this, you can develop a targeted approach that ensures your subscribers will actually see your message.
Once you've done your research, start crafting a compelling call-to-action. Don't forget to emphasize the benefits of buying directly from your sponsor. If possible, include discounts and special deals that encourage repeat purchases. Finally, keep track of the results for future campaigns. These insights will enable you to improve your conversion rates and increase ROI.
You can also opt to integrate affiliate links into your landing page. Depending on what kind of product you're promoting, you might consider making an entire section of the page dedicated to your sponsors' offerings. The same goes for social media ad copy. Try to incorporate affiliate links wherever possible, but never compromise quality for quantity.
Of course! Just remember that you shouldn't overload your subscribers with unrelated links. They'll quickly lose interest. Also, ensure that your email contains valuable information that helps them solve real problems. After all, the purpose of email marketing is to generate leads and convert them into customers.
To make sure that you're giving your subscribers enough to talk about, consider writing multiple sections of your email. A single, long email will bore your subscribers after a few minutes. Consider breaking your text down into paragraphs and adding images and videos whenever possible.
Finally, don't forget to use a tracking system to monitor click-throughs and sales. While this may seem unnecessary, it gives you vital feedback on how effective your efforts really are. Without statistics, your emails would simply feel empty.
These are just five simple steps to getting started with affiliate email marketing. Of course, there are plenty more tricks and strategies to master. Check back soon for more exciting news, ideas, and guides.
You may have heard that the best way to make money online is through affiliate marketing. But how can you get started with this method if you aren't confident about sending out newsletters or e-mails? If you're not an expert at writing and designing HTML code, it's difficult to know where to start when creating content for your website. And even if you know a thing or two about coding, there will still be times when you need help getting your message across.
Fortunately, we've got some great tips on using affiliate links in emails – without having to worry too much about your design skills. Let’s take a look…
The easiest place to begin is by asking yourself what sort of information would you want people to read when they open your newsletter or email campaign? For example, maybe you'd like them to find useful information related to their interests or hobbies. Or perhaps you'd prefer that they learn something new so they could improve themselves in one area (like health) or another (like finance).
Whatever type of content you choose to share in your emails, you should always include a link back to your site. This enables readers who click on your link to access all the relevant resources available to them. So how do you go about promoting those links? Just as with any other form of advertising, you'll first need to decide which platform you intend to use to deliver your messages. The most popular options are listed below. However, before you select which one to try, please note that these services offer different features, such as ease-of-use, pricing plans, etc., depending upon your needs.
SendinBlue:
A powerful tool for anyone looking to create professional mailings, SendinBlue offers lots of advanced features that enable users to build highly personalized messaging programs. You can also integrate your social media profiles into your mailing lists, enabling you to target specific audiences based on interest, location, gender, age, income level, education level, occupation, etc.
You can easily craft multiple versions of the same message, including pre-made templates. These templates contain everything you need to compose a simple email, including images and text blocks that you can customize as needed. Moreover, SendinBlue has several unique tools that help increase conversions rates, like the ability to track clicks on your links and automatically generate custom landing pages once someone signs up for your program.
Cost: $19/month (upgraded plan starting at $29/month); Free trial available
Constant Contact:
If you don't mind paying just a little bit extra, then Constant Contact provides many of the same benefits found in other platforms but at a lower cost. It's easy enough to set up automated communications via autoresponders, yet you can also utilize its drag-and-drop editor to quickly assemble customized messages. In addition, Constant Contact offers numerous ways to boost conversion rates, including customizable drip email campaigns, smart segmentation capabilities, and tracking software.
Cost: Starts at $9/month [No Longer Available]; Free 30 day trial
MailChimp:
This platform allows you to create targeted email campaigns that you control every step of the way. With MailChimp, you can manage both individual subscribers and entire lists, while also being able to keep tabs on performance statistics. Plus, MailChimp gives you plenty of flexibility regarding the types of messages you can send -- whether it's opt-ins, sales pitches, special promotions, etc.
Cost: Free account ($15 per month thereafter); Pro accounts start at $20/month [No Longer Available]
Active Campaign:
Another option worth checking out is Active Campaign, which is designed specifically for small businesses and bloggers. While it doesn't come cheap, compared to its competitors, it does provide plenty of customization and automation options. As well, you'll receive helpful support whenever you need it, thanks to the extensive knowledge base provided by the team behind the service.
Cost: Starting at $29/month (Pro version costs $49/month); No free trial available
GetResponse:
Perhaps the simplest solution around, GetResponse lets you automate your email marketing efforts without spending hours tweaking each piece individually. Once you sign up for your account, you can add contacts to a contact database, complete with personal data and preferences. Then, simply enter your preferred keywords and topics, and the system will handle the rest. All of your subsequent communication will therefore appear tailored to each recipient.
Cost: Basic plans start at $8/month; Premium plans range from $12-$24/month
At face value, yes, you absolutely can send affiliate links within your email messages. However, doing so isn't recommended if you're trying to maximize conversions, since visitors can typically see exactly what's driving traffic toward your affiliates' sites. Instead, focus on building trust and credibility among your audience members first, then let them discover the links to your products later.
Asking your recipients to visit your own website is generally considered spammy behavior, especially if you haven't built rapport with them beforehand. Remember, it's your job to sell your product, not tell others about it.
Gmail users won't be surprised to hear that Google frowns upon the practice of inserting affiliate links within emails. Even though this rule applies only to Gmail, it's probably wise to avoid taking part in this kind of activity elsewhere. After all, Google itself encourages marketers to use "natural linking" instead of relying entirely on paid ads.
Nevertheless, if you really must insert affiliate links into your emails, the following steps should help you stay safe from potential legal repercussions. First, ensure that you're sending legitimate emails. Next, remember that your URLs shouldn't point directly to websites unless it's necessary to disclose certain information. Finally, don't forget to inform your email recipients that they will soon receive a promotional gift.
In short, if you follow these guidelines, you should be fine. Of course, this is easier said than done, given that email clients vary greatly between individuals.
Doing business online is becoming increasingly common today, so why wouldn't we expect our inboxes to reflect that reality? Fortunately, email marketing has become one of the fastest growing industries in recent years, providing countless opportunities for entrepreneurs wanting to earn passive income. Whether you're interested in selling digital goods or learning more about the ins and outs of email marketing, here are some great articles to check out next time you sit down to write an important email campaign.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.