As you begin to learn about affiliate marketing, one of the first things that comes up is what exactly an affiliate marketer does. It's easy to get caught in the hype and excitement of it all, but there's actually quite a bit more to being successful than just setting up shop online and hoping people will buy from you.
The best way to succeed at this business is by learning how to choose the right type of niche to work within, or even better -- finding out which specific types of products make the most money overall. This article can show you how to figure out whether you're working with a good niche before you set off down the path of building a site selling affiliate links.
One thing to keep in mind when thinking about affiliate marketing is that while it may seem like the easiest option out there, it's also the hardest. The reason why is because once you've found the perfect niche to build around, you'll likely have competition who has been doing the same thing for years. People aren't going to be jumping on board with new ideas overnight. So, it takes time for those who want to sell affiliate products to establish themselves.
If you don't have much experience yet, don't worry. There are plenty of resources available online that teach you everything you need to know. Just pick something simple and straightforward, such as weight loss programs, natural cures, etc., so that you can gain some knowledge and then apply it to other areas later on.
So, let's take a look at how to find products to affiliate markets without having to spend a dime!
Before we go into how to find products for affiliate marketing, it helps to understand how to determine if a particular niche is really worth pursuing at all. One of the biggest mistakes many newbies make is trying to jump straight into promoting Clickbank products, only to realize they haven't chosen a viable niche yet.
When you first sign up with ClickBank, you might think you'd never run out of products to promote, but that isn't necessarily true. While it's great to list as many different niches as possible, eventually all of them become saturated unless you're able to offer a unique solution to a problem that hasn't already been solved.
There are two ways to check if a certain niche is saturated enough to make it worthwhile to try again. First off, you should always use Google Trends to see what keywords are currently popular among searchers. If you notice that searches related to your product category have decreased over the past few months (or years), then it would probably be wise to move on.
Second, you could consider using Google AdWords to search for similar terms that have higher demand. Even though these ads won't show up until after someone clicks through to your landing page, they can provide vital information regarding potential customers' needs. For example, if you were looking to create a "natural" weight-loss supplement, you wouldn't expect to see anything too promising showing up in the results. On the contrary, if you searched for "weight loss supplements," you might be surprised to see several relevant listings pop up.
Now that you've determined that a specific niche isn't feasible anymore, how do you decide where to focus your efforts next? Here are some suggestions to help guide you along the way:
Once you've narrowed down your options, you should now be ready to select the top three niches that are bringing in the highest amounts of sales. These are usually the ones that bring in the most traffic, meaning that they have the greatest chance of creating long-term residual income for you.
This process gets easier every year thanks to sites like ClickBank and ShareASale. They publish their yearly lists ranking the top 100 niches based on revenue generated. To save yourself some trouble, you can simply copy/paste the link above into your browser to view the complete rankings.
This doesn't mean that you shouldn't diversify your selection, however. In fact, you should still be sure to include multiple niches across various industries. After all, it would suck to miss out on opportunities due to lack of research, especially since you won't have the benefit of hindsight once you hit brick walls.
Another important point to remember here is to avoid choosing a niche that requires you to write articles or books. Although this might sound appealing, it's far less effective compared to just posting adverts directly onto your own pages. Your content should primarily serve as a means to drive visitors back to your offers whenever possible.
You can easily track conversions on each of your campaigns in order to measure your success. Then, just tweak accordingly as necessary to increase the conversion rate.
A niche website for affiliates allows you to showcase your skills as an expert on a given topic, thereby allowing others to purchase services from you via affiliate links. When selecting a niche, you should always ensure that it provides a steady stream of high quality leads that you can convert into paying clients.
Your goal should be to develop relationships with potential buyers, rather than simply pushing products upon them. By establishing trust and credibility, you'll be able to convince people to part with valuable dollars in exchange for your expertise.
It's important to note that although you can certainly earn commission from products sold on your site, you cannot receive commissions from items purchased outside of your website itself. However, you can potentially earn referral bonuses from referring users to external vendors.
In addition, you must register your domain name and hosting account prior to launching your site. Otherwise, you won't be eligible for affiliate status.
Finally, you should make sure to set up tracking systems on both your site and vendor side. This ensures that you receive credit for all sales made throughout your campaign regardless of whether it was initiated via direct or indirect methods.
Affiliate marketers generally split their earnings between the vendor and themselves. Most often, the amount received by the vendor varies depending on the payment plan selected. As mentioned earlier, this depends heavily on the nature of the relationship established between the parties involved.
For instance, if you're offering free membership access to a subscription service, you'll probably end up receiving a larger share of the profits. Meanwhile, if you're charging monthly fees for premium features, you'll receive a smaller cut.
Lastly, the majority of affiliate marketers opt to pay out commissions upfront instead of waiting for payments to trickle in month to month. This approach minimizes risk and reduces stress levels, making life considerably simpler for everyone involved.
An affiliate product is essentially a pre-made package containing numerous individual components. Instead of ordering the entire item individually, consumers can subscribe to recurring plans that allow them to enjoy a variety of benefits over time.
These packages can range anywhere from $20-$300 per month, depending on the number of products included. Since subscribers tend to stick around longer than single purchases, these plans typically generate greater revenues over the long haul, giving owners more opportunity to maximize profit.
Although these subscriptions come in varying sizes, they are usually broken down into tiers. Depending on the tier, members can enjoy a different level of convenience and value. In return, they're required to pay a small fee each month.
Some examples of common affiliate products include fitness DVDs, eBooks, software, audio recordings, video games, and webinars. With the proliferation of digital media today, it's becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between legitimate products and scams. That said, you can still identify reputable companies by reading reviews written by previous customers.
To learn more about how to find products to affiliate markets, read our full beginner's guide below.
It's a common problem among newbies in affiliate marketing that they don't have anything to sell or promote because there are so many other people doing it already! It's easy enough when you're just starting out, but what if you've been at it for a while now and still haven't made much progress? What can you do? In this article we'll show you some ways to help you find products to promote as an affiliate marketer. Let's begin!
First off, let me tell you something about affiliate marketing - whether you want to be successful or not depends largely upon one thing: finding profitable niches (i.e., topics) where there isn't too much competition yet. The more competitive a topic is, the less likely you will make sales through affiliate links. If you look around online, you should see that most of the big-name bloggers post their affiliate link prominently next to each piece of content which means that they either use ClickBank or another affiliate marketplace like Commission Junction (CJ), Shareasale, etc. These sites are great tools for helping you find niche affiliate markets, but sometimes you may feel overwhelmed by all the choices available. This is why we recommend using a tool called "Market Samurai" to help narrow down your options (we'll talk more about this in a bit). But before you go looking for products, here are some things to keep in mind...
When choosing a product to promote, ask yourself these questions:
What does the product offer? Does it provide value to its users? Are you able to give useful advice regarding the product? Can you explain it clearly? How long has the product been selling well? Do customers love it? Is it a good fit into the current trends?
Once you answer those questions, you can move onto step two.
There are several methods for obtaining the products you wish to advertise. Here are some examples:
1. Buy them from a vendor directly. For example, you could buy a pre-written ad campaign for $100 and then upload it to your site for free. There are also vendors who charge per word instead of price per click.
2. Get them from affiliates. Most major affiliate networks allow you to become listed on their website under different categories. Once you sign up to join an affiliate program, you can choose the specific products you'd like to promote. Some programs require additional steps such as requesting approval first, whereas others simply list the products you want to promote alongside other related ones.
3. Find them from third party sources. A few years ago, affiliate marketers would often purchase banner ads from Google AdSense. Nowadays, however, sites like ShareASale and Rakuten advertising allow you to create custom banners without having to pay upfront. All you have to do is enter keywords relevant to your niche, select your desired location and budget, and wait until the system finds matching advertisers willing to bid on your keyword(s). When you receive bids, you decide whether you accept or reject them.
4. Receive them for free. One way to obtain free traffic is to write articles based on your favorite products and submit them to article directories like EzineArticles.com. While writing these articles, you can include a short description of each product along with your affiliate link. Then once published, you can share them via social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.).
5. Use paid services. Many companies specialize in providing products to affiliates, usually offering high quality items at reasonable prices. They take care of everything including shipping costs. We like Clickbank because they're very transparent about what happens after payment. Their commission rates range widely depending on the item being promoted. However, they only process payments within 24 hours due to legal reasons.
6. Create your own products. If you have a skill set that allows you to produce unique products, consider creating your own ebooks, white papers, audio recordings, videos, webinars, etc. and promoting them as part of your business model. Of course, you must ensure that these products deliver real value to your audience.
7. Sell digital goods. Items like eBooks, software downloads, video courses, audios, PDF files, etc. are all eligible to earn commissions as an affiliate marketer. Again, the key factor is delivering valuable information that helps readers solve problems.
8. Offer premium membership access. Membership sites are becoming increasingly popular lately, especially for blogs and forums. Sites like BloggerPro, WordPress VIP, VBulletin, and phpBB Forum System offer memberships that come with special features like increased posting quota, enhanced security, easier moderation, and more. By signing up, you might even gain some extra exposure since your profile page will appear higher up in search results. Members typically enjoy greater visibility than non-members, plus they can benefit from added perks like exclusive offers, featured posts, newsletters, contests, coupons, and lots more.
9. Start your own store. Creating your own shopify store is a great option if you have experience coding HTML/CSS, designing graphics, managing inventory, working with credit cards, and handling customer service. Shopify stores tend to cost between $29-$99 monthly depending on subscription plans.
10. Become an Amazon Associate. As mentioned above, you can easily reach millions of potential buyers through Amazon. To do so, all you need to do is register for an account and add your affiliate code whenever referring someone to make purchases through Amazon.
11. Make friends with influencers. Influencer marketing involves hiring top experts in certain fields to endorse your brand. Depending on the type of product you're trying to sell, you can contact influencers directly or hire agencies that manage influencer campaigns for you.
12. Run sponsored listings. You can place sponsored advertisements in newspapers, magazines, email lists, classified sections, and shopping portals. The best places to target are local publications like Craigslist and eBay Classified Ads.
13. Join affiliate networks. Although most affiliate networks aren't necessary nowadays thanks to the wide availability of alternative platforms, some remain viable nonetheless. Popular ones include ShareAsale, ClickBank, Commission Junction, LinkShare, ShareThis, and PepperJam.
14. Sign up for affiliate tracking software. With these types of applications, you can track clicks and conversions from your affiliate link. You can monitor performance over time, compare data across multiple pages, and keep tabs on overall success rate. Some of the better known brands include LeadDyno and RevenueCat.
15. Write reviews. Reviewing products is a surefire way to build trust among your readership. Before you write a review, check to see if the company accepts guest authors. Also, read the terms and conditions carefully to avoid running afoul of their rules regarding spamming, copyright infringement, unauthorized linking, etc.
16. Promote products on your personal blog. Even though you won't be making a profit from every single visitor, you can generate some income through targeted ads placed on your blog. Plus, visitors can leave comments or feedback, giving you further insights into your target demographic.
17. Build relationships with fellow internet entrepreneurs. Start building friendships with other bloggers who are interested in similar topics. Email them regularly to exchange ideas and stay updated on industry news.
18. Network with others in your field. Attend conferences, trade shows, and seminars organized by relevant organizations. Meet face-to-face with industry leaders and learn firsthand about upcoming opportunities.
19. Participate in surveys. Companies send survey invitations to random individuals hoping to gather information about their preferences and habits. Be careful though, since many scams exist online targeting unsuspecting respondents. If you end up taking part in a scam, report the incident immediately to authorities.
20. Ask for referrals. Sometimes you'll run into a blogger whose work you admire and who seems to consistently succeed in his endeavors. Try asking him for a referral to his client base.
21. Contact businesses directly. Businesses are always seeking new partners, especially in times like these when everyone wants to save money. So try reaching out to small businesses, restaurants, hotels, car rental firms, travel agents, retailers, and manufacturers. After all, if they're happy with you, chances are they'll refer business to you too.
22. Consider joining affiliate networks. There are plenty of reputable companies out there specializing in affiliate marketing. Among the biggest names are ClickBank, ShareASale, Rakuten Advertising, Refersion, and Post Affiliate Pro. Just remember to research each network thoroughly before committing to an agreement.
23. Look for partnerships. Partnerships involve sharing revenue generated by sales made through both parties' respective websites. The partnership can last anywhere from six months to three years.
24. Work with publishers. Publishers publish books, magazines, and newspapers on behalf of companies. Working with publishers gives you the opportunity to distribute your book or magazine to thousands of subscribers.
25. Partner with retailers. Retailers like Walmart, BestBuy, Target, Sears, Home Depot, JC Penney, and Costco partner with various affiliate marketing programs. Through this arrangement, sellers can leverage existing customer bases and increase their profits.
If you are a newbie in affiliate marketing or just starting out, it's important that you have some idea of what good products you should be promoting as an affiliate. The reason why this is so important is because there are many different ways to make money online through affiliate marketing. And if you don't choose the correct way, you will end up losing time and energy trying to figure things out.
So here we go - let us show you step by step how to find the right product to promote as an affiliate marketer. Keep in mind though, this article only covers one aspect of finding affiliates. There are other aspects such as finding keywords, writing articles, etc., which are also very essential when it comes to making money online. So keep reading below!
The term "affiliates" refers to people who use their personal accounts (or blogs) to post ads about products they think would interest others. When someone clicks these links and buys something from them, the person gets paid commissions based on the amount spent. This means that if you click 100 times and buy $100 worth of stuff, then you'll get 10 percent commission on each purchase. As long as the seller pays the commissions, both parties benefit. It's pretty simple really. Nowadays, most companies offer affiliate programs where you can sign up and become an affiliate using a special link. Once you've signed up, you're ready to advertise their product(s). That's all there is to it. But before you even begin looking for the specific products to promote, remember that affiliate marketing is essentially advertising so you will have to learn more about the subject first.
This question might seem like a silly one but bear with me. Think back to high school or college days when everyone was into fashion accessories. Everyone had that one pair of shoes they wore every day, whether it was sneakers or heels. For whatever reasons, those items were always hot commodities. If you found a cool pair of Nike Air Max at a bargain price, you'd grab it without thinking twice. Why is it that today, those same brands aren't selling well anymore? Because people now prefer cheaper, yet still stylish alternatives. Today's hottest trends include flip flops, wedges, sandals, boots, etc. These are usually made by inexpensive manufacturers and sold for extremely low prices compared to the original version.
While we may feel sorry for the retailers involved since they lose profit due to cheap competition, the truth is we win too. We get access to trendy clothing at lower costs than ever before while we save our hard-earned cash to splurge on nice dinners later!
But wait...there's more! If you read between the lines, you'll see that those affordable styles also come with hidden benefits. They tend to look better after multiple wears and last longer than the original versions. Most importantly, you don't have to spend hours searching high and low for the perfect outfit, nor pay exorbitant amounts of money to rent clothes. All of these factors combined give us a winning combination when it comes to choosing the best product to affiliate.
Finding the right products to sell isn't difficult once you understand the concept behind affiliate marketing. With millions of choices available in various niches, it shouldn't take much effort to pick the best products to promote. The key is knowing where to look. Here are three popular places where you can find great products to promote:
1.) ClickBank Affiliate Program. Founded in 1998, Clickbank has been around for years and has grown to become one of the largest digital marketplace platforms today. In addition to having thousands of merchants, ClickBank offers several affiliate program options including direct sales, dropshipping, and referral. Some of its top sellers include diet supplements, weight loss solutions, health & fitness products, eBooks, software, web hosting, business tools, and more. To apply for a merchant account, visit ClickBank's website and register for free. Then simply follow the instructions provided to upload your own products and set up your own affiliate ID. After that, you can start earning commissions for referring customers.
2.) ShareASale. Similar to ClickBank, Shareasale allows users to create their own store and list their own products for sale. However, unlike ClickBank, ShareAsale does not require registration fees. Instead, you earn revenue via a percentage of every item purchased. Since you won't incur any upfront cost, the sky is literally the limit when it comes to creating your own store. Simply log in and browse the site's catalog of over 1 million products. From there, you can add your own customized description, select categories, and decide pricing accordingly. Finally, submit your listing to the system. If approved, your store will appear on the main page of the ShareASale network.
3.) Rakuten Advertising Network. Similar to Amazon, Rakuten sells electronics, apparel, household goods, gadgets, books, music, games, toys, sports equipment, kitchen appliances, beauty supplies, home decor, pet care, and more. One unique feature of this platform is that Rakuten actually owns the majority of the stores listed within the network. Therefore, you can expect higher quality merchandise and less scams compared to other affiliate networks. Plus, you get to enjoy additional perks such as discounts and coupons. Unlike ClickBank and ShareASale, you cannot directly refer customers to Rakuten's storefront unless you belong to the company's affiliate program.
4.) Post Affiliate Pro. Founded in 2001, Post Affiliate Pro provides a broad selection of products ranging from jewelry, cosmetics, cell phones, computers, video game consoles, DVDs, furniture, sporting goods, office supplies, and more. Although the marketplace is relatively small, it's growing steadily thanks to its excellent customer support team. What sets Post Affiliate apart from competitors is its ability to cater to niche markets. While the average user tends to stick to general categories, Post Affiliate Pro focuses specifically on certain subcategories such as outdoor sportswear, women's clothing, technology, automotive parts, and more. Not only does this allow you to target consumers that fit specific demographics, but it helps ensure your traffic stays loyal and consistent.
5.) Refersion. Launched in 2011, Refersion is another leading affiliate network offering a wide array of products across numerous industries. Like Post Affiliate Pro, Refersion specializes in niche markets. On the surface, this seems like a bad thing since it limits your potential audience. However, Refersion takes this approach intentionally to increase conversions. By focusing solely on niche areas, Refersion aims to attract buyers interested in specific topics rather than the masses. Additionally, Refersion caters to a diverse range of audiences ranging from entrepreneurs, bloggers, marketers, students, teachers, parents, retirees, travelers, and more.
6.) AdvertiAffiliate.com. Originally founded in 2002, AdvertiaAffiliate is currently owned by iMarketPlace. Aside from the fact that AdvertiaAffiliate is part of the larger iMarketeplace network, it stands alone as an independent entity. Compared to other affiliate networks, AdvertiaAffiliate has a smaller inventory but boasts a broader range of products. Also, you can easily customize your listings to match your brand identity.
7.) CJ Affiliate. Another large affiliate network known for its comprehensive collection of affiliate products, CJ Affiliate is operated by Clicks Marketing Corporation Inc. Founded in 1999, Clicks Marketing Corporation is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Some of CJ Affiliate's biggest advertisers include Dell Computers, Samsung Electronics, Acer Computer Company, Microsoft, HP, Motorola, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp, Nokia, and more.
8.) MyVIP Affiliate Program. Created by an individual entrepreneur named Michael W. Johnson, My VIP Affiliate is one of the newest affiliate networks on the block. Its primary focus lies in providing members with opportunities to promote branded products for free. Members receive access to exclusive deals, promotional codes, and giveaways. Furthermore, My VIP Affiliate hosts events geared towards building relationships among members and affiliate partners alike.
9.) Post Affiliate Pro Lite. Launched in 2013, Post Affiliate Pro Lite is a stripped down version of Post Affiliate Pro focused primarily on ecommerce. Though it doesn't contain nearly the number of products featured on the full version, Lite affords you greater control over your listings and promotions. In addition to basic features, Lite includes customizable layouts, email newsletters, shopping cart integration, and custom URLs.
10.) Wealthy Affilate. An established affiliate network launched in 2004, Wealthy Affiliate is similar to Post Affiliate Pro Lite. However, Wealthy Affiliate differs slightly in terms of its affiliation model. Whereas Post Affiliate Pro Lite requires members to join the program and then pay monthly membership fees, Wealthy Affiliate is completely free. Moreover, Wealthy Affiliate has fewer restrictions regarding content creation, promotion, and customization.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.