Becoming an affiliate marketer involves a lot more than just signing up with a company and promoting their products or services through other websites. The role requires someone who has experience in writing articles, creating content, developing landing pages, managing social media accounts, setting up email campaigns, etc., all while following strict guidelines set forth by the brand owner (and sometimes even the law).
It's no wonder that becoming an affiliate marketer takes time and effort – there's so much to learn before being able to start making money from it. Fortunately, if you're willing to put in some work upfront, then you'll be rewarded handsomely later on when you finally get hired. That said, we've been working hard to make sure people have access to the information they need to become affiliates without having to spend too much time learning everything at once.
In this article, we'll explain what is an affiliate marketer, give you a brief overview of why you might want to consider it, and show you where you can find useful resources to read about affiliate marketing. We also created our own Affiliate Marketers Job Description Template which will help you create a compelling application letter to potential employers - complete with sample words and phrases.
To begin with, let us define "good" first. What does it mean to be a "good" affiliate marketer? Well, here's what Wikipedia says it means:
An affiliate marketer is someone who promotes another person’s product or service by encouraging others to buy it by using paid advertising techniques such as banner ads, text links, pop-up windows, ebooks, videos, and/or webinars. This person may not actually receive any monetary gain from selling the product themselves but instead earns commissions based on sales generated by affiliates.
So basically, an affiliate marketer is someone who uses various forms of online promotion to drive traffic to a website where he could earn commission off of the sale. It doesn't matter whether these sites have nothing to do with his niche or not, because he would still promote them regardless.
This definition seems pretty straightforward enough, right? But unfortunately, many companies don't see things quite like this. They tend to focus only on the revenue side of things rather than other factors such as quality of the site itself, customer support, reputation management, etc. And since most people joining affiliate programs today know very little about the business aspects of it, they end up getting scammed left and right.
Here is a list of common mistakes made by newbie affiliate marketers:
1) Not having clear goal. If you aren't really sure what you're doing here, you won't succeed long term. You have to clearly understand what your goals are in order to achieve them.
2) Promoting bad products. Just because something sounds great to you doesn't necessarily mean it's going to benefit your readers. Always check reviews from different sources before buying anything.
3) Being greedy. Many affiliate marketers try to squeeze every last cent possible out of their customers. Don't ever think twice about asking for extra compensation unless you truly believe in the value of what you sell.
4) Trying to scam people. Even though scams exist, you should never use them yourself. There is always a way around it.
5) Using illegal methods. Some affiliate networks penalize those who break their rules, so take care of your reputation whenever you join an affiliate program.
6) Hiding behind anonymity. People who hide behind fake names and avatars rarely succeed in building trust among their audience. Be honest and open about yourself.
7) Ignoring negative feedback. Never forget that you represent a certain image of the company you belong to. Your actions reflect upon them, so act accordingly.
8) Failing to offer high quality content. While it's okay to link back to other people's posts occasionally, try to avoid plagiarizing their ideas. Also, be careful not to include excessive amounts of self-promotion within your content.
9) Treating visitors poorly. Remember that you're representing a company whose success depends entirely on your ability to capture attention. Make sure you treat everyone equally well. No exceptions.
10) Making promises you cannot keep. Always remember that you're under contract with the company you signed up with and that you must fulfill your obligations to them.
11) Poor communication skills. In this day and age, everyone expects instant gratification from their purchases. Try to provide your users with whatever info they need to know. A simple FAQ page goes a long way.
12) Selling low quality stuff. Do not sacrifice quality for quantity. Quality comes first.
13) Giving false promises. Nobody likes to hear "Sorry, we didn't deliver". Keep in mind that you promised to bring results for your clients, not merely a quick buck.
14) Getting lazy after starting a blog. Blogging isn't easy, especially if you haven't had previous blogging experience. You shouldn't expect overnight success either. Set realistic expectations and stick to them.
15) Neglecting SEO. Search engines rank your site higher depending on how relevant its contents are to keywords used by search engine users. So always write unique content, including proper keyword density wherever applicable.
16) Forgetting about user experience. Users come first. When designing your site, always keep usability in mind. Give them plenty of options. Provide them with multiple ways to navigate your site. Give them choices.
17) Having poor conversion rates. Conversion rate refers to the number of clicks you generate per dollar spent on advertising. Ideally, you'd want to hit 1%. However, most affiliate programs aim for 3%-5%, so you won't likely reach that mark easily. Focus on improving your conversion ratio instead.
18) Losing interest quickly. Most affiliate programs require you to maintain a level of activity over a period of time. Otherwise, they revoke your account status and ban you permanently.
19) Taking shortcuts. Sometimes, affiliate offers allow you to save money by taking part in less expensive promotions. Although this may seem convenient, it's important to note that you're cutting corners and potentially jeopardizing your future earnings.
20) Overusing ad copy. Ad copy is meant to entice people into clicking on your ad, but it's usually short lived. Use it sparingly.
21) Spamming. Avoid spammy tactics such as sending unsolicited emails to thousands of recipients.
22) Getting caught cheating. Cheating gets you banned from affiliate programs almost immediately.
23) Writing generic material. Write original content that speaks directly to your target audience.
24) Being dishonest. Honesty is key. Always disclose accurate facts about your affiliation with the advertiser.
25) Buying cheap domains. Cheap domains often lead to a loss of credibility.
26) Doing the bare minimum. Nothing looks worse than someone who gives zero respect to their customers' needs.
27) Being unresponsive. Customers deserve prompt responses to inquiries and complaints. If you fail to respond promptly, they'll most likely go somewhere else.
28) Overlooking security issues. Never neglect to ensure your site remains secure against hackers.
29) Putting personal interests ahead of client interests. It's important to remember that you're dealing with real human beings. Think of them as people, not numbers.
30) Not treating affiliate managers fairly. As the boss, you should always treat employees with dignity and respect. If you don't, you risk losing them.
31) Turning down freebies. Freebies are intended for promotional purposes only. If you accept them, you're committing fraud.
32) Telling lies. Lies hurt both sides involved. It's best to tell the truth.
33) Being disrespectful. Respect your authority and follow directions.
34) Being rude. Rude behavior can damage relationships between partners.
35) Going offline. Online businesses thrive on constant interaction between buyers and sellers. If you lose touch with your audience, you'll eventually lose them.
36) Not keeping tabs on competitors. Competitors are the lifeblood of any industry. Stay abreast of developments and trends.
37) Not paying your bills. Allowing payments to lapse leads to unpaid debts. Eventually, banks close accounts due to nonpayment.
38) Not providing full disclosure. Full disclosure ensures transparency between parties. It protects consumers from unscrupulous practices.
39) Being inconsistent. One moment you're telling them what to do, the next minute you're giving advice.
40) Being unreliable. Unreliability damages reputations.
41) Not staying updated. Companies invest heavily in research and development. If you're not aware of current events happening in your field, you run the risk of missing opportunities.
42) Doing things half heartedly. Halfhearted efforts result in halfhearted outcomes. Aim for 100% commitment.
43) Being irresponsible. Irresponsibility hurts both parties. Take responsibility for your actions.
44) Disrespecting authority figures. Authority figures deserve respect.
45) Misrepresenting yourself. Reputation matters. People form opinions about you based on what they perceive to be true.
Are you looking for a new career in online marketing and want to know what it's like working as an affiliate marketer? If so, then you've come to the right place because this article will give you some basic information about what they do, why they're important, and how much money you'll make if you become one yourself!
Affiliates are individuals who promote products that other companies sell on their behalf. They earn commission from these sales, which is usually around 30%, but there are also people called "affiliate managers" whose main responsibility is overseeing all affiliates within their company. The title itself doesn't mean anything but the person holding it has more authority than someone else within the same company.
If you have decided to pursue a position with a reputable affiliate program, chances are good that you already have some knowledge or experience related to internet marketing. For example, maybe you own a blog where you discuss topics relevant to your industry or you worked at a brick-and-mortar store and learned customer service skills while selling clothes. You might even be able to use those experiences to write articles about similar topics (a skill many affiliate marketers develop).
However, if you don't have any formal training or previous experience, you should consider taking courses designed specifically for aspiring affiliate marketers. Many colleges offer free classes through their Continuing Education departments or local community centers. There are plenty of useful resources available online too, such as Udemy and YouTube tutorials.
The following sections explain everything you need to know about becoming an affiliate marketer and what kind of positions you may find them in. Read carefully through each section before moving onto the next one, though -- doing so will ensure you get the most out of your time and effort. After completing the process below, you won't have to worry about finding a job again because we made sure you had a solid foundation upon which to build.
As mentioned above, affiliate marketers generally fall into two categories: individual contributors and management staff members. In order to understand which type best suits your needs, take a moment to read this list of common tasks performed by both types.
Individual contributor affiliates focus primarily on promoting specific products and services sold by others. This includes writing product reviews, creating blogs, conducting webinars, posting videos, etc. To perform all of these activities successfully, they must possess strong written communication skills, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.
Management affiliate managers oversee multiple affiliates under their supervision. These employees often manage budgets, negotiate contracts, and handle general administrative matters. Their primary duty involves analyzing data gathered from various sources and making decisions based on this analysis.
Additionally, some affiliates prefer to specialize in certain areas instead of being involved in every aspect of affiliate marketing. So, if you feel strongly about something, consider pursuing a job focusing solely on that topic. Doing so could increase your earnings substantially over the long term.
Finally, keep in mind that affiliate jobs vary greatly depending on the size of the organization employing you. Some are small businesses, whereas others employ thousands of workers. As a result, you may not always receive the same level of pay when compared to larger organizations. However, don't let this discourage you -- after all, earning less money now means you can spend more later.
An affiliate manager oversees a group of active affiliates. Depending on the size of the business, he/she may serve as the head of the department responsible for managing all affiliates under his/her charge. Or, the manager may only supervise a few select affiliates. Either way, this person makes key strategic decisions regarding the operation of the entire team. His/her primary goal is to maximize overall profits for everyone involved.
These duties include negotiating agreements between affiliates and vendors, tracking revenue generated by each affiliate, monitoring performance metrics, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
In addition to managerial roles, many large affiliate programs require their managers to provide support to other employees via email, phone calls, and meetings. He/she may also train new recruits to join the team and assist existing associates with issues pertaining to technology, accounting, legal affairs, human resource policies, and other important aspects of running an effective affiliate network.
Some top notch affiliate managers also create content for the site to share with customers. This ensures that everyone stays informed about trends, products, and news affecting the company. It also helps foster relationships among affiliates, allowing them to collaborate freely without worrying about competition.
Now that you've got a thorough understanding of what an affiliate marketer actually does, here are three tips you can follow to improve your odds of landing a great position:
First, research the company you'd like to work for thoroughly. Find out exactly what kinds of projects they assign their employees to complete. Then, determine whether you enjoy these assignments. Finally, look up past employee testimonials to see how satisfied former colleagues were with their employers. All of these steps will allow you to choose a position that fits your interests and abilities.
Next, familiarize yourself with the basics of affiliate marketing. Start by reading a number of informative articles explaining the principles behind the system. Next, sign up for a free account at ClickBank.com and begin building your inventory of digital assets. When you finish, your bankroll will grow exponentially due to increased traffic coming from interested buyers.
Last, practice networking with friends and family. Ask them to recommend potential employers to you. Tell them you would love to learn more about different careers in the field and ask them to introduce you to anyone they think would be perfect for your situation. By showing initiative and persistence, you are far more likely to succeed.
This final section explains precisely how affiliate marketing works, giving you insight into what goes on inside the minds of successful experts. Here is an overview of the process:
1) Create a website focused on offering helpful advice and offering solutions to problems facing consumers. Your objective is to convince prospective visitors that buying your recommended product(s) will solve their problem(s), thereby driving traffic back to your website.
2) Sign up with several major vendor partners. Each partner sells a particular type of product or solution. Once you reach agreement with these vendors, they send you links to websites that contain banners linking directly to their products.
3) Place these banners on your website. Whenever users click on the banner, they are redirected to the vendor's page. On that page, they are prompted to purchase the item using whatever payment method they prefer.
4) Once the user pays for the desired product, the vendor sends him/her a link to download the software package containing instructions on how to install and use it.
5) Users who followed Steps 3 and 4 end up installing the software, which enables them to access additional features and functionality unavailable otherwise. At this point, they may decide to buy another product from the vendor's catalog. This cycle continues until the visitor decides to leave the website altogether.
6) Depending on the nature of the product purchased, the vendor earns commission from its sale. A portion of these proceeds typically ends up going towards paying you, the affiliate.
7) Repeat Steps 1 - 6 indefinitely.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online and create passive income streams that will keep on flowing all year round. It's also one of the fastest ways to build up a portfolio of websites and start making some serious cash from them. If you're new to this field or just looking for a career change, then there are many benefits in learning about affiliate marketing.
But what exactly does it entail? What kind of work experience would I have if I wanted to become an affiliate marketer? Is affiliate marketing something that requires technical knowledge? And most importantly, how much money could I potentially earn as an affiliate marketer? Here we'll look at everything you need to know before signing up to join the world of affiliate marketing.
The first thing to consider when starting out with any type of business is whether you have the necessary skillset. In the case of affiliate marketing, you'll obviously need to learn web design and development but beyond that, there aren't really any pre-requisites for becoming an affiliate marketer. You don't necessarily need any special qualifications either as anyone can sign up to begin earning commissions right away without having to take time off their current jobs. All they need is a computer (to use WordPress) and access to the internet to get started.
There isn't anything particularly unique about being an affiliate marketer - so long as you understand how to write good content, promote products using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and drive traffic to those products through paid advertising campaigns, you should be able to pick up the basics relatively quickly and start building your own successful affiliate website. Of course, if you want to go into more detail and develop these skills even further, you may want to check out courses such as Udemy or Skillshare to improve your affiliate marketing abilities.
If you'd rather not spend hours each week studying, taking classes, or reading tutorials, you can always hire someone else to handle all of the tasks involved with running your site while you focus on other aspects of your business. There are plenty of virtual assistants who specialize in helping people set up blogs, manage email lists, and perform various other administrative functions. These services typically range anywhere between $10-$50 per hour depending on the level of service provided and the amount of training required. The best part is that you won't actually have to pay for these extra services until after you've earned enough commission checks to justify paying for them yourself.
You don't actually need any formal education or previous sales experience to become an affiliate marketer. But if you want to stand out above the rest of the crowd, knowing where to find high quality product recommendations is going to give you a huge advantage over competitors who haven't done any research themselves. To ensure you choose the highest converting products possible, you might decide to invest in some paid tools and resources to guide you along the way. This includes things like keyword research software which helps you identify relevant keywords and phrases used to describe certain types of goods, and conversion tracking plugins which allow you to monitor the success rate of individual pages within your site so you can see which ones convert better than others.
Once you've found the perfect niche(s), developed effective landing page designs, and optimized your entire site for maximum conversions, you'll probably want to think about hiring a VA to run your blog, handle customer support, and collect payments once you've reached your earnings goals. With a little bit of effort and planning, you can easily turn your hobby into a full-time gig with a steady stream of residual income.
Although it doesn't technically require any specific academic background or prior programming experience, some affiliates prefer to code their sites instead of relying solely on back end automation and third party plug ins. For instance, if you already have excellent graphic design skills, you can easily upload custom images onto your site to replace stock photos taken from free image sources, or add a countdown timer widget to show visitors how long they have left until the next sale ends. However, if you lack the artistic ability to create compelling graphics or aren't comfortable working with HTML or CSS, using a CMS plugin to automate the process of uploading images and adding widgets to your site makes sense.
In terms of compensation, an average monthly income for senior affiliate marketers ranges anywhere from $2,000-$4,000. Junior affiliate managers usually bring home around half that figure. On top of that, you can expect to receive residual income every month for years to come thanks to automated systems that track visitor behavior and keep sending customers back to your site whenever they visit another related site.
Worrello offers a variety of different affiliate programs including Amazon Associates, ClickBank, CJ, Commission Junction, ShareASale, and PayDotCom. Each program has its own distinct rules regarding eligibility requirements and payout amounts based on performance metrics. As a beginner, you can simply sign up for one of these programs and start earning commissions immediately. If you're interested in exploring additional opportunities outside of the mainstream, you can always try joining an alternative network like Swagbucks or MyPoints. Although these networks tend to offer lower rates of return compared to traditional affiliate programs, their user base tends to consist mainly of casual shoppers who appreciate the convenience of getting rewarded points for completing everyday tasks such as watching videos, shopping online, browsing the web, etc.
Are you interested in learning more about affiliate marketing? Check out this comprehensive list of affiliate programs for beginners.
Affiliate Marketers Job Duties
The job duties of an affiliate marketer include promoting products through different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., as well as creating content which helps people find these products.
Promoting products/services through various channels including social media, email newsletters, paid ads, search engines, blogs, forums, etc.
Creating content (blog posts, videos, articles) related to specific niche topics and sharing it with readers via social networks.
Developing strategies to drive traffic back to their website(s).
Scheduling blog posts and other content according to keywords.
Monitoring performance metrics and trends.
Setting up landing pages where they collect leads and sales leads.
If you want to become an effective affiliate marketer, here are several tips you should follow:
1. Create Unique Content
It's important to have unique content to promote if you want to stand out among others. The best thing is to write something original and not copy someone else's work because if you don't own anything, no-one would buy what you sell. For example, if you are writing about dog training tips, don't use these words, "dog", "training" and "howling". Instead, try using more creative terms such as "wooly puppy", "cute pup" or "barking at night". These are more interesting, so they'll get noticed, and hopefully increase your conversions too.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.