In our previous blog post, we discussed various methods to make money online, and highlighted the need to be creative with your ideas if you want to succeed in the affiliate marketing space. In this post, we will discuss one more way you can make money online: product-related affiliate marketing.
The Basics
Before we begin, it’s important to establish some basic terminology so that we’re all speaking the same language (or at least using the same keywords).
When talking about affiliate marketing, it’s important to understand the difference between direct selling and product-related marketing. Direct selling is when an affiliate marketer sells a product or service without having anything to do with the product’s or service’s quality. For example, John is an affiliate marketer for ShoesOnline.com. If you click on the link and make a purchase, John will earn a commission even though the product he is promoting has nothing to do with the quality of the product or service he is promoting (e.g., high-quality shoes).
Product-related marketing involves promoting a product or service that you believe in, because you have an affiliate relationship with the company that owns the product or service. For example, let’s say you’re an affiliate marketer for FlightsDelay.com and you promote JetBlue Airways. When someone clicks on your affiliate link and buys a flight to New York City, you will earn a commission.
The Two Main Types Of Product-Related Affiliate Marketing
There are two main types of product-related affiliate marketing: traditional affiliate marketing and affiliate sales management. To succeed in affiliate marketing, you will likely need to develop your own style and approach to promoting products. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.
Traditional Affiliate Marketing
Perhaps the most recognizable form of product-related affiliate marketing is the classic affiliate marketing scheme, also known as ‘white-label’ or ‘third-party affiliate marketing.’ With this method, you essentially become an affiliate marketer for a company. You will promote their products and earn a commission for each sale you make (whether you direct the sale or not).
To get started with traditional affiliate marketing, you will first need to become a merchant owner with a digital commerce store (such as Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce). Once you have established your store, you can begin creating marketing material (such as product reviews) and promoting your own affiliate links within those product reviews (i.e., product reviews that earn you affiliate revenue).
Affiliate Sales Management
Product-related affiliate marketing doesn’t have to be limited to just promoting other people’s products. You can also become a merchant owner with a digital commerce store. However, rather than focusing on product reviews, you will instead focus on administering your affiliate program for a company. You will track sales and commissions for specific products or products from a specific vendor (this can be a single product sold by multiple vendors, or a single vendor with several products).
With affiliate sales management, you will be responsible for growing and maintaining an affiliate relationship with a given vendor. You will need to monitor affiliate sales activity (i.e., the percentage of sales that come from your affiliate links) and make sure your affiliates are generating enough revenue to make it worth your while.
Which method you choose will depend on your own personal preferences. Do you want to focus on product reviews or want to take a more hands-on approach in managing your affiliate program? It’s a common misconception that you need to have a specific product to promote to make money online. All you need is a desire to become a full-time affiliate marketer and a few practical steps to reach your goal.