Affiliate programs can be a big source of revenue. The key to
maximizing your earnings is engaging your readers. Unlike traditional ads where
you are paid for impressions or clicks, affiliates are only paid when/if a
specific action is performed. The action might be a purchase or signing up for
a newsletter, but regardless, you are not paid until you've compelled your
readers to act.
With that in mind, here are the Top 10 Commandments for affiliate
marketing success.
1. Know Your Audience
The most successful way to use affiliate programs is to anticipate
and meet the needs of your readers. Consider why they are coming to your site.
What are you providing that they are looking for? Make sure the affiliate
products you are promoting provide a solution to your audience's problems.
If you are writing about sports, don't put up affiliate ads for
printer toner just because everyone has a printer and those programs have a
high payout. The people who are coming to read commentary or get stats for
their favorite teams aren't thinking about those things when they're on your
site.
The more relevant the ads are to your readers, the more likely
they will use them.
2. Be Trustworthy
Readers are savvy. They know an affiliate link when they see one.
If you break their trust by promoting a product you don't believe in or take
advantage of their visit with too many ads, they will leave and never come
back.
It is your repeat visitors that will drive traffic. They are the
ones who will give you linkbacks, spread the word, and recommend your site as
the go-to place for valuable content. You need to build a relationship based on
genuine content.
If your visitors don't think you're being honest, they won't read
anything else you have to say.
3. Be Helpful
Think of affiliate ads as additional resources that complement
your content. Give value to your content by making it helpful, useful, and
informative.
Don't put up a list of your favorite books, hoping people will
click on the affiliate link, purchase the books (just because you listed them),
so you can cash in on a sale. Take some time to write a detailed review, and
use affiliate ads to point them in the right direction if they decide to act on
your information. That's what affiliate ads are for. If you write a great
review recommending a book and readers buy the book because of it, you should
get something for that.
But just throwing out links to products with no rhyme or reason
will result in a quick exit by visitors.
4. Be Transparent
Always disclose your affiliations. Your readers will appreciate
your honesty, and will feel better about contributing to your earnings. If they
sense that you are being less than honest about your affiliations, they are
savvy enough to bypass your link and go directly to the vendor just to avoid
giving you referral credit.
Honesty and full disclosure is a necessary part to building a
loyal reader base. They know they are supporting you by using your referral
links. Make them happy and eager to do so.
5. Select Carefully
Take the time to go through all the different options for products
or services available through the programs. Put some thought into which
products or services your readers may need or like. Also, change the ads around
often, try different ones, and use different graphics and text to see which are
the most effective.
It may take some time before you figure out the best formula, and
you may also find that you need to continually rotate ads to attract more
attention.
6. Try Different Programs
If one particular program doesn't seem to be working for you, try
another one.
Affiliate programs don't look the same. They offer different
products, services, and payment structures. Some programs will have a lifetime
payout on sales while others will limit it to 30-90 days. Some programs allow
much more flexibility in the types of ad units available, as well as colors and
design so it fits better on your site's layout.
Also, check your favorite vendors to see if they run their own
affiliate program. Sometimes you can go directly to the source. You're not
limited to big affiliate networks.
Integrate systematic ad testing into your strategy to maximize
your profits.
7. Write Timeless Content
Your old content can still be valuable even though it's no longer
on your front page. Take advantage of the long term opportunities by making
sure you provide timeless content.
If visitors come across your older content first, and find that it
offers dated information, they will leave right away. Of course, information
moves forward, so relevant content changes quickly. You can make your content
timeless simply by adding links to your updated articles on your old ones.
Many platforms allow you to show "most recent" or
"most popular" or "related articles" on every page, so no
matter how old the article is, it will always show access to your new ones.
Your old content can make money for you indefinitely.
8. Be Patient
Affiliate revenue grows and builds up with time. Remember that
some programs offer lifetime payouts. If you refer a visitor, you may continue
to make money from that one visitor even if he doesn't come back to your site.
Also, as long as you have referral links still active in your old posts, they
may still payout for you.
Affiliate programs aren't a get rich quick plan, but it provides
opportunity to make passive income in the future.
9. Stay Relevant
Keep up to date on the latest offerings of your affiliate
programs. New ad units, advertisers, and tools are constantly being added to
improve usability and be more visually appealing. Small changes go a long way
in motivating action by readers. You may be left out in the dust by being complacent
with your strategy.
Don't get lazy about monitoring trends and exploring new
opportunities.
10. Content Comes First
Above all else, your content must be your highest priority.
Your content is your foundation, the life blood on which the site
exists. Without valuable and helpful content, readers won't come. Focus on
providing excellent content, and the monetizingstrategies will work out.
__________________________________________________
By-
SEO Analyst (Expert in off Page Optimization)
Mobile No - +918401804840
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