Marcus Richards
Affiliate marketing can seem overwhelming at first. Especially if you’re new to the industry, it’s hard to know where to begin and which affiliate programs will be the most profitable or fulfilling for you. And even seasoned affiliate marketers can feel like they need a refresher course once in a while!
If this describes you, you’re in luck; this guide on starting affiliate marketing in 2022 will be your go-to resource as an affiliate marketer, whether you’re just starting or looking to try something new with your business strategy.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is performance-based advertising that allows anyone with a website or blog to share information about products and services. As an affiliate marketer, you receive commissions for providing the links for others, and the company pays for the sale. You can also provide reviews on products you have used before and make money from those.
Affiliate marketing is low risk and has high potential, so it’s one of the best ways to make money online. There are many affiliate programs, so you’ll want to find out which ones work best for your niche.
We have already stated the benefits of affiliate marketing here at BestStartup. The passive method of making money also doesn’t require much upfront investment and getting paid without spending money creating your product or service, all because you’re promoting another company’s product or service aside from your own.
You can find affiliate programs that pay per click, lead, pay per sale, or give commissions from someone buying using a referral code. Thus, this is easy for people who usually spend their time on the internet. Let’s head on to the basic steps needed to get started.
How To Start Using 5 Basic Steps
Decide on a niche
If you’re looking for a niche, consider something that is not too broad and doesn’t require specific qualifications or certifications. For example, the beauty industry is a vast market with many avenues for business owners. There are opportunities for makeup artists, skincare specialists, hair stylists, nail technicians, fashion designers, and more. The potential is limitless! Make sure your site has strong content: Once you’ve chosen your niche, it’s time to build your website or choose your platform. Make sure there is high-quality content on your site so people will stay on it longer and eventually convert into paying customers.
Choose your platform
While there are numerous opportunities for people to develop affiliate marketing websites, many bloggers and vloggers may be interested in monetizing their audiences. The first step is choosing the platform you want to start with. If you’re unsure what you want, here are some of the most popular ones: WordPress (most recommended), Tumblr, Medium, LiveJournal, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Once you’ve chosen your platform, it’s time to find a hosting service. Hosting services store your website files on a server so others can access them over the internet.
Create valuable content
You’ll need a website and content to start an affiliate marketing business. The best way to create content for your site is through keyword research. Use Google AdWords Keyword Tool or Wordtracker for this. You’ll want keywords that are related to the topic of your site but not too broad. Ensure your content is 100% original (you don’t want to be penalized). If possible, publish guest articles on other sites about topics relevant to yours. Now it’s time for advertising! As part of your SEO campaign, you should use social media as much as possible. That includes joining relevant groups and pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Create an audience
The three most frequent methods for growing an audience are content marketing, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. Material marketing is creating written or visual content that appeals to your target market. Sharing engaging content on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram, is the primary focus of social media marketing. Influencer marketing comprises collaborating with influential people who have a substantial following on social media platforms or blogs. In addition to Facebook and Google AdWords, sites like Facebook and Google AdWords can also utilize paid advertising.
Join a relevant affiliate marketing program
Joining the right programs is critical to running a successful affiliate business. For example, ArabianBetting is a comparison platform specializing in gambling and betting, specifically for the Arabic region, where gambling is mainly restricted. The site explains the legality of gambling in the area. It provides helpful information to interested players to get started by listing different gambling and betting operators that cater to Arabic players and listing their best services and bonuses. This site has joined multiple gambling program affiliates, including Bet 365. The iGaming niche is profitable, and if this is something you are interested in, then you would be able to find gambling affiliate networks to get started.
