How to Use Affiliate Marketing for Your Small Business

How to Use Affiliate Marketing for Your Small Business

Affiliate marketing can be an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and convert that traffic into sales. When done right, affiliate marketing has the potential to boost your bottom line, even if you’re not in the business of selling products or services online. If you don’t already have an affiliate marketing strategy in place, you should consider getting started with affiliate marketing now. Read on to learn more about the basics of affiliate marketing and how you can use it to grow your small business today!

Why Affiliates?

If you're looking to build a sustainable online business, affiliate marketing is one of your best options. The industry has grown exponentially, but that doesn't mean it's always easy to jump in and start earning money right away. Getting started is almost as important as building your business over time, so here are some guidelines to help you succeed at affiliate marketing. If you're interested in learning more about how affiliates make money, check out our resources page.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Often thought of as a way for bloggers and websites to make money, affiliate marketing is actually a tool small businesses can use to drive online sales. When you become an affiliate, you sign up with an affiliate network that tracks and reports your links or unique calls (how many people have clicked on your link). You're then paid a commission every time one of those links is clicked—either by someone you referred or someone who just found your site through Google. It's important to know that most companies that offer affiliate programs won't pay unless there's actual sales made. If you're interested in working with Amazon, it has its own unique program called Amazon Associates.

Getting started with Affiliate Marketing

When thinking about affiliate marketing, many small business owners assume that they have to create a full-fledged web presence just like their larger competitors. While it’s possible (and even recommended) to create an affiliate program with your own website, you don’t need one to begin working as an affiliate marketer. Instead, start by seeking out potential affiliates and working with them directly. This can be a great way of familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of affiliate marketing without having all of the extra overhead and maintenance costs associated with running your own site.

Resources for your Business

To get started, you'll need an affiliate marketing company and an inventory management system. Some companies like Commission Junction offer both services in one place; others like Share a sale require that you have separate accounts with each service. Then, once you're all set up, it's time to get promoting! Join a network of affiliate marketers, read blogs and listen to podcasts related to your niche, and research competitors and influencers who are already getting results. By building relationships with other marketers in your niche, sharing content relevant to them on social media channels, and providing thoughtful commentary on their content as well, you'll be on your way toward building a valuable online presence for your small business.

Tips and strategies

There are two main types of affiliate marketers: merchant affiliates and publisher affiliates. Merchant affiliates tend to create an entire website dedicated towards promoting products/services, while publisher affiliates have their marketing techniques embedded in content on their own site (blogs, video channels, articles). Regardless of which type you become, you’ll need a website that sells. The best way to attract people is by providing useful information—not spammy buy my product hyperlinks. Without real value behind it, your business won’t grow and certainly won’t survive! Before you choose a topic to market as an affiliate on your site (or within someone else's), take some time and make sure it has a good chance of success.