What is Affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a process where content creators can earn a commission by promoting a product or service made by another advertiser or retailer using an affiliate link. The affiliate partner is then rewarded a payout for providing a specific result for the retailer, typically a sale, however sometimes results can be downloads for an app or clicks to a website.
So now that you know what it is, you’re probably wondering how it actually works…
- An influencer/creator shows an ad or link for company X on their website, blog or social media.
- A customer clicks on the unique affiliate link.
- The customer makes a purchase in company X.
- The affiliate network records the transaction.
- The purchase is confirmed by company X.
- The influencer/content creator gets a monetary commission.
Types of affiliate marketing:
- Unattached affiliate marketing. The first type of affiliate marketing is referred to as “unattached”. This is when the content creator has no connection with the customer. Often they are running pay-per-click advertising campaigns with the affiliate link and hoping people will click it, buy the product, and therefore, earn a commission.
- Related affiliate marketing. This is the practice of promoting products and services that content creators don’t use but that are related to their niche/target audience. An affiliate marketer in this case has an audience, whether it’s through blogging, YouTube, TikTok or another channel. This can generate more income, however, it comes with the risk of creators promoting something they’ve never tried before.
- Involved affiliate marketing. This refers to only recommending products and services the content creator has used and truly believes in. In this type of marketing, an affiliate marketer uses their influence to promote products and services that followers may actually need. It takes more time to build this type of credibility with an audience, but it’s necessary for building a sustainable business.
As a small business owner, affiliate marketing is a great way to increase your reach and raise brand awareness without breaking the bank. It has low upfront costs, but it helps you build trust through association and can drive traffic to your site.
After reading this blog, we’re sure you’re probably eager to look more into affiliate marketing but not 100% sure where to begin. Don’t worry – that’s what we’re here for! We can help you in all aspects of affiliate marketing so feel free to contact us today, we are always happy to help.
