If you’re a senior investigating how to earn an extra income, I hope you’ll carefully consider the advantages of affiliate marketing for seniors and retirees. Why not leverage your years of experience and make money sharing your acquired knowledge with others?
As a senior who has traveled the affiliate marketing route myself, I see this as a perfect fit. You’re ready to embrace the next phase of your life, and it shouldn’t be tied to an employer’s schedule. I get that, and you’ll love the flexibility and self-directed nature of Internet marketing.
Working on my blog is not location-specific. I can hang out comfortably at home, bring my laptop to my favorite coffee shop, or take it with me on the road as I travel. That works with my retiree lifestyle!
Moreover, I know very few folks on the brink of retirement who aren’t looking forward to indulging in a favorite pastime or hobby. What if you could combine your need for a little extra income with a pleasurable leisure pursuit or avocation? Didn’t we dream of something similar throughout our working careers?
So pour an extra mug of coffee, and stick with me as we explore the myriad reasons why affiliate marketing should be part of your future.
What is the Affiliate Marketing Business Model?
In this digital age, the affiliate marketing business model represents a powerful strategy for making money online. Under this model, affiliates (who are also known as publishers) promote the products of certain vendors in exchange for a commission. A 2016 survey conducted by Forrester Consulting estimated that 81% of all online sales involve an affiliate.
Your mission as an affiliate is to connect consumers who are surfing the Net in search of information with vendors who have products and services to sell. There is no need to develop your own products, stock stuff in inventory, or deal with shipping issues. Those headaches are dealt with by merchants.
Since virtually all of the largest online retailers (and most of the smaller ones as well) offer affiliate programs, the selection of products you can choose to promote is staggering. The model is highly effective because all parties benefit and the shared advantages have driven explosive growth in the affiliate marketing industry.
Overall, the business model is a simple one that offers affiliates both flexibility and the potential for lucrative returns. Merchants jumped onboard because affiliate marketing is performance-based. They get broad exposure for their products, and they only pay for results.
And, naturally, consumers revel in the content that they can leverage to make more informed purchase decisions. It seems that all parties win which suggests that affiliate marketing is here to stay.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
So, I’m sure the concept of affiliate marketing sounds intriguing. But how do you get started and how does affiliate marketing work at a detailed level for an individual marketer like yourself? I know you’re wondering lots of things like how you choose which products to promote, how you connect with consumers, and how you get paid.
Great questions! So, let’s answer your questions, shall we?
Choose an Engaging and Riveting Interest
As you contemplated retirement over the years, what hobby or activity did you most often envision having the time to enjoy? Now, can you further imagine all the other folks out there who share your enthusiasm? Affiliate marketers refer to that group of people as your niche.
The ability to empathize with your niche or target audience and understand their informational needs and pain points is huge. The secret is to get inside a fellow enthusiast’s head, figure out just exactly what they’re looking for, and create content that fills a need.
Why not jump into the comments section below and share your favorite hobbies or pursuits?
Build a Beautiful Website
There’s no need to be technically savvy to build a stunningly attractive website. The computing skills you exercised to find my website and read this post are sufficient. I urge you to create a site using WordPress which has more than 2,000 free themes that allow you to personalize your website and make it your own.
Check out the video below to see how you can create a free WordPress website in seconds which you can subsequently use to communicate with your online target market.
Attract Visitors With Helpful and Informative Content
Once your website is live, you can begin the process of attracting a following. This phase is all about your readers and involves blogging about topics of paramount importance to your niche audience.
We start with keywords and use search engine optimization techniques to encourage Google to send visitors our way. Billions of Internet users conduct searches on Google every day. Searchers have questions that require comprehensive answers. If you’ve done your research and your site contains relevant answers, you can attract free organic traffic.
Content creation is where you’ll spend the bulk of your time as you create your online business venture. It’s hard work requiring time and patience which is why I encourage you to follow your passions and choose something you thoroughly enjoy. Toiling at something you love is far more palatable.
Earn Revenue By Connecting Consumers and Merchants
Any website that attracts an interested following can make money. I don’t care what your hobby is; you’ll frequently feel the need to acquire additional supplies, tools, books, and related gadgetry. Successful niche websites investigate and review popular products with an eye toward helping consumers make the best purchase decisions for their needs.
All affiliate programs are free to join. After you’ve partnered with a vendor (or perhaps the affiliate network they employ), you’ll add unique links to your site that readers can click to travel to the merchant’s website and make a purchase. As the referring publisher, you earn a commission for each completed purchase transaction.
Where Can You Find Affiliate Products to Promote?
Finding products to promote on your website is not difficult because these days it’s the rare vendor that doesn’t have an affiliate program. Many newbie affiliates start out partnering with Amazon, and I think you’ll want to consider that as well. Amazon is bound to carry products for almost any scenario, and you can’t discount the Amazon trust factor.
But there are endless additional options that you should also investigate. Go to Google and type in the name of any product. Then tack on ‘+affiliate program’ to see all the information you’ll need.
How Much Money Can You Make?
No one really wants to hear the answer that your earnings will depend entirely on you, but that is, in fact, the reality. If you’re looking for some overnight riches type of scheme, this is not it. Making money as a blogger takes persistence, patience, and good old-fashioned hard work.
Most people blog in relative obscurity for months before their traffic starts to grow. But if you resolve to write quality content and keep at it, Google will eventually begin to reward your efforts with higher rankings. Each new post you publish will bring a trickle of new readers until you eventually draw a steady stream.
Somewhere around the 6-month mark, you’ll start to see your first sales, and you’ll fully understand that the process works. From there, it’s a question of scaling your business. I know marketers at various ends of the spectrum. Some are content with small amounts of extra income. Others are pushing the limits and earning more than they ever earned as a full-time employee.
Of course, there are also the people who never earn anything. Those are the folks who quickly become discouraged and give up. I think my senior readers who’ve spent their entire lives working in and outside the home will recognize the wisdom in staying the course and making the necessary commitment.
How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Website the Right Way
Much like other endeavors, the right training and tools can make all the difference in your success as an affiliate marketer. I’m going to recommend you follow a proven path. My suggestion is to join a community of entrepreneurs who will encourage and mentor you on your way to online success.
Wealthy Affiliate is one of the most comprehensive training platforms available in the online space. I have firsthand knowledge of this as a premium member for 3 years with no plans to ever leave.
I can assure you that Wealthy Affiliate offers everything you need to start your online business the right way and continue to work toward success. Read more about the benefits of Wealthy Affiliate or click the banner below to join risk-free as a Starter Member.
Over to You
What else can I tell you about the benefits of affiliate marketing for seniors and retirees? As your questions in the comment section below and I will get back to you promptly!
Like It? Please Share It!
Thank you for sharing. I am not at that stage of life where I am retired, but I am at the stage of life where I am considering it. Wealthy Affiliate has given me hope that I will be able to build something that will last past my “working years”, continue to generate an income, and keep me productive. Furthermore, your post has me thinking about my parents and how this could be a fit for them also, thank you again.
Hi Lee,
If everyone did a little more planning during their working years, I think most people would be significantly better prepared for retirement. So, I applaud you for looking ahead. It’s actually perfect that you’ve started your online business while you’re still working. It takes time to grow and nurture your business such that it is earning an income. By the time you’re ready for retirement, you could be earning a very comfortable retirement supplement. And, who knows? Perhaps you’ll be in a position to retire from the workforce at a much younger age.
I hope you will send your parents my way. Seniors and retirees are in a great position to be successful as affiliate marketers. I’d be pleased to answer any questions they might have.
Thanks for commenting and I wish you much success with your online endeavors!
Hey Linda, thanks for sharing this information. I hadn’t considered the possibility that seniors and retirees could be actively involved in online affiliate marketing. Nevertheless. it’s a worthwhile business as it gives room for self-development and getting occupied which might lead to less loneliness for seniors and retirees.
I joined the affiliate marketing world months ago and am already making extra income. I would like to share this information and bookmark your site for my mom who is also a senior and a retiree like you. Maybe she can take up a similar position as you did.
Hi Olalekan,
Congratulations on the success you’re enjoying with your affiliate marketing venture. Please do share information from my site with your Mom. I thoroughly enjoy connecting with my fellow retirees and I’d be thrilled to share the myriad benefits of affiliate marketing for seniors and retirees with her.
Thanks for sharing and contributing to the discussion!
This is a very great information that is really helpful for those who have retired but still want to make extra money online. Affiliate marketing is one of the sure ways to make good money online and if you don’t have the knowledge about it, you will fail in it. This article provides that knowledge that is why it is important for everyone to read it
Hi Linus,
It;s true that knowledge is power. Affiliate marketing isn’t complicated but having access to step-by-step training is very important if you hope to achieve success, I personally found the training at Wealthy Affiliate to be exceptional and I really can’t recommend it strongly enough.
Thanks for stopping by and chiming in!
Great article and well articulated, I have resorted to promoting Wealthy Affiliate which has given me some results and I hope to get more results soon. But Amazon Associates was a drag for me. Are there any tricks you could give me for me to leverage Amazon Associates? I am not a senior but I already get a pension because I can’t work though I am still in my mid-40s.
I am into skincare products and I have found which affiliate marketing platform to leverage. I use Wealthy Affiliate for long term goals but it has opened many wonderful opportunities. I leverage social media which works for me. I am seeing results. Again thank you for the wonderful insight into Affiliate marketing for Seniors.
Hi Cinderella,
If you’re unable to work outside the home, affiliate marketing is perfect for you. I’m sorry to hear that Amazon has not yet worked out well for you. Do keep in mind that it takes time to generate traffic on a website. As your traffic increases, you may start to see significantly better results. Just stick with it and continue to produce good content. That’s the secret to building a following.
Good luck and thanks for commenting!
Hi Linda, you have vividly described what affiliate marketing is and how important it is especially to retirees. I haven’t retired from active service yet, but I still make time to build my online business and I can categorically say that it has been a success all through.
One thing I love about affiliate marketing is the flexibility that it comes with. Like you rightly said, one can travel with her laptop or visit a favorite coffee shop and still work on her business. You aptly listed the right process to follow in order to become an affiliate marketer. Choosing a niche is very important, especially choosing a niche you are passionate about. The passion tends to sustain one when the going becomes tough.
Thanks for an informative article.
Hi Gracen,
You are so right about choosing a topic for your blog that you really love. One of the reasons affiliate marketing is such a great fit for seniors and retirees is that I’ve met very few who aren’t avid hobbyists. They’ve been around long enough to experiment with different interests and they’ve honed in on what they really enjoy. That can be huge when you’re doing research, writing articles, and working on trying to connect with people.
I think it’s great that you’ve started your online business while you’re still in the workforce. By the time retirement rolls around, and it will, you’ll be well-positioned to continue generating an income. It’s great to hear you’re achieving success and I hope that continues for you.
Thanks for jumping into the conversation!
Hi Linda! Learning about affiliate marketing will only take about 3 months (that is to master the basics) but having the experience in any given field takes a lifetime. So seniors have a huge advantage because they can connect with their audience in a more meaningful and in depth way. Reading a kid’s blog will never be as rewarding as a senior’s blog.
Probably what holds most seniors back are these 3 months of learning curve that must be covered to learn the ropes of affiliate marketing.
Hi Henry,
It’s true that seniors do have a tremendous amount of life experience to share and I think that can be very helpful for a blogger. The initial learning may seem a little intimidating. But I suspect most seniors are concerned that they don’t have the right computing and technical skills. We obviously didn’t learn about computers in school as folks in younger generations have. It can be difficult to convince people that building and operating a website requires very little technical expertise.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
I would like to commend you for taking out time to write this great informative article about affiliate marketing for seniors and retirees. Ever since my Dad retired this year he has been searching for some things that will be reasonable and income generating to do to keep himself busy. I have been telling him about the Wealthy Affiliate community because I agree that affiliate marketing makes sense for him. I want him to go through the right process in his development as an affiliate marketer. I’m going to refer him to your site. I think hearing it from another senior might help. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Barry,
Yes, please do send your Dad my way. I’ve been in his situation and I think it can be very helpful to connect with another retired senior. I’d be happy to share my affiliate marketing experiences with him.
Thanks for your comments!