The Affiliate Marketing space continues to mature, grow, and evolve. It’s a brilliant business model offering tons of potential to everyday folks with entrepreneurial aspirations but limited capital. So, if you’ve been wondering how to learn affiliate marketing from the ground up, look no further than today’s post.
I’ve got you covered!
Be sure to stay with me until the end of this post because I have a special invitation for you – one that’s changed many people’s lives. And, I don’t you to miss out.
Is it a deal?
So, What Is the Meaning of Affiliate Marketing?
The fundamental idea behind affiliate marketing is the promotion of other people’s (or vendor’s) products. Affiliates earn a commission if their promotional efforts are successful and people end up making a purchase.
It’s not complicated, but it does involve at least three (and potentially four) parties: product vendors, affiliates (or publishers), an affiliate network (perhaps), and consumers. Arguably, Amazon started the affiliate marketing craze, but today there are very few online vendors that don’t have affiliate programs.
There’s a simple reason behind the popularity….
Affiliate marketing offers advantages to all parties involved in the transactions.Quite simply, it works because everyone wins! For those who frequently ask how does affiliate marketing really work, here’s a high-level visual depiction of the model.
In a moment, we’ll further examine the roles and motivations of all the parties. But first, let’s talk about the major factors that make affiliate marketing vastly appealing.
5 Appealing Aspects of Affiliate Marketing
I meet people every day who are eager to leverage the affiliate marketing business model and create an online business. Sometimes that eagerness is based on misconceptions that I hope to dispel. But, there are excellent reasons for pursuing this dream, and these are my top drivers.
(1) Inexpensive to Get Started and to Operate
Unlike other business ventures, you don’t need brick and mortar or inventory. All you need is a website and hosting for your site. Startup costs are minimal, and this is huge. It tends to level the playing field and open up the industry to the average individual.
(2) A Plethora of Products to Promote
I’ve already mentioned this once, but I honestly feel it bears repeating. There are tens of thousands of online vendors in this Internet era, and most of them sponsor affiliate programs. You have absolute control over the products you choose to promote.
I’m sure there are a million product choices through Amazon alone, and that’s just one vendor. You have the ability to affiliate with multiple vendors (programs are all free to join). Then pick and choose items you staunchly believe in and are proud to feature.
(3) Location Independent
Your website functions in a global economy and is open 24/7. A laptop and a reliable Internet connection are all you need to update your site and manage your business. Work from home, a local cafe, or anyplace in the world of your choosing. The flexibility to travel is amazing at least from this retiree’s vantage point!
(4) Scalability
Create one website or multiple sites in several different niches. Focus on one product or expand your scope to include a variety of product or service offerings. It’s even possible to develop your own products for sale in addition to those of other merchants. How large of an online empire do you want?
(5) Build Passive Income Streams Over Time
Make no mistake. Initially, there is nothing passive about blogging as an affiliate marketer. I’m not going to pull any punches. Blogging is far from a walk in the park. On the contrary, it’s hard work.
However, once your blog is established and your posts are ranking well in Google, passive income is indeed possible. You’ll begin to generate income from articles that were written months (or even years) ago. There is a powerful appeal in writing a post once and then earning income from it many times over an extended period.
Of course, the classic passive income experience is waking up to discover your blog was earning money as you slept. Few things can rival that burst of excitement!
The Affiliate Marketing Players
It’s time to expand upon the graphic image above that explains how affiliate marketing works and why this methodology has witnessed explosive growth.
Numerous studies show that the vast majority of consumers perform online research before they make a major purchase decision. Information is at their fingertips, and it’s comforting to decide based on facts. So, most people will “Google it”before buying.
Affiliates respond to customer needs for data by writing comprehensive product/service reviews that are crafted around relevant search terms or keywords. Google and other search engines use keywords to serve up the most appropriate websites based on customer queries.
Affiliate websites contain links to vendor websites such as Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy where readers can complete desired purchases. Vendors enhance the visibility of their product offerings and increase sales in a cost-effective manner by contracting with affiliates.
Some vendors like Amazon administer their own affiliate programs. Other merchants employ affiliate networks to oversee their affiliate programs. For example, Best Buy uses the Rakuten network.
The links embedded in affiliate websites are unique tracking mechanisms that allow for revenue sharing. If a customer arrives at a vendor’s website through an affiliate link and completes a purchase within a designated time period, the affiliate receives a commission for his or her efforts.
I think you can see how all parties derive benefits in this affiliate marketing scenario and are well-satisfied. Consumers have access to the information they crave, vendors sell a lot more products, affiliate marketers make money in commissions, and affiliate networks receive compensation for the services they perform.
What’s not to like about this process? Affiliate marketing isn’t going away anytime soon!
Is it Possible to Learn Affiliate Marketing On Your Own?
Maybe….
There’s certainly a lot of info out there. But, it sure is harder. You’re bound to hit stumbling blocks from time to time and have specific questions that just aren’t answered in the online guides. Fact: without the right support, many people who choose to “go it alone” just get frustrated and quit.
Wouldn’t it help if someone took you by the hand and guided you through the necessary steps? Yeah, I think so too!
How to Learn Affiliate Marketing and Start Your Online Journey
Rather than struggling on your own, I recommend you join an elite platform that is well-established in the online space. Wealthy Affiliate has been around since 2005 and continues a tradition of mentoring and coaching successful affiliate marketers.
WA has not just survived but thrived in a wildly competitive environment for more than a decade. Their success is fueled by a commitment to continuous development and improvement.
Anyone seeking the best way to learn affiliate marketing will find blockbuster value in a global and supportive community of like-minded individuals. The community is where WA really shines!
I know you’ve all seen the hype-filled promises that sounded super appealing but didn’t ring true! I won’t insult your intelligence with such nonsense.
Sadly, there is no magic pill or secret formula that can guarantee riches.
The road to affiliate marketing success is paved with a healthy mixture of solid training in proven techniques, constructive dialog and feedback from a caring community, dedication, and sweat!
Wrapping Up
At Wealthy Affiliate:
- You won’t be relying on reading theory that can readily confuse a newbie
- Lessons are task-based, and you’ll build your website from day one as you learn by doing in a self-paced format
- Training exemplifies real-world experiences from the perspective of successful marketers and incorporates step-by-step instructional videos
- You’ll amass a wealth of knowledge with practical application to online marketing
I could easily go on at length based on my nearly two years of daily interactions within this community, but why?
All you need is an email address to create a free Starter Membership and experience the benefits of Wealthy Affiliate for yourself. Seriously, you can launch your free website today!
If you catch the online fever, you may ultimately want to become a premium member like myself. But, please don’t even consider taking that step yet. For anyone still wondering how to learn affiliate marketing, the free membership option is an eye-opener, and you definitely don’t want to miss out.
So, here’s that special invitation I promised above.
===> Click Here to Create a Free WA Membership and Embark on a Path to Learn Affiliate Marketing
Fun and exciting learning opportunities await. Enjoy!
Over to You
My readers and I would love to hear about any experiences you’ve had in the affiliate marketing arena. Have you tried the training at Wealthy Affiliate? Is there another training approach that you would recommend instead? Please, jump into the comment section and share your thoughts!
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