Throughout history, sales commissions have made people very rich—like, “buy-your-own-island” rich.
Heard of insurance legend W. Clement Stone? He turned $100 into $2 billion by selling life insurance commissions like his life depended on it. Patron Tequila’s John Paul DeJoria once hustled shampoo door-to-door, all on commission. Before becoming the ‘Father of Advertising,’ David Ogilvy sold high-end Aga Cookers for commissions. Jordan Belfort aka ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ was pocketing $50 million a year in commissions at his peak. And Dolly Lenz closed $10 billion worth of property sales while working on commission.
All these folks made big bucks by promoting other people’s products.
Today, bloggers are doing the same.
How? With affiliate marketing.
‘Smart Passive Income’s’ Pat Flynn makes $2 million a year from affiliate marketing alone. ‘Millionaire Mentor’ Jason Stone rakes in $7 million from promotional links for everything from tech gadgets to luxury items. While 28% of affiliate marketers in 2024 are in the beauty industry, and 19% are fashion, other niches are booming too: toys saw a 109% boost in affiliate sales last year, and home improvement jumped 86%.
The global market opportunity? $17 Billion.
And the Ask? A website with an audience!
All you – the blogger – has to do, is write about products related to your content. Then, anytime a visitor to your site clicks a link to buy the product, the brand pays you, the affiliate, a commission. And on and on it goes!
Cracking The Affiliate Jackpot: No Commutes, Just Cashflow
As a blogger, you’ll have many ways to make money. There are Ads, sponsored reviews, selling your own products, running online courses… And yet, for many bloggers, commissions from affiliate links remain the golden ticket. Here’s why.
The ROI is terrific! For every dollar spent, affiliate marketing pulls in $15. That’s a 1400% return.
No surprises: Publishers love it. 31% of publishers rank affiliate marketing in their top three revenue streams, and 9% say it’s their #1 cash cow.
Commissions in affiliate marketing range from 4% to a jaw-dropping 50% per sale. And guess what? All this is hassle free: No drowning in inventory or dealing with customer complaints. You just gotta promote the goods, and watch the profits roll in.
Being an affiliate marketer is a lot like being the cool kid in school who knows where to get the best deals – and recommending things to your loyal followers (because they trust your impeccable taste, obviously). It’s also about presentation; the best affiliate links will slide into your content like they were meant to be there. No more clunky ads crashing the party, which means happier readers!
You can rake in those sweet conversion rates even if your audience isn’t the size of a small country; it’s all about quality over quantity.
You can start small with a few affiliate products, or scale up partnering with multiple brands – your choice, boss!
Lastly, it’s easy to begin. Zero upfront expenses, with amazing potential for passive income. Just sprinkle in some links, and if nothing sells, well, you don’t lose a dime.
Crack the Code on Affiliate Cash
Here are 10 quick-fire tips to get you going as an affiliate marketer.
- Stalk Your Audience (In a Non-Creepy Way): Understand your audience’s needs, hangouts, and desires—then cater to them.
- Offer What Excites: Promote products that solve problems or spark joy. Be the hero they need! No excitement, no sale.
- The Popularity Play: Brands love affiliates with reach. Boost your site’s traffic. More eyeballs, more brand deals—it’s a numbers game!
- Ninja Those Links: Nobody likes a pushy salesperson. Discreetly slip affiliate links into footers and sidebars like a pro.
- Rave and Review: Hype up products in glowing reviews or share pre-existing ones.
- Master Email & Social: Turn followers into buyers by sprinkling affiliate links in your emails and posts.
- Listicles For the Win: Create list-style posts and pepper in your affiliate picks. Easy reads, big rewards.
- Revive Old Posts: Update your best old content with relevant affiliate products.
- Influencers Are Gold: Consumers trust influencers like they’re besties – 88% of them are influenced by what they see from their digital rockstars. And 59% of companies are cashing in by using influencers as affiliates – you should too.
- Analyze & Adjust: Use data to track, tweak, and optimize for consistent cash flow. Most affiliate programs provide tracking tools that show you how many people are clicking on your links. This tells you which products are resonating with your audience, and which ones might need a little extra love.
The Many Faces of Affiliates
There isn’t just one type of affiliate blogger out there!
- The ‘Unattached’: These are your free-spirited marketers who promote products outside their usual niche. Just like that friend who tries to sell you a gadget without ever knowing what a gadget does! Take Mashable, for example; they dabble in everything from Tech to entertainment.
- The ‘Related’: These affiliates are still casual but have a bit more focus. They use influence ‘related’ to a niche, kind of like suggesting a restaurant you haven’t been to but heard good things about. Blogger Pat Flynn is a good example; he’s the guru of passive income and promotes services like those of website builders.
- The ‘Involved’: These are your Passionate Pros, your hardcore aficionados. They’ll be super selective about products they promote. Think of Wirecutter and its meticulous reviews.
Which type will you be?
Picking the Perfect Affiliate Program: Finding Your Match Made in Heaven
Affiliate marketing isn’t some get-rich-quick scheme.
It takes work.
It takes strategy.
And many bloggers find they grow quicker when they stumble on that one special affiliate program that’s right for them.
What’s your jam? Are you all about home decor that screams Pinterest perfection, or do you have a passion for beauty products that make you glow?
If you’re into handmade things, Etsy’s affiliate program could become your go-to. Promoting home décor? Houzz and Pottery Barn have affiliate programs for those who appreciate timeless quality. Target’s decent commission structure doesn’t hurt either, and Wayfair’s vast selections for affiliates are sure to keep you busy. Beauty bloggers swear by affiliate program gems like those at Sephora, Ulta, MAC, Bobbi Brown, or L’Occitane.
Generalists have a buffet of options as well: Fiverr, eBay, ConvertKit, MailerLite, Kinsta, Teachable, Skillshare, FlexJobs, Notion, Canva, and Nordstrom…there’s a little something for everyone!
Into the Affiliate Jungle
There’s a Big Kahuna of affiliate marketing – one reigning champion with a whopping 43% market share: The Amazon Associates Program.
It’s the biggest player in the game, and it paid out some $900 million in affiliate commissions last year.
With millions of products to choose from, you can promote items that resonate with your niche AND delight your audience!
Commission rates range widely: Amazon games pays 20%, beauty commissions are generally at 10%, books are at 4.5%, and groceries are at 1%.
PS: To make the most of the program, go one step further and explore the right tools.
AzonPress is a WordPress plugin that lets you promote affiliate links with flair, say, through clickable gift guides. These are curated lists of products tailored for occasions like holidays or birthdays, and can lead to some serious Cha Ching! Add clickable images and enticing “buy now” buttons…and watch your traffic explode.
Amazon Associates SiteStrip is your best friend for creating affiliate links with ease.
And while you’re at it, why not hit up Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram with your links, with tools like Hootsuite to schedule your posts? No one said your links had to just be on your blog articles.
Takeaways
Affiliate marketing can be a goldmine – if you’re in it for the long haul.
Promote consistently, because your links won’t click themselves.
Believe in your products, because otherwise who will?
And like anything else, keep it real.
Regulatory bodies such as the FTC will have your back, as long as you remain honest and disclose your affiliate relationships (because nobody wants a lawsuit).
Bonus: Doing so will also help build trust with your audience.
Ready to unleash your inner affiliate marketing rockstar? Get back to your blog – and happy marketing!
