21 Affiliate Marketing Tips For Beginners
21 Affiliate Marketing Tips For Beginners is a short guide to help newbies start on the right path and avoid some of the pitfalls new affiliates experience. This is intended to help educate new affiliate marketers so they or you don’t go down the wrong path.
As an Affiliate Marketer, you have to make the decision to be ethical and offer only legitimate, quality products to your audience or subscribers. Don’t use deception or tricky and expect to build a long lasting reputation. It takes time to establish your credibility and build your loyal audience. For example, check the refund rates and reviews of items you are interested in offering. Failure to do your research or ideally, test the product yourself could end in disaster.
I get asked a lot of questions from beginners, so here are some tips I have learned over the past 2 years. I don’t have all the answers, but the 21 tips below will get you started on the right path, but know going in it is in your best interest to learn as much as you can on an ongoing basis. I call it continuous learning. Affiliate Marketing isn’t for the meek or anyone who doesn’t believe in working smart and learning new skills.
Disclaimer: I am offering several helpful tips to new affiliate marketers. Some of these tips discuss products and services I use and/or recommend in the body of this post. They are only recommendations and you have no obligation to purchase or use any of them.
1. Educate yourself on the FTC guidelines and disclosure requirements
If you decide to have a website, which is highly recommended for establishing credibility and authority, visit the FTC website to become familiar with the requirements. The FTC is going after the scammers and deceptive marketing practices. Affiliates are required to have a disclosure letting people know that they will make a commission from some of the products promoted on their website if the user makes a purchase through their affiliate link. There are other policies, so make sure you understand them.
Make sure your policies can be “easily” located on your website. Use normal fonts, nothing fancy or hard to read. Use a font color that easy to read too. I once visited a site with light pink font. It drove me crazy enough to leave the website owner a comment.
Over the past 2 years, I have seen numerous products that promise overnight riches, weight loss with no effort or dieting, etc. There is a sea of crap out there. Don’t buy into it or promote those products. The only people making money from them are the ones selling them to the naïve, uneducated buyers. You will establish a bad reputation by doing that, along with numerous complaints and refund, and possible trouble with the FTC.
Know the high risk niches such as:
Weight Loss
Make Money
Enhancement products
The above niches are high risk because of the false claims people make. Some work and are effective, but most of them are worthless. It’s your responsibility to determine what works and which ones are scams. Always to your research and whenever possible, test the products yourself. I will discuss more about this later.
https://www.ftc.gov/
2. Don’t spend money on software/systems unless they offer a trial so you can try first with NO risk
I don’t know how many times I have seen a sales pitch for the latest and greatest ‘system’. I have found that most aren’t with the money. Shop around and do plenty of research before getting your wallet out. Stay away from the ‘shiny objects’. The legitimate sources will offer a free trial for you to test for a period and decide if you want to continue. They will also have an easy cancellation procedure.
Keep in mind that many sites do not allow ‘auto-posting’ so be cautious with tools like Hootsuite.
3. Don’t spend thousands of dollars on fancy websites or hosting
There are plenty of good hosting sites with very reasonable fees and even more people available to either built a website for a reasonable amount or help you build one yourself. For example, WP Engine is a great hosting service, but it comes with a price while Hostgator is also great and lower cost. Understand the differences and what services are offered.
If you’re wanting to open an online store in your niche’, you might want to consider Shopify or Big Commerce. These platforms have thousands of members and bring you the traffic through their site. They have reasonable monthly fees so having your own store won’t break the bank.
4. Learn WordPress if you are going to blog
At first I was intimated by WordPress, but once I started I got over it and love this platform. It rocks! It’s like writing in a Word document. I learned everything I know about WordPress from watching Youtube tutorials and trying things on my own. This is a great opportunity for you to get out of your comfort zone. As an Affiliate Marketer you will likely use the option to have multiple sites and the more you can do yourself, the more money you will save in the early stages.
Of course, you have the option to outsource but it is very important to research the cost before hiring someone to built you a website. Make sure the total cost is quoted and what all is included. Sometime web developers offer a ‘starting” price and add on from there. Understanding this could save you a lot of money.
5. Connect with other honest Affiliate Marketers
We do exist and we love helping people. It’s not just about making money, it’s also about helping people along the way, sharing information and experiences and connecting with other ‘like-minded’ people. I recommend staying away from MLM (multi-level marketing) as a lot of these networks use unacceptable and deceptive marketing practices. The FTC has additional information on their site. I do not recommend networks such as Empower Network or My Lead System Pro. I do recommend Wealthy Affiliate and have been very happy with the members and the support level. They have a free and paid membership option.
6. Utilize social media correctly
Don’t buy followers, likes or views because they violate the terms & conditions of the site. Social media sites like Youtube, Twitter and Facebook are systems in place to track unusual or suspicious activities. It’s worth getting your account suspended.
Stay abreast of the ever changing marketing strategies. Just know and accept the terms or rules will change, so learn to adapt. What works now, may not work in 6 months. Find people who make it their mission to know everything about the various social media sites and effective marketing strategies that work and are acceptable.
I’ve read numerous blog posts that provide tips for the affiliate marketing beginners and they discuss outsourcing a lot. That’s fine but I have used fiverr to outsource some marketing and found out the person’s twitter followers were ‘fake’ followers. Talk about deception. She advertised that she has thousand of Twitter followers. I emailed her and asked her what interests her followers had. She couldn’t tell me because they fake and she admitted to they were fake.
Some social media sites do not allow some affiliate links, especially if they involve potential scams. For example, Clickbank products are often banned from social media sites because many of them are low quality and have been reported.
7. Create informative and honest content for your website or blog
Know your subject and niche! Two years ago, I wouldn’t have even thought of writing this blog post on my own. This this time, I feel pretty confident about providing tips to beginners. After reading several blog posts written by other Affiliate Marketers, I know I am discussing important topics many are leaving out.
Don’t steal other people’s content. That’s big no-no. You can outsource by hiring professional writers to produce articles for you but do your research first so you know who you are dealing with.
8. Choose your affiliate products wisely.
Don’t market anything to ‘just make a buck”. I was a member of My Lead System Pro for about 3 months. I dropped out because I saw many of the members promoting a product I found to be unethical. I did a lot of research before I decided not to proceed with that opportunity. I was disappointed with my findings, but when you have to have a lot of ‘work arounds’ because your are bending the rules or violating terms, it’s a good indication there will be issues.
Some of the sales pitches are great but whenever possible verify their information in real time. For example, if they are promoting a program for eBay and they are showing eBay seller usernames, jot down those usernames, go out to eBay to look them up. Once you find them, take a look at their sales and feedback. That’s what I did with the DS Domination and was not impressed with the real time seller results. Also, keep in mind that people can produce and manipulate websites to make their results better than they really are. I’m never impressed when people show their sales or their PayPal accounts. Photoshop is a wonderful tool. Don’t be fooled.
Be careful with the so called ‘scam review sites’. I have found some that point out scams only to promote other products I believe are scams.
9. Invest in your education.
Learn from honest people and stay away from the scammers. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to learn affiliate marketing. There are plenty of good quality courses available under $50.00-$100.00. I am on the Internet everyday looking for additional resources and helpful information. There is a lot of very good free information people are willing to share, but be prepared to invest when appropriate.
Here is a post I wrote about a really good training course:
http://tipsfromlori.com/jays-affiliate-marketing-bootcamp-video-course/
10. If you build an email list, understand the responsibility involved and abide by your own policies
Visit the FTC website on a regular basis so you stay on top of the requirements.
Don’t SPAM or over send emails.
Have an ‘unsubscribe’ option.
Provide good information the reader will find useful.
Join only reputable affiliate programs and networks.
Commission Junction
Sharesale
Linkshare
Clickbank
JVzoo
I just name some of the more common networks but there are many many more. Most require you to complete an application which is fairly easy.
Here is a post about Affiliate Programs:
http://tipsfromlori.com/affiliate-programs/
I belong to several, but I will not promote anything on Clicksure. (Deceptive and Low Quality)
11. Use only ‘white hat’ marketing strategies.
These are ethical and accepted by the community and affiliate networks / programs.
Always do your research…..always! Make sure you thoroughly read and understand the terms and conditions of each platform you use. Violating the terms can result in account suspension. Get in the habit of good behavior.
Social Media- Youtube, Google+, Tsu, Facebook Fanpage, Twitter, Instgram, Pinterest- do a search for ‘list of social media sites’.
Video Marketing- Youtube, Daily Motion, Slideshare are just few, do a search for ‘list of free video download sites’.
Paid Ads- Solo ads, Google Adsense, Bing, paid classifieds
Free Classified Ads- there are too many to list. Do a search for ‘list of free classified ads’.
12. Learn the most effective marketing strategies and use them wisely.
Depending on what you are offering or promoting, might effect which strategy you want to use. Email marketing is believed to be the most effective, but I beg to differ. I rarely purchase items via an email from some I subscribed to. If you do use email marketing, do not send more than one or two emails weekly. I have unsubscribed to everyone who emails me daily or more than twice per week.
13. Learn Keyword research and search engine optimization (SEO) or outsource to professionals.
This is very important for your website. It is much easier said than done. I recommend taking a course or finding resources that explain the most effective techniques clearly. There are a lot of people who will show you some, but most are not willing to share all of their secrets for free. I still try to learn as much about this as possible. It is a moving target. Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do.
14. Don’t mislead or trick your audience.
You may fool a few, but most will see right through you. Being deceptive is very foolish and unprofessional. It can also get the FTC on your back. I see a lot of this on YouTube. One marketing strategy that was very popular for a while was to refer to a product as a ‘scam’. People are always searching to see if something is a scam. Putting the word ‘scam’ in the title of a video was a way to get more views, but over time the product owners decided it was a bad for their products. Some affiliates have added ‘Do not use the word ‘scam’ as a promotional or marketing strategy’ or something to that effect. When I see videos still using that strategy, I leave a comment. It pisses some people offer, but I don’t care.
15. Think long term; set goals to keep you moving forward to grow your affiliate marketing business.
Affiliate marketing is not a get rich quick opportunity. It takes time to build your audience and establish your credibility. I learn more every day. Don’t let that scare you. When you make a sale, it is an awesome feeling. It takes consistent daily action and commitment. When I get discouraged, I watch Youtube videos that inspire me to continue. Setup a daily action list and stick to it. You don’t need anything fancy, just something to keep you focused and active.
16. Utilize your resources both online and offline.
Again, do your research. It pays off in the long run. I use the Internet on a daily basis to do my research, but the local library has some very good material too.
17. Ask sellers for samples and review copies.
The legitimate ones will be happy to accommodate you. Sometimes it is better to actually purchase the product and try it. Be careful and avoiding over spending. It’s safe to say that not all affiliate marketers use all the products they promote. The main point is to make sure you are offering a good product with no defects or problems.
18. Reach out to the sellers and affiliate managers.
They want you to be successful. It’s a win-win for all parties. Don’t be shy or afraid to ask them questions. The more successful you, the more successful they are.
19. Be willing to help others without always expecting to gain financially.
Giving is a good thing. Sharing information helps built credibility. I am not writing this post with the sole intention of making a dime. If someone clicks on one my affiliate links and makes a purchase, great but if they don’t, I’m okay with that too. I just want to share what I have learned because I know it will help someone. People love reading about the good and bad experiences of others.
20. If you decide to use paid ads, set a budget and test your ads.
If something doesn’t work, understand why, learn and try again. Youtube tutorials are very helpful.
21. Use Outsourcing Carefully
As I mention previously, outsourcing is a viable option, but be careful. Read actual reviews from previous clients. Sites like oDesk, Freelancer and eLance are good options. The feedback cannot be manipulated. If reading reviews on someone’s site, be cautious as many sites moderate their comments and only post the positive ones.
Final thoughts:
-Don’t give up or get discouraged. Always look for ways to stay inspired and determined. Affiliate Marketing is not the easiest way to make money, but it is very doable if you’re willing to stick with it.
-Be ethical
-Take consistent, daily actions.
-Work smart, learn from successful, ethical people / mentors.
-Do your research!
To your success!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing
