4 Tips on How to Get Started in Affiliate Marketing

The past decade brought a concept that seems too good to be true to our attention: passive income through affiliate marketing. Is that even possible? Cash hitting your account without you barely lifting a finger?

The short answer is YES! The long answer? 

Let’s just say there’s a learning curve.

But if you’re just starting or thinking about affiliate marketing, we’re here to give you four essential tips on how to become a successful affiliate marketer.

Let’s dive in!

Also, make sure you check out our Affiliate Marketing Academy episode on how to make your first sale as a beginner affiliate marketer.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

No point in re-inventing the wheel here, so we’re just going to give you Wikipedia’s definition:

“Affiliate marketing is the process of earning money (commissions) every time you promote a company’s products or services and drive a sale. You only get paid every time you drive a sale, just like a commission-only sales representative.”

The more people buy the products you’re promoting, the higher your affiliate commission gets.

But before you even make one single sale, you need to have the right mindset about it. Just like any other revenue stream, this entire journey has a business aspect to it, so your mind needs to dress to impress. 

To do that, here are the four affiliate marketing tips that will get your foot in the door.

1. Choose Your Audience

Products are designed for two markets:

Until a couple of years ago, everyone believed that business-oriented products were priced higher, giving you a chance of heftier commissions right from the start.

The downside: there are fewer businesses in the world than the average Joe. 

On the flip side, consumer products had lower prices, but the potential sales volume was higher.

The past two years have changed this: There are countless high-ticket consumer offers out there, and shifting to remote working environments has increased the need for business-oriented products and services at lower costs.

So the choice is yours!

Between B2B and B2C products, the only thing that matters is your experience and what you’re comfortable with. The potential for growth and gain is the same in both audiences.

2. Choose Your Niche

Some find this a tricky step.

Reason being, there are a plethora of offers out there for you to choose from. There is an affiliate program for anything you can think of, from cooking classes to mortgage refinancing courses, from dating your dream woman to survival techniques in case of a Zombie apocalypse. 

The best way to go about choosing the best affiliate marketing niche for you is to look at your own life experience.

You can even choose a product or solution that solved a problem in your own life in the past.

Remember, products & offers that solve a pressing, present problem will always sell like hot cake!

You already know you’re not supposed to put all your eggs in one basket. 

Apply that ancient wisdom to affiliate marketing as well.

Even though you may have chosen a niche, different products and solutions tackle the same problem or adjacent ones. 

For example: if your main affiliate offer is a mortgage program, an additional one can be about home insurance. Or, if you’re promoting a diet book, look after collagen creams you can promote as well because no one wants saggy skin after they lose weight.

Try to see the big picture and put yourself in the shoes of your potential buyer. What is it that they need, besides the no.1 product you’re sharing with them?

Unfortunately, we have seen too many beginner affiliates fail because they wanted to do it all! They invested time and money in learning marketing strategies that apply to the entire worldwide web.

The truth is, some of the most successful affiliate marketers out there have focused on one platform alone. There’s plenty you can choose from:

And each of them comes with its own rules. 

Remember, your goal is passive income. And while we’re realistic, and we know you need to invest time and work in this, it will take you a lot less to become successful on one platform than mildly average on all of them.

So choose the one you’re most comfortable with, and stick with it!

And since we’re talking about time, there’s one more question we need to answer for you.

There is no answer to this one, and we won’t sell you the dream of becoming rich overnight.

It all depends on your dedication and the time you’re willing to invest in it. Because while you’ve seen affiliate revenue screenshots with seven figures earned in a couple of months, according to Statista, only 9% of US affiliate marketers make more than $50.000/year. Still, comparing that to the minimum wage, you can see it as a decent pay raise. 

Also, you need to remember that the value of the entire US affiliate marketing industry is estimated to reach $12B in 2023. So, if you put enough work into it, some of that profit could go to your personal account.

Keep this in mind: consistency is vital. Yes, you have options. Yes, you might need to make some tough choices.

But in a week, in a month, in a year, you’ll be glad you stuck with it!

That is… if you start today!

Do you want to promote affiliate offers from The Digistore24 Marketplace? Simply go here to register for free.