8 Tips On How To Be An Awesome Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing is nothing new. It's the fancy word for what was better known as a Tupperware Party or what that Avon Lady was doing. When the internet hatched its magic on this world, affiliate marketing took to a whole new level, inviting people to make money through online sales channels- which could range from an actual e-commerce website, to simple sharing links on Twitter, in an Email or in your profile URL on Instagram.

Online affiliate marketing is selling a product or service provided by a third party, and in exchange, your referred sale generates a commission for yourself and in turn, can help you build a highly effective passive revenue stream.

There is huge opportunities to earn a lot of money as an affiliate, but most people are missing out. Putting an ad up on your blog, or including a link in an email may work, but with all the noise online, it's no longer enough.

1. Use Your Link (And Test It!)
Whatever it is and wherever you are sharing it- whether it be in an email, on Facebook or twitter, or in the body of a blog post, always use your affiliate link. Sometimes when you use your link in a contextual way instead of a selling way, you’ll get more clicks. And remember- test those URLs. If you are using them in an email program that tracks clicks, an additional code is appended to your URLs which might override your affiliate ID. As well, when you use programs like Bit.ly or the built in ones with Hootsuite to shorten your links, your affiliate ID disappears.

2. Make It Look Good
Choose the right sized banner for your website or blog. If you are wanting to attract clicks to your affiliate banner, make sure you choose the size that best suits where you’re going to be posting it. A banner that is too small looks all floaty. If the affiliate ad that was designed for the campaign doesn't work with the look and feel of your website, you might consider creating a custom ad that will be more enticing to your audience and be more effective at converting your audience.

3. Share Content Too, Not Just Products
Most websites that have products to sell, also have blog content to share. Typically affiliate programs are set-up to track cookies. The usually range is 14 days. This means that if you send someone to an article on that company's blog and they end up making a purchase within 14 days, you will earn your commission. Finding content that is relevant to your audience can inspire more clicks than a straight product push. You can use your specific code and tag it to the end of any url on the whole website.

4. Take Advantage of Special Offers
Most affiliates send out updates highlighting their special promotions, new products or updated campaign banners. Pay attention! Time sensitive offers are a great way to incite activity among your audience.

5. Product Reviews and Giveaways- Do Them!
We are usually very happy to offer our downloadable products for giveaways and special promotions on our affiliates' website. This is a great way to both engage your audience and gets lots of people clicking on your affiliate link to whatever product it is you are giving away. You’ll likely only have one winner, but loads more pining for what was on offer.

6. Offer Incentives
Why should someone buy from you? If loads of people are selling the same products or services, how will you make your offering stand out? If you're going to earn $500 commission on a sale, and have a product or service you offer for $100, perhaps it's worth bundling that in as a gift with purchase? Consider how to make your offer unique, and special and how you can potentially use this sale as a step towards building a longer, mutually beneficial relationship with your customer.

7. Be Honest
People know when they are being pitched to. Be genuine in your sharing of products and information. You can disclose that you are an affiliate if you like, but more important than that is to really only promote and share information, products, and programs that you genuinely are digging and can confidently stand behind.

8. Enjoy
Earning commission by referring people to products you believe in is a super awesome way to earn a little passive revenue. Many of you already cheer lead for the brands you love. You might as well earn a little extra off that so you can enjoy the lifestyle you are living.

What are your best strategies for generating leads and sales?