People who earn a good living as affiliate marketers have been at it for decades. This way of making a profit by referring buyers to a primary seller is one of the unique features of a free-market economy. In the old days, people spoke of finders’ fees for anyone who sent a willing buyer directly to the door of a company that sold products or services. In turn, the company would pay a small fee to the person, the finder, who sent that buyer to the company’s doorstep.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
In the Internet age, this system has turned into an industry of its own. Because millions of individuals have blogs and websites of their own, it’s easy to send a site visitor to a retail or professional website in order to make a purchase. For example, if people read your mystery writing blog and you have a link on your main page where they can sign up for screen-writing lessons at a major film studio, you are engaging in affiliate marketing. If the visitor eventually enrolls in a screen-writing course, which might cost $1,000 or more, the studio that conducts the classes will pay you a referral fee, also known as an affiliate fee. That’s the basic setup, but the question remains: how do people earn a living just by being affiliates?
What are the Hottest Niches for Newcomers?
Health and beauty products are among the top sellers of all retail goods in the world. In good times and bad, individuals continue to purchase items to improve their skin, make their hair shine, brighten their teeth and keep their bodies in good shape.
Becoming an affiliate in the financial services sector, like Forex trading, is a good way for people who own money-related websites to earn a steady income. For example, easyMarkets Partners allows finance affiliates to earn revenue from this popular trading platform by referring people who want to trade Forex online.
Acting as a referral agent for self-improvement books, videos, and products is one of the more stable affiliate niches. Since the beginning of time, human beings have been searching for ways to improve themselves.
How Does it Work?
If you understand what this style of marketing is, then it’s easy to see how it works. There are literally millions of people currently acting as affiliates for products and services. You can get into the game by carefully choosing items that your website’s visitors might be interested in. If your blog or website is about NASCAR racing, a high proportion of your visitors will probably want to buy some branded apparel, get discounts on event tickets or buy books about the racing industry.
Your job would be to contact sellers of those books, tickets and apparel. After locating major retailers in the niche, ask how you can become an affiliate. The process is easy. The sellers will send you a coded link to place on your site. Whenever anyone clicks that link, they are taken to the seller’s online store, where they might or might not purchase anything. If they do, you make a commission, paid directly to you from the seller.