Affiliate marketing programs, aka Platforms, abound on the internet. It’s not easy to decide on which one to choose.
It is a BIG decision.
Because once you realize the power you have at your fingertips when you decide to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, you want to be assured that you have chosen the right platform.
So, which one should you venture into?
That’s where I come in. I will tell you a little bit about my own experience; then you can decide if I know what I’m talking about.
I’ll keep it short. Promise.
That’s the first promise I’ll make to you. The second promise is if you follow my lead, you will find yourself on the internet’s #1, numero uno, affiliate marketing website.
My Story
I’m Dave, by the way. How are ya?
Quite a few years ago, I got a bug in my head that told me I had to learn how to make money online. This was back when file transfer protocol, FTP, was the only way to build a website. Yup, I’m older.
I tried, but I couldn’t find anyone who was willing to teach me other than to give me little clues, like — You have to build a website.
THAT’S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT! Ugh — first failure. Time goes on…
I tried four different avenues of learning how to market through affiliation to no avail. I’m not going to name names or bore you with the details, but I’ll make another promise to you.
I’ll tell you about my failures when we enjoy cocktails on the beach or wherever.
There is a very happy ending to my story. I found…
The Perfect Platform
I found the perfect place to build an affiliate marketing business. It offers all of the training you need to build a booming business from start to finish. No bull. That’s not all.
It has domain training, hosting, three levels of membership, intuitive navigation, and the best part of all — an unparalleled community of like-minded entrepreneurs who want to help you make it as quickly as possible. Why do they want to help?
Because the platform is set up that way, I help you; you pay it forward with kindness to others. MINDBLOWING stuff in the world of today.
How Does It Work
That’s great. I will tell you how it works, and we’ll go deep!
This isn’t going to be a sales come-on. No, I will tell you how it works in general, then I will tell you how it works where I do it, and then I will show you the platform I work from.
You can look around on the platform and even get FIVE FREE LESSONS to see if you think affiliate marketing is for you.
Then…
If you want to continue building a profitable business, you can upgrade to a monthly or an annual subscription.
Why?
Because the additional tools at the premium level will allow you to build a website like this: Chickenmethod.com. I built this chicken-raising site quickly, and you can do the same in your niche using the tools and training at the premium level.
But don’t worry. There are no tricks. You will not get hooked into a program you don’t want accidentally. You are in full control. If you can hardly wait and want to look at the Wealthy Affiliate website right now, click this link!
After I tell you how affiliate marketing works, I’ll provide a breakdown of what the platform offers.
Fair?
Okay, Let’s go…
So, affiliate marketing is like being the cool friend who tells people where to find the best buy on socks, chicken feed, car parts, cameras, weight loss items, or whatever you are interested in promoting, and then gets a thank-you card in the form of a commission. You promote products or services on your blog and include special tracking links. When someone clicks on those links and makes a purchase, you earn a small commission.
Here’s how it generally works:
- Choose a Program or Product: You’ll want to pick products or services that resonate with your audience. It’d be weird if a blog about chickens suddenly started promoting surfboards. Stick to what your backyard hobbyists need—feed, coops, and maybe even chicken sweaters for those chilly winter months.
- Get an Affiliate Link: Once approved for an affiliate program, you’ll get a unique link that tracks back to you. This breadcrumb trail link shows you led someone to the product.
- Promote: Place this link in your blog posts, social media, or wherever you have your audience’s attention. But don’t just stuff it in there; context matters. Maybe write a detailed review about a predator-proof chicken coop you’ve tested and include your affiliate link for readers who want to buy it.
- Wait for the Clicks and Sales: Every time someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you’ll earn a commission. Depending on the affiliate program, this could be a fixed amount or a percentage of the sale.
- Cash in the Earnings: You’ll typically be paid monthly or quarterly, depending on the program’s rules.
And voila! You’re in the affiliate marketing game.
Okay, so that’s a general overview using chickens as a niche topic.
Here’s how it works at Wealthy Affiliate, the platform I work from. If you want to see how trustworthy the platform is, look at Trustpilot.
Affiliate Marketing At Wealthy Affiliate
Affiliate marketing at Wealthy Affiliate is no different than in the general description above. I will add my three-year member experience so you don’t enter uncharted territory if/when you get there.
1. Choose a Niche. Oh yeah, that’s easy, right? No, it’s not. If it is for you, then you are ahead of the crowd.
Most people don’t have a burning passion for an activity or product. If they do, it often ends up being the same as everyone else’s. That is not to say that you can’t write about your passion. You must drill down into your passion and find a subniche within the larger niche to pinpoint buyers of that subniche product or service.
What do I mean?
You love golf. I mean, you loooove golf. That’s fine. Millions of people do. To get started in a lucrative niche, you will want to specialize… drill down to “How to master the short game,” which would be all about close-to-the-green mastery.
You wouldn’t choose the immense “golf” niche. It’s too broad. You need to dig deep. I hope you understand the difference.
Let me put it another way.
A golfer is looking to improve their short game because everybody knows that the short game will make or break you. You have two websites. Website one is all about golf. I mean, EVERY GENERAL THING there is to know about golf right down to the tee.
Website two is called “Howtomastertheshortgame .com”. Where do you think the person is going to look for advice?
Do you see the difference?
2. Build a Website. Wealthy Affiliate uses WordPress to build any site you can imagine. It is pushbutton easy to do by following the simple step-by-step instructions on the platform. There is no need to get fancy because people are more interested in finding helpful information than looking at a pretty site.
And that is what the website is all about. You write articles on your golf website about the best club for close to the green play. Is it the seven iron or the pitching wedge? Roll it or pop it on?
In the article, you place links to affiliates to direct your audience to the best clubs to use. Clubs like the best driver to get close to the green on a par four.
And so on. Do you see?
3. Affiliates. There are so many affiliate programs that you could write about earthworms and find a program to affiliate with. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with earthworms. Amazon is a huge one. Chewy has one. Hatcheries have one. Golf outlets have them. The list goes on and on.
You sign up for the affiliate programs of your choice, and the affiliates provide the links you need for your blog.
4. Collect Commissions. You collect a commission when a reader reads your blog, likes your writing, clicks on a link, and purchases from one of your affiliates.
Seems simple enough, right? Well, not so fast. Your blog posts must work their way up the ranks in Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to name a few search engines. Organic traffic takes time.
The training at WA teaches you how to rank fast, and yes, it works. I was recently looking at a post I created, and it is currently ranked #1 on Yahoo and Bing, and it’s in the 11th position on Google. I expect it to climb on Google in time.
As you can see, the premium level offers everything you need to build a dream business. Is it easy?
It takes desire, consistency, and the ability to recognize that it will take a few months to see dime one. Patience.
It takes patience!
Is it worth it?
Hell yes!
If you decide to do this, you will be among an incredible bunch of kindred spirits who are there to help you at every turn, every step of the way.
You will be rubbing elbows with millionaires and not even know it. You’ll know a few, but most keep a low profile for obvious reasons. The success stories are there for you to see whenever you want.
I’ll be there as well. I’m not a millionaire yet, but I intend to be.
And that’s part of the beauty of this business model. It is completely scalable. You take it as far as you want to go.
And by the way, many other ways to make money are taught at Wealthy Affiliate, but do you want to read another 2000 words? I thought not.
My name is Dave. On the platform, I’m daverh. I hope to see you at Wealthy Affiliate soon.