If you want to learn about the affiliate marketing business model…
You’re in the right place!
Because in this post, I explain what the affiliate marketing business model is and how it works.
Even more:
You’ll also see affiliate marketing examples, so you have a blueprint you can follow.
Let’s dive in…
What Is The Affiliate Marketing Business Model?
The affiliate marketing business model is a performance based business model.
It’s the process of promoting someone else’s product, and getting paid a commission every time you refer sales.
All in all, there are 3 parties involved with affiliate marketing:
- Merchant
- Publisher
- Customer
Let’s break down each of these roles so you can see how the affiliate marketing business model works:
Merchant
A merchant is someone who has created a product.
This can be a person, a small business, or even a large corporation.
Publisher (Affiliate Marketer)
The publisher (the affiliate marketer) promotes the merchants product by publishing content online.
Content is how the affiliate marketer attracts an audience and promotes the merchant’s product.
Customer
Who the affiliate marketer is targeting with the content they publish.
Anytime you promote a merchant’s product, you’ll be given a special link known as an “affiliate link.”
That affiliate link is unique to you, and unique to that specific product.
When publishing content, you’ll promote your affiliate link within that content.
And when you generate sales, those sales are tracked back to you, where you’ll then be compensated for the referred sales.
Pros & Cons Of The Affiliate Marketing Business Model
Pros:
Flexibility
Affiliate marketing is a very flexible business model.
You can do it part time, or full time.
You can do it from home, the beach, your hotel room, or anywhere in the world.
Low Start Up Costs
All you need to get started is a domain and web hosting.
Scalable
Affiliate marketing is highly scalable.
With hard work, you can scale your affiliate marketing into a full time income.
No customer support
As an affiliate marketer, you never have to worry about providing customer support.
The merchant takes care of this from their end.
Passive income
You can eventually get to a point where you’re earning passive income from your affiliate marketing efforts.
Cons:
Very Competitive
Competition is fierce in the world of affiliate marketing.
Steep Learning Curve
There’s a lot to learn in the beginning.
The learning curve is so steep, it often puts people off.
How To Get Started With Affiliate Marketing
There are different ways to do affiliate marketing.
The best way is to create your own website, then promote products within blog posts.
Here are the steps to get started:
Step 1: Choose A Niche
A niche will be what your website is about e.g the topics you create content around.
An ideal affiliate niche will check these 4 boxes…
1: You need to be interested in the topics that relate to your niche.
2: It helps if you have basic knowledge of the niche.
3: The niche should be popular.
4: There needs to be products available to promote.
Check out this post which highlights the best affiliate marketing niches.
Step 2: Find Affiliate Programs To Join
There are thousands of affiliate programs online.
Some are crap, some are awesome.
Here are the best affiliate programs for beginners that offer high-quality products.
Step 3: Create Your Website
Your website will be your “place of business” on the internet.
You’ll use your website to create content, and sell affiliate products.
Take a look at this post to learn how to create an affiliate website.
Step 4: Do Keyword Research
Keyword research will give you insights into the different keywords your audience types into Google.
This is important, because the data will show you the types of content you need to create.
This post shows you how to do keyword research for affiliate marketing step-by-step.
Step 5: Create Content
Content is how you’ll attract an audience and promote your affiliate products.
You’ll create content in the form of blog posts.
And in this post, I break down how to write an affiliate blog post your audience will love.
Step 6: Get Traffic With SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
It’s the art of optimizing your content so Google loves your content, and wants to rank it in the search results.
Check out this post to learn more about SEO for affiliate marketing.
Affiliate Marketing Website Examples
Here are 5 successful affiliate marketing website examples that you can model:
1: PCMag
PCMag is a tech news and review site.
They review all kinds of affiliate products including headphones, mobile phones, monitors, gaming products, TVs, projectors and more.
2: DogFoodAdvisor
DogFoodAdvisor is one of the biggest product review sites in the dog care space.
Founded in 2008, they write simple product reviews about all kinds of dog food.
From the best dry food for puppies, to the best high protein foods for adults.
3: Wirecutter
Wirecutter is another well known affiliate site that’s owned by The New York Times.
Founded in 2011, their mission is clear and simple:
“To independently test & review thousands of products & only recommend what matters.”
4: HomeGrounds
HomeGrounds is an affiliate website in the coffee niche.
The site was started by Alex Mastin because of his love for coffee.
They review a range of affiliate products including espresso machines, grinders, coffee makers and more.
5: The Prepared
The Prepared is an affiliate website in the survival niche.
They offer all kinds of guides from prepping basics and emergency scenarios, to self-defense and survival skills.
They also provide in-depth reviews around prepping related affiliate products.
Conclusion
And there you go.
The affiliate marketing business model explained.
Be sure to check out these powerful affiliate marketing tools too.
And be sure to avoid these affiliate marketing mistakes at all costs.
Now, over to you…
“Are you ready to begin your affiliate marketing journey?”
Leave me a comment and let me know.
I’d love to hear from you!
