Affiliate Marketing - The misunderstood online business model...
The Best Online Business Model
Affiliate Marketing is older than the Internet and has been successfully used worldwide by some of the biggest companies in existence. So why do people think it's a scam?
So what exactly is it?
Affiliate Marketing is a basic concept, but it has been twisted and deformed by some assholes trying to separate you from your money.
Essentially, it is you Marketing other people's products in exchange for a commission.
It is as simple as that.
The products can be Digital products like Online Courses or Software, to physical products like Health Supplements and Clothing.
There are no limits to the variety of products you can become an affiliate for.
Once you become someone's Affiliate, you get a special tracking link that you add to your marketing and advertising.
When someone clicks on your unique link and buys the product, you make a commission.
You basically just Market other people's stuff...
There are so many different ways of doing Affiliate Marketing, and even though every "Gooroo" and his mate will make you want to believe that their way is the ONLY way, the truth is that all of them work - provided that you stick to one, stay consistent, and perfect it BEFORE you move on to the next.
Some people use paid ads, some use email strategy, some use organic Social Media, some build personal brands and some use TikTok - the list is literally endless.
The key to any of these methods though, is to stay consistent in your method. It takes time to build the momentum and authority for people to trust you enough to spend their money with you, or on your platform - but you will build momentum by staying consistent, and along with "momentum", comes "compounding".
The more you do and the longer you do it, at some point, you will reach critical mass, and from there it will be ALMOST passive.
But don't be fooled... It's a fuckload of work and overnight success doesn't exist in this industry.
So how do you do Affiliate Marketing?
There are many ways to do it, but the main part of it focuses on Content Creation.
Whether you write emails, build Landing Pages, write ads, or produce short-form video content, or long-form written content - it is all about producing content.
Marketing requires you to do that, regardless of what form of Marketing you choose, so better if you get good at it!
Social Media has given us the easiest ways to market other people's products.
The two MAIN ways that I will recommend 'noobs' to start doing Affiliate Marketing, is to start with either of these two.
They are - coming in at number one - Social Media Organic Marketing. We will go deeper into that in a moment.
Secondly...
Email Marketing - which is the second-best option for 'noobs'
Both of these, if done right, are probably the two best ways to start. They will teach you everything you need to know before you start going more advanced.
In the next part, we will cover why these two are so good to use for beginners and what you will learn from getting the hang of these two.
And then where to go from there...
Diving Deeper...
So why are these two options Number One and Two to start with?
Well, unlike most businesses online, these two ways are absolutely FREE to start...
Let's start with Social Media Organic Marketing.
1. Social Media Organic Marketing
When I first entered the online space, I was broke as fuck. I was looking for ways to make money online that didn't cost any money. Everyone told me it wasn't possible, but I was pretty convinced that it was.
Enter "Social Media Organic Marketing"...
All you need to start is your Social Media Profile - whether it be Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube - and all of them are free.
The next thing you need is your Affiliate link - which is also free.
Now all you need to do is put these two together to be able to make money!
I unfortunately had to pay a fuckload of money to learn how to do that, but that's why I'm able to give you this information.
In a nutshell - Organic Marketing is when you use the Algorithms that control these Social Media Platforms to your advantage.
You basically find people with an interest in your Affiliate product, produce content that solves their pain points, and then interact with THEIR profiles by following, liking, and engaging in THEIR content.
This way, it tricks the algorithm into thinking that you have a shared interest and it will show them your content more often. When you produce specific content that educates them on the subject (your product that solves their problem), they start following you and consume even more of your content, building your authority in their minds.
Once your authority is built, they will look up to you and see you as a source of trustworthy information. When you then put out an offer that resonates with them, chances are that they will go for it.
It takes a VERY long time to gain momentum this way, but once your authority is built, it is one of the most solid foundations that you can build in any online business.
2. Email Marketing
Out of the two, Email Marketing is definitely more important, but not quite as easy and beginner-friendly as Organic Marketing, bumping it into second place.
If you have spent more than 2 minutes online, you have probably heard that the money is all in your email list. And it's true. And if you haven't heard it yet, now you have...
As opposed to Social Media platforms, you OWN your list. No one can take that away from you. On Social Media platforms, you can get banned when you sneeze wrong, flushing all your hard work down the drain. Email lists are YOURS, and are an asset you can build as long as you want. You can even sell it eventually, whereas Social profiles are a bit harder to do that with.
It does require a bit more skill though, and for that reason alone, it is less beginner-friendly than Organic.
You have to build a landing page and a free lead magnet to attract people and it has to have the right amount of value that people will find it worth it to give you their email address. But it doesn't stop there...
Once you have it, you will have to keep delivering value through your emails, otherwise, people will just hit that "unsubscribe" button.
It is always a tightrope walk between delivering value and spamming your list - and only you will be able to find your sweet spot. No one can show it to you, you'll have to figure that one out by meticulously looking at your analytics.
So what skills do you need?
Both of these methods need certain skills, but luckily both of these have skills that can be learned through following some of the bigger names in the industry, and seeing what they are doing. The skills that will move your needle the most though, are the following:
Copywriting: This is quite a biggie... Once you learn how to write persuasive copy, you will be able to speak to people on a deeper level with your content.
Sales: Copywriting alone isn't enough, you will need to know how to sell. This is one of the things I personally still struggle with, but it is essential. Using the right language, pressing the right buttons in your prospect through your content, and addressing their objections are all valuable skills that have to be mastered.
Knowing your customer: You will have to learn how to build your ideal customer Avatar - or buyer personality. You cannot just use a "shotgun approach" and just fire your content wildly into the air hoping it will stick. Your content must speak SPECIFICALLY to the pain points of your ideal customer, and to be able to do that, you have to know them VERY well.
Psychology: This one isn't essential, but will help a lot with the ones named above. If you can understand your ideal customer's way of thinking and understand why they want what they want, it'll make it easier for you to create content that will resonate with them on an emotional level - and that is pure gold...
Many of these skills also come through practice and experience, so don't worry if you haven't got it just yet.
Everybody's first piece of content is shit. Everybody's first video sucks. It's just the way it is. But doing it every day is like exercising a weak muscle - it gets a bit better every single day.
In Conclusion...
Affiliate Marketing is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to start an Online Business. It doesn't mean it isn't hard work, but it is the one where your skill level can be built as you go along.
You don't need fancy equipment, expensive software, money for advertising, or buying products upfront. You can start TODAY and slowly build your way to success.
The hardest part of it is staying consistent in the content you produce and finding the RIGHT content to produce. All it takes is a bit of self-education and research and ANYONE can do it.
Back in the day, when I first started, I made a course that covers the step-by-step process of setting up an affiliate marketing business by using your Facebook profile.
It is free and is still as relevant now as it was when I made it - and it is yours for free. Feel free to take advantage of it - the "Gooroos" charge thousands of dollars for this knowledge...
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