Before the online market became saturated, affiliate marketing was a goldmine for anyone with basic computer skills. Businesses and affiliate marketers worked closely to make sales. It was a win-win situation for both parties. But with millions of businesses online today, it takes more than setting up an affiliate website to facilitate sales.
Competition for visibility is a constant battle. It isn’t surprising that affiliates could go for months without making sales. Despite these challenges, some of them are able to break even. And that’s because they understand what works.
Here are four effective strategies for a rewarding online affiliate marketing:
- Write product reviews from your personal experience
People love to buy but detest being sold to. Putting your product in their faces isn’t going to get you much results. It’s about time you started thinking about subtle marketing strategies.
Reviews are integral in the online buying process. Given the proxy nature of online shopping, there’s the barrier of contact during purchase. It’s safer for consumers to get the opinions of those who have used the product so as not to make a bad decision. Helping them out with accurate information via reviews will be appreciated.
Don’t write reviews about products you have not used. Whatever information you give won’t be authentic, and might mislead your audience.
Inform the company about your decision to be an affiliate for them, and ask for complimentary products. If that doesn’t work, consider getting the products yourself.
Ensure that your reviews are objective. Don’t hide the flaws of a product just because you want to make sales. Today’s consumers aren’t gullible. An all perfect review is a red flag. Present both sides of the argument, and let them decide.
- Be customer centric with the use of coupons
A good way to not be in the faces of consumers is to offer them value. They are going to buy things anyway, how about you help them get a good deal?
With so many options at their disposal, customers have the liberty to buy from whoever they choose to. Offering them discounts with coupons is an effective strategy to get their attention.
In a bid to have high commissions, there’s the tendency to promote only the most profitable deals. However, such deals may not always be the most favorable to customers. Customer satisfaction should be your priority. Look out for deals that offer customers the most value. If you help a customer save money this time, they’ll always check back to see other items you are offering.
- Use lead magnets and lead nurturing to engage prospects
Writing content and reviews about products on your site is great, but not everyone will get the gist at the first contact. While some may not need the product at that particular point in time, others may be skeptical about buying. You need to engage them further for favorable outcomes.
How do you communicate with customers outside your website? Collect their email address. Getting that isn’t as easy as it used to be; no one wants to be bombarded with unsolicited messages. But with a lead magnet, you offer them something in exchange for their email address. Your lead magnet could be an eBook, a report or even a coupon. It has to be something that entices visitors enough to give away their email address.
Having gotten customer emails, embark on lead nurturing to win them over. Don’t just send them messages about your products. They have most likely come across such products elsewhere, so you have to make an impression for them to pick your over others. Create effective email newsletters that trigger positive results.
- Use webinars to provide detailed information
Webinars are getting more popular by the day in affiliate marketing. The many techniques of online marketing can be exhausting to both marketers and customers. After putting so much effort into creating an awesome review or newsletter, consumers may not have the time to read it.
The laidback and interactive nature of webinars make them preferred over other forms of marketing. Most consumers prefer to listen to someone speak in details about a product. They get all the information they need, and receive an immediate response to their questions if they have any.
As an affiliate, you should be very knowledgeable about the products you are offering. Showcase your expertise by engaging prospects in a webinar. They hear your voice, making it easier for them to believe what you say.
Retail e-commerce sales all over the world was over 2.3 trillion dollars in 2017, and e-retail revenues are estimated to reach 4.88 trillion dollars come 2021. Most of these products are promoted via affiliate marketing. You can earn a lot of money by implementing these effective strategies for affiliate marketing success. Identify the right products and communicate their values to consumers.