Affiliate marketing continues to grow. There are a number of networks that offer it and if you start today, you’ll still be in a great position to make the most of it.
In this article you will learn:
- What is affiliate marketing and its main benefits
- What can you expect to get in return and can you make a living from affiliate marketing
- What are the best affiliate programs
- How can you get started with affiliate marketing
What is affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone else’s product and the moment someone buys the product through your link, you get a commission.
Most of the time you will get commission as a % of that sale, but occasionally you may get a firm amount.
Most of the time you will also get a commission only the first time you buy the person you brought in. Some affiliate programs, however, offer a portion of sales repeatedly.Main advantages and disadvantages
➕ The main advantages of affiliate marketing are:
- relatively small entry costs,
- small risk (you don’t have a warehouse full of goods, the one whose products you are promoting does)
- scalability (a site that generates 10 sales a day can generate as many as 1,000 and not increase your costs significantly)
However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Affiliate marketing (especially if you do it honestly) is not an easy discipline and carries with it a number of obstacles/disadvantages.
➖ Disadvantages may include:
- Relatively strong competition
- You need to come across a quality affiliate program
- Getting an affiliate site ranked in Google is often a difficult and long-term task
How much return can you expect and can you make a living from affiliate marketing?
Returns… it depends. If you’re just starting out with affiliate marketing, definitely don’t expect to make a living at it anytime soon.
However, after some time, it is definitely possible. And there are a number of people in the Czech Republic who do it for a living. They have different groups and meetings, so if you go to these places you will definitely get a pretty good idea of the “possible” return.
What are the best affiliate programs?
Personally, I have some minimal experience only with affiliates for software/online tools. However, if you are interested in other fields, you can check out the Affiliate Directory, which tries to bring together the best affiliate programs in the Czech Republic.
How you can get started with affiliate marketing
If you already have a website (or a social media following), you can simply sign up for any of the affiliate programs that interest you and start promoting the link.
If you want to start from the ground up, you might be interested in the article How to Start an Affiliate Website for (Almost) Free.
Word in conclusion
Affiliate marketing is an interesting world, and even if you don’t want to pursue it fully, I believe that for many people and projects it could be an interesting addition to existing activities.
Let me know in the comments if you have ever considered affiliate marketing?
