When it comes to making money online, no matter your experience, skill level, education or interests, it’s hard to think of a more effective method than affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing, if you’re not already familiar with the term, is defined as a marketing arrangement by which an online retailer, such as Amazon or eBay, pays a commission to an external website, blog or social media account for traffic or sales generated from its referrals.
Think of an affiliate marketer as a real estate agent – they exist to show off properties and get the best deal for both the buyer and the seller, right? They show properties to potential buyers (increasing the traffic to different homes) and ultimately sell a property for a good deal (create a conversion) and receive a commission as a thank-you. Making everyone happy.
That’s exactly how affiliate marketing works, but instead of selling a property for a homeowner you’re selling absolutely anything you want to promote from any number of online retailers. It can be Amazon, eBay or just about anyone else in between – if they have an affiliate program – you will likely be able to join and earn a slice of the pie.
Still needing some convincing that starting an online business as an affiliate marketer is a good idea? Here are 6 reasons to help you make up your mind so you can start making money online.
1. There’s no upfront cost
One of the very best features of affiliate marketing is that there is (more or less) no upfront cost to get started.
Of course, you will need a website – or at least somewhere that you can start generating content – but in the grand scheme of things, this is a very small price to pay for what can be a very big reward. With domains costing just a few bucks and hosting not billing much more, you can be up and running with less than $20 down.
With little to put in, there’s nothing to lose. Compare that with any other form of business and you will be blown away at the return.
No risk, all reward.
2. You can work when you want, where you want
The biggest reason so many affiliate marketers make the jump from a regular 9-5 to an online role is the flexibility that it allows.
Maybe you want to travel the world, maybe you’ve got a young family with which you want to spend more time or maybe you just can’t bear to keep in the same routine. Whatever your reason for wanting flexible hours, you’ll be happy to know you can have them when working for yourself on an affiliate marketing website.
It’s refreshing to know that you don’t have to be in the office early in the morning so you can say yes to other plans. It’s the freedom that online work provides that really sets it apart from other forms of income.
3. It’s surprisingly simple
What might surprise you most about affiliate marketing is just how easy it actually is.
Sit down at your computer and you won’t be staring at graphs, doing complicated calculations of tedious prices and predictions – not if you don’t want to. Instead, armed with a keyboard and mouse, you’ll be cranking out written content to promote the products and services that you want to talk about.
There’s never been a better time to get started. There are plenty of online video tutorials, user-friendly website builders and step-by-step guides to help you along the way. You will be surprised at what you can accomplish in just a few hours when all the information you need surrounds you.
It’s easy peasy.
4. You can sell what you’re passionate about
Currently sitting in a passionless job and wanting to pursue something you actually care about? Affiliate marketing is a great first step to make.
When deciding what kind of affiliate site you want to build, there is nowhere better to look than your hobbies and passions for inspiration. You’ll already have a wealth of knowledge surrounding the topic, be able to learn more and actively participate in a community that you love.
Not a bad set of benefits from just promoting products online.
5. It’s highly profitable
How much money is actually in that? That’s the main question you’ll hear when you proudly proclaim that you’ve started a new business as an affiliate marketer.
It’s a question you’ll learn to laugh off the longer you are in the business. You’ll be pleased to give the response – it’s actually a lot. Target some of the more lucrative businesses that offer affiliate marketing schemes, namely online casinos and gambling companies, and you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.
That is not to say that it doesn’t come with some difficulties, after all, the more lucrative an opportunity, the more competition you will see. But if you manage to build a strong affiliate site the benefits will far outweigh the struggles.
A fantastic example of a casino-based affiliate site comes from OnlineCasinoGems demonstrating exactly how a good online casino referral site works. With reviews, blog posts and offers all available on the site, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the potential behind an affiliate site of this size.
Oh, did I mention there’s commission as high as 50%?
6. It’s incredibly scalable
Last but not least, when it comes to creating an affiliate site, you’ll be happy to know that the sky really is the limit.
There is no upper limit, no leveling off and no slowing down – just progression. Do it right and you’ll find it to be one of the most scalable businesses that you can get yourself into.
Although you may start off designing the site, creating the written content and promoting the site all by yourself, you’ll soon find sizing up is the next step. That means hiring ghostwriters for more of the content, using web developers to gain an edge on competitors and running ads to maximize your sales potential and increase commission.
There’s no limit to the size of the site you can build.
