WhenI decided to do a series on the different business models you can use to make an income around your message and purpose I was super excited to share this particular one with you.
Becoming an Affiliate!!
I think the reason I like this one so much is that we are all affiliates of some sort but just don’t know it or get paid for it…until now that is. 😉
In order to explain it, we will use Amazon as an example. Let’s say you run across one of those programmable Instant Pots pressure cookers that are all the rage now and you purchase it! You LOVE it!
Of course, you want to tell all your friends about it right?
This is where becoming an affiliate can make you that money. When you sign up as an Amazon Affiliate (for FREE of course) you are given a special ID that attaches to every link you share from Amazon. So let’s say you share that product with your friends on Facebook. When they click on that link Amazon knows it’s coming from you because of that special ID and if your friend purchases that item then you make a percentage off of it.
BTW (By the Way) that link up there ^^^^ that is an affiliate link. 😉
This is where it gets REALLY EXCITING!! Let’s say that your friend not only purchased the item you shared but they went on a shopping spree and bought a ton of other stuff. Not only do you get paid for that one item but everything that was in their shopping cart you just made a percentage off of it. Woohoo!
Do you see the potential? I mean think about it. It’s Christmas time, you share your Amazon affiliate link and people going shopping. You make money off it and pay for your own Christmas shopping.
Answers to the most common questions about Affiliate Programs
- Do you have to pay to become an affiliate? – No, I have never had to pay any fees whatsoever to become an affiliate of any program.
- Where can I share this link? – You can share your link on your website, blog, Social Media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, within comment sections, emails/newsletters, blog comments, Online Ads and so many other places.
- Can I become an affiliate of my favorite brand? – I would say that the majority of brands offer some sort of affiliate program. Read a little further on and I go into detail on how to tell if a brand has an affiliate program
- How do I choose the right affiliate program? – This really all depends on your customers/readers/clients. If your passion and message are geared around arts and crafts then obviously you would not want to be a part of Auto Zone’s affiliate program and vice versa. You want to become an affiliate of stores that will benefit your readers/followers.
- I have a website already, can I start doing affiliate marketing on it? – ABSOLUTELY! If you have people coming to your website every single one of them is a potential buyer of the products you are sharing with them.
How to find out if your favorite brand has an affiliate program
Since I like to craft and I’m always at Michaels let’s see if they have an affiliate program. The first thing you want to do is go to their website and scroll all the way down to the bottom. If they do have an affiliate program you’ll see a link that has the word Affiliate in it. Here is a screen shot of Michaels footer menu and you’ll notice there is no link that has the word Affiliate in it.
You may be thinking that Michael’s does not have an affiliate program right about now but we are not going to give up. I’m actually pretty happy they don’t have a link because this is where that entrepreneurial spirit kicks in and says don’t you quite till you find a definitive yes or no.
The next step you want to take is to head over to Google and type in the brand name plus the word affiliate program. So for this example, we will type in ‘Michael’s affiliate program’ and let’s look at the result.
I would click on the first one since it talks about a 6% Commission Rate. When I did it brought me to a page where I could sign up for their affiliate program.
So you see, if we had not taken it that one step further we would have thought that Michael’s didn’t have an affiliate program when in fact they did and lost out on some money in the long run.
Now let’s take a look at Walmart’s footer menu below and you’ll see a link to their affiliate program.
So you see…there are two ways you can find out if a brand or website has an affiliate program. Once you do find their affiliate program follow the instructions on each site and you’ll be notified if you were accepted into the program or not.
Yes, you read that right. You do have to be approved for these affiliate programs however the one that is the easiest to get approved almost instantly is Amazon. Since Amazon has such a wide variety of products I would recommend you start there.
Are you excited yet? Did this get some ideas swirling around in your head?
If you liked this post and want to learn even more of the ins and outs of Affiliate Marketing then you’ve got to check out the Wealthy Affiliate Community. After reading my full Wealthy Affiliate review if you still have questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.
