How to Make Money from Website via Affiliate Marketing

Beyond the basics of building a website, building an audience, and promoting a single affiliate program, take a closer look at how you can not only earn your first dollar with affiliate marketing, but how you could build your own Internet empire.

Build Brandable Websites

It's not all about the keywords. If you can include them, great.

Brandable Domains

1. Generate marketing buzz
2. Help with word-to-mouth marketing
3. Are the third most trusted advertising source

Are built around words with mass appeal.

Use tools to help you generate ideas

1. Domain Bot
2. Domain Hacks

Create Unique Content

Unique Content

• Helps search engines see your "QUALITY" when they make algorithm changes
• Gives you a chance to clearly identify and develop your brand
• Gives readers a reason to come back for more

Ask Yourself

Could this content have been created by anyone else? => If the answer is yes, the content is not "UNIQUE".

Ways your Content can be UNIQUE:

Expertise: Yours is already unique. Leverage it.

Relationships: Leverage relationships with others in your niche to create powerful content to benefit both of you.

Exclusive Offers: Do something that makes your company stand out. You're not selling "a" product, you're selling "your" product.

• Look at what other affiliates are doing, and come up with a way to make your offer better.
• If it's allowed by the terms of your affiliate program:
• Include an extra bonus
• Offer a discount

User Generated Content Creates Dialogue

Create an avenue for your users to talk back to you.

• Allow readers to leave comments on your blog posts
• Make it easy for readers to leave product reviews/testimonials
• Ask permission to share them in your marketing efforts
• Actively ask for content
• Blog post comments
• Social media shares
• Ask questions to spark Debate

Chipotle Mexican Grill's "Wrap What You Love" Contest

• Contestants were asked to wrap their favorite things in gold or silver foil to mimic the company's business burritos and photograph the result
• Contestants uploaded the photos to the company website or Facebook page
• Winner received $10,000 for his photo of his four-day-old baby wrapped in gold foil

Honda's "Super Civic Quest" Contest

• Contestants received Facebook credits and Amazon MP3 downloads for solving clues to find a missing Mexican wrestler in a red Civic Coupe
• Contestants got to see five new Civic models and the chance to win two new Civics, one for themselves, and one for a friend.

Kraft Foods "Real Women of Philadelphia" Contest

• Asked women all over the country to create cooking videos and submit them to.
• The winner received a $25,000 talent contract, the chance to star in their own series of cooking videos, and contribution to cookbook featuring community favorite cream cheese recipes.
• Make Yourself Stand Out from the Crowd

Create a point of difference (POD) so you don't blend in with all the other affiliates promoting the same products and services you are.

Figure out how your product is different in terms of

• Price
• Benefits
• Convenience
• Features
• Availability
• Customer Service

Craft your story

• Why are you in business?
• How do you do business?
• Where do you do business?

Market your POD everywhere!

• Business Cards
• Your Website
• Company Name and Tagline
• Logo
• Email Signature
• Social Media Profiles

Use Multiple Methods to Diversify Your Monetization

Multiple affiliate programs

Create a broad source of information on a topic and use it to leverage multiple PM programs.

For Example:

NotWithoutSalt.com is a comprehensive source of information on cooking and recipes, and uses affiliate programs for:

• Cooking Utensils
• Ingredients

 Sell advertising

Create a page dedicated to advertising space options.

Note your traffic volume and other reasons why people should advertise with you.

Give regular discounts to entice advertisers.

Keep it easy to maintain on your end with a WordPress plugin such as OIO Publisher or WP 125.

Pitch advertisers directly

Note your traffic volume and other reasons why people should advertise with you.

Give regular discounts to entice advertisers.

• Find advertisers by using Adsense on your website for a few days.
• Watch the ads that are displayed and where they come from
• Contact those companies directly with an attractive offer

Reach out to merchants to become affiliates for them

Know of a product or service you'd love to promote, but don't see an affiliate program for them?

• Talk to the merchant directly.
• Offer information about your background and why you would make the perfect affiliate.
• Negotiate a deal.

Develop Methods to Contact Users without them Having to Visit Your Website

Email is personal and direct

It's a powerful marketing tool because:

• It's permission-based.
• No social media algorithms to trick.
• No sponsored tweets to "beat".
• No Pinterest worthy graphics are necessary.

Connect and build relationships with your customers. You're not competing for attention in a busy social media atmosphere. You've got their personal, private attention their email box. Produce Blog Content and Get RSS Subscribers

Quality blog content keeps your website fresh and up to date. Blogs can produce user generated content. Promote your RSS feed: It's another way to get into people's email boxes.

• Promote your feed:
• Off your blog
• Email signatures
• Social media
• At key entry points on your blog.
• Offer a bonus to subscribers, such a as a free ebook.

Create a Facebook fan page.

Build your Audience

• Invite your friends.
• Share your page.
• Invite business contacts.

Create Content

• Think about what your customers want.
• Photos
• Links

Be Authentic

• Share what you're excited about. Your customers will be excited, too.

Be Responsive

• When someone comments on a post, respond to them.
• If they're asking a question and you need more time, let them know they're on your radar.

Be Consistent

• Post regularly.
• The more you post, the more you have to engage fans with.
• Create a schedule to maximize your time.

Replicate Success

• Use the Page Insights tool to see what your audience is responding to.
• When you find something they respond to, do it again.

Create a Twitter Account

Build your Audience

• Listen to what others are saying
• Share your account with current customers, friends, and business contacts

Attract Followers

• Give incentive to follow you on Twitter
• Example: Get a 10% off coupon for your next order just for following us on Twitter!

Integrate Twitter with your other efforts

• Add a link to your Twitter profile on your website. Let your followers on other platforms know about your Twitter account

Be Authentic

• Follow the same principle as with Facebook here

Be Responsive

• Look for people talking about your business
• Talk to them
• If someone tweets you, respond as soon as possible

Be Consistent

• Tweet on a regular basis
• The more you post, the more you'll have to engage followers with
• Use a schedule to help maximize your time

Develop Relationships with Others in Your Niche

• Research. Who are the most powerful people in your niche?
• Follow the powerful people you want to develop relationships with.
• Interact with them on their websites and various social media channels
• Link to their content
• Share their social media posts with your audience
• Retweet their tweets
• Monitor and track your relationships
• What good, if any, is coming of them?
• Think about what you have to offer each other, and how you can create something of mutual benefit