Step 3 is about creating a process for promoting products as an affiliate.
Once you identify your traffic sources from Part 2, whether through a blog, social media app, or paid advertisements, the next step is to decide what you want your traffic (aka people/prospects) to do when they see your posts or ads.
Do you want them to click on a link? Like a post? Follow you? There are many choices.
The most popular affiliate marketing strategies fall into a category of marketing called Direct Response. In direct response marketing, you want the prospect to take a specific action, usually clicking a link or button in your post or ad that takes them to a different webpage.
The most common webpage to take prospects to is an opt-in page. On the opt-in page, you offer something for free in exchange for the prospects’ basic information, such as their name and email address. The free information you provide is commonly called a Lead Magnet (or ethical bribe). It is often a PDF or video with educational information that you email prospects after they opt in.
The primary purpose of this is to obtain the prospect’s email address. This is an important asset because it allows you, as the affiliate, to follow up with prospects to offer more educational information and product offers. Email sending is critical since it gives you more control over what content to send and how often to send it. It can help you build a closer relationship with prospects because they see your content more often and get to know and feel comfortable with you. It is similar to followers on social media accounts who see your content often and get to know you better.
Here is a 3-step approach to setting up the Lead Magnet and Opt-in Page sequence:
- Create a Lead Magnet, which is essentially educational content, such as a brochure, article, video, report, e-book, etc., that prospects would be interested in. It can explain how a product works to achieve a goal or desire and help answer common questions about it.
- Set up a webpage called an opt-in page. People who want the Lead Magnet will be led to the opt-in page to input their email address in exchange for the lead magnet.
- Set up an affiliate email address. When people opt-in to receive the Lead Magnet on the opt-in webpage, you can use the affiliate email address to have the Lead Magnet content emailed to them automatically (called an automated email sequence). Also, these people are now on your email list. You can continue to send emails with helpful content (and product offers using your affiliate links) to people on your list. Some of them will eventually buy a product.
Some affiliates (including myself when I started) will be confused about why a link or button on a post or ad would go to an opt-in page instead of a webpage to buy a product. It sounds like the opt-in page is an extra step in getting prospects to purchase a product. It makes the buying process slower, resulting in a longer time frame for earning income as an affiliate. If an affiliate will provide a link at all, why not have one that allows the prospect to buy something immediately?
This seems like a rational approach, and some affiliates do this instead of having the link go to an opt-in page. However, there are a few reasons why the opt-in page approach is preferred. First, offering something for free on the opt-in page (instead of buying a product) has a low barrier of entry. People like free things. Many successful affiliates have tried different methods and found that offering something of value for free, such as a Lead Magnet, in exchange for an email address is something many prospects are willing to do.
The second reason is the value of capturing prospect’s email addresses. Building an email list is a valuable asset. The affiliate can continue following up via email with more information, training, tips, and product offers. Most people do not buy a product the first time they see it. The more ways an affiliate can connect with a prospect, the more opportunities to continue educating and servicing them, the better, and ultimately, prospects will have more chances to purchase a product. Think about advertising on TV or social media. You’ll see the same companies and brands advertising. You’ll see the same ads or commercials over and over. They want people to see their company and products multiple times because they know one time is insufficient.
Affiliates sending emails accomplish the same thing—they want prospects to repeatedly see their name and content. Email can be sent for free instead of paying for advertisements or commercials. Do you see the value in this?
The next and final part of my How to Get Started in Affiliate Marketing is Part 4: Monetization. Stay tuned!