There are several different types of online business models but affiliate marketing is one of the simplest.
Do note that simple and easy are not the same thing. Effort will be required to make this model work, but it does have fewer moving parts and is easier for beginners to get into.
If we summarized the entire affiliate marketing model into 5 crucial points, it would come down to these:
- Understanding your audience
- Creating valuable content that converts readers into buyers
- Building trust and credibility with your audience
- Promoting the right products that will help them
- Driving traffic to your content
Get these 5 points right, and sales (commissions) will be inevitable.
In this article, we’ll assume you know your audience like the back of your hand. Now, it’s all about introducing them to products or services that genuinely benefit them.
Think of it like recommending something to a friend or family member—something you truly believe in and know will help them.
The only difference here is that it’s a stranger online, reading your content and trusting your recommendation/s.
Now, let’s look at 9 secrets when it comes to picking affiliate products to promote.
- Choose Products That Solve Real Problems
Most people will do anything to quickly solve their pressing problems and alleviate their pain. If you’re having a splitting headache, you’ll immediately reach for the aspirin.
You don’t need a 12-page sales letter convincing you to pop 2 tablets in your mouth and gulp it down quickly.
No, you don’t. You’re in pain and want it gone fast.
Similarly, people who have just gone through a break-up will eagerly buy a book on how they can get their ex back.
A young man who is scrawny and weak will quickly purchase a training program that shows him how to build muscle in 12 weeks.
Marketers struggling to rank their blog posts in search engines will fork out money to buy a course that teaches them SEO.
They’re all in pain – it doesn’t have to be physical pain. As long as there’s a pressing problem that needs solving, they’re in pain.
And your job is to show them products that will solve their problems and ease their pain. These products will convert easily and make you the most profit.
Which brings us to the next point…
- Match Products to Your Audience’s Needs
The products you promote must resonate with and be suitable for your audience.
For example, if someone is suffering from a cold, you wouldn’t recommend a laxative just to stop them from sneezing!
Make sure the product genuinely addresses their needs/problems and provides real value.
- Pick Products That Are Hot and In Demand
Generally, the masses tend to be followers always believing the latest and most popular trends. Older, proven methods and products may work… but are often forgotten, because newer always seems better.
For example, the Atkins diet was all the rage back in the day and has been proven to get results – but no one mentions it these days.
Everyone is going on about the carnivore and/or keto diet.
While all these diets will get results, promoting the latest ones will help you get the most sales. They’re ‘hot’ and everyone is talking about it.
So jump on the bandwagon and promote what the people want. Don’t try to ‘bring back’ products that have been forgotten.
Justin Timberlake tried bringing sexy back and even he failed.
Promote what sells.
- Sales Funnels = More $$$
If you’re an Amazon Associate, you know that Amazon is a selling machine.
The guy who clicks on your Amazon affiliate link for a magnesium supplement might end up buying a pool table for his house.
The entire Amazon site is almost like a sales funnel. They’re always showing you related products and telling you, “People who bought this also bought this?”
Oh really? Did they?
No one knows. But what we all know is that Amazon does billions in sales.
Similarly, if you’re promoting products from other vendors on platforms such as ClickBank, ecommerce stores, software sites, etc. you’ll want to check if they have a sales funnel with upsells and downsells.
If there are related and useful upgrades in the funnel, a significant percentage of your leads will also buy these products. Your commissions will increase considerably when you leverage products that have a funnel.
So it’s best to promote products with a sales funnel to maximize commissions.
- Balance Low-Ticket and High-Ticket Items for Profit
In the ‘make money online’ scene, there’s often a lot of talk about only promoting high-ticket products because the amount of effort required to promote these products are the same.
That is true… but what you’re often not told is that most people can’t (or don’t want to) pay for costlier items. By neglecting the masses who have lower purchasing power, you’re leaving money on the table.
It’s best to promote different items that are in different price ranges.
For example, if you’re promoting a page building tool to online marketers, you may choose to promote Systeme.io which has a $27 monthly plan. This will appeal to most newbies who are on a tight budget.
But you can mention that while Systeme.io’s page builder is decent, it comes nowhere close to OptimizePress’ awesome page builder that creates pages that make people sit up and take notice.
Currently, OptimizePress costs $199/year for one site. Their affiliate program pays 30% for every front end sale which is $82.80.
Your audience, who reads your recommendations (on your blog post or elsewhere), will now have a choice.
They can either go for a cheaper but still reliable Systeme.io – or they can go with the fantastic OptimizePress which will create high-converting and aesthetically-pleasing sales pages.
You are effectively targeting both types of buyers. Those who prefer spending less… and those who wish to spend more to get more.
One way or another, you’re making sales and getting paid.
- Partner with Well-Respected Vendors
When promoting products online, some products will be stellar while others are so atrocious you wouldn’t want them even if you could get them for free.
This is especially true in the ‘make money online’ niche. You always want to promote products from reputable vendors because your reputation is directly tied to theirs.
If they’re selling rubbish products and you promote them blindly, your customers will be displeased and you’ll get tarred with the same brush.
As an affiliate, building trust and credibility with your audience is crucial for encouraging them to act on your recommendations. Always prioritize your audience’s needs over immediate profits.
Promote solid, proven products that deliver – from reputable vendors who provide good customer support.
- Rely on Reviews to Ensure Quality
Before promoting a product/service, do your research online and check if there are reviews for the products. You want to look for customer reviews and very often these will be on the deeper pages in your Google search.
Many skilled affiliates promoting the same product will have glowing reviews ranking high on Google. While these reviews may seem convincing, there’s no denying that the affiliate has an agenda to get sales.
So, dig deeper and look for verified customer reviews. This principle applies whether you’re on Amazon or any other site.
On Amazon, it’s easy to check a product’s stats. You can see the number of units sold, the star rating which ideally should be around 4-5 stars… and there will be many customer reviews which you can go through.
With thorough research, you’ll be able to determine whether a product is high-quality and understand what people appreciate about it. Promote it if it meets your criteria.
- Focus on Evergreen Niches
While trends come and go, some niches will be around forever. For example, weight loss, survival (prepper), making money, reducing stress, positive thinking, etc.
By focusing on an evergreen niche, you’ll always have an audience to market to.
You’ll want to have a blog for your niche and you should have installed Pretty Links on it so that you can use these links in all your posts, PDFs, etc.
Quick note: Quick note: Should a product you’re promoting become outdated, you’ll be able to update just one link, and all your links everywhere will be updated.
You’ll still need to change up your content to promote the new product, but at least you won’t need to find every single link and change it, which can be an absolute nightmare.
- Use Exclusive Deals to Outshine Competitors
Exclusive deals are a fantastic way to get a surge of affiliate sales. The best way to do it is to get your audience a discount.
For example, if a wilderness survival course sells for $97, but you can get it for just $47 for a week or so, the special discount will help you get a surge of sales if you promote it to your list or on your blog.
People love getting a discount. This is one reason why the AppSumo site is so popular. The special deals are a big draw.
Of course, you’ll need to network and ask the vendors if they’ll offer you a discount coupon or a special for your audience.
If you have a sizeable audience, most of the time, you’ll get a “Yes!” because it’s a win-win-win for all 3 parties involved – the vendor, the customer and you!
It’s also a strategy that not many affiliates use, and you’ll be able to stand out from the herd and get more sales.
Finally…
In affiliate marketing, it’s all about connecting with your audience and offering real value.
When you focus on what genuinely matters to your readers and stay ahead of trends, you’ll build trust and stand out.
Nail these 9 secrets, and you’ll see your affiliate income grow like never before.
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