The affiliate marketing model is a great way to make a substantial income online by promoting other people’s proven products.
This means that you can join affiliate marketing programs, create affiliate links, promote these links using various means, and make commissions.
The problem most people have with affiliate marketing is usually how to promote affiliate links.
I mean, if you expect to get people to fork out cash and buy whatever you are selling, you have to make it good!
It isn’t going to be easy.
Heck, it isn’t even easy to get someone to do something that doesn’t require them to spend money, so getting people to click your link and make a purchase would take quite the effort.
When it comes to promoting affiliate links, there are several ways to do it strategically to get the best results. This can be done with or without a website.
Here’s a complete guide that specifically discusses how to promote affiliate links without a website.
In this article, we will be discussing effective ways of promoting affiliate links both with or without a website.
Before we get into the details, let us touch on a little bit on what affiliate links are, and how to create them.
What are Affiliate Links?
Affiliate links are unique URLs assigned to affiliates by an affiliate program, to help them track the sales brought in by their affiliates.
Brands and affiliate programs get a ton of sales daily, and the only way they can keep track of the sales that you make, or the sales the other affiliate marketers make, is by ensuring that each affiliate marketer gets their very own unique URLs.
How to Create Affiliate Links
In four easy steps, you can create your very first affiliate link(s):
Step 1: Sign up to an affiliate network or programs
To start affiliate marketing, you will need to find beginner-friendly affiliate programs or networks.
If you did a quick research on some of your favorite everyday products, that you would discover that they have an excellent affiliate program you can sign up for.
So, when you find an affiliate program that interests you, and their terms are favorable, go ahead and sign right up!
But, I would usually advise joining affiliate marketing programs that carry products that you would enjoy promoting.
Also, make sure that they are products that you feel would be easiest for you to promote.
Great examples of affiliate networks beginners can join and find excellent affiliate programs on include Peerfly, Clickbank, and ShareASale.
Step 2: Hit your dashboard
After you get accepted into an affiliate program, the next step would be to check out your dashboard.
This is where all the magic happens, including creating your first affiliate link.
Your dashboard is your very own headquarters, so pay great attention to everything on there.
You have the option of choosing to go with banners, text links, and a whole bunch of options for your affiliate links promotion.
After you have decided on which option to go with, you can create your affiliate links or it would have been created for you already in some cases.
Step 3: Cloak or shorten your links
Now that you have your affiliate links, you can simply copy and paste them on your websites, or shorten and use them for your social media promotions.
Cloaking or shortening your affiliate links makes them look nicer.
However, if you decide to promote them, this is usually advised.
Step 4: Track your progress and keep going
Via your dashboard also, you should be able to tell your progress in terms of sales.
How many sales you have made in a day, week, or month, and also how much money you have made.
Your dashboard would look quite different from every affiliate marketing platform you sign up for, but they are pretty much the same in regards to functionalities.
Now that you are all set with your first affiliate link or links, it’s time to get into our list of the best ways to promote affiliate links.
Best Ways to Promote Affiliate Links
1. Authentic product reviews
There is no better way to convince a person to fork out their hard-earned cash and buy something they didn’t think of buying on their own, without first convincing them that said product is of excellent value.
And, what better way to convince people to click through your affiliate link, than to first tell them that you have used and loved the product?
If you own a blog, then creating authentic product reviews would be an excellent way to go.
Within each review you create, casually include your affiliate link for the product you are reviewing.
Now, the best way to go about an “authentic” product review would be to use the said product and then write a review about your user experience.
But, if you are unable to use a product, it is still possible to create an excellent product review about it.
There are great reviews online regarding a wide range of products.
Simply search online for reviews on whatever product you are promoting, and voila! You can find all the authentic information you need to write an excellent review!
Always remember to write your reviews as if you used said product, and not just offer a rendition of how great the product is, just because you want people to make a purchase via your affiliate link.
Instead of persuading them to make a purchase, just tell them about the products, and include both their pros and cons.
Even if you aren’t that great of a writer, I bet you can find ways to make your product review an interesting read.
You can also hire freelance writers to do the writing for you.
You don’t want your readers falling asleep before you can convince them to make a purchase (without directly convincing them)
2. Affiliate links on social media
If you are an avid social media user and have a decent amount of following, then, this might be one the best ways for you to promote your affiliate link.
Just like you casually take pictures and make videos, you could include an affiliate product in some of your posts.
Say one or two words about this product you love, and let your followers know that they can get the same product via a link within your post.
You can even promote affiliate links on your bio on Instagram.
Now, if you aren’t very popular on social media, or just do not want your personal social media pages to feature your affiliate marketing endeavors, that’s fine too.
You can still promote your affiliate links on social media.
The only reason why this option is coming second to promoting your affiliate links to your followers is because, with this second option, you would have to spend some money.
I bet each time you go on Facebook, Instagram, or even Twitter, you sure would come across tons of ads before you log off, and some of these ads, believe it or not, might carry someone’s affiliate products.
Some people have found great success with promoting their affiliate links on social media via sponsored ads, and you can too.
But, only go this route if you can afford to spend money on ads.
If you can’t afford to pay for ads, you could always try to build your social media following organically.
If the top social media influencers can do it, you can too.
It might just take a while, and that’s okay too.
The key is to create more interesting and engaging content and stay consistent even when it seems like no one is paying any attention to you.
3. Affiliate links on YouTube
These days, video content is the king of all other forms of marketing.
YouTube has become one of the best ways to promote affiliate links.
It doesn’t take a lot to start up a YouTube channel, but it does take some time to get things going and build up your following.
By creating interesting and consistent content, you could be on your way to building a huge following on YouTube, which is a big thing, if you intend to promote affiliate products on your channel.
The best approach to take in regards to promoting affiliate products on YouTube is to promote affiliate products that tie in seamlessly with your YouTube channel.
Sign up for affiliate programs that are in line with your YouTube channel.
Some people even build a YouTube channel around the affiliate products they intend to promote.
But only do this if you would not feel limited in the future.
People who have a lifestyle or even general content-based channels usually have the opportunity to promote an even wider range of products to their subscribers.
So, think about it for a while, and make a decision that suits you best.
Also, please never try to promote random affiliate products to your subscribers.
This could greatly ruin the long-term and trustworthy relationship you are trying to build with your subscribers and would-be subscribers if said affiliate product is of terrible quality, harmful, or if it doesn’t work at all.
Only promote products you are sure of and believe in.
4. Promoting via your email list.
When it comes to promoting your affiliate links via your blog, you can do that in a number of ways.
You can try and promote your affiliate links within a blog post, or even dedicated product reviews, but you can also try and get your readers to join your mailing list, where you can try once again to promote your affiliate links to them.
Having a responsive email list is one of the best things that could ever happen to an affiliate marketer, but you have to be careful when you try to promote your affiliate products to the individuals on your list.
There are so many ways you can get your readers to sign up to your email list, and this includes doing a giveaway, where they could get an eBook or any other digital product for free after they sign up to your email list.
Now there, don’t get scared.
Whatever you give away doesn’t have to be expensive or anything grand.
Take your time, and think of something brilliant to give away that won’t break the bank.
Let us say that your blog is centered on fitness and clean eating.
You could offer a weight loss recipe eBook as your lead magnet.
After you get these people on your email list, don’t just bombard them with affiliate links daily, try to build a relationship with them, before you even try to sell them anything.
This can be done by sending them interesting or even valuable content often, and then try to throw your affiliate links as a recommendation in one of these interesting or valuable content.
5. Native ad promotions
If you can afford to spare the cash to promote your affiliate links, then native ads may work for you.
Now, I am in no way saying that other ad channels don’t work or anything like that.
But, I’m just saying that when it comes to promoting affiliate links, using native ads just does it for me.
If you have no idea what native ads are, then, I apologize for being rude.
Ever been on a website, and found little boxes in one corner or the other, that seemed to be related articles, but when you clicked through, you found out that there were ads?
Well, if you have, then my friend, you already know more about native ads than you think.
Why native ads are quite the rave with affiliate marketers winning at promoting their affiliate links, is because of their high conversion rate.
I bet that many factors may also contribute to the high conversion rate of native ads, but it is a known fact that the high level of seamless display of native ads on websites, is the number one reason why they are so successful.
I mean, people are more likely to click on a link when it seems like related content on the website than if it were just a random link asking you to buy stuff or sign up for something.
Using native ads to promote your affiliate links may be more expensive than if you decided to go with more traditional banner ads, like with Google AdSense.
The top two native ads network you might want to check out, are Revcontent and Outbrain.
6. Promoting affiliate links through digital products.
Is there a great knowledge that you think people might benefit from, and you wouldn’t mind passing this knowledge on to people for free?
If your answer to the above question is yes, then this would be an excellent way for you to promote your affiliate links.
Take affiliate marketing, for example.
Let us say that you have got the stuff when it comes to affiliate marketing, or you can teach people how to get started with affiliate marketing; you can write an eBook on it.
In affiliate marketing, many tools are used to work the process.
A lot of these tools have their own affiliate programs you can join.
Within the book you give out for free, you could include your affiliate links for these tools that your students would sure need to get started with the topic you are teaching them.
Let’s say that 100 people have access to this free affiliate marketing course of yours, and 35 people decide to go through with implementing all you have taught them, which would ultimately include the use of your affiliate products.
You would have made a tidy sum in affiliate commissions from said 35 people.
And, the thing with free stuff is that it spreads like wildfire.
So, let us say that a year from when you launched your free course, over a thousand people now have access to the said course, and most of them probably tried out what you taught them, including using your affiliate link.
That would be quite the passive revenue, don’t you think?
If you don’t mind taking out the time to create a valuable course and give it out for free, this would be an excellent way to promote your affiliate links.
7. Affiliate links on Facebook groups
Promoting your affiliate links on Facebook groups is a great and free way to get things going with your affiliate marketing endeavors, but you have to be smart about it.
With most niched Facebook groups, just about anyone can join, and with others, it is closed off, till an admin approves your application to join.
The winning strategy with promoting your affiliate links via Facebook groups is to be an active member of the group, long before you begin to promote your affiliate links.
Ask questions, answer questions, and follow all the set rules and regulations of the group, so you don’t get kicked out.
Also, do not just casually join a ton of groups and begin to share your affiliate links, try joining Facebook groups that are somewhat related to whatever affiliate products you intend to promote.
When you have situated yourself as an individual who is knowledgeable about what the said Facebook group is about, this ultimately gets the group members to trust your judgment on things.
When you finally begin to promote your affiliate links in the group, they will be more likely to click through the link and even make a purchase.
I would leave you with this regarding Facebook groups.
No matter how long you have been in a Facebook group, or how well-known you are, never spam the group with your affiliate links. Only promote them in an intelligent and coordinated way.
8. By guest posting
Especially when you are just starting with your blog, guest posting is always a great way to go, to get more eyes on your blog.
While you are out trying to build a reputation for your blog by guest posting, you can also promote your affiliate links at the same time.
Guest posting simply means creating content for other blogs in your niche and having them link back to your blog.
It is public knowledge that they are on the lookout for guest posts, while with some, you would have to reach out personally to them to find out about their guest posting openings.
Whatever the arrangement is, once you can snag a guest posting spot, go ahead and write the best blog you could ever write, and include your affiliate links within the blog content like you would do if you were writing for your blog.
The best way to go about promoting your affiliate links via guest posting is to first follow all the rules of the blog owner.
If these rules aren’t followed, your guest post will most likely be rejected.
Also be sure to include your affiliate links in a way that naturally ties them to the blog itself, instead of just looking like you are trying to sell the readers something.
Guest posting is an excellent way to promote affiliate links in my opinion because you automatically have both your up-and-coming blog, and your affiliate links in front of people who most likely trust the blog you have your post on, hence, they are more likely to purchase via your affiliate links.
9. Via LinkedIn articles
LinkedIn pulse articles are a great way to drive massive traffic to your affiliate links without having social media followers or paying for clicks. LinkedIn has a dedicated space for article writing and the platform comes with a high domain authority (DA).
This high DA makes it possible for your content to rank high on Google searches which in turn gives your articles and the links to the products you are promoting through it a wide reach to potential buyers.
LinkedIn is also an excellent platform to build great professional relationships and even network, hence, once you can situate yourself as someone who is an authority in his or her professional field, people on the platform are likely to trust your judgment and make a purchase from your affiliate links.
10. Promoting affiliate links on Pinterest
Now, don’t get me wrong.
You can promote lots of things on Pinterest, but in regards to promoting your affiliate links on Pinterest, fashion-related affiliate products have been known to do very well in terms of conversion on the platform.
Most people who use Pinterest typically, look to the platform mostly for the cutesy stuff. I have had friends pin and pin tons of outfit ideas on the platform, and wish they had a direct link to purchase said fashion items.
If you have a good following on Pinterest, and your following is centered on fashion, sign up for fashion-related affiliate programs, and then include your affiliate links in your fashion pins.
Since most people are already avid fans of the items you create pins and boards on, they would likely be interested in making a purchase or two via your affiliate links.
Tips to Get Better Results Promoting Affiliate Links
1. Focus on promoting products within a niche.
There are a ton of affiliate programs you can sign up to but it will be wise to only promote products within a specific niche on your website.
Being a jack of all trades wouldn’t do your marketing endeavors much good because you won’t be seen as an authority figure in any niche and it will also confuse your site visitors.
To promote a range of products in multiple industries, you should build separate websites or social media accounts for each industry and produce content that is related to the industry.
2. Make your affiliate links appealing and track your results.
You would agree with me that most times, affiliate links look like the kind of link you click just before you get hacked.
To make people more confident with clicking your link, the best thing to do would be to cloak your links.
Regardless of the medium, you are making use of to promote your affiliate offers, the best way to track your links to help you scale up your campaigns, would be to use a tracking software like ClickMagick.
With ClickMagick, you would be able to track accurately every action taken on your affiliate links which includes but is not limited to clicks and sales conversions.
Also, Pretty Links is a good WordPress plugin to use for your affiliate link cloaking.
3. Mix it up a little
Now, if you are promoting your affiliate links via a website or blog, and you intend to use banner ads, try to switch up your ad placements.
Not just to randomly switch them up, but to ensure that the banners blend in nicely with your blog or website as much as possible.
For higher conversion also, try to observe which position on your blog or website is best for your click-through rate and stick with it.
It is also advisable to diversify the medium through which you promote your affiliate links.
For example, you can promote your links on your website through the use of banners while promoting it through product reviews, and digital products simultaneously.
Final Note on Affiliate Links Promotion
In regards to the best ways to promote your affiliate links, the ways we listed in this article barely scratched the surface.
There are a lot more effective ways to promote your affiliate links, but with the ways listed here, you can definitely get a good head start.
Whatever route you decide to go with promoting your links, one important thing to note is that your affiliate links must never be made to look spammy while promoting them.
Try to make them tie as seamlessly as possible to the content or vessel you are promoting them through, as this way ensures a higher chance of conversion.
Also, instead of trying to promote your affiliate links via every channel known to man, try to focus on a few first, to see how things go.
Some promotional channels might work better for you, and be an absolute disaster for others.
Finally, in a situation where you hope to maintain a relationship with those you are promoting your affiliate offers to, never fail to let them know that the product you are promoting to them comes with affiliate links.
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