Is it possible to make money online? Absolutely! Let's talk about one of the best ways to make extra money – affiliate marketing. If you haven't made money online before, it can be overwhelming trying to decide how to get started. Which business model is best?
So, I want to help you out by bringing to you seven steps to make some extra money online with affiliate marketing.
1. Choose a "Hungry" Market
Look for a market that is currently spending money to find solutions to their challenges. Some markets are more "freebie seekers" and you will want to stay away from those if you're looking to actually make money.
You need to search for a market that is willing to pay for solutions. But how do you find them?
- Check out amazon.com and clickbank.com to see what niches are out there attracting buyers.
- Use a keyword tool like wordtracker.com or the free Google Keyword Tool to find out what people are searching for. You can enter your potential niche keywords (like “dog training”) to see if there is a demand, or enter a broad keyword (like “secrets” or “how to”) to uncover new niches.
- Go to EzineArticles.com and browse the top articles to see which niches are popular.
2. Get Your Tools Ready
When you come across a niche that seems like it has profit potential, then you will need to get some tools that can get you set up online.
- A domain name – try to use your keywords in your domain name if possible. If the domain is already taken, try adding a word on to the end of it, such as "info" or "center." Secure a dot com domain.
- Hosting - I have used Hostgator for years and have been very happy with them.
- An autoresponder/email manager. I use Aweber and love their service.
3. Choose an Affiliate Program
Now it's time to find an affiliate product that you can promote to your niche. One of the best ways to do that is to find out what they’re already buying… and choose a similar offer.
Go to Clickbank.com and browse the relevant niche category. The products appearing at the top of the catalog are your best sellers – so try choosing a product near the top of the list.
Just be sure to buy, read and use the product to ensure that it is, indeed, a good qualilty product.
4. Upload an eCourse to Your Autoresponder
Next, you will want to write up an ecourse and put it in your autoresponder (Aweber) that will promote your affiliate product. Your eCourse should be between 7-12 messages long.
For example:
• You’re selling a copywriting product. You can create a seven-part ecourse on how to write a sales letter. Then promote the copywriting product in every message.
• You’re selling a dog training video. You can create a seven part course that teaches the basic obedience lessons such as sit, down and stay. In every message you refer your prospects to the paid video for more information.
Note: Do NOT solve your prospect’s problems 100%. You want to provide useful but incomplete information, so that your prospects need to purchase your affiliate offer in order to fully solve their problems.
5. Create an Opt-in Page
Now, you need to create an opt-in page (also known as a squeeze page.) You need to encourage visitors to the page to subscribe to your ecourse. After all, you need subscribers or no one will read your course!
How Do You Get Them to Subscribe?
- Use a strong headline that states your ecourse's major benefit (what they will learn, what the outcome will be, etc.) For example: “FREE: How to housetrain your puppy in just three easy steps!”)
- List the other benefits of your course. For example: You will find out how to have an obedient puppy that will be a delight to your family and friends.
- Very importantly, include a clear call to action. People are usually skimming information so it is essential you tell them exactly what you want them to do. For ex. "Leave your name and email address in the form below, then click on "subscribe" and you will have instant access to this important information (in your ecourse.)
It is also helpful to use testimonials, videos, and pictures on your opt-in page – anything that would give evidence that the course will bring results.
6. Get Traffic to Your Page
You will need to bring traffic to your page to get subscribers. Here are some great ways to accomplish this.
- Start a blog and post articles that you have "optimized" for the search engines (use keywords). This will bring free targeted traffic.
- Be a guest blogger on other related blogs
- Write articles and submit them to ezinearticles.com and other article directories. At the end of the article, you will include an author's resource box, directing people back to your opt-in page for more information.
- Get signed up with social media sites like facebook, twitter, squidoo
- Get involved in niche forums and niche blog discussions. So, if you are promoting a dog training product, you will want to join dog training forums and blogs.
7. Time To Add To Your Messages
When you begin to get traffic and subscribers to your list, you can add even more messages into your autoresponder. That way, you can stay in touch with your target market and continue to promote your product. In time, you can begin to promote additional affiliate products – just make sure they are related to the niche you have chosen.
This is one of the best ways to make extra money. Eventually, it will be on auto-pilot which will allow you to go on to other niches and do the same thing, and make even more money.
For a step-by-step approach to getting a successful affiliate marketing business going, take a look at affiliate marketing training.
