Week 5: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you promote other people’s products and earn a commission every time your promotion results in a conversion or sale.

Best Practices for Affiliate Marketing

1. Create or Join Affiliate Programs
   • Join networks like ShareASale, Rakuten, or similar platforms.
   • Use plugins like AffiliateWP on WordPress to create your own affiliate program.
2. Choose the Right Partners
   • Choosing who to affiliate with and partner with is key.
   • First, ensure your marketing strategy and campaigns are well thought out.
   • Plan who your target audience is.
   • Create content and strategies based on your audience’s interests.
   • Select products your target audience would find appealing and partners you can trust.
   • Ensure everything, like commissions, is official and professional.
3. Don’t Be Pushy
   • Focus on creating high-quality content that customers naturally want to see, and then incorporate the products and links naturally.
   • Always be clear and transparent with your partners to build and maintain trust.

Technical Tips

• Make sure you can track your analytics and sales.
• Ensure your links and custom codes work properly; otherwise, there’s no point in pursuing affiliate marketing.

Common Mistakes

• Promoting products that do not align with your niche.
• Failing to optimize your marketing channels, especially your website, with SEO.
• Lacking transparency and effective communication with partners.

Works Cited

“Affiliate Marketing: What It Is and How to Start.” Shopify Blog, Shopify, 14 Nov. 2023, www.shopify.com/blog/affiliate-marketing. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.