Wondering how you can get started as an affiliate marketer with Awin?
How awesome would it be if you made money while you slept? A passive income is a 21st-century dream that's ascertainable for everyone. When we say anyone we mean it. All it takes is a social media account and the desire to put in the work. Want to learn more? Let’s talk about it.
Today, let's delve into a prevalent method of passive income – Affiliate Marketing. This method has the potential to provide you with a couple of hundred dollars a year to rake in thousands, depending on how much time and effort you want to put into it.
I’ll also discuss how you can get started in the industry, which is expected to be worth more than $6.8 billion by next year. How do I plan to do that? By using Awin, of course!
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a way of earning a commission by recommending somebody else’s products. The idea is simple – you recommend a product. You offer your unique take on it – pros, cons, daily use experience, etc. If people are convinced to buy the product you recommend and use your link, you earn a commission from the sale.
Every day, we use dozens of products from different brands. If we like a product, we recommend it to our friends, family, colleagues, and everyone else. We come to know about new products from our social circle and the web. Affiliate marketing allows you to make money by recommending products! This is a twofold advantage for the company. They make a sale, and it extends their brand's reach! You help them, and they help you - it's that simple.
Advantages for Affiliates
Accenture’s research on cross-border online shopping suggests that roughly 45% of shoppers will buy internationally on the web this year. This number will only continue to grow in the future. Here's some food for thought: What do people do when they want to buy a product but aren’t sure which brand to buy or where to purchase it from... what do you do?
You research on the internet. You look for reviews or experiences of people who have used the product you’re looking to buy. If you’re convinced, you purchase it.
Why not share your experience and earn a little money when you recommend products at the same time? You will be adding value to the internet and getting compensated for it – while you sleep!
People make crazy amounts of money from affiliate marketing. Pat Flynn, a well-known affiliate marketer, reported a total passive income of $2.1 million in 2017. Doug Cunnington, another popular affiliate marketer, made $70k in the same year.
Of course, it didn't happen overnight. Not all affiliate marketers are instant millionaires, but with patience and continuous learning, one can earn enough to offset extra expenditures. In life, your desire to succeed plays a huge role in your success.
Advantages for Advertisers
Affiliate marketing has significant advantages for Advertisers/Companies as well. Unlike other forms of marketing and advertising, affiliate marketing is easily trackable. Moreover, if products don’t sell, the seller doesn’t have to pay a commission. It's a win for both involved parties.
The affiliate marketing industry is expected to be worth $6.8 billion by 2021. But who exactly does this industry consist of? And, where and how can you fit in?
What parties are involved in affiliate marketing?
To put it very briefly, there are 3 main parties:
1. The Merchant/The Advertiser – If you have a product, you can approach people in your target niche and get them to recommend it.
2. The Affiliate Marketer/The Publisher – This is the person who markets the product, i.e., convinces others of its value. On a successful sale, the affiliate earns a commission amount (This is decided between the merchant and the affiliate). Most people who are into the passive-income scene start here.
3. The Consumer – The person who buys the product. It is essential to earn their trust. By providing trustworthy reviews of products, you build rapport with that customer. If someone trusts your opinions/thoughts, they will likely return to your site for advice in the future. Quality is essential here.
Don't forget to choose a reputable Affiliate Market Network like Awin. Affiliate market networks act as an intermediary between brands (the merchants) and the affiliate. It's an easy way to get started and ultimately scale your affiliate endeavors.
Why are they useful?
1. Sometimes, merchants will only work with affiliates through a network.
2. These networks maintain vast databases of products spread over multiple niches. Pick a product and a niche that you enjoy! There's something out there for everyone.
3. They negate the need for developing in-house tracking tools and hiring specialized personnel for marketing. Simply put: All the hard work has been done for you.
Awin is a leading affiliate network that boasts many brands for affiliate marketers to work with. They also offer excellent tools that will make your affiliate marketing journey easier.
Why choose Awin for your affiliate marketing needs?
Awin has been around for a long time now. They've been involved in the affiliate marketing industry since 2000 under various names. During this time, they have grown a massive network of 15,200+ advertisers and 211,000+ publishers.
In 2019, their affiliate network generated over 150 million online sales. Even better, their affiliates earned almost a billion dollars!
On average, 260 new affiliates join their network every day, including bloggers, vloggers, social media page owners, and mass media partners.
All this speaks to not only their experience in the field but also their trustworthiness.
Their huge advertiser directory of 15,200+ advertisers is spread over 4 major categories:
1. Finance and Insurance - Credit Cards, Insurance, Loans, Mortgages, Personal Banking, Properties, Savings, and Investments.
2. Retail and Shopping – Clothing, Toys, Computers, Electronics, DIY, Garden, Home, and Beauty, etc.
3. Telecommunications and Services – B2B Telecommunications ServicesB2B Utility Services, Business Services (B2B), Cable & Satellite Operators, Dating, Digital TV & Video-on-Demand Education, training recruitment, mobile downloads, online gaming, tickets, web hosting, gambling, competitions, etc.
4. Travel - Airlines, Airport Parking & Transfers, Car Rental, Coaches, Cruises & Ferries, Hotels & Accommodation, Lead Gen, Local Holidays, Tourism & Attractions, Trains, Travel Agencies.
Awin also helps companies to create campaigns that are fast, smart, and reach the right audience. They release an annual report where they discuss case studies and the trends of the affiliate marketing industry. Trusted by brands like HP, Etsy, and Skin Store, Awin continues to create value for its advertisers and publishers every day.
Clearly, there are a large number of opportunities here for both Advertisers and Publishers.
So, how does Awin fare among users? The reviews on the internet are mostly positive. Let's compare the pros and cons below:
Pros
1. Supports multiple niches - a large number of companies are part of the Awin network.
2. The interface/dashboard is straightforward to use.
3. Built with publishers in mind.
Good selection of tools to help publishers in their tasks - bounceless tracking, convert-a-link, opportunity marketplace, etc. Check them out here.
Awin enforces strict quality standards for the products advertised on its sites. So, as a publisher, you don’t have to worry about the authenticity of the products.
Track your performance and get detailed customizable reports.
Filter Advertisers by industry and sales regions.
Identify advertisers as green, amber, or red to show their reliability and payment status.
4. Their expert support team is accessible via the phone, chat, or email.
5. Signing up is free of cost. Your $5 deposit is returned to you when you receive your first commission.
Cons
1.The platform has detailed information on all different aspects of affiliate marketing, which can be overwhelming at first. However, detailed guides and an FAQ section are present to help learn the ropes quickly, so this is hardly a con.
2. Some users mentioned that payouts can be slow at times from specific companies, but such reviews were few and far between.
In most of the cases of bad reviews – Awin staff reached out and fixed the issue ( Awin has replied to 85% of their negative reviews on Trustpilot). So, they are definitely committed to resolving any problems their users are facing.
To avoid the delayed payments issue, Awin shows 'Traffic Light Status' for merchant payments and recommends publishers to prevent advertisers with red status.
Wondering how to join the Awin Affiliate Network?
On Awin, you can either sign up as an Advertiser to grow your brand’s reach through its vast network of publishers.
Or you can join as a publisher “to create profitable partnerships with brands you love”.
Getting started as an advertiser
The process is straightforward; you just have to fill one form. Please click here to go to the form. You'll be able to fill in the necessary details of your brand and target market.
Through Awin, you will get access to a vast pool of publishers, including content sites (blogs like this), influencers, coupon codes, or cashback based platforms. Some big names in Awin’s publishers’ list are TechRadar, Vouchercloud, Savoo, TopCashBack.
Getting started as an affiliate marketer/publisher
Becoming an affiliate marketer with Awin is easy. All you have to do is follow this link here and click “Partner with brands you love” under the Solutions for Publishers side. It can also be directly accessed through the Publisher Menu > Sign Up option.
Upon signing up, a $5 deposit is required. This deposit is only for security measures and is returned to you later on. Finally, your application is reviewed by Awin. It generally takes two days max. Once approved, you'll receive an email.
Upon approval, you will be asked to ‘Complete Your Profile’. This will add you to the Publisher’s directory, which advertisers use to look for publishers.
While you will need to eventually study more to become a great affiliate marketer (Awin has excellent guides to help), the following tips should put you on the right track:
1. Choose the right niche! It helps when you’re passionate about it. Being specific also allows you to better target your audience.
You can use the internet to research potential affiliate niches. Asking questions can help you understand your potential audience and their needs/criteria. Quora is a great website for such research. Moreover, you can also earn money by asking good questions there.
2. Make your Awin profile appealing to advertisers - promotional space and contact details should be obvious.
Following these simple tips, I am sure you will establish your presence as a trusted publisher very quickly.
Pro Marketing Tips
While the concept of someone clicking your link and you making money seems simple enough, there are some rules you need to follow.
Don't spam! Reputable networks like Awin focus on quality; they don't want links placed everywhere with no rhyme nor reason. Our recommendation: Focus on quality, make sure your content is presented in a reputable way that helps the reader. You can post on social media platforms but be cautious in how you do it. Not following Awin's policies can get you banned from the network. Make sure you do your homework before you start.
A website is an excellent investment. It's a great way to reach an audience. It takes time and money. If you lack one or both, it's no problem! You can still use your phone to build your presence on social platforms like FaceBook, Tik-Tok, Instagram, and Pinterest. Build your audience and share quality content based on your affiliate links. Use your phone (or other mobile devices) to build your empire. Again, it’s the 21st century - the sky's the limit.
Conclusion
The affiliate industry is bursting with opportunities. The scope for earnings is huge, both as an advertiser and a publisher. Success in the affiliate market is by no means easy or attained overnight. Still, with continuous learning and the right tools – you, too, can build a fabulous affiliate business.
Having been in the industry for a long time, Awin is a great affiliate network to help you on your journey. I am sure with patience, you will be successful.
To get started click HERE
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