What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate Marketing is the process of using one website to drive traffic to another. Basically, it is a form of online marketing. It is sort of like virtual word-of-mouth. Traditionally, advertising reached us through television, radio, and written media. We knew what products were available, but we asked a friend if we wanted to know how good that product was. Sometimes we bought what our friends had because that was the only recommendation we needed. In these times of at least one computer connected to the Internet per household, the “friends” we ask are often online.
Social Media is now the primary form of global communication. Many people measure popularity by how many followers someone has. The more followers, the more credibility that poster has; and the more likely they are to be followed in what they show interest in. So, in the social media arena, affiliate marketing can be highly successful.
This is how it works:
Let’s say you have a blog, linked to your social networking site or on your website that a lot of people read and follow. Perhaps your interests, and by definition, those of your followers, fit a particular niche. A niche is an area of specialized interest, for example, motorbikes. So what you do is write a blog about motorbikes that people love to read. Here’s how you can make money while writing about your passion. You apply to become an affiliate marketer for any related companies.
So to continue with the motorbike theme, that could include:
- Motorcycle retailers
- Retailers selling motorcycle gear, such as helmets; leathers
- Motorcycle garages and parts
Those are the obvious ones, but you could also be a little creative and offer links to companies such as:
- Motorcycle insurance providers
- Travel websites that offer touring
- Camping sites
- Motorcycle Clubs
- Book retailers
You write your blog, just as usual, but now you include a link within your text to products and services that you like. This gives your readers the idea that you are recommending that product or service.
They trust your judgment and are therefore likely to click on your link to see what you are advising them to buy. But how do you make money by generating leads for someone else? What’s in it for you?
You get a commission from the company you have made an agreement with for the revenue they generate from customers that have been directed to them from your site. Simply put, if you have sent them a customer; and that customer spends money on their website, you get a fixed amount or a pre-agreed percentage of that sale as a reward. This is known as Cost Per Action (CPA), which is currently the most commonly used model for affiliate marketing.
A couple of years ago, MarketingSherpa’s research team estimated commission earned through worldwide affiliate marketing deals was $6.5 billion. The affiliate partner sources were mainly retail, personal finance, gaming and gambling, travel, telecommunications, education, and publishing.
3 Reasons Affiliate Marketing Appeals to Seniors
As you navigate the many business models you can pursue on the Internet, you’ll find that each has a few pros and cons. But with affiliate marketing, there’s not much you can say that is negative or off-putting.
This is a business model with many benefits – especially to newbies and seniors who don’t want a lot of hassle but want to reap the rewards of working for themselves online.
1. The first reason seniors want to consider affiliate marketing is that this is a very easy business model to master. There’s nothing complex about the set-up of a blog or social account.
You’ll basically be telling consumers about the details, specifications, and features of a product and then giving your opinion about whether or not you believe it’s a wise investment for them.
2. The second reason seniors love the affiliate marketing business model is that it doesn’t cost you much (if anything) to start earning from it. Some business models require a substantial investment of tools and services to get going.
3. And the last reason seniors give affiliate marketers a thumbs up is that the income potential is significant and unlimited. There are no restrictions on how many products you can promote as an affiliate.
There are some affiliates who post multiple reviews each day or who post in multiple niches. This can be something that earns you as much or as little as you see fit. It all depends on how much time and effort you want to put into it.
Seniors who initially start on a different path in online marketing often add affiliate marketing to their arsenal of earnings eventually. It’s so easy to add your link to recommendations that people will be asking for.
Dual Profit Niches That Seniors Want to Consider
There are hundreds, if not thousands of niches a senior marketer can choose to go into when they begin their online career. You’re never limited to just one, either. You might want to get one niche off the ground for your affiliate earnings before branching out to others.
There are many niches that consumers spend money in. Toys, for example, might be a good niche for a doting grandparent who buys lots of things for their grandkids. But it’s not what’s known as a dual profit niche.
Dual profit niches are those where you earn from the sale of both the digital and tangible products that the niche has in it. There are five dual profit niches that seniors might want to consider initially to get started.
The first is an obvious one – anti-aging. You’re probably engaging in some sort of anti-aging process yourself, whether it’s keeping your mobility intact or working on brain health – even staving off wrinkles!
You can promote digital info products that teach people how to maintain their youth. Also, recommend products that are tangible that will help them keep old age at bay. That might be something like a book of puzzles for staying sharp mentally or a serum they put around their eyes to get rid of crow’s feet.
Another dual profit niche that’s good for seniors is fitness. If you visit any gym, you’ll see it’s not just packed with young, athletic individuals. Many senior citizens use gyms to help shed pounds and increase muscle mass that deteriorates over time.
With fitness, there are many info products that are digital in nature. There are also ample tangible products they can have sent to their home. This includes things such as stretch bands, yoga mats, and more.
Seniors have a lot of knowledge they’ve gained that has been passed down from previous generations when it comes to homesteading. That’s why the survival or prepper niche is a great dual profit niche to consider.
You’ll find many consumers seeking info product advice for everything from how to can foods from their garden to how to survive when the grid goes out and there’s no electricity.
Consumers also buy many tangible items for survival, including food that lasts a long time, tents, solar powdered gadgets like weather radios and phone chargers, rainwater catchers, and more.
Cooking is something many seniors love to do. They share homemade recipes that they’ve collected over the years. You can tap into the cooking niche and sell digital products like Cooking for Diabetics or recipe cookbooks they can download to their computer.
You can also share affiliate links recommending things they’ll need in the kitchen. Cookware, bakeware, mixers, pots and pans, and even little accessories are great ideas.
If you want to tap into a sports or activity niche that’s not fitness, you might consider going into the golf niche. There are many seniors who golf, and this is a sport that’s great for beginners, men, and women.
It’s also a niche where the consumer buys info products teaching them about the game, advising them of tips and strategies. It is also one where you can promote many tangible items, too.
Golfers spend a lot on their game (which means you stand to earn a lot). They spend money on clubs, carts, golf apparel, accessories like tees and balls, technology like GPS or range finders, and more.
Where to Place Your Links for Cash-Earning Capability
As a senior online marketer, you may or may not have a virtual home on the ‘net just yet. If not, then affiliate marketing can be done on many social networking sites. They all vary in terms of the rules you have to abide by when it comes to sharing your affiliate links with your audience. Make sure you understand what’s allowed and what’s not ahead of time.
You can use sites like Facebook where there are profiles, pages, and groups. You can use Pinterest, which is great for visual niches like cooking. YouTube is another amazing social networking site where you can showcase videos and share links below in the show notes section.
There are many other social networking sites and apps, too. It all depends on where your target audience is hanging out. Consider taking a look at Instagram, Twitter, and even Tik Tok to see if your viewers are awaiting your arrival.
If social networking is not for you, or want to add more power to your affiliate marketing efforts, purchase an inexpensive domain name. There you can set up an affiliate blog of your own.
The domains are under $15 per year and hosting should be no more than $10 a month. WordPress, which is how you install a blog, is free, so there’s very little cost to you having your own website.
You’ll be able to post reviews and organize them into categories. You can even take the content you create on sites like YouTube and embed them right on your blog for visitors to watch.
Once you have a blog and you’re building a list of subscribers, you’ll be able to email those individuals with more of your affiliate offers. Some sites (such as Amazon) don’t like you to send your affiliate links in emails.
With most of the companies, you’ll be able to email the links directly to your subscriber base and talk about why you think they should consider it.
Some companies, like Amazon, do not allow you to send links directly in an email. All you have to do is a blog about the product and include your links there. You can then send an email to your subscribers with a link to your blog post.
Make sure you explain why they want to read the blog post right away. This way, you’re still able to promote as an affiliate, but there’s just one extra step (a click) involved before you earn the sale.
Setting Yourself Apart as an Affiliate Marketer
Some seniors worry that there’s just too much competition to be able to earn money recommending things online. But competition simply shows you that the niche is viable and there’s money to be made!
There are many things you can do to stand out as an affiliate. Most of your competitors will fail to do them because they haven’t yet learned them. The first is to weave your personality into the content that you produce.
People don’t bond with website domains. They bond with and become loyal to personalities who suck them in and cater to their needs. So let your personality shine through.
Don’t be afraid that some people may not like it. It’s normal to weed out your “non-audience”. In fact, it’s good to do that so the people who aren’t interested won’t hang around taking up your time or making negative remarks.
Another way for you to stand out is to conduct thorough reviews whenever you do want to promote something. Most marketers of either tangible or digital products don’t take time to actually look at what it is they’re recommending.
All they see is dollar signs. This not only ends up hurting the consumer, by causing them to make a bad purchase, but it hurts your brand and reputation, too. They’ll blame you for the poor recommendation.
Be sure to get your hands on the actual product whenever possible. This may not be a viable option whenever the price is more than you can afford. But if you’re reviewing a digital product, the vendor may happily give you a free copy of the product for your review.
With tangibles, sometimes you can go to a store and see it in person, get an idea of what the features are like, and so on. You don’t always have to outright own it in order to have an effective review.
To continue setting yourself apart, think of all the different strategies you can use when promoting products as an affiliate. Write a simple text review, record a video, include pictures, and more.
You can create lists of top 5 or top 10 items. Compare two products against one another and show the benefits and drawbacks of each. You can also create complete buyers’ guides that your visitors can download and use whenever making their shopping decisions.
Garner Special Deals That Earn You More
As an affiliate marketer, you’ll see pages dedicated to informing you about the vendor’s offer and how you can promote it. These details will share the cost of the product, your commission, launch discount dates, and more.
You can always go above and beyond and get more for your buyers and for yourself in the process. For your buyers, ask about securing them a discount if one isn’t present (or a bigger one if there’s already one in existence).
It doesn’t have to be much, but even an additional 5% or $5 off the cost can ensure that consumers buy through your link over your competitors. You can do the same when you approach them for a perk for yourself, too.
Ask the vendor to bump your commission before you promote. They won’t always do this, but it never hurts to ask. You might end get bumped from 50% to 75%. Maybe even 100% if there’s a funnel the customer will go through.
Senior marketers are never at a disadvantage when it comes to affiliate marketing. It’s easy and affordable and is one of the fastest ways you can begin earning online and growing that income into something substantial that can support you in your golden years.
