What Is Affiliate Marketing?
It is the process by which an affiliate earns a commission for marketing another person’s or company’s products. The affiliate simply searches for a product they enjoy, then promotes that product and earns a piece of the profit from each sale they make. The sales are tracked via affiliate links from one website to another.
Many affiliate programs are free to join. Affiliate programs work by allowing individuals or businesses to promote and sell the products or services of another company in exchange for a commission on each sale.
The affiliate earns a commission each time someone makes a purchase through the unique affiliate link associated with their recommendation.
Here’s how it works at a high level:
- An affiliate promotes an affiliate link to their website visitors, blog readers, or social network.
- An audience member clicks the link.
- The audience member makes a purchase.
- The affiliate network records the transaction.
- The affiliate gets paid a monetary commission.
Commission rates for affiliate sales vary depending on the product, industry, and the agreement negotiated between the affiliate and brand.
Low-price, high-volume products in niches such as pet food or skin care might earn you 5% of each sale. High-ticket affiliate programs in sectors such as finance and software can offer more than 20%.
Successful affiliates may negotiate bespoke deals with their partners for even higher percentages. Some affiliate marketing programs provide a flat rate per sale instead of a percentage.
3 types of affiliate marketing
1. Unattached
Unattached – It is when the affiliate is a general advertiser or promoter. They are not associated with the affiliated brand, product, industry, or niche, and may promote a wide range of affiliate products to multiple audiences.
Unattached affiliate marketers often use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns to reach customers on social media and search engine results pages.
2. Related
Related -it is the practice of promoting products or services that are relevant to an affiliate’s audience. An affiliate in this category has invested resources to build a following through blogging, YouTube, TikTok, or other types of content marketing.
Related affiliate marketers may be influencers, making them a trusted source for recommending products.
3. Involved
Involved -it refers to the creation of content that includes an affiliated product or service. This could be a product review, a walkthrough, or other content that demonstrates product benefits.
Many involved affiliate marketers gain a reputation for trustworthy, impartial product recommendations.