There are multiple methods available for bloggers to monetize their platforms in the present times. They can receive sponsored posts, display advertisements, market products, or provide consultation services.
Using the best affiliate programs for bloggers is one of the easiest methods to earn.
One of the reasons why affiliate marketing is a profitable field for generating income is:
- It’s a multi-billion dollar industry: Spending in the U.S. alone is expected to reach over $8 billion in 2022, almost triple what it was ten years ago.
- According to Rakuten, more than 80% of advertisers have affiliate programs.
- The industry is responsible for over 16% of ecommerce orders.
Continue reading to discover which affiliate program you should select.
What Are Affiliate Programs?
Affiliate marketing programs enable publishers (or bloggers) to earn commission by promoting a business’s products through referral programs.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
When it comes to affiliate marketing, advertisers have the opportunity to utilize a publisher’s platform for promoting their services. This form of marketing involves the participation of three parties.
- Advertisers/Sellers
- Publishers/Affiliates
- Buyer
From a blogger’s perspective, how does this process appear? Publishers can simplify this into four straightforward steps.
- Connect with like-minded brands
- Promote the advertiser to your site visitors
- Your site visitor follows the affiliate link to the advertiser’s site
- You make money blogging through sales commissions
In this scenario, the blogger acts as the affiliate marketer by placing an affiliate link on their website that directs readers to the vendor’s site. If a reader clicks on the link and makes a purchase, the affiliate receives a commission fee as compensation. This mutually beneficial arrangement allows the vendor to boost their sales while ensuring fair compensation for the blogger.
The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing Blogging
There are numerous advantages of utilizing affiliate marketing to monetize a blog. First and foremost, it is a straightforward process that can be easily learned by novice bloggers. Here are some of the primary benefits of incorporating affiliate marketing into blogging:
- You can earn long-term passive income through affiliate links, as you’ll continue receiving payments long after you’ve created the content.
- Affiliate marketing requires little start-up costs or investment.
- Bloggers can work from anywhere in the world, whether at home or on the road.
- You’ll have added incentive to create high-quality content that not only earns commission from advertisers but grows your own brand as a blogger.
How to Start a Blog and Make Money
If you are prepared to earn money through blogging, there are multiple approaches to consider. For instance, you can start by creating a blog that aligns with your interests and subsequently search for advertisers who are compatible with your niche. Alternatively, you can initially explore highly sought-after niches in affiliate programs and establish a blog that caters to advertisers’ requirements.
Step 1: Choose an audience and niche
When considering how to begin a blog and generate income, the initial step is to select your target audience, regardless of the method you choose. By having a particular reader in mind while writing, you will be in a better position to produce engaging content. Explore techniques such as those listed below to gain a better understanding of your audience’s preferences.
- Join the discussion in online forums, communities, and social media groups.
- Conduct a survey with questions related to your niche.
- Collect and analyse visitor data using tools like Google Analytics.
Step 2: Create high-quality content
If your blog is not worth visiting, having all the data and analytics in the world will not assist you in making money. Ensure that your content, whether written, visual, or video, is tailored to your audience and intended to stimulate return visits. Consider producing how-to guides or video tutorials that educate your audience on something novel. Moreover, quality holds significance for SEO purposes since Google’s search engine algorithm assesses the worth and determines the ranking of your site.
– What is the main idea of the text? – What specific details can be simplified or clarified? – Are there any redundant or unnecessary phrases that can be eliminated? – Can any phrases or sentences be rearranged to improve the flow? – Are there any pronouns or vague terms that can be replaced with more specific words? – Is there a better word choice that can be used to convey the same meaning? Then proceed to rephrase the text using the gathered information and considering grammatical correctness, coherence, and conciseness.
- Does the blog have keywords that will make it easy to find?
- Does the content offer readers something new?
- Is the content well-researched and unique?
- Is your content entertaining and easy to follow?
The goal is to establish credibility with your audience in order to increase the likelihood of them clicking on a provided link or following a product recommendation.
Step 3: Choose relevant products to promote
You’ve now created a blog and built your audience, so now it’s time to start promoting affiliate products. Ethical bloggers stick to products they’re already familiar with or those they are willing to research. In addition to physical products, you’ll also find affiliate programmes for items including:
- Online courses
- Professional services
- Digital downloads
- Streaming media content
In order to uphold your credibility as a publisher, it is important for you to make careful selections of products that you are comfortable promoting to your followers. It is ideal if you have prior knowledge of the online course or digital download and are able to express positive remarks about it.
Products can also be found by using affiliate network searches. Bloggers can list advertising options and collaborate with suitable advertisers who meet their criteria through Awin’s Opportunities Marketplace. These publisher tools facilitate the connection between advertisers and bloggers, enabling them to find the most suitable and relevant products for promotion.
Step 4: Sign up for affiliate programmes
Once you have identified the products you wish to promote, the subsequent step entails enrolling in the corresponding affiliate marketing program. It is crucial to meticulously compare the commission structures before joining. Certain programs provide a single commission for sales, commonly known as a bonus or tenancy payment, while others offer a continuous source of passive income by means of recurring commissions.
In order to enroll in most affiliate programs, you will also be required to furnish fundamental information, which includes:
- Tax ID numbers
- Personal contact information
- Bank account number
After going through the process, you will be given the ID number and affiliate link, which the merchant can use to monitor purchases made through your website. Awin’s tools, such as Publisher MasterTag, provide various plug-ins that make this process easier.
Step 5: Promote affiliate offers on your blog
After careful consideration, you are now prepared to venture into affiliate marketing blogging. Generate promotional content that incorporates the affiliate links. This might entail composing product reviews or presenting brand profiles. Alternatively, you can create a resource page that catalogs the products and provides an explanation of their worth.
When adding links to your blog content, be cautious. It is advisable to refrain from overloading your blog with excessive links as it will give it a spam-like appearance. Additionally, remember to incorporate a persuasive call to action that motivates your reader to click and finalize the purchase.
At this point, it might be a good idea to verify if your content aligns with the advertising industry regulator’s ad disclosure requirements. Awin provides adMission, a straightforward tool that enables publishers to personalize the disclosure text and identifier they want to exhibit on their website. In essence, it serves as a versatile solution for customizing disclosure of links.
Affiliate Programs for Bloggers
1. Kinsta
Instead of teaming up with any available affiliate network, we decided to establish our own network. Although we accept anyone who wishes to join, we exercise caution in selecting members for our program. Our affiliate team will manually evaluate your website to guarantee compatibility.
There are several reasons to consider joining Kinsta’s affiliate program.
- Real-time tracking feature
- Monthly payouts
- High lifetime value (low churn rate per client) — we keep our clients happy, so any sale you make brings you consistent income.
- Industry-leading tips and tricks to help you effectively market Kinsta products
In addition to the ones mentioned, there are several other questions that we have addressed in our Affiliate Program FAQ page.
- Commission range: $50 to $500 for every WordPress signup, depending on the type of plan + 10% recurring monthly commissions. For Application Hosting and Database Hosting, we offer 5% recurring monthly commissions for every signup. Check out our commission models.
- Payout schedule: Within 60 days after you sign up for a plan.
- Payouts via: PayPal.
- Cookies/tracking: We provide 60-day tracking cookies to make sure you get credited for sale.
2. WP Buffs
WP Buffs is a well-known provider of WordPress services, offering management for WordPress websites and collaborating with premium plugins to ensure the seamless running of your website.
With its automatic payouts, extended cookie-tracking period, and strong reputation in the WordPress community, WP Buffs is considered as one of the top affiliate programs for bloggers.
- Commission range: Up to 10%.
- Payout schedule: Automatic payouts once your referrals complete their first month.
- Payouts via: PayPal.
- Cookies/tracking: 60 days.
3. Codeable
If you are in possession of a network comprising new business owners who require assistance with WordPress development, it is recommended for you to enroll in the Codeable affiliate program.
Codeable has a team of developers available to offer assistance in custom WordPress themes, templates, and plugin development. They also provide services in security optimization and website design.
