6 Strategies for Affiliate Marketing that Work

One of the most lucrative options for niche publishers in 2014 so far is affiliate marketing. It is easy work and has a pretty good return, with little to no investment, and with tons of partners available. There are many different avenues to take when generating affiliate revenue.

Here are some further details on this topic below:

Model #1: Coupons:The value proposition of these sites is pretty clear; they provide visitors with access to coupons and tips for using them that can save money. If done correctly, they can be tremendously popular. (CouponMom.com claims over 6 million members!) There’s also a very direct and logical tie-in for affiliates; these sites inherently cater to, and attract, visitors who are in the market for a product or set of products (ideally at a discounted rate). It’s the goal of the companies that make these products to get as many people as possible to clip their coupons and eventually make a purchase; so they make affiliate payments to coupon sites who are able to help them achieve this goal.

Model #2: Product Review:

Product review sites are another popular vehicle for affiliate marketing strategies. Because these sites are inherently focused on providing information about products in which visitors are likely interested, the affiliate tie-in is pretty straightforward. The author writes about a product, highlighting the features and addressing any concerns, and then includes a link where readers can go to purchase the product.

Model #3: Boring Ole Banner Ads:

Many publishers present affiliate links in the same way others would run display ads on their site. These look like banner ads, but they’re actually affiliate links–in the form of an image, not text. To most viewers, there’s very little distinction between a banner ad and an affiliate link here, but the compensation structure of course matters to the affiliate and the publisher.

Model #4: Partner Center / Blogroll:

There are other ways to utilize affiliate links in the same manner many sites use display ads. For example, affiliate links can be housed in a section of a site presented as a “partner center” or “blogroll.”

Model #5: Product Feed / Aggregation:

The best example here is Shopzilla, a site that aggregates pricing and other information on a number of products. For example, the collection of digital camera prices and specs features affiliate links to dozens of third party sites where the highlighted products can be purchased. Shopzilla adds value by aggregating pricing information and presenting an easy way for shoppers to see everything that is available to them. The revenue model revolves around these interested shoppers actually completing a purchase based on the information provided, giving Shopzilla an affiliate cut in the process.

Bonus Model #6: Offline Model:

The value proposition is a bit less direct in this case, but can still be very effective. Carolla provides a service to his audience in the form of free entertainment (the podcast) and then asks for support in order to pay the bills. In this case, the “ask” can be very effective since he’s just requesting his listeners to take a few seconds to get to Amazon through his affiliate link.