Currently WordPress hosts 60 million out of tens of thousands of blogs world wide yet not even half of them are being monetized. If you have a blog and are not currently taking advantage of it then you should start with affiliate marketing.
Here are 4 ways to get started:
1. Choose Relevant Affiliate Programs
Affiliate ads pay per action, which means that readers will need to click on the ad and then either sign up or register for something, or make a purchase before you get paid for the action. The more relevant the ad is to your content, the higher the likelihood visitors will click on the ad and perform the desired action. To find other targeted affiliate programs, check out popular affiliate clearinghouse sites such as Commission Junction, LinkShare, and ShareASale. All three offer access to thousands of affiliate programs, but you must apply separately to each one. While you should choose programs related to your content, you don't have to feel restricted to stick too closely to your niche, says marketing consultant Dennis Duty. Think about what other types of products your audience might be interested in.
2. Consider an Affiliate Aggregator Service
If your blog topics are more diverse, you might consider a program such as VigLink, which automates access to more than 30,000 affiliate programs and monetizes the links on your site for you. In addition to automatically monetizing existing links, VigLink can also optionally insert new, ordinary links where none existed before. For example, if a blogger mentions a product, brand or store, they don't have to worry about linking it themselves: VigLink will take care of that with its link insertion technology, which optimizes for both user experience and revenue.
3. Create Content That Sells
Many bloggers will actually write reviews of products with affiliate marketing in mind. “Think of affiliate ads as additional resources that complement your content,” says Truong. “Don't put up a list of your favorite books, hoping people will click on the affiliate link and purchase the books just because you listed them. Take some time to write a detailed review, and use affiliate ads to point them in the right direction if they decide to act on your information.”
4. Integrate Affiliate Links Appropriately
If you do add affiliate links to your site, make sure you maintain a balance between monetization and user experience, suggests web designer Kevin Spence. One way to do this is to keep the majority of your content ad-free.
What other advice can you share with bloggers on how they can monetize their blog?
Image Source: Affiliate Summit on Flickr
CHALLENGE Yourself to Profit!
Free Download: Build Your Profit-Generating Online Business With This Free Blueprint
Sign Up, follow the easy steps and You'll get the tactics, strategies & techniques needed to create your online profit stream. It's free!
