August 21, 2009

  If you’re new to blogging, you’ll eventually find out that one of the best ways to make money blogging is by signing up for an affiliate program.  This is an especially good tactic for blogging neophytes who still haven’t established their online presence, and who need a bit of a push towards earning extra money.

Before everything else, however, what exactly is an affiliate program?  And what does it take to be an affiliate?  Basically, an affiliate program promises to reward a blogger for directing his visitors to the affiliate partner’s site.  Sometimes, a program will pay a commission only if the blogger manages to get sign-ups or sell products to his visitors for his affiliate partner.

Take note, however, that affiliate blogging isn’t a foolproof method to make money online.  Some bloggers who sign up for affiliate programs aren’t necessarily making a lot of money, and people aren’t always going to click through those important links that will get you that commission.  What you can do, however, is approach affiliate marketing with a sound strategy to help you make money blogging.  Read on to know more about how you can make a profit from being an affiliate partner!

1. Stick to the simpler things:

The less invasive an advertisement link or banner ad is, the less likely that people will ignore it.  In fact, there’s mounting evidence that flashier and louder ads are ineffective in “convincing” people to click on them.  And in some cases, a blog’s advertisements end up loading too slowly, bogging down the site itself and forcing the blog visitor to wait until all the page elements load successfully.  If your affiliate program asks you to advertise, opt to do so with link ads.

2.  Tie your affiliate program and your blog niche together:

If your site focuses on fitness and weight loss, it’s not a good idea to put up ads for Krispy Kreme donuts or plus-size clothing. Instead, choose ads that are concurrent to your present theme or chosen niche. By dangling relevant offers to your site’s visitors, you give off the message that you care enough about your readers to offer them products that might be useful to them, given their interests.

Don’t stick to just one program:

Signing up for multiple affiliate programs expands the possibilities of profit for your blog, so don’t confine yourself to just one program.  Take note, however, that having too many ads on your blog can be a turn off to your visitors, so put up just the right amount of advertising on your site.  Too little, and you’re not making the most of your blog’s money-making potential.  Too much, and you drive your readers away.  Strike for the middle ground, and you’re bound to turn up a better profit than you thought you could.

4.  Create a commissioned review:

Once again, the keyword here is relevance. Bloggers can write product reviews and get paid for them, thanks to services like ReviewMe.com. Be careful, however, and resist the urge to be review-happy. Choose products that you actually believe in and are related to the main focus of your site. If your site is all about planning weddings, then you can write a review on a line of bridal dresses by a particular designer. It’s all about tying your blog to the right reviews, which then tie well with your readers. By doing this, you boost the chances of making a sale happen and earning a commission from your affiliate.

Once you’ve got the hang of it, affiliate marketing isn’t actually all that hard. It just requires a bit of strategizing that puts an emphasis on moderation and relevance – namely, posting just the right amount of ads, and ensuring that your offers are in line with your readers’ interests and your blog’s primary topic. Refine your affiliate marketing strategy, and you’ll find that it isn’t too hard to make money blogging, especially as an affiliate partner.

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