How To Start Affiliate Marketing – Step By Step Guide

No one would have ever thought or wondered that they could earn money by just promoting other people’s work. Find a product you like, recommend it to others, and earn a piece of the profit for each sale that you make. Have you ever thought that you could make it by just referring people to Amazon, Flipkart, and other online sites? This way of making money online is known as affiliate marketing. You might be thinking it is quite easy just to promote products and services, but it is not.

If you are curious about starting an online business and looking forward to affiliate marketing in India, then you are on the right path and opting for the best online business. Having this as your part-time job is great, and extra money hurts no one. Having extra money can help you save money and make your life a little more comfortable.

Affiliate marketing can be done in several ways listed below:

• Social networking
• SMS and Email marketing
• Blogging

Out of these 3 methods, blogging has been the most successful way of doing it. Here’s how it is done:

• Find a product to promote.
• Sign up for an affiliate program.
• You will get your unique affiliate link.
• Promote it on the internet.
• When someone purchases a product through your link, you will be paid a commission.

In this article, let’s go through some steps of starting affiliate marketing in India and explore it in detail.

There are thousands of affiliate programs all over the internet. Still, affiliate marketing in India mostly uses Amazon and Flipkart, among all the other sites, so we will focus on these sites.

1. Finding a Product to Promote

Find a product category that interests you, or you can also call it selecting a niche. It is a crucial step as you will be moulding your content according to a specific audience. You should select a product that interests you and you know about it. Keep in mind that you have to write a lot about it to gain an audience, so choose wisely.

You must also pay attention to the competition. Choosing a product that is too competitive will not give results instantly. Thus, you should do a little research on the competition. Visit the best-selling list to see what is in demand. Most importantly, consider the commission % on each product category.

2. Building a Website

Having a website is the best route and the most effective way to do affiliate marketing in India. Creating a website is not a difficult task at all. All you have to do is buy a domain and a good hosting plan. This whole process will barely take 20 minutes. A CMS like WordPress would be really helpful and easier to create a website yourself without the need for any coding language. You can also use YouTube to drive traffic to your website.

3. Signing Up for an Affiliate Program

Now it’s time to choose your affiliate program. If you’re confused about choosing between several affiliate programs, go for the one which has higher commissions for the product you have chosen. Affiliate marketers in India have said that they made more money on Amazon than Flipkart. During registration, you will be asked about your website and a few other details. Even if there is no content on your website, you can tell them your plan to promote products, and they will approve it.

Write content about the product.

Decide what you want to write based on the product you have chosen. Make sure your content is interesting and it drags attention.

Here are 5 types of content:

• Articles and tutorials: they add a lot of value to the readers. Helpful in generating sales if done properly. For example, how to get rid of blackheads with links to products that have worked well.
• Review articles: You can also write about products you have personally experienced and help people decide.
• Comparison articles: Comparing Samsung phones with iPhones (two or more similar products). It compares the pros and cons of two products, helping visitors to choose the better one.
• Content curation: Collect and make a list of products that are helpful to others.
• Offering discount articles: Sharing the best deals on products related to your topic and that are beneficial to others.

Make sure your visitors get a benefit out of your site and consider visiting again.

Now add the affiliate link to your website; if you sell products through your affiliate link, then you can get 80% of the product’s MRP as your commission. When someone buys something through your affiliate link, it will show up on your earning report page. Once you get used to it and figure out how to add value to your reader, it will get easier and increase sales. In India, it is turning into one of the most popular and successful businesses.

4. Benefits of Affiliate Marketing

• You will earn money by promoting someone else’s product. You will not have the stress of setting up your own business, which requires effort, time, and a lot of money.
• You are only concerned with the sales part of the business. You don’t have to worry about setting up a store, maintaining stock, and taking over other responsibilities such as packing, shipping, and delivering the product.
• It requires practically no investment from your side, and you still earn money. The only thing you have to do is drag the attention of your visitors to your merchant’s page.
• There is immense income potential that can make up to 70-90% as an affiliate commission by selling some particular products.
• It only requires a little effort and time, unlike other jobs. You can also earn money when you are chilling with your friends at beaches or parties.

It is a viable option as a second income source. If done successfully, it can give you the freedom to quit your 9-5 job. If you are considering this as your part-time job, go for it.

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