A Beginner's Guide to Affiliate Marketing: How to get started and make money online

For new bloggers, or bloggers who aren’t making money yet, affiliate marketing can be an easy way to get started and make some extra cash online. In this beginner guide to affiliate marketing, we’ll discuss what affiliate marketing is, how to set up your first affiliate marketing website, how to research which affiliate programs you should join, and more. By the end of this article, you’ll know everything you need to get started with your first (or next) affiliate website!

Step 1 - Decide on Niche(s)

Before you can create a profitable affiliate marketing website, you'll need to determine what your niche(s) will be. There are two schools of thought on choosing a niche. The first school states that you should choose a niche based on something that you're an expert in. The second school of thought states that it's best if you focus on topics that there is already an existing market for. If you decide to go with option one, I recommend reading up on SEO (search engine optimization) so that you can optimize your site and make sure it ranks high in search engines like Google. If you decide to go with option two, I recommend doing some keyword research using tools like Google Adwords Keyword Planner or Long Tail Pro. Whichever route you decide to take, don't spend too much time researching keywords - just pick out a few phrases related to your topic and get started!

Step 2 - Set Up Your Account(s)

Setting up your affiliate marketing account(s) is a crucial step for success in affiliate marketing. Having an account with one or more of these companies will enable you to access their tracking tools, which are necessary in order to know whether or not you’re making money with your posts. They provide extensive information on how well your content is performing, as well as insights into demographics and interests of those reading it. This valuable information can give you ideas on how you can improve future posts in order to maximize profits. Step 3 - Create Your Content: The most important part of affiliate marketing is creating good content that people want to read. It doesn’t matter if you have no experience writing professionally—you can learn! There are plenty of free resources online that can help you learn how to write like a pro, and there are even courses available through some universities that teach students all about writing for digital media.

Step 3 - Narrow Down Keywords

One of the best ways to choose your target keywords is by making a list. One way is by simply thinking of words or phrases that you would use to describe your business if someone asked what it was. You can also make keyword lists from articles, blogs, or websites that are already ranking on Google for keywords relevant to your niche. Keyword research tools like Ubersuggest will even recommend long-tail keyword phrases based on other popular searches in a particular industry. Step 4 - Write Your Article: Now that you have some good ideas about your topic, write an outline for your post. The outline should include a brief introduction to your topic followed by three supporting points (or subheadings) with at least one paragraph of information under each point. If possible, try to include links to related articles within each point. Once you’ve finished writing, go back through and revise as needed so that everything flows smoothly and makes sense.

Step 4 - Pick an Offer

It's important that you choose a product or service to promote based on your interests. If you're not excited about it, chances are your readers won't be either. Pick something you love! Step 5 - Create Your Content: Write an engaging headline and description for your content. Include keywords related to your niche in order to optimize search engine results.

Step 5 - Write Effective Sales Copy

Show your customers how they’ll benefit from purchasing your product. Answer their questions, address their concerns, and keep them reading so that they can get to know you better. The more they trust you, and like you as a person (the real you behind your sales copy), the more likely they are to buy. Your goal is to have them fall in love with both you and your product!

Step 6 - Add Graphics to Increase Conversions

Start by adding an image to your story on Medium. This will both catch your readers’ attention in their newsfeeds, as well as get them more interested in what you’re trying to share with them. Remember, your job is not only to inform your readers but also get them enticed enough with what you have written that they click through! Step 7 - Add a CTA at The End of Your Story: After you have finished writing your post and added images, it’s time to add a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your post. A CTA is simply a button or link that allows people who are reading your content to take some sort of action related to what you are sharing with them.

Step 7 - Use Analytics To Track Conversions & Improve Your Site

Once you've established a baseline for your website traffic, it's time to start learning from that data. Analytics can tell you what works well on your site, where your audience spends most of their time, which pages are converting at a high rate and much more. There are a lot of analytics tools out there but Google Analytics is one of my favorites because it's free, easy to use and provides an abundance of information. In order to track conversions with Google Analytics, you'll need to create a conversion goal in your account. To do so, click Admin in the top right corner then select Goals from under VIEW. Next, click New Goal and fill out all applicable fields.