Driving traffic to your affiliate links is probably one of the hardest aspects of being an affiliate marketer. It is a continuous hassle, as new customers need to be brought in everyday and you must always find a fresh audience. But do not despair! In this piece we will cover some of the most at-hand affiliate marketing traffic sources.
With an anticipated increase to 8.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, affiliate marketing industry has been on the rise since the 5.4 billion recorded in 2017. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that pie?
After much time and effort, you’ve created great content on your affiliate website. The next step is to get more people to read it, so they will click on your affiliate links. Your main task as a publisher is to generate traffic to the affiliate offers that you promote. As an affiliate marketer, you can promote products from many different companies and earn commissions from all of them. More traffic means more conversions and higher profits. Here’s how you can increase your affiliate traffic:
1. Paid Traffic
Paid traffic is the fastest way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. There are several ways in which you can generate leads through paid, the most common one being PPC ads. You can create search campaigns, remarketing, or display advertising through platforms such as Google or Meta.
The advantage of advertising is that it gets you instant traffic once you start paying. This also means that you must have a dedicated budget for this and that you’ll need to be ready to lose money before making a profit. Be aware that once you stop the ads, the traffic stops too. This is just a short-term solution.
To see if this is a suitable option for you, balance the cost of your advertisements with the commission you receive per sale. The commission you receive should always be higher than what you invest in ads.
2. Blog Posts
A blog is a great way to provide informative content to site visitors and to share affiliate links. You can provide information through articles, videos, and more. Use your expertise as a guide to create original content that interests your audience. It helps to create content related to your affiliate offers to draw more attention. Also, aim to create evergreen content. Evergreen refers to content that stays relevant for many years to come, and could include how-to guides, best practices, or tips and tricks. These types of articles are read and referred to repeatedly.
One type of blog post that your visitors will find very useful and that will attract traffic to your website is one that includes product reviews. Test the product that you promote and write about your experience while doing this. Your affiliate links should blend naturally within the topic. Emphasize the benefits of the product, but also let your audience know about any downsides. Write honest and unbiased reviews about products related to your niche, and your audience will view these reviews as a trustworthy recommendation.
Another method of using your blog posts to promote affiliate links is to answer your readers’ comments and use your affiliate links in the replies.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the opposite of paid ads as it gets you organic traffic, making your clients come to you. Search engine optimization teaches us how to optimize website pages to rank high in search engines like Google. Ranking high in the search engines for specific keywords will get you consistent and steady traffic for the affiliate offers that you promote.
There are three main steps to remember with SEO. The first is to understand what your target customers are searching for. Therefore, you must research the keywords for your niche and add a keyword per page that is relevant to your offers. Also, ensure the keyword is in the title and in the body of the content as naturally as possible, which takes us to the second step of SEO, creating content pieces for the topics of interest (blog posts, product reviews, etc.). Each page should have a well-written meta description, meta title, image alt tags, and H1/H2 tags.
Finally, another way to help your site rank higher in search results is link building. You can achieve backlinks by getting your content shared on social media or other blogs and including internal and external links within your own content.
One more thing to bear in mind: be patient! Results from SEO usually come over time.
Bonus: Check out the best SEO tools to help you optimize your website and improve your rankings.
4. Build an Email List
Having an email database of your readers can help improve your communication with them and drive more traffic to your affiliate links. You can use the email list to create newsletters with new content and announce affiliate promotions or new offers you’ve added. Do not forget to include your affiliate links in the emails. 64% of companies believe it is the best marketing method they have, with an estimated ROI of 3800%, so it’s important not to overlook this.
The site visitors will have to be persuaded to sign up for your email list. For this, something free and valuable should be offered in exchange. An informative piece of gated content can be prepared, such as eBooks, a webinar, or an email course. Use a form to capture email addresses (make sure, if you are marketing in the EU, to comply with GDPR). When emailing your list, you must be careful to provide them with useful, relevant content, or they will quickly unsubscribe.
Another very simple option to opt-in subscribers is to add a “Subscribe” link in your website’s header or footer. This way they can stay in touch with anything that’s new.
5. YouTube
YouTube is the most popular online platform to post review videos that share your unique perspective and opinions. Through video reviews you can help others make informed decisions by expressing your honest opinion, while entertaining them along the way.
There are some tips and tricks that can help you shoot a good video. First and foremost, be true to yourself and your audience by being honest. Start with products that you are passionate about. Remember that you cannot hold the audience’s attention for too long, which is why 3-minutes videos are recommended. Keep the review short and to the point.
Don’t forget to mention your affiliate link in the video and add it in the video description so that the audience can refer to it easily. This way you can monetize your YouTube presence.
Bonus: Discover more ideas you can implement for your affiliate website: 101 Tips for Successful Affiliate Selling.
6. Social Media
Being present and active on social media is a must if your audience is hanging out there. Get your affiliate links to them. Create social media accounts for your site on the social media platforms that are relevant for your niche and your public and engage with them.
One good way to make your presence known on social media is by participating in communities that have a need for your product. You’ll usually find them in the form of groups. Try to be helpful and you will surely gain the attention of the readers. Make sure your profile links back to your website and your affiliate offers.
Another way in which you can drive traffic to your affiliate offers through social media is by sharing the blog posts that contain affiliate links. You can share them as normal posts or create sponsored ones. The latter will require an investment on your side, which brings us to another way that will generate traffic for you: social media advertising campaigns. These will allow you to reach people who do not follow you by targeting the customer profile you are after.
7. Giveaways and Promotions
Giveways can be a great way to generate traffic quickly and they can also help you to build an email list as people love getting something for free. You can offer one of the products you are promoting, or you can host a contest using a trendy product as a prize. Just make sure that the giveaway is related to the niche industry.
Promotions usually consist of a special offer for the product you are selling. The offer is dedicated to your audience and can usually be obtained by using a coupon code. The discount can come from the affiliate program, or it can be offered by you, the publisher, from the affiliate commission. These types of offers usually occur during certain holidays or worldwide celebrated events, and they can boost your traffic.
8. Product Reviews
The buyer’s decision is influenced by customer reviews, and they are very important for your online audience. Research shows that 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. Even more important, this same research shows that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as if they were recommended by somebody close to them.
This is great news for you! Your honest product reviews will be seen as trustworthy recommendations by your public. Chase this opportunity by writing a review every time you have a product or service that is tied to your marketing efforts. Believe in the products that you choose to promote. Make sure to add your affiliate link in the review without making it seem like a sales pitch.
9. Guest Posting
The technique of guest blogging is a great way to generate new traffic to your affiliate links and it helps your SEO. Research the most popular websites in your niche, reach out to them, and offer relevant content for guest posts. This will give you access to their audience. Make sure your profile and your byline link to your affiliate offers and your website. Also, add your personal bio if the site allows. Your affiliate marketing content should be related to the guest blog and useful to the new potential readership.
You can also accept other bloggers to guest post on your blog. By publishing their content, you will gain additional traffic from the link sharing they do for their articles. This way, new audiences will be exposed to your website and your affiliate offers.
10. Link Placement
Your affiliate link needs to have a visible position on the page in order to convert. If your affiliate links are at the bottom of the page, it is very possible that people will miss them.
Make the link easy to reach without being spammy. Callouts, or call-to-action buttons, can be a very good way to make the affiliate link pop. You can also use buttons, tables, and boxes to help attract your readers’ attention and make the post easier to read.
11. Reputation Management
Your website’s reputation affects your sales. You want your clients to be able to trust that they are buying from a reliable source, so it’s important to react and intervene in discussions about your website that may happen in the online environment. You should pro-actively monitor perceptions and conversations, respond to reputation threats, and proactively seize opportunities to boost your reputation.
We know that keeping track of all the public mentions can be a hassle. You can make the process easier by using reputation management tools, such as BirdEye, Podium, or ReviewTrackers.
Without a doubt, a positive brand image can influence a consumer’s decision to buy a product. Consumers need to read an average of 10 online reviews before they feel they can trust a local business. The most common places where your clients can leave reviews are Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
Conclusion
Affiliate marketing takes time, but it also offers plenty of opportunities to drive traffic to your affiliate links. What methods you choose to generate traffic will depend on your offers, your industry, and your preferences. Create valuable content for your site. Be active on social media. Provide valued posts to other blogs. Optimize site links. Run a contest with enticing prizes. Invest in paid advertising. Establish an email campaign and monitor site traffic. Keep your efforts consistent. Reach out to others in your industry and ask for advice or suggestions on how to get the results you want.
If you are having trouble getting started, we recommend you try Avangate Affiliate Network. It provides an easy setup and an abundance of online products to promote, offering up to 75% affiliate commission.