I think given a safe choice, most people would love to be free from working for a boss to start a meaningful business for themselves, esp. if it provided freedom to do the things they love in life and a sense of self fulfilment.
The problem isn’t lack of choice as there’s tons of options out there…
It’s more a case of ‘what’ kind of business would be a winner…and also ‘how’ to start one without inventing something new, or making a scary financial investment.
Now what if I told you it’s possible for you to have a slice of a (growing) $12 Billion industry?
And that you could do this without inventing anything new, investing anything scary or having any qualifications or expertise.
And that the ‘business model’…is simply sharing your truth with others about things you love and are passionate about in your life?
And btw, there’s a name for this…It’s called Affiliate Marketing.
I’ve put a guide together for you (below) that I hope helps you to understand what it is…what it can do for you…and also how you can use it to help others.
You’ll see what I mean once you start reading.
Enjoy! 🙂
So, what is affiliate marketing?
An affiliate marketing business is where an individual promotes, markets, recommends and directs people to other companies products and services online.
Here are some interesting facts & figures…
- Online revenue from affiliate marketing run businesses has increased every year since 2015
- Affiliate marketing is a global industry presently worth over $12 Billion
- Over 80% of well-known brands (probably even ones you love!) rely on affiliate marketing in some capacity
- In 2017 affiliate marketing networks carried out more than 170 million transactions worldwide
- Affiliates come in all ages with nearly 12% being 55+ years old and around 81% comprising people between the ages of 18-54
How exactly does it work?..
Affiliate marketing is also called ‘influencer marketing’ because affiliates build their audiences and lists by providing content of genuine value to their personal networks and the public, usually about things they personally love and are passionate about.
Basically, an affiliate establishes themselves as a trusted source and uses their influence to encourage others to engage with the product or service they are endorsing.
And whenever a purchase is made, the affiliate gets paid a percentage of that sale.
So, how do you get it started as an actual business?..
- First…simply find a product or service you love! Or at least that resonates with you and aligns with your personal interests, passions and values
- Sign up as an affiliate with your chosen company
- Obtain your unique affiliate link(s) from them
- Start a website page so that people have somewhere to find you and the product or service you’re promoting. You can also use your personal social media page if you don’t have a website yet
- Create valuable content (blogs, posts, videos, emails) that offer ‘solutions’ to your target audience and ‘always’ include your affiliate link
- Place online ads (free and/or paid) to promote and market the products or services you’re promoting
- Create and distribute follow up content of value to people who haven’t bought from you yet but have expressed interest by joining your mailing list to find out more about what you’re promoting
- Continue producing and distributing value-rich content online that establishes you as a trusted source of information about the products and services you’re promoting.
Why is it so popular?
Because of the low to zero overhead costs and simplicity of getting started, it’s fast becoming one of the most accessible choices for literally ‘anyone’ who’s connected to the internet.
What products or services do you choose to promote?
This is also the beauty of affiliate marketing, because you don’t need to be an expert at the product and service you are promoting and you don’t need to invent anything new.
So for example…
- You could be into fitness & endorse get-fit programmes you love
- You could love food and endorse kitchen products you rate highly
- You could love sports & endorse sporting goods & training courses you love
- You could be a parent and endorse products that benefit children
- You could want to empower people to live a more confident life, so you endorse confidence-building programmes you believe in
I think you get the picture 🙂
The Business Model: ‘Share your truth’
You don’t have to be ‘qualified’ in the field you’re endorsing. You just need to be genuine and passionate in sharing your ‘truth’ with others.
Whatever you choose will be down to your personal preference. But I highly recommend that whatever you choose should be something you genuinely like, believe in and feel passionate about sharing with others.
Hope this helps? If you have any further questions about this, just reply. I’m always happy to help, advise and guide you.
Live your kind of freedom,
Mark
About Mark:
Online Marketer and Entrepreneur, Musician, Blogger, Travel & Beach lover at heart. Mark helps people turn their ideas, interests, hobbies into an online business through a video training series.