Top Affiliate Marketing Programs
Affiliate marketing is recognised by many as being one of the best ways in which to escape the daily commute. Whilst some may perceive it as a quick and easy route to shorter hours for much higher rewards, in reality things aren`t quite as clear cut: it is a competitive world out there. That said, whether you are looking for a career change or simply want to make extra money in your spare time, then affiliate marketing could be for you. Successful affiliates are not only dedicated but they are multi-skilled. Internet marketing in today`s competitive, recession-torn world involves a good understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) in building search engine rankings and driving relevant traffic. For many sectors you will also need to embrace social media optimisation (SMO) and, if you are lucky enough to have some start-up capital, you may also want to accelerate things with a carefully managed paid (PPC) campaign. Few of today`s successful affiliates started out with all of the requisite skills or knowledge but the good news is that the information on all of these subjects is out there if you know where to look for it.
One of the key decisions you will be faced with is a choice of category or subject area. This should play not only to your existing skills, interests and knowledge but will of course need to be viable. In other words, you need to start in a category where the level of competition isn`t so fierce that you are setting yourself up for failure from the outset. Too many new affiliates are dazzled by the EPM figures (earnings per thousand visitors) available within the affiliate network interfaces and dive straight into some of the most hotly contested categories such as gambling, finance, mobile phones or consumer electronics. Unless you are utterly convinced that you have some real differentiators versus your competition, it is far better to opt for more achievable categories for your initial endeavours. The following briefly explores a few potentially do-able categories.
Dieting
Watching weight is a global obsession and there are plenty of affiliate programs tailored to the needs of the modern fitness fanatic. Do watch out for inflated claims and snake oil salespeople as the vulnerability of the target audience tends to attract some less desirable elements. That said, there are plenty of decent merchants and programs. Some offer you the chance to keep visitors returning to your site by implementing a weight loss diary online which will keep your levels of traffic high and increase the chances of making some commission. Some of the UK`s leading supermarket chains have reputable programs in this area.
Travel
Holidaying is a multi billion pound industry and because of the recession consumers are going to even greater lengths to get the best deals possible, so of course travel related affiliate programs are always popular. Clearly, travel is one of the more hotly contested categories but the sheer geographical scope and the number of good quality programs available should allow you to find a niche market which hasn`t necessarily been fully exploited by established competitors.
Home, Garden and DIY
The current economic climate may, if anything, increase expenditure in some sub-categories in this area. With consumers ever more conscious of cost and willing to spend more time in searching for a bargain, the opportunity for niche sites is significant. There are many potential angles ranging from environmental responsibility (more on this below) through to simple cost saving. Earnings levels are potentially very good with average order values being higher than in many categories of comparable difficulty.
Environmental Issues
Again, the need to control domestic costs, together with an ever increasing awareness as to the environmental impact of our current lifestyles is creating significant search volumes for environmentally related products and services. Whilst earnings will vary widely, there should be the opportunity to create solid advisory information and associate this with related products in driving targeted traffic and thus reasonable commission levels.
Other Sectors
The above is by no means exhaustive. A suitably niche approach in almost any sector should have some potential, limited only by your knowledge, imagination and willingness to do some serious research. Perhaps the most obvious starting point is the search results. Finding search terms for which the results do not seem ideal is easier in some cases than you may think – and may identify the perfect opportunity for a niche site.
The Right Affiliate Network
There are numerous reputable affiliate networks around the world including Affiliate Window, TradeDoubler, Commission Junction, Buyat and Webgains, to name just a few. Some have greater strength in some sectors than others but in all likelihood you will end up joining most of the major networks and perhaps some niche networks as well in building a suitable set of merchant relationships to ensure relevant product targeting for your audience – and of course in generating sensible commission levels. It may be worth browsing an affiliate marketing program directory in seeking out the most appropriate networks – and indeed any merchants with direct affiliate programs. Most of the networks provide some level of support and guidance and you will also find plenty of material and information on networking opportunities at independent industry resources such as the A4U forum.
