I Made $3,668.66 Writing About One thing.
I documented the process in case it worked. And it did.
When I was younger, my mother always used to tell me that “doing what you love is the key to happiness.” At the time, I had no idea what she was talking about. But now, as a full-fledged adult (or at least according to my driver’s license), I think I might have an inkling of what she meant.
For almost two years now, I’ve made a nice chunk of change writing about DIY Websites. And while it certainly hasn’t been easy — especially lately with the market volatility — it’s been more than worth it.
Last year, I earned a total of $3,668.66 in commissions by sending people to WordPress hosting services through a link on my blog. While I made more money on the same blog through other affiliate links and ad publishing, this was a nice bonus.
That part was easy.
The Easy Part
Most writers are missing a huge opportunity. While you can make money writing on medium, there are other ways to increase your streams of income as a writer.
One way is to include “affiliate links” in your articles. When a reader clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.
For example, as I mentioned before, I often link to WordPress hosting services in my articles about how to start a DIY website. And when someone clicks on that link and buys a hosting plan, I earn a commission.
The average commission for these services is $200. So if just 10 people clicked on my link and bought hosting last year, that’s an extra $2000 in my pocket — not bad for something that took me less than an hour to write.
The Hard Part
The hardest part about affiliate marketing is always getting enough eyeballs on your content.
You see, no matter how good your article is, or how relevant your affiliate link is, if nobody reads it then you’re not going to make any money.
This is where a lot of people give up.
But if you’re willing to put in the hard work and hustle to get your articles seen by as many people as possible, then there’s no reason why you can’t make a full-time income from affiliate marketing.
Or at least add another stream of income.
As a full-time content creator myself, I spend all day writing tutorials, guides, commercial content, and informational content for my websites, and blogging platforms.
For the most part, I’m creating content that can rank on Google. I won’t lie. It’s hard. But it’s also incredibly rewarding because when my articles do rank, and people click on my affiliate links, it’s like making money in my sleep.
And that’s the dream, right? To make money doing what you love.
The Right Platform
You can promote affiliate links on Medium, but in my opinion, it’s not the best platform for doing so.
The reason is, that people come to Medium to read articles, not to be sold.
If you’re constantly shoving affiliate links down people’s throats, they will get sick of it and stop reading your articles altogether.
A much better platform for promoting affiliate links is a website or blog that is yours. One of mine, for example, is LoriBallen.com. It’s a WordPress website where I create content that helps content creators make more money online.
If you don’t have a website, I recommend starting one. It’s not as hard as you think, and it’s a great way to build an audience of people who are interested in what you have to say.
Plus, when you have your own website, you’re completely controlling the content. You can promote whatever you want, as often as you want, without worrying about a platform algorithm change screwing up your traffic.
So, let me tell you how I do this.
The Steps
Step 1: I built a website on WordPress
Step 2: I write informational content that teaches people how to do something. In this case, it’s building their website.
Step 3: I include links to affiliate partners that offer the tool the reader needs to complete the task.
Step 4: I write as many sub-topic articles as I can relate to the main topic. For example:
- How to pick the perfect WordPress theme
- How to find the best WordPress plugins
- How to optimize your WordPress site for speed
Step 5: As the articles rank, I focus on what works and create more.
Step 6: Sometimes I create a video and add it to Youtube with a link back to the written guide.
Step 7: I send the guide to my email list and include the links where appropriate.
Affiliate Disclosure
An affiliate disclosure is a statement that lets your readers know that you’re using affiliate links in your content.
It looks something like this:
“Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.”
You must have an affiliate disclosure on your website if you’re using affiliate links. If you don’t, you’re risking being banned from the platform altogether or being fined by the FTC (in the US).
The good news is that it’s easy to add an affiliate disclosure to your website. If you’re using WordPress, there are plugins that will do it for you automatically.
Add it at the top of the blog on a platform like Medium.
FTC wants it to be obvious, so it’s best to disclose it before displaying links or beside the link itself, not buried at the bottom of the article.
How to Apply to Affiliate Programs
Now that you know how to promote affiliate links, you need to find programs to join. The best place to start is with companies you already use and love.
For example, I was using WP Engine hosting for my website. They have an affiliate program where I can earn up to $200 per signup. I applied for their program through the ShareASale Network.
Affiliate networks are a great way to find affiliate programs for companies in just about any niche.
My two favorite affiliate networks are ShareaSale and Impact Radius. They both have a ton of big-name brands that you can promote, and they’re very easy to use.
Applying to affiliate programs is very easy.
The first thing you need to do is sign up for an affiliate network account. Once you have an account, you can search for companies that offer affiliate programs in your niche.
For example, if you’re in the fitness niche, you can search for “fitness affiliate programs” and find a ton of different companies that offer programs.
Sometimes, you can look on the brand website itself. There will be a link or a button that says “Affiliates” or “Affiliate Program”.
Click on that link, and it will take you to the program page. There will be a link to sign up for the program on that page.
Click on that link, and it will take you to the signup form. Fill out the form and submit it.
Once you’re accepted into the program, you’ll be given a special link that you can use to promote the brand. When someone clicks on that link and makes a qualifying purchase, you’ll earn a commission.
It’s that easy!
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online. It’s a simple process: find a niche, build an audience through your content, find affiliate programs to join, write about things that would make sense for link promotion, earn commissions on qualifying sales
If you follow these steps, you can be successful with affiliate marketing. It’s a great way to make money online and can be very profitable. Thanks for reading!
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