The most frequently asked questions about affiliation marketing

1. What is affiliation marketing?

Affiliation marketing is a way to earn money by promoting products and services from other people and businesses. You do not need to create your product or service, just promote those existing. This is why it is so easy to start with affiliation marketing. You can even start without any budget!

2. What is an affiliate program?

An affiliation program is a set of information you create for your product, which is then made available to potential publishers. The program will generally include details on the product and its retail value, commission levels and promotional material. Many affiliation programs are managed via an affiliation network like Shareasale, which acts as a platform to connect publishers and advertisers, but it is also possible to offer your program directly.

3. What is an affiliate network and how do affiliation networks earn money?

Affiliation networks connect publishers to advertisers. Affiliation networks earn money by charging costs to merchants who advertise them; These traders are known as advertisers. The percentage of each sale that the advertiser pays is negotiated between the merchant and the affiliate network.

4. What is the difference between affiliation marketing and dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a sales method that allows you to run an online store without having to store products. You announce the products as if you have them, but when someone plays an order, you create a double command with the distributor at a reduced price. The distributor takes care of publication and packaging on your behalf. As affiliation marketing is based on references and this type of delivery fall does not require any investment in the inventory when a customer buys via the affiliation link, no money exchange.

5. Can affiliation marketing and performance marketing be considered the same thing?

Performance marketing is a marketing method that pays performance, such as a sale is made or an ad is clicked, this may include methods like PPC (Pay-Per-Click) or display advertising. Affiliation marketing is a form of performance marketing where commissions are paid to affiliates on a performance basis when they click on their affiliate link and carry out an purchase or an action.

6. Is it possible to promote affiliation offers on mobile devices?

Smartphones are essentially miniature computers, so publishers can display the same websites and offers that are available on a PC. But mobiles also offer specific tools not available on computers, and these can be used with good effect for publishers. Publishers can optimize their ads for mobile users by making them easy to access this audience. Publishers can also make good use of text and instant messaging to promote their offers. As the mobile market should represent 80% of traffic in the future, publishers who do not promote mobile devices are lacking a great opportunity.

7. Where can I find qualified publishers?

The best way to find affiliation publishers is on deemed networks like Shareasal CJ ​​(Junction Commission), Awin and Impact Radius. These networks have a strict demand process and compliance checks, which means that all affiliates are trustworthy.

8. What is a declaration of disclosure of affiliation?

A declaration of disclosure of affiliation reveals to the reader that there may be affiliation links on a website, for which a commission can be paid to the publisher if visitors follow these links and make purchases.

9. Does social media activity play an important role in affiliation marketing?

Publishers promote their programs thanks to a variety of means, including blogs, websites, marketing by email and payment advertisements by Clic. Social media has a huge interactive audience, making this platform a good source of potential traffic.

10. What is a great affiliate?

A super affiliate is an affiliation partner who constantly leads a large majority of sales of any program they promote, compared to other affiliated partners involved in this program. Affiliates earn a lot of money from affiliation marketing, Pat Flynn has won more than $,500 in 2013 in affiliation marketing.

11. How do we follow the sales activity of publishers?

Publishers can be identified by their editor’s ID, which is used to follow cookies to determine which publishers generate sales. The activity is then visualized in the dashboard of a network.

12. Could we set up an affiliation program in several countries?

Because the Internet is so widespread, affiliate programs can be promoted in any country. International affiliation strategies must be adapted to the language of the targeted country.

13. How can affiliation marketing help my business?

Affiliation marketing can help you develop your business as follows:

• It allows you to save time and money on marketing, which frees you to focus on other aspects of your business.
• You have access to nice marketing specialists who are impatient to help you succeed.
• It also helps you promote your products by sharing links and banners with a new audience.
• It offers a high return on investment (return on investment) and is profitable.

14. How to find quality publishers?

One of the best ways to work with qualified affiliates is to hire an affiliate marketing agency that works with all networks. The affiliates are carefully selected and go through a rigorous application process to be included in the network.

15. How can we promote affiliation ties?

Affiliation marketing is generally associated with websites, but there are other ways to promote your affiliation links, in particular:

• A website or a blog
• Via marketing by e-mail and the newsletter
• Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
• Leave a comment on blogs or forums.
• Write an electronic book or another digital product.
• YouTube

16. Do you have to pay to register for an affiliation program?

To create your affiliate marketing business, you don’t have to invest money at first. You can register for free with any affiliate network and start promoting their brands immediately.

17. What is a commission rate?

Commission rates are generally based on a percentage of total sale and, in some cases, may also be flat fees for each transaction. The rates are fixed by the merchant.

Who manages your affiliation program?

Some merchants manage their internal affiliation programs, while others choose to contract management to a network or an external agency.

18. What is a cookie?

Cookies are small data that works with web browsers to store information such as user preferences, connection or registration data and basket content. When someone clicks on your affiliate link, a cookie is placed on the user’s computer or mobile device. This cookie is used to remember the link or the announcement on which the visitor has clicked. Even if the user leaves your site and returns a week later to make a purchase, you will always get a credit for sale and will receive a commission that it depends on the duration of the cookies of the site

19. How long do cookies last?

The merchant determines the duration of a cookie, also known as “cookie life”. The most common duration for an affiliation program is 30 days. If someone clicks on your affiliation link, you will receive a commission if it buys within 30 days of the click.

Last saying

Most of the new affiliates are impatient to start their affiliate marketing business. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad information that can cause inexperienced affiliates. Hopefully the answer to your question will give clarity on the functioning of affiliation marketing and the traps you can avoid. More importantly, keep in mind that success in affiliation marketing takes some time. Do not be discouraged if you don’t immediately make sales or make money. We need new affiliates to win a full -time income.