By Stephanie Design 

We all have brands we love and patronize that sharing them feels authentic in the way you promote them. 

In my own business, Adobe and Showit have contributed to my success as a Graphic Designer. You can find evidence of that love here and here. (And in the archives, too) 

If you as an online business owner feel compelled to share products or services that you genuinely love and feel will benefit your audience, affiliate marketing is a great way to provide that help while adding a passive income stream to your business as well. 

Affiliate marketing is the process of earning money (commissions) every time you promote a company’s products or services and drive a sale. You only get paid every time you drive a sale, just like a commission-only sales representative.

Best of all, affiliate marketing costs nothing to you!

So if you’re interested in boosting your income for your creative business or blog, here are some strategies for using affiliate links without coming across as sales-y 

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Create a tutorial 

Tutorials are an excellent way to build authority AND traffic in your niche so you should integrate them into your editorial calendar periodically for your brand.

Simply showing someone how to use the product and giving step-by-step instructions shows you have a deep understanding of the tools you’re promoting, which builds trust with your audience. 

Many affiliates have special offers in exchange for promoting them, so at the end of your tutorial you might consider including a call-to-action (CTA) such as receiving a free month of a subscription-based service, if they’re primed to buy. 

Related: Designing a Side-by-Side Blog Post Layout in Showit

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Write a product comparison post

This or that. 

Alot of people fresh to an industry might type, for example, Wix versus Showit, to see how each stacks up against each other. They naturally want to get the most value for their time and money so if you have a ringing endorsement for the product you’re using, this is a great time to practice implementing an affiliate link to boost your trustworthiness.

Comparing two products also leaves the reader educated on the products available to them. They might not even know the lingo (or the features and benefits) if they’re new to your website, so this gives them a better understanding of your expertise in relation to the industry. 

Examples:

A food blogger might compare blenders, recipe books, and popular meal-subscription services like Hello Fresh and Splendid Spoon. 

A travel blogger can compare hotel chains, airline credit cards, Airbnb versus Sonder? 

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Place links into pre-existing content

It’s worth mentioning, in addition to the above, that it’s completely normal you don’t even start out with an affiliate link in mind. When I share tutorials I really do so to be as helpful as I can, consider what FAQs I receive, and build a post off of that criteria organically.

Later on though you might find you want to go back and insert an affiliate link into pre-existing content after you sign up as an affiliate. Find Dubsado perfect for streamlining your project workflow from start to finish? It’s a great opportunity to improve other small business owners’ as well by encouraging them to sign up and see for themselves. 

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Add affiliate links to your resources page

Every-one loves handy insider info! 

A resource page is commonly referred to as a reference page where you can link the tools of your trade, and further share your knowledge for those interested in your line of work. 

It’s a great way to show in one simple page a list of recommended tools, resources, links, articles, and any other information that is relevant to the niche of your site! 

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Create an opt-in

An effective way to grow your email list is to offer a helpful freebie guide related to the industry you’re in. It can be as simple as ’10 Essential Business Tools I Swear by’ to give those interested in your services a glimpse into how you run your business. This is another opportunity to grow your subscribers while sharing your tricks of the trade. So don’t forget to link there as well. 

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Ok I also have to mention implementing good design practices will also go along way in people staying on your website longer, too! This doesn’t mean you need to spring for a custom web design, especially if you’re starting, but it should leave a positive first impression (i.e. great typography, no complex navigation and too many pop-ups, avoid slow loading times, etc). 

My hope is this post inspires you to take action in implementing affiliate links organically in your content! We’re all running real businesses after all – let’s continue to allow them to grow!