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Affiliate marketing programs are one of the best ways to make money.
Making a full-time income from home is what a lot of people dream about.
It may seem out of reach, though.
With enough effort, you can make a full-time income from affiliate marketing programs alone.
Just to show the proof in the puddin’, Michelle Schroeder-Gardner makes over $50,000 a month from affiliate marketing alone.
She’s a real-life affiliate marketing boss! And guess what…she has an entire course on making money with affiliate marketing. Definitely check it out!
I am going to give you my honest thoughts about Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing in a post.
If you want to know why affiliate marketing is great for bloggers check out this post.
There are some things that may come off as being secret when it comes to affiliate marketing.
I am going to share these not-so-secret tips with you.
Don’t Actually Need a Blog
Did you know that you don’t really need a blog to join affiliate marketing programs?
Well, it’s true. You don’t.
You can become an affiliate marketer without a blog.
As I always like to say, do your research.
Search for affiliate marketing programs that are easy to join.
There are some programs that require you to have a blog.
Many other programs will accept you automatically.
These are the ones you should be looking for.
Promote on Social Media

Now that you know that little secret, you may be wondering where to promote these affiliate marketing programs.
You can promote using your tracking and affiliate links on social media.
The two places where I like to promote my affiliate links are Pinterest and Twitter.
These are the only two social profiles I have. I’ll be discussing what social media profiles you need for your business.
Highly Recommend a Blog
Now, just because you don’t technically need a blog doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one.
Maybe you don’t consider yourself a writer. That’s okay.
It’s really not that hard because you don’t have to be an awesome writer. You just need to have enough know-how and will power to do so.
If you prefer not to start a blog, that’s cool too.
Just realize that there are a lot of affiliate marketing programs that won’t accept you without a blog.
The truth of the matter is that your blog can be a real money-making machine.
You’ll likely increase your earning potential if you do decide to start a blog.
In a nutshell, a blog is a great idea but it’s not a necessity for affiliate marketing.
Need a Strategy

Many people don’t tell you this.
As an affiliate marketer, you need a to have a strategy for implementing affiliate links.
If you aren’t familiar with affiliate marketing it can be tempting to just through affiliate links in all willy nilly.
I know from experience that this does not work.
It’s not a good idea.
Sit down and think about what your goals are when it comes to affiliate marketing.
Is it to make money or raise awareness about your favorite brands?
Maybe it’s both.
Next, you can decide how you’re going to promote each program.
This will be your strategy.
Knowing the steps you’re going to take to promote your affiliate links can make or break you.
Not having a strategy is harmful and will result in you making little to no money.
Build Trust
This point is often overlooked.
Some people get so carried away with the idea of making money that they forget about trust.
Building trust with your readers is important.
I may as well say that trust is key, too. Because it is.
If your readers don’t trust you, they won’t purchase anything you recommend.
Don’t become so into promoting and making sales that you overlook the bigger picture.
When you develop trust among your audience, they will have no problem purchasing from your links.
In fact, they will want to and they will even thank you for sharing the product or service with them.
Education is Key

Someone once said that you have to invest in yourself and your education.
This is true not only when it comes to blogging but also when it comes to affiliate marketing.
If you have no idea what you are doing, what should you do?
Find someone who knows exactly what they’re doing and take lessons from them.
Where to Find Help
There are so many bloggers and affiliate marketers who have created content.
Ebooks and ecourses are the new thing.
It takes really no effort to find resources about affiliate marketing.
This course is an amazing educational tool and will help you learn affiliate marketing fast.
Hands-down the best affiliate marketing course on the market.
Personal Experiences
People don’t want you to simply tell them about a product or service.
Your readers want to know not only your opinions but the facts.
How do you get to the facts?
Share your very own personal experiences.
This helps your readers to better relate to you.
That’s what affiliate marketing is all about.
Honesty and transparency.
This is not to say that you have to personally use everything that you promote.
But you do need to have some sort of knowledge about the product.
And what you don’t know, you can research and get the personal experiences of others.
Share the Good and the Bad
Being honest and building trust includes sharing the good and the bad.
Your audience will have more trust in you if you don’t sugar coat the downside of the product that you are recommending.
Even if it’s a product you highly recommend, it’s okay to share any cons or negatives.
Your audience will thank you for it.
There is nothing I dislike more than to read a review post and the person has nothing but good things to say about a product.
Later on I find out the cons. After I’ve spent my money on it.
“I wish I had known that before I gave my money.”
That’s what I say after being letdown by a product that had great reviews.
Don’t be that person who holds back with your readers.
Help Solve Pain Points

The best and most efficient way to reach the heart of your readers is by solving pain points.
Think about exactly what it is that your audience may be going through.
Then figure out what you can do to help them.
Once you figure out how to help them, promote items that will give them the results that they want.
Promote Relevant Programs
This one is very important as well.
Nothing will turn your readers away faster than you promoting irrelevant products and services.
If you have a fitness blog, it wouldn’t really make sense to promote Credit Sesame, now would it.
So make sure you know what your audience is looking for and deliver on that.
Final Takeaway
These secrets that I have just shared with you, are not all that secret.
However, many people tend to overlook these things about affiliate marketing.
I hope you now understand what it’s going to take for you to achieve a full-time income promoting affiliate marketing programs.
Follow these tips and your audience will love you and everything you have to offer them!
What are some affiliate marketing tips that have helped you? Let me know in the comments below.

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