Affiliate Marketing For Dummies
Title PageTitle Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing
Chapter 1 What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Getting a Handle on How Affiliate Marketing Works
Profiting from Internet Promotion
Multiplying opportunities
Automating the money flow
Distinguishing affiliate marketing from other internet businesses
Preparing to Start Your Affiliate Marketing Business
Setting expectations
Laying the groundwork
Walking through the process
Chapter 2 Why Should You Be an Affiliate?
Surveying the Requirements of Starting a Traditional Business
Assessing the Advantages of Affiliate Marketing
You can start your business instantly
You can choose your own path and lifestyle
You can offer a diverse range of products
You have no product development and fulfillment
You don’t have to be a technical genius
Payment and accounting are automated
You get company-supplied marketing materials
You can take advantage of tax deductions
Setting Expectations
Chapter 3 Pitfalls and Risks for Beginners
Looking Out for Personal Pitfalls
Lacking focus
Managing time poorly
Making few (if any) content updates
Avoiding Internet Risks
Stay away from instant businesses
Don’t fall for the next bright shiny object
Don’t follow others too closely
Chapter 4 Steps to Take Before Becoming an Affiliate
Setting Your Goals
Assessing the Skills You Have and Need
Where are you now?
How do you move ahead?
Strengthening Your Ability to Focus
Deciding what is (and isn’t) important
Setting your priorities
Seeing the magic of massive action
Making time to play
Ridding yourself of time wasters
Chapter 5 Surveying the Affiliate Landscape: Programs and Networks
Digging into Affiliate Programs
Assessing the advantages of affiliate programs
Finding and evaluating affiliate programs
Joining an affiliate program
Looking at Affiliate Networks
Checking out the advantages of affiliate networks
Finding and evaluating affiliate networks
Joining an affiliate network
Understanding the Dangers of Getting Banned
Part 2 Building on the Basics
Chapter 6 Keyword Research and Product Selection
Combining Passion and Profit
Analyzing Product Keywords
Looking at long tail keywords
Golden keywords
Sifting through Keyword Analysis Tools
Market Samurai
KeywordRevealer
Google Keyword Planner
Examining Markets
Focusing on evergreen markets
Sizing up seasonal markets
Chapter 7 Using a Website for Affiliate Marketing
Beginning with the Benefits of a Website for the Affiliate Marketer
Establishing a Domain Name for Your Website
Choosing a name
Using a registrar
Checking out the aftermarket
Comparing Self-Hosting to Free Hosting
Self-hosting
Free hosting
Going with WordPress Software
Installation
Themes
Plug-ins
Monitoring Your Website
Totaling the Costs of Starting and Running an Affiliate Marketing Website
Asking a Few Important Questions about Websites
Chapter 8 Niche Marketing
Understanding the Basics of Niche Marketing
Finding Your Niche
Following the head and the heart
Considering market size and competition
Reviewing Keyword Analysis Tools for Niche Marketing
Market Samurai
KeywordRevealer
Google tools
Keywords Everywhere
Spying on the Competition
Surveying Seasonal Niches
Chapter 9 Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
Getting Started When You Have Followers (And When You Don’t)
Leveraging the followers you already have
Taking action when you have no social media presence
Surveying Strategies for Different Social Media Platforms
YouTube
Quora
Guest blogs
Checking Out the Cons of Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
Your web presence is limited
You’re not building asset value
You don’t own the ground you’re building your business on
Your content doesn’t last long in front of your followers
You’re always fighting the competition
You have to adjust your approach for a different audience
You must keep on top of social media limitations and restrictions
Social media isn’t necessarily less complicated than having a website
Having a website isn’t as expensive as you may think
Chapter 10 SEO: Search Engine Optimization
Taking Care of Some Issues Before You Focus on SEO
Selecting the right niche
Understanding the elephant in the room: Google
Distinguishing On-Page and Off-Page SEO Factors
On-page SEO factors
Off-page SEO factors
Setting Up Your Site to Be SEO Friendly
Tags and categories
Posts and pages
Building a silo
Trying Out SEO Tools
Yoast
Market Samurai
Google Webmasters
Chapter 11 Email Marketing
Assessing the Advantages of Email Marketing
Building Your List with Different Types of Email
Marketing emails
Autoresponders
Transactional emails
Email campaigns
Hosting Your Own Emails
The pros of hosting
The cons of hosting
Playing by the Rules
CAN-SPAM
The opt-in
The double opt-in
Unsubscribing
Understanding Email Screening
Soft bounces and hard bounces
Beware of buying a list of emails
A risk of probation if email addresses aren’t checked
Email throttling
Considering Different Email Senders
Sendinblue
Amazon SES
SendGrid
Mailchimp
Constant Contact
Part 3 Advanced Affiliate Strategies
Chapter 12 Multitier, Passive, and Other Offbeat Commissions
Getting a Handle on Multitier Affiliate Marketing
Trying two-tier marketing
Watching out for the third tier and beyond
Finding affiliates for your multitier program
Picking Out Passive Income Opportunities
Profiting Even When No Sale Is Made
Cost per action/pay per lead
Cost per click
Cost per view
Chapter 13 Affiliate Platforms, Directories, and More
Assessing Affiliate Platforms
JVZoo
ClickBank
CJ Affiliate
Amazon Associates
Digging into Affiliate Directories
Checking Out CPA Networks
Looking at Advertising Networks
Chapter 14 Opt-In and Landing Pages
Examining the Elements of an Opt-In Page
Videos versus text
The layout
Other considerations for success
Checking Out the Elements of a Landing Page
The visuals: Colors and images
The headline and the subheadline
Ad/sales copy
Testimonials
Bonuses
The “what’s inside” element
The bio
Payment buttons
Guarantees
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Legal notices and disclaimers
Focusing on Other Factors for Success
Testing with the A-B split
Considering SEO
Using an exit pop-up
Benefiting from others’ wisdom
Trying landing page templates and software
Judging results
Chapter 15 Sales Funnel Strategies
Selling Your Prospect on Multiple Offers
Starting with the front end
Moving to the main or core offer
Continuing with the back-end offer
Using upsells and downsells
Putting everything together
Setting Up Your Sequence of Offers
Looking at the tools you need
Modeling a merchant funnel
Assessing an affiliate funnel
Building a structure for passive income
Part 4 Going Professional
Chapter 16 The Legal Stuff
Following the Federal Trade Commission
Knowing the main guideline
Avoiding unrealistic claims
Retaining records about testimonials
Watching your language
Keeping your pricing consistent
Having a clear refund policy
Being aware of the rules about business opportunities
Getting the Scoop on the General Data Protection Regulation
Safely Using Images and Other Content
Getting permission in writing
Understanding special content rights
Addressing Legal Matters on Websites
A privacy policy
Disclaimers
Terms of service
Other sites’ rules
Chapter 17 The Merchant Side of Affiliate Marketing
Knowing Whether You’re Ready to Be a Merchant
Is your product conducive to an affiliate marketing program?
Is your compensation plan attractive?
Can you service affiliates?
Becoming an “undercover affiliate”
Choosing Your Technology
Considering an in-house affiliate program
Using an external affiliate platform
Outsourcing
Recruiting and Working with Affiliates
Knowing where to find affiliates
Making offers they can’t resist
Providing affiliate tools
Chapter 18 Taxes for the Affiliate Marketer
Setting Up Your Business for Taxes
The simplest business structure: You!
The second simplest business structure: The DBA
The next level: LLCs, corporations, and partnerships
Handling Taxes on Affiliate Marketing Commissions
Federal income taxes
Federal self-employment taxes
State and local taxes
Sales tax
Digging into Powerful Tax Deductions
Deducting home office expenses
Looking at the most common affiliate deductions
Checking out other common business deductions
Keeping Good Records
Researching Pension Tax Benefits
Reviewing Resources to Help You with Your Taxes
Part 5 The Part of Tens
Chapter 19 Ten (Or So) of the Biggest Pitfalls for Affiliate Marketers
Looking to the Next Bright Shiny Object
Battling a Lack of Focus
Not Investing in Yourself and Your Education
Making the Transition from Content Consumer to Content Producer
Having Unrealistic Expectations
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Not Sticking It Out Until You Achieve Success
Not Spending Money to Save Time
Not Protecting Your Trust Flow and Reputation
Chapter 20 The Ten Best Free Tools for Affiliate Marketers
WordPress
Elementor
Yoast
Keywords Everywhere
SpyFu
Blog Ideas Generator
Market Samurai
GTmetrix
SimilarWeb
Buffer
Chapter 21 The Ten Best Paid Tools for Affiliate Marketers
Market Samurai
Keyword Revealer
SpyFu
Elementor, Astra Pro Theme, and Ultimate Addons
Content Samurai
WP Robot
CleanTalk
Sendinblue
Amazon SES
Mailster
Chapter 22 The Ten Best Marketing Strategies for Affiliates
Guest Blogging
SEO Strategies
Social Media Marketing
YouTube Marketing
Email Marketing
Content Marketing
E-book Publishing
Joint Ventures
Media Interviews
Smartphone Apps
Appendix: Tools and Resources for Affiliates
Index
EULA
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing
Chapter 1 What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Getting a Handle on How Affiliate Marketing Works
Profiting from Internet Promotion
Multiplying opportunities
Automating the money flow
Distinguishing affiliate marketing from other internet businesses
Preparing to Start Your Affiliate Marketing Business
Setting expectations
Laying the groundwork
Walking through the process
Chapter 2 Why Should You Be an Affiliate?
Surveying the Requirements of Starting a Traditional Business
Assessing the Advantages of Affiliate Marketing
You can start your business instantly
You can choose your own path and lifestyle
You can offer a diverse range of products
You have no product development and fulfillment
You don’t have to be a technical genius
Payment and accounting are automated
You get company-supplied marketing materials
You can take advantage of tax deductions
Setting Expectations
Chapter 3 Pitfalls and Risks for Beginners
Looking Out for Personal Pitfalls
Lacking focus
Managing time poorly
Making few (if any) content updates
Avoiding Internet Risks
Stay away from instant businesses
Don’t fall for the next bright shiny object
Don’t follow others too closely
Chapter 4 Steps to Take Before Becoming an Affiliate
Setting Your Goals
Assessing the Skills You Have and Need
Where are you now?
How do you move ahead?
Strengthening Your Ability to Focus
Deciding what is (and isn’t) important
Setting your priorities
Seeing the magic of massive action
Making time to play
Ridding yourself of time wasters
Chapter 5 Surveying the Affiliate Landscape: Programs and Networks
Digging into Affiliate Programs
Assessing the advantages of affiliate programs
Finding and evaluating affiliate programs
Joining an affiliate program
Looking at Affiliate Networks
Checking out the advantages of affiliate networks
Finding and evaluating affiliate networks
Joining an affiliate network
Understanding the Dangers of Getting Banned
Part 2 Building on the Basics
Chapter 6 Keyword Research and Product Selection
Combining Passion and Profit
Analyzing Product Keywords
Looking at long tail keywords
Golden keywords
Sifting through Keyword Analysis Tools
Market Samurai
KeywordRevealer
Google Keyword Planner
Examining Markets
Focusing on evergreen markets
Sizing up seasonal markets
Chapter 7 Using a Website for Affiliate Marketing
Beginning with the Benefits of a Website for the Affiliate Marketer
Establishing a Domain Name for Your Website
Choosing a name
Using a registrar
Checking out the aftermarket
Comparing Self-Hosting to Free Hosting
Self-hosting
Free hosting
Going with WordPress Software
Installation
Themes
Plug-ins
Monitoring Your Website
Totaling the Costs of Starting and Running an Affiliate Marketing Website
Asking a Few Important Questions about Websites
Chapter 8 Niche Marketing
Understanding the Basics of Niche Marketing
Finding Your Niche
Following the head and the heart
Considering market size and competition
Reviewing Keyword Analysis Tools for Niche Marketing
Market Samurai
KeywordRevealer
Google tools
Keywords Everywhere
Spying on the Competition
Surveying Seasonal Niches
Chapter 9 Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
Getting Started When You Have Followers (And When You Don’t)
Leveraging the followers you already have
Taking action when you have no social media presence
Surveying Strategies for Different Social Media Platforms
YouTube
Quora
Guest blogs
Checking Out the Cons of Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
Your web presence is limited
You’re not building asset value
You don’t own the ground you’re building your business on
Your content doesn’t last long in front of your followers
You’re always fighting the competition
You have to adjust your approach for a different audience
You must keep on top of social media limitations and restrictions
Social media isn’t necessarily less complicated than having a website
Having a website isn’t as expensive as you may think
Chapter 10 SEO: Search Engine Optimization
Taking Care of Some Issues Before You Focus on SEO
Selecting the right niche
Understanding the elephant in the room: Google
Distinguishing On-Page and Off-Page SEO Factors
On-page SEO factors
Off-page SEO factors
Setting Up Your Site to Be SEO Friendly
Tags and categories
Posts and pages
Building a silo
Trying Out SEO Tools
Yoast
Market Samurai
Google Webmasters
Chapter 11 Email Marketing
Assessing the Advantages of Email Marketing
Building Your List with Different Types of Email
Marketing emails
Autoresponders
Transactional emails
Email campaigns
Hosting Your Own Emails
The pros of hosting
The cons of hosting
Playing by the Rules
CAN-SPAM
The opt-in
The double opt-in
Unsubscribing
Understanding Email Screening
Soft bounces and hard bounces
Beware of buying a list of emails
A risk of probation if email addresses aren’t checked
Email throttling
Considering Different Email Senders
Sendinblue
Amazon SES
SendGrid
Mailchimp
Constant Contact
Part 3 Advanced Affiliate Strategies
Chapter 12 Multitier, Passive, and Other Offbeat Commissions
Getting a Handle on Multitier Affiliate Marketing
Trying two-tier marketing
Watching out for the third tier and beyond
Finding affiliates for your multitier program
Picking Out Passive Income Opportunities
Profiting Even When No Sale Is Made
Cost per action/pay per lead
Cost per click
Cost per view
Chapter 13 Affiliate Platforms, Directories, and More
Assessing Affiliate Platforms
JVZoo
ClickBank
CJ Affiliate
Amazon Associates
Digging into Affiliate Directories
Checking Out CPA Networks
Looking at Advertising Networks
Chapter 14 Opt-In and Landing Pages
Examining the Elements of an Opt-In Page
Videos versus text
The layout
Other considerations for success
Checking Out the Elements of a Landing Page
The visuals: Colors and images
The headline and the subheadline
Ad/sales copy
Testimonials
Bonuses
The “what’s inside” element
The bio
Payment buttons
Guarantees
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Legal notices and disclaimers
Focusing on Other Factors for Success
Testing with the A-B split
Considering SEO
Using an exit pop-up
Benefiting from others’ wisdom
Trying landing page templates and software
Judging results
Chapter 15 Sales Funnel Strategies
Selling Your Prospect on Multiple Offers
Starting with the front end
Moving to the main or core offer
Continuing with the back-end offer
Using upsells and downsells
Putting everything together
Setting Up Your Sequence of Offers
Looking at the tools you need
Modeling a merchant funnel
Assessing an affiliate funnel
Building a structure for passive income
Part 4 Going Professional
Chapter 16 The Legal Stuff
Following the Federal Trade Commission
Knowing the main guideline
Avoiding unrealistic claims
Retaining records about testimonials
Watching your language
Keeping your pricing consistent
Having a clear refund policy
Being aware of the rules about business opportunities
Getting the Scoop on the General Data Protection Regulation
Safely Using Images and Other Content
Getting permission in writing
Understanding special content rights
Addressing Legal Matters on Websites
A privacy policy
Disclaimers
Terms of service
Other sites’ rules
Chapter 17 The Merchant Side of Affiliate Marketing
Knowing Whether You’re Ready to Be a Merchant
Is your product conducive to an affiliate marketing program?
Is your compensation plan attractive?
Can you service affiliates?
Becoming an “undercover affiliate”
Choosing Your Technology
Considering an in-house affiliate program
Using an external affiliate platform
Outsourcing
Recruiting and Working with Affiliates
Knowing where to find affiliates
Making offers they can’t resist
Providing affiliate tools
Chapter 18 Taxes for the Affiliate Marketer
Setting Up Your Business for Taxes
The simplest business structure: You!
The second simplest business structure: The DBA
The next level: LLCs, corporations, and partnerships
Handling Taxes on Affiliate Marketing Commissions
Federal income taxes
Federal self-employment taxes
State and local taxes
Sales tax
Digging into Powerful Tax Deductions
Deducting home office expenses
Looking at the most common affiliate deductions
Checking out other common business deductions
Keeping Good Records
Researching Pension Tax Benefits
Reviewing Resources to Help You with Your Taxes
Part 5 The Part of Tens
Chapter 19 Ten (Or So) of the Biggest Pitfalls for Affiliate Marketers
Looking to the Next Bright Shiny Object
Battling a Lack of Focus
Not Investing in Yourself and Your Education
Making the Transition from Content Consumer to Content Producer
Having Unrealistic Expectations
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Not Sticking It Out Until You Achieve Success
Not Spending Money to Save Time
Not Protecting Your Trust Flow and Reputation
Chapter 20 The Ten Best Free Tools for Affiliate Marketers
WordPress
Elementor
Yoast
Keywords Everywhere
SpyFu
Blog Ideas Generator
Market Samurai
GTmetrix
SimilarWeb
Buffer
Chapter 21 The Ten Best Paid Tools for Affiliate Marketers
Market Samurai
Keyword Revealer
SpyFu
Elementor, Astra Pro Theme, and Ultimate Addons
Content Samurai
WP Robot
CleanTalk
Sendinblue
Amazon SES
Mailster
Chapter 22 The Ten Best Marketing Strategies for Affiliates
Guest Blogging
SEO Strategies
Social Media Marketing
YouTube Marketing
Email Marketing
Content Marketing
E-book Publishing
Joint Ventures
Media Interviews
Smartphone Apps
Appendix: Tools and Resources for Affiliates
Index
EULA
Get Your Piece of the Hottest Business Online Today! Affiliate marketing is your route to earning some serious bucks. Thousands of companies both large & small like Amazon, Sears, Best Buy, Overstock, Lowe’s, Priceline & others have programs so you can profit from the thousands of products they offer. Affiliate marketing is ideal for bloggers looking to monetize their work. This is a multibillion-dollar market, and there are 10+ million people involved in the biz worldwide. There’s always room for more because the opportunity keeps growing as more and more companies offer affiliate programs. Affiliate Marketing For Dummies shows you how to get a slice of the pie! • Choose the right affiliate product or service for you • Find the best affiliate programs for you • Find the best affiliate marketing strategies Affiliate Marketing for Dummies is your friendly step-by-step guide to getting in on this moneymaker―big time.