Think of the last time you discovered a really good restaurant. Chances are that you recommended it to a friend or two, right? We love sharing our experiences with others. We share every detail with them. What we had from the menu, how delicious the food was, how friendly and prompt the service was, the atmosphere, the ambiance – we share the whole experience. And it\’s likely that by naturally sharing your experience, you attracted new customers to that restaurant.
And this is the point. It\’s not just limited to the restaurants we visit. It\’s the same with any other product or service that we have a great or terrible experience with (if we\’re honest, those average experiences in between don\’t really ever get a mention, do they?). Whether we realise it or not, we promote the products and services of businesses and brands every day.
Now, consider this:
What if we were to receive a financial reward simply for recommending the products and services we enjoy?
Enter, Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing works on the basis that you receive commissions for promoting the products and services of another company. How amazing is that? Getting paid for recommending the products and services you believe in. As mentioned before, selling is something you already participate in. We all engage in negotiations every day (though minus the financial compensation). We\’ve been influencing everyone around us our entire lives. Parents sell their kids on going to bed, spouses sell their partners on mowing the lawn and we pitch our employers on paying us more, as Daniel Pink pointed out in his New York Times #1 bestseller To Sell is Human.
Selling isn\’t sleazy (OK, sometimes…)
The word \”sales\” carries a heavily negative connotation. I used to always associate that word with dodgy used-car dealerships or unsolicited phone calls from telesales companies. Back in the day, it was even a knock at the door. But selling isn\’t sleazy. By all means, it can be when in the hands of the wrong people. The skill of selling is like many things in life; double-edged. Sure, it can be used to manipulate and exploit people, but what if it didn\’t need to be like that? What if selling is just helping people meet their wants and needs? Honest, ethical selling is simply getting paid for connecting people to products and services which positively impact their lives. Isn\’t that a win-win?
So you want to sell ethically? Here\’s where to start.
There are literally thousands upon thousands of products and services out there with an affiliate program. In fact, even the world\’s biggest online marketplace Amazon has an affiliate program. All you need is an audience to speak to. This is where authority marketing comes in and is a perfect segue into where you should start for the most effective long-term strategy. Consider your hobbies and interests. What are you passionate about? What do you know a lot about? What could you talk to someone for hours about? This is where you start.
Why choose a passion as a long-term strategy?
Well, it\’s about more than financial gain. If you just want the moolah, then sure, go ahead and find out what\’s hot and sell that. But if you want to build a business that you\’re passionate about, where you can\’t wait to wake up every day and serve people, then choose the arena you already play in. Identify that thing you already do simply for the love of the thing. This is what\’s known as autonomous motivation (from Self-Determination Theory or SDT). You are intrinsically motivated (love the thing) rather than extrinsically motivated (think: for a prize or reward). Learn how to sell around your passion and you might well be on a path to not only financial well-being, but building a business that you actually love. This is the long game.
Curious to learn more? Here\’s a video.
Want to learn more about how you could make a living with affiliate marketing? Take a look at this video.
It explains to you exactly how it works and it won\’t cost you a penny. And in the interests of trust and transparency, should you later choose to invest in the education program, I would be financially compensated (this is affiliate marketing in play!).
So that\’s it. There\’s never been an easier time to to start your own online business. So, why not:
- Build a business around your passion.
- Share your knowledge and create value in the lives of others.
- Build a community.
- Connect people to products and services you genuinely believe in.
- Get paid for it.
- Build a business that you love.
What\’s not to like?
So, if this is a path you\’re interested in exploring, here\’s a link to the video again:
Free Introductory Workshop to Affiliate Marketing
It\’ll lead you to exactly where you can get started with creating a business of your own using this fantastic model.
And a closing request: please don\’t start charging your friends for your restaurant recommendations… 😉