To make money online you don’t have to create, own or stock your own product. You can direct potential customers to websites that already sell products that have been created by other people and if someone buys the product by following your referral to that website, the owner of the product will pay you a commission.
The product owner also arranges customer payment, delivery, and fulfillment of the product. This is called affiliate marketing and it is your job as an affiliate to connect potential customers with the products or services they are looking to purchase.
So how to start?
Choose your audience
Before you start looking for products that you can sell, you need to determine your target audience or niche. What problems does the audience want to solve in the chosen niche? The affiliate products you promote should offer the solutions they are looking for. You can find a plethora of products to sell from affiliate marketing companies like Amazon, CJAffiliate, ClickBank, and JVZoo.
start small
You will not make millions of thousands in a single day. Start small and keep improving your online reputation. Develop and deliver high-value content on your website and social media. There are affiliate programs that don’t require a website, but your own website allows you to focus on being authentic so you appear trustworthy and professional.
Create an email list
Focus on developing an email list of potential customers from your website and social media accounts. You can send emails to your list whenever you want. This is the most effective way that you will get people to buy the products and services that you recommend.
treat it like a business
Even if you only work part-time, you should treat it like a real business and not something you play around with. It’s okay to play around a bit at first to see if it’s right for you and if it’s a good way to learn. But eventually, if you want to create a true business online, you’re going to have to treat it that way.
Think ‘tell’, not ‘sell’
Be helpful, kind, and care about the things you promote. See it as more about ‘say’ than ‘sell’. When you put it in the perspective of helping people find what they need or want, you take the stress out of constantly selling. This will allow your efforts to flow from authenticity instead of coming off as too eager to try to make money.