How to do affiliate marketing without a website?

 You want to become an affiliate marketer but don’t have a website to get started?  

Here's some good news—you don't necessarily need one.

Affiliate marketing has always been a popular way for marketers to earn a passive income. It offers the advantages of being mutually-beneficial and giving people the opportunity to earn a performance-based income, which have helped the industry evolve at a much faster pace in recent years. Yet many people are still hesitant to take that first step, worrying that it could be a cumbersome process with too many strings attached. This is mostly due to the common misperception that you need to have a dedicated website.

Yes, having a website is important and can be a fantastic way to boost your credibility, but even if you don't have one, you can still become an affiliate marketer.

Before we go in detail, whether you're an individual or a small business looking to promote other brands, you must first get a fair understanding of how affiliate marketing works. If you're new to the concept of affiliate marketing, we suggest you check out our previous blog to get all the basics right.

Ways to do affiliate marketing without a website   

As an affiliate marketer, your goal is to get people to buy a product from your affiliate merchant through your reference, from which you'll earn a commission. You can do this in many ways without having a website.

Utilise social media   

Social media is hands-down the number one option on our list. It's an excellent tool for meeting new people and connecting with old friends, as well as for promoting your affiliate products. In Australia, the number of active social media users has been steadily increasing and includes almost 80% of the population as of January 2021. If you've built trust and have a good number of followers interested in your content, they may also be willing to try out the goods and services you recommend.

But the key to being a good affiliate marketer is to promote the right product to the right people through the right platform. Each social media channel serves a distinct purpose, and not all will be beneficial to everyone. For example, if a food blogger promotes a baking utensil on LinkedIn, it's unlikely that they'll find a relevant target audience there. This is because people prefer to follow blogging content on lifestyle channels rather on a professional networking space. That's why it's important to choose the right medium that compliments your marketing goal.

 Snapshot from Instagram

Here's a short rundown of what makes some of the most popular social media sites unique.  

• Facebook: An all-rounder mostly used for social networking, connecting with brands, and promoting almost all types of B2B and B2C products and services.  

• LinkedIn: A platform that's mainly dedicated to professional networking and career development. You will commonly find people promoting educational courses, workshops, software, and professional services.

• Twitter: A platform for people to voice opinions and be updated on the latest trends and news. It's also widely used to promote various tech brands, gadgets, digital games, automobiles, and business software.

• Instagram: A space to share more visually rich content and to be engaged with brands and influencers. It's mainly used for marketing lifestyle products, fitness brands, and products that require more visual demonstration.  

Post YouTube videos  

Wait! Doesn't YouTube fall under the social media category?

Of course it does. But what makes it unique is that it's the second most-used search engine right behind Google (which also owns YouTube). And unlike other platforms, YouTube hosts a wide range of content and gives content creators of all ages an opportunity to earn through it. So, if you’re looking to promote a product or a service through video, dropping your affiliate links or your affiliate code into your YouTube video descriptions can be an effective way to increase your revenue. However, it's important to remember that the results you get may vastly vary on how large your audience is and how informative and engaging people find your content to be.

Snapshot from YouTube

Create ebooks  

An ebook is another fantastic way to promote your affiliate links. Today, popular platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing let you self-publish an ebook free of charge. Although publishing ebooks has become a painless process, you can only gain from this method of marketing if you provide great material to your readers in the form of a helpful guide or resource. So choose a subject you are well-versed in, and only include affiliate links where they appear to be absolutely necessary. The purpose of any material is to present readers with genuinely useful information, giving them the confidence to trust your recommendation.

Participate in online forums 

Online forums are an effective platform to join discussions about various products and services, and—when done right—also to promote your affiliate links. To get started, search for a forum that discusses topics related to the product you want to promote, and read all its guidelines thoroughly before you get started. Actively interact with individuals by answering queries and offering them solutions. The goal is to provide genuine suggestions rather than spamming people by desperately promoting your product. When community members see your expertise and trust you, they will be eager to click on the affiliate links you provide.

Offline tactics  

While the internet gives you a plethora of options to do affiliate marketing online, there are a good deal of opportunities to promote your products offline as well. Word of mouth is a simple and effective strategy. Start by recommending the product to your friends and family. You can also spread the word by expanding your network. Attend events and join local groups related to the type of business you promote. For example, if you work as an affiliate for a particular car dealer and an old schoolmate buys a car from them through your reference, you may earn a commission for bringing in a new customer.

A few tips to keep in mind  

• Research and choose to work with a trustworthy affiliate merchant. Make sure they have a good reputation for treating their affiliates fairly and don't deal in any unethical business practices.

• Be sure that you clearly understand the terms and conditions of a partnership to which you’re agreeing before signing any contract.

• Never compromise your credibility by promoting something you have no clue about. It's essential that you test the product yourself and like it before recommending it to others.

• When marketing a product, always be transparent and clearly disclose that you're an affiliate. Failure to do so will result in serious legal consequences.

• Stay informed of all the critical Australian laws and regulations with regard to promoting any goods and services.

Frequently asked questions

How much can you earn as an affiliate?  

The amount you earn from affiliate marketing can vary greatly based on the commission rate of the vendor and your ability to promote products effectively. The niche you choose can also significantly impact your success.

How do you find affiliate programs to be a part of?

Look for products or services relevant to your audience and check their website to find out if they have an affiliate program. If not, you can reach out to the vendors directly to inquire about partnership opportunities.

How do affiliate programs track your sales?

When you join an affiliate program, the vendor usually assigns a unique tracking link or a coupon code that you can use to promote. Once a user clicks on your link and buys the product, the affiliate program can track the sale back to your account. This data allows them to calculate your commissions and credit your earnings to you.

We hope this post gives you the confidence to begin your affiliate marketing venture. Is there anything else stopping you from getting started? Drop them as a comment, and we'll try our best to offer suggestions on how to work it out.