There’s a big misconception in the affiliate business that is costing both potential affiliates and companies a considerable amount in missed opportunities every year. Many people wrongly believe that you need a website to become an affiliate partner. Although most affiliate promotion is carried out online through purpose designed websites, you could, in theory, stand on a street corner and try to persuade passers-by to use a promotion code to sign up to a particular brand. If you succeeded, you’d be earning money as an affiliate partner. Fortunately there are easier ways to bring FTDs to your partners and earn lucrative commissions. The most tech-savvy affiliates seek to combine low investment and low maintenance digital tools with effective targeting. It’s surprising how many existing online resources and social networks can be easily adapted to generate affiliate traffic.
A quick Google search reveals some amazing – perhaps shocking – statistics about how much time the average person spends either online, or absorbing different forms of digital media. The kind of people who might be attracted to online trading are probably already in the higher brackets for internet and digital activity; below teenagers but above many other groups. Given the simple requirements to become an online trader – initial investment of $200, an internet connection, verification of your account and a desire to make money – the potential pool of leads and FTDs is much wider than most affiliates (and affiliate managers) realise.
Additional Affiliate Resources
If you don’t have a website, or even if you do have a website, there are many other productive online and offline assets that you can use to reach your audience. We’ll explore some of them below and look at the best strategies for achieving their full potential.
Videos
Short video clips could be a very effective conversion tool on the internet. They can be produced cheaply and easily, and embedded on a wide variety of sites – often for free. Almost anyone can utilise freely available programs to create short promotional video clips. Patience and persistence can generate some surprising results. If you have a Facebook or YouTube account, you could add videos there and encourage people to share them. There are no rules as to what makes a video viral, but the more videos you create and share – the better your chances of creating a video people will like.
Blog Posts
It’s never been easier to set up your own blog using a free platform like WordPress. You don’t need any special writing skills to get started and eToro Partners will offer plenty of help and advice. A blog doesn’t need to be finance orientated to be a successful conversion tool. It can be devoted to any subject that interests you. With a little imagination you can find a way to work in regular posts about social trading. Another possibility is to submit guest posts on other people’s blogs.
Social Media Groups
Social media is a great way to promote brands as an affiliate. It is low cost and can even be a part of your normal online activity. Effective posts often need minimal preparation, often an interesting picture and a few catchy sentences are enough to catch peoples’ interest and start an online debate. Social media promotions could be something as brief as an intriguing tweet or a full length post in an online forum. The only real limit is your own imagination. One stumbling block with social media is that many affiliates don’t bother to follow up on their own posts and properly engage with potential FTDs. If you are interested in using social media do it systematically and don’t overlook useful channels such as LinkedIn, Google+ etc. it’s worth scheduling a few minutes every day to review and add to posts – time spent in queues, waiting rooms or public transport can be perfect for this.
If you have any ideas, need help, or have questions we’re always available and ready to offer expert advice and assistance. The eToro marketing team has some real expertise in this field and a lot of resources at its disposal. Feel free to contact your affiliate manager at any time.
The above is not indicative of how to make a profit as an affiliate. eToro does not condone investment advice given by affiliates. Potential users should be informed that all trading involves risk.