If you’re new to affiliate marketing and generating a passive income online, then read on!

You can turn your passion into a money-making machine! Yes, you got that right – and you wouldn't even have to leave your house for this! All you’ll need is a computer, tablet or smartphone, access to the internet and some smart online marketing strategies, which we’ll provide for you here.

How is this possible you wonder?

First, you’ll need to sign up to an affiliate scheme. Once you’ve got your affiliate code or link, you can use it for all the marketing and sales you do.

One example affiliate scheme is the available at www.seekahost.com under affiliates. You simply register using the registration online form, following the easy steps. Your affiliate link will be generated, and your account will be set up (you'll receive a confirmation email).

Now you’re ready to use your affiliate link on your social media platforms, via your emails, via instant messengers, using your own blogs etc.

What’s in it for me?

As a SeekaHost affiliate, you can make a fantastic 40% in commissions! This could earn you anything from £15 for selling a personal web hosting package at £39 to £1100 if you sell up to 20 business web hosting packages at £139. AND: this could be a recurring income annually for every year your referrals remain with SeekaHost. Different affiliate schemes offer varying rates, so think about which percentage will really bring you some valuable income, depending on the prices of what you’re selling.

Compared to other ways of making money online we discuss in our “ How to make money online” guide, such as becoming a freelancer for web design, content writing or photo and video editing, the affiliate scheme allows everyone to earn, regardless of their skill set. So, how can you make those sales to get the money flowing?

4 strategies to earn as an affiliate

#1: make the best use of all your communication channels

Whether you’re already a blogger, a writer, an instagrammer – use your social media accounts or platforms to spread the word about the product you’re marketing as an affiliate. What matters is to make this product attractive to your audience on those channels. So, if you’re a blogger in the tech niche then it would be easier to sell web hosting to your followers as they are interested in this field. You will have to be creative and come up with catchy ideas such as creating incentives. This could be that you offer a free guest post for everyone buying web hosting with SeekaHost for example. Then advertise this using your affiliate link on all your platforms to achieve the best exposure.

#2: it’s all about the message

Encouraging people to buy the product through you will require you to establish a special link or connection between you and the product. Why would people acquire it through you? Think about ways you can make it more attractive for your audience to use your link, e.g. making it faster, more convenient, cheaper to buy it. Or you could offer a special discount that you’ve agreed beforehand with the company as an affiliate. Or promise additional perks, e.g. “get web hosting for SeekaHost from me PLUS free tips on how to build your first blog”.

#3: follow trends

Observe your market and its trends. Research what your audience are looking for and what latest competitors offer. Also, use seasonal events for your marketing. Christmas, new year, Easter – they can provide great marketing opportunities as people might look for gift ideas. Then offer special packages for example: buy 2 web hosting plans for the price of one as a special treat for a loved one.

#4: plan your affiliate marketing strategy
It’s advisable to sign up to several affiliate schemes as this will increase your passive income. However, you shouldn’t just subscribe to ANY scheme. Instead, think about how you can combine and match them with what you already do. Say, if you’re a tech blogger, you could be an affiliate for SeekaHost and Amazon for technical gadgets like PC’s, tablets and smartphones. You could then combine this by sharing special offers like this: “Get the latest Samsung tablet for 20% less and start your own website today with SeekaHost for only £1 per month”.

Right, I hope this has given you some ideas about affiliate marketing and where to make a start. Plan for your strategy today and then sign up as an affiliate to get started with earning online.

Author's Bio: 

Manuela Willbold is a content writer and blogger working for a digital marketing agency in London called ClickDo. She regularly writes about education, digitalization, blogging, online marketing and anything else her clients require. She also manages the UK Education Blog.