Even before the pandemic outbreak, lots of people had uncertainties about their business and financial future. That's why it's no surprise that many were seeking all kinds of clever ways to get passive income. Be it the rise of cryptocurrencies, dabbling on the stock market, or even flipping retail products with a margin - opportunities were there for the taking by any risk-taker.

Still, one of the most sustainable and popular ways to earn passive income remains affiliate marketing.

Let's take a closer look...

What is Affiliate Marketing?

In affiliate marketing, you gain revenue by advertising the products or services of another company. You don't even have to be a direct client of the company to earn commissions as an affiliate.

It's quite a simple process, really.

You first have to find products you like from companies that offer affiliate programs. You then promote the chosen goods through your website or social media profiles through a special affiliate link. The provider uses this link to track your user's activity and every sale you make. At the end of the tracked period - you get your affiliate commission.

This type of marketing is based on revenue sharing and satisfies both sides - the manufacturer is getting more sales and free promoters, and the affiliates are getting a piece of the pie.

No wonder why over 15% of e-commerce earnings today can be attributed to affiliate marketing.

What are Affiliates in Web Hosting?

Following the logic above, a web hosting affiliate is any user who decides to promote various services with the idea to share the sales revenue with the provider. And it's not like we lack the promotion channels nowadays - you can write blog posts, create landing pages, and utilize social media, all in a day's work.

As mentioned, hosting affiliates don't even have to be actual clients of the service. Sure, that helps form an honest and unbiased opinion, but you can always advertise the solutions of any popular provider.

This creates a bit of conflict of interest.

Some affiliates prefer quantity over quality, so they often fiercely advertize even products they don't actually use or like. The brand benefits from a positive image, the affiliate benefits from more passive income, but what about the end client?

That's why shoppers should always take information with a pinch of salt, and affiliates should be as objective as possible to really reach success.

Web Hosting Affiliate Benefits

The best benefit is that you can easily do Online Work at Home.
From an entrepreneur standpoint, becoming an affiliate can bring loads of benefits with little to no risks. Here are just some of the key advantages of this type of marketing in web hosting:

• Great way to earn passive income.
• No need for initial financial investments.
• Plenty of promotion strategies and channels available.
• Possibilities for deeper global market penetration.
• No need to provide support for your affiliate sales.
• You don't have to be a client of the promoted service.

Sure, it's not all roses and rainbows in web hosting affiliate marketing. You have to consider the fierce competition and the growing client suspicion when it comes to affiliate reviews.

That's why, as an affiliate, you have to ensure you build a solid reputation and always offer an unbiased opinion about the products you're promoting. Spread the word only for personally tested solutions you think can present real value to your audience.

If you feel ready to join the web hosting affiliate game, here's what you need to do...

How to Become a Hosting Affiliate

One of the benefits of this type of marketing is its seamless market entry (and exit, for that matter). You don't have to invest big budgets in your promotion process - becoming an affiliate is an option even if you don't have a dollar to spare at the moment. Here's the easiest way to start:

• Find the right partners - there are thousands of web hosting companies out there, and many of them offer some kind of an affiliate program. Make sure to only sign up with trusted companies where the deal is lucrative enough for you to promote. Providers like ScalaHosting, for example, offer affiliate plans where you can get up to $200 per sale and get an intuitive dashboard to track your progress.

• Put affiliate links on your website - once you are signed up with a program, use your own site and audience to promote the hell out of it. You can include links in your sidebar or footer, but make sure not to overdo it, or you risk appearing more spammy than helpful.

“One of the easiest ways to build a website without knowledge is to build a site with a well-known CMS. One option which is user-friendly is Squarespace. In order to find a Squarespace template that works for you, check what your competitors use. Use What Square. Space, detect what template they are using, and then just use the same template. Pretty simple tip with a pretty big benefit.”

• Write product reviews - if your website also has a blog, make sure to utilize that to your advantage. You can paint a detailed picture to your viewers as to what they might expect from the service. And if you keep a spotless reputation - you can be sure your loyal fans will follow.

• Utilize social media - another channel where you can advertise your web hosting affiliate promos to a large audience without paying a dime. Sure, you can invest in some sponsored posts and ads, but you can reach thousands of people even from your network alone.

• Share the news with your subscribers - if you manage a subscription-based project, you already have a database with people who are willing to get news from you. You can use their emails to let everyone know about your promoted service and how they can benefit from it. Again, previously established trust is key here.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, there's little to no argument against affiliate marketing. If you have the time and ambition to create an extra revenue stream - go for it. By simply utilizing your own online resources and social media, you can become a successful entrepreneur with no initial investments or assistance involved.

Author's Bio: 

Asad Shehzad writes SEO articles for online business marketers and SEO tools users to make their Google rankings surge. His articles have appeared in a number of websites i.e., eLearning Industry, Calculators.tech and Inside Tech Box. He contributes articles about digital marketing, SEO techniques and tech regularly to Prepostseo.com