Put simply, affiliate marketing is the use of one website to promote the websites of another. The promotion will earn a small commission, usually based on the number of clicks the website doing the promoting earns for the website they’re promoting. It’s an above-board and legitimate way for web users to make money and for businesses to increase their exposure.
Smart Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing was once frowned upon and considered spammy, but today it’s a pursuit that has become much more sophisticated and acceptable. Usually, affiliate programmes online will make use of a niche, so that a mountaineering blog will partner with certain brands that sell mountaineering gear as an affiliate marketer, helping to link a relevant audience to relevant products.
For websites looking for promotion, it’s often highly valuable to engage with affiliate marketers in your niche – especially those with a large audience and who might well post regularly about your products or services.
How Does it Work?
In order for the affiliate marketer and their partner to track how much cash they should be making on commission they use a unique affiliate link on their hyperlinks to content. When someone clicks on that link or purchases an item, the affiliate will earn a commission for sending them there. It works exactly the same as markets in the real world, where touts and tour guides will often earn commission for taking tourists to certain stores
