Are you an affiliate marketer trying to promote your favorite affiliate offers? If so, then you’ve probably realized that advertising your affiliate links is much harder than the gurus and influencers proclaim.
Even if you’re promoting the coolest affiliate offers on the planet, it’s still an uphill battle getting others to click on your affiliate links. Affiliate marketing requires an abundance of hard work, grit, effort, and passion!
That’s why I’m a huge fan of email marketing and email newsletter publishing. A lot of people think that email marketing died. Nevertheless, I propose that email marketing rocks, especially if you love to write and publish helpful content. An email list can help you to promote your messages, blog posts, courses, e-books, Podcast content, product reviews, social content, and promotional content alike.
Email marketing can help even the tiny entrepreneurs and bloggers of the world like us share our content with our humble audiences. The best part is that email marketing is super inexpensive. There are handfuls of apps that let you launch an email newsletter cheap or for free.
That’s exactly why I’d love to brainstorm these clever affiliate marketing list building strategies with you. Because if you love to write and create engaging content, then your email newsletter provides ample opportunity to promote your fantastic content ideas. What better opportunity could you hope for as an aspiring affiliate marketer!
However, as you know, building your email list and generating leads is tough. Especially if you don’t have a big marketing budget or any guru colleagues to help give you a kickstart. That’s why I’m excited to share some cool email list building strategies for affiliate marketers, bloggers, influencers, and small business owners.
5 Elite List Building Methods For Affiliate Marketers
- # 1 – Podcasting
- # 2 – Course Funnels
- # 3 – Blogging
- # 4 – Paid Advertising
- # 5 – YouTube Video Production
5 Smart Email List Building Methods For Affiliates
After email marketing, blogging, and affiliate marketing for years, these five strategies are some of my favorite methods to kickstart your affiliate marketing and email marketing efforts simultaneously.
The best part is that once you build an email list, you develop tremendous leverage to help advertise your other marketing endeavors.
In other words, your email newsletter can help to showcase your blog posts, podcasts, courses, books, social media groups, videos, webinars, in addition to your favorite affiliate offers.
Your email list also serves as a tremendous branding mechanism. Email marketing rocks! Now, let’s take a closer glance at the five email list building and lead generation strategies that you may wish to consider as an affiliate.
# 1 – Podcasting
If your marketing budget isn’t the biggest in the world, then it’s probably a good idea to get into the world of content marketing! You have endless options these days. Seriously. You have a ton of nifty opportunities to share your message with the world.
For example, I love to write. I write for an hour or more per day and publish a ton of blog posts on MrComputerScience.com. However, a lot of my colleagues abhor writing! Can you relate? Would you rather use your gift of gab instead of writing to help share your message? If so, then Podcasting may be the best decision that you ever make for your business and your brand.
But why Podcasts? Because! Podcasts are going mainstream, and there’s no doubt that they’re hugely prevalent. If you want to get your message out in front of the world and your ideal prospects, then Podcasting rocks.
Podcasting must be one of the most exciting methods to publish content in our modern era of marketing and the internet of things. Podcasts create excellent education and entertainment value for your audience whether they’re on the go or relaxing at home!
Your listener can also get to know your personality (and your brand) as you share your best content for free with the world. Perfect. Small business owners of old envy the position you find yourself in, truly.
The way podcasts and lead generation work together is simple. At the beginning, end, or middle of your Podcast, you can promote one of your lead magnets.
So, which type of lead magnet should you promote? It’s your choice. Use your knowledge of your ideal prospect to craft a compelling lead magnet that rocks. Don’t create a lame lead magnet. Make your lead magnet awesome!
Maybe you could create a course, book, membership site, case study, Rolodex, or any cool lead magnet that your ideal prospect would relish. Promote that lead magnet during your Podcast episodes!
A few of my colleagues erroneously believe that you need to be a rich or famous pundit to start a Podcast. Not so! The truth is that a Podcast host only costs $5 – $25 bucks per month. Libsyn, Buzzsprout, and Blubrry are my three favorite Podcast hosts. Either of those options is straightforward to use and they’re affordable.
Another immense benefit that I love about Podcasting, is that they’re perfect for any niche. Therefore, whether you want to chat about pets, marketing, dating, robotics, programming, IT security, data privacy, survival, politics, or weight loss, there’s a niche market for you in the world of Podcasts. The Podcasting world is your oyster!
Every time you create a new Podcast, try your best to promote the episodes far and wide! Blog about your Podcasts. Share your Podcasts on social media. Tell your friends, readers, colleagues, students, and existing subscribers! That way, hopefully, you can attract more fans who love what you have to say.
# 2 – Course Funnels
When it comes to creating the perfect lead magnet, it’s tough to beat a digital course. Now, you might be thinking, “But Mike, there’s no way I’m going to create a course and then give it away for free! That’s way too much work, and I hate the sound of my voice! Plus, I’m way too shy! No way!”
And, if that’s your thought process, then I completely understand your predicament. However, I promise, as the shyest person on the planet, creating digital courses isn’t even that hard. I’m a total geek and have still managed to publish several digital courses, lol. If I can teach online, as a socially inept nerd, I’m sure that you can as well!
When it comes to lead generation and affiliate marketing, most novice marketers won’t consider course funnels. What a massive mistake! The world of eLearning is massive, and a course also makes for the perfect lead magnet.
I look around at massive course marketplaces and how far they’ve come over the last few years. If you’ve been around the internet for more than a decade, you realize how quickly the eLearning marketplace came from out of nowhere.
The point of my rant is that distance education and eLearning market is huge. I’m an outspoken proponent of distance education and creating online courses!
Course funnels make especially wise lead magnets for affiliate marketers for several reasons. Publishing a course not only helps you to establish yourself as an authority, but it’s also an exceptional way to earn good rapport with your prospects and subscribers.
Most importantly, digital courses provide an enormous chance to pre-sell your affiliate offers. In other words, you can showcase all of the advantages and benefits of your favorite affiliate products before you promote them to your subscribers.
Within your course landing pages or download pages, you can naturally include a call to action that promotes your affiliate link. For example, you could have a small headline that says something like this:
“If you appreciate this free course content, then click here to try my favorite email marketing app which is my favorite low-cost tool for beautiful marketing pages, webinars, and email automation. If you appreciate this course, then please click this link so I can earn a commission and create more courses! Thank you so much!”
All of these benefits lead to course funnels being one of the smartest ways for affiliate marketers, teachers, and influencers to generate leads. On a side note, teaching rocks, and is a ton of fun!
# 3 – Blogging
Blogging goes together with affiliate marketing like peanut butter and jelly. Take a good look at my blog! You’ll find that not only is this blog strewn with strategic affiliate links, but I also sprinkle my content with invitations to join my email newsletter.
There are so many clever ways that you can promote your email list on your blog. You can do what I do and promote your lead capture page and email newsletter at the top and bottom of every blog post.
You can also include banner ads, welcome bars, or exit-intent popups. There are plenty of WordPress plugins to help you build your email list, though my favorite is probably Thrive Architect (or) Thrive Leads. Both are ridiculously powerful and help to turn every blog you write into an armed email list building asset!
That’s why I’m a huge fan of blogging. Blogs are one of the easiest and most sincere ways to promote your affiliate links, webinars, courses, books, email newsletters, lead magnets, or anything else that you wish. If you love to write and help people? Then blogging is easily one of your top lead generation and content marketing methods as an affiliate marketer.
A lot of my colleagues love the idea of starting a blog. However, they’re a little stressed out when they start brainstorming the details. Want my advice? Keep things simple!
Start by choosing your perfect niche. If you already have a bunch of cool affiliate products that you want to promote, then you’re already ahead of the game.
If you’re not sure where to start, then begin by analyzing your ideal blog reader. For example, what are the top 10 questions that your ideal readers ask? If you’re not sure, then visit websites like Quora and AnswerThePublic to conduct diligent research on your ideal prospects.
When it’s time to launch your blog, check out one of my favorite web hosts, Namecheap. I’ve been using Namecheap for years and they’ve never given me trouble. As their name suggests, they’re uber affordable and their hosting operates splendidly, especially considering their cost is preposterously low.
# 4 – Paid Advertising
If you go through all the trouble of building a fantastic marketing blog, a lead capture page, a lead magnet, or an affiliate marketing promotion, then paid advertising might be worthy of further investigation.
I’m a huge fan of paid advertising. While I don’t have the biggest marketing budget, I realize that unless you already have a massive audience, then it can seem insurmountable to get your word out to the world.
That’s why I love paid advertising. Paid advertising can be the single fastest way to build your email list. You don’t need to have the most consequential reputation, most fans, or a ton of followers to make your paid advertising work.
However, be warned! Paid advertising isn’t for the faint of heart. Paid ads demand an excess of skill, expertise, passion, fortitude, and even some luck to pull off triumphantly. Despite what anyone tells you, paid advertising carries lots of risks, especially if you can’t afford to fail in your ads.
If you decide to engage with paid advertising, there are a few tips to consider. First, test small. Testing is everything in the world of advertising. Never spend too much money on an ad when you’re just starting, because the advertisement might flounder dismally. Therefore, you must always test small!
Another huge tip is to contact any advertising network that you’re considering and ask if they have coupons or vouchers for new customers.
Why bother asking for freebies and new customer discounts? Because you might be pleasantly surprised when one of your favorite advertising networks gives you a generous coupon! Remember, there’s no advertising like free advertising!
# 5 – YouTube Video Production
YouTube is quickly becoming one of the best methods for marketers and small business owners to brand themselves and generate leads. One of the reasons that YouTube rocks for lead generation, is because YouTube is supremely popular these days.
It seems like just a few years ago only a handful of marketing experts, news networks, and big brands were using YouTube. Now, I’ve noticed that more and more everyone is using YouTube. Have you noticed the same? It seems like everyone and their cat (literally, lol) has a YouTube channel these days.
However, you may be wondering how you can turn YouTube videos into leads? The idea is just like other forms of content marketing. Create astoundingly cool content, and then include a small call to action within your content.
You can create a brand-new YouTube video every day if you wanted. You can then casually (nonchalantly) plug your lead magnet within the video content or the video description content.
If you’re frustrated because you’re not certain how to produce the videos, then relax; it’s much easier than you think. I’ve taught a boatload of digital courses using relatively cheap or inexpensive tools like Audacity to record audio, and Camtasia to record video.
Email List Building For Affiliate Marketing FAQ
I’ve spent tons of time researching and writing about various lead generation and email list building strategies for affiliate marketers.
I’d love to spend a few minutes with you brainstorming some of the most common questions I’ve encountered to help you eliminate any stressors!
# 1 – What Affiliate Networks Work Best For Newbies?
These days, there are endless amounts of affiliate programs. Whether you want to sell dog cookies, gourmet chocolate, marketing software, or gold, there’s an affiliate program for you.
Amazon, Target, Walmart, ClickBank, Udemy, and Rakuten are some of the largest affiliate marketplaces that I’m aware of. Either of these networks offer access to a nearly endless amount of fantastic affiliate products for you to promote.
# 2 – How Do I Write Good Affiliate Marketing Emails?
If you’re spending time generating leads for your affiliate marketing business, then it shall behoove you to write affiliate marketing emails that rock.
However, if you don’t have experience writing affiliate emails, then it’s easy to get overwhelmed. After writing countless affiliate marketing emails, my best tip is simple. Write emails like you’re writing to your best friend.
How do you treat your friends? With honesty, integrity, and honor! Treat your subscribers in the same way. Never lie to them. Never spam them. Never betray their trust to make a buck.
Instead? Talk to them in your natural voice, and in a way that conveys honesty and integrity. Keep your emails plain, simple, and to the point. Practice writing daily, and before long, your email writing skills will be potent, cogent, and persuasive.
# 3 – What’s The Best Way To Brand Myself As An Affiliate Marketer?
If you’re reading this, then congratulations! You’re one of the few affiliate marketers wise enough to realize the importance of branding.
A lot of affiliate marketers try to skip the whole messy branding part of the business. They figure that their customers will magically form around their affiliate links and click without strait-laced preparation or strategy! But guess what? As you know, your customers buy from people they like and trust. That’s why branding is so essential, even for affiliate marketers.
So, how can you build your brand as an affiliate? Many of the ideas discussed in this article can help to augment your brand. For example, creating content. Blogging, YouTube marketing, Podcasting, and writing email newsletter content can all help to establish your brand.
Try your best to constantly research the problems that your ideal subscribers and affiliate customers struggle with and face daily. Create content that’s helpful for your audience! Continuously endeavor to help your audience, and good karma is hopefully soon to follow.
# 4 – Is ClickBank A Good Affiliate Marketplace For Newbies?
Yes! I’m a huge fan of ClickBank. Not only is ClickBank one of the most “old school” digital affiliate marketplaces on the planet, but they also have a massive list of affiliate products that you can promote.
ClickBank allows you to promote products in the survival niche, the weight loss niche, the marketing niche, the work from home niche, the dating niche, the green energy niche, plus a ton of other niches that I’m forgetting.
One of the best things about ClickBank is that they’re newbie-friendly. ClickBank also offers plenty of transparency in its affiliate marketplace. Therefore, you can check the ClickBank marketplace to see which products are popular, and you can even check to see the average amount generated per sale. Knowing these figures can help you determine which products are red hot at the moment, and also which offers are kicking up dust (metaphorically speaking).
# 5 – How Can I Get Website Traffic To My Affiliate Links?
I honestly think that email marketing is still the best way to advertise your affiliate links. That’s why I’m a massive proponent of email marketing and lead generation for affiliate marketers.
Email marketing and lead generation require an excess of work. The good news is that email marketing is relatively inexpensive these days.
Even if you’re operating on a bottom barrel shoestring budget, you can still launch a relatively fancy email list building or lead generation funnel that you’ll be proud to share with the world.
Combine your email newsletter with abundant blog posting, content marketing, and helping your audience! That way, you’ll feasibly accommodate a ton of people along the way, while enjoying a satisfying experience every time you write fresh content for your readers.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading this blog post. After researching lead generation and email list building strategies or years, this blog post contains some of my favorite tips.
Hopefully, after reading this, you have a better idea of which email list building strategies might work for your style.
Remember that email marketing and email list building requires practice and effort! However, if you love the affiliate marketing niche that you’re operating within, then hopefully you’ll enjoy a ton of pleasure helping your ideal prospects.
Thanks again for reading!
If you ever wish to brainstorm about affiliate marketing or lead generation, then please never hesitate to give me a buzz.
Until that time, please have a joyous day!
Cordially and humbly…
Mike “The Affiliate Marketing List” DeVincent
MrComputerScience.com