Posts published on August 2, 2017
From Broke to Business- A Guide to Affiliate Marketing for College Students
BY LINDA ANDERSON
Every had that terrifying epiphany how much time you waste on social media! What if you got paid for that? If you are a college student who already spends a lot of time on social media, you can now earn money by affiliate marketing.
What is Affiliate marketing?
This is a form of advertisement, where a brand uses affiliates, or real-life people on internet, to advertise their products instead of using celebrities. It helps the brand reach out to a larger audience. It is more relatable as the affiliate is just another regular guy or girl, and has hence, gained immense popularity. You can use your time on the internet more fruitfully and make some money out of it too.
Why is it perfect for you?
If you are a college student who is conversant with social media, chances are that you spend quite a lot of time on it. You have probably got around a decade of social media experience on different platforms as the world of social media evolved. Therefore, you have some idea and probably some influence too. While you do spend your time on social media, sharing your life, it is likely that you have made some friends and followers who value your opinion. Now, this is all you need to become a successful affiliate. Dedicate some of time you already spend on the internet to advertising and you can earn money without having to do any extra work. This is perfect for a college student as you do not have to go out of your curriculum to earn money. And do you really want to guess how much you can earn? There are many reputable platforms, such as Lead Network that have leads selling from $2 up to $230. They constantly work to increase conversion, attract new buyers, and improve lead distribution to offer among the industry’s highest payouts.
Here are some tips on succeeding in affiliate marketing.
Pick what you endorse
You really should be careful about what you endorse because a wrong product or brand can ruin all the years of internet image that you have. Hence, it is wise to choose carefully. Firstly, consider what kind of image you have and whether the product goes with it. Secondly, do some research on the reputation of the brand. Thirdly, think of what message you might be giving.
Sell it well
When it comes to affiliate marketing, it is a huge untapped field of opportunity, so not do it half-heartedly. Spend some time on research and development of ideas before you do your marketing. Ask yourself, would you as an audience, be impressed enough with your advertising, to buy the product or service? Keep generating leads, and you will be able to earn quite well.
Test before you launch
This is extremely important, especially for beginners in the field of affiliate marketing. Do a trial run of your advertisement on a small test group before launching it for the public. This test group can comprise of your friends, family, colleagues or a professional group of testers. Take their opinions into consideration and work out all the kinks before the public sees it.
Be honest
Exaggeration is one thing and lying is another. Don’t let the charm of money sway your judgment. Do not pick a brand which makes you lie to sell its product. Don’t misuse the trust that your audience puts in you. Trying to sell lies will make you lose your credibility.
No place for mistakes
Before hitting the enter or ‘publish’ consider your post a billion times because once you hit that button, you cannot take it back without causing at least some damage to your reputation. One offensive post can ruin all the hard work and land you in legal trouble as well.
Affiliate marketing is a lucrative career option and done right, it can be viable and extremely high paying.
Linda Anderson is a writer and musician residing in Boise, ID in the United States, although I spent a small amount of time (about three years) living in the UK growing up, due to my father’s occupation. I graduated from the College of Idaho with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a focus in marketing in 2014.
