The World of ECommerce
The world we live in today is all about online business. We are ordering products online and working from home more than ever. The question is what opportunities are available for the average person and how can you get started making money online? So many people are opening online stores and selling products online but can you create a business without selling your own products?
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is basically freelance marketing for other companies. You sign up as an affiliate with the companies of your choice and connect customers to their product. You earn a commission for all the sales you produce for the company.
The Big Picture of Affiliate Marketing
The key to affiliate marketing is to define a narrow market segment to target. This is generally referred to as a niche. Once you define your target market, you begin building an audience by creating content to create a customer list to share offers with.
Choosing a Niche
The key in choosing a niche is that it should be something you’re passionate about, something you can geek out about. Over time, you will become an expert in your niche and it should be something you enjoy. Once you master affiliate marketing in one niche, you can branch out in other niches. Your niche could be something like health & wellness, fashion, automotive, online business opportunities, etc.
Identifying your ideal customer
Once you identify your niche, you should identify your ideal customer and create an avatar based on your ideal customer. Your avatar is basically a theoretical or even a real person who embodies the qualities of your target audience. This is a critical step. In order to attract your ideal client, you want to know as much about them as possible. What they want, what they fear, what frustrates them, what excites them. You want to know the questions they will have and answer them before they ask. Most people start off by targeting an avatar similar to themselves.
Digital Real Estate
The key to creating wealth online is to build digital real estate. We are all familiar with the intrinsic value of actual real estate. You want to build online ‘properties’ around your brand that create value and produce income. This can be websites, social media sites, a YouTube channel, etc.
Blogs
A blog, short for Web log is written content that you create to attract your ideal client. You attract your ideal client by offering them information that is valuable to them. By continually learning and sharing information about your niche, you establish your knowledge and authority and build an audience.
YouTube Channel
I think everyone is familiar with YouTube Channels. What many people don’t realize is that YouTube serves as a very effective search engine. When you create valuable content for people who are searching in your niche, you can attract a large audience quickly.
Social Media
Social Media sites are a powerful way to connect with your audience and share you content. These sites are very powerful for branding and sharing your content. You can create a very large, targeted audience that is receptive to your message.
Email Lists
Your email list is critical to your success. Online sales are all about traffic. Most traffic is paid for through advertising or through marketing relationships. You email list is traffic that you own. Building good email lists is critical to your long term success and being able to make money online.
Online Communities
The other aspect of many social media sites is that you can build online communities. These communities are ideal for sharing your message, content and affiliate offers. These communities are also resources to discover what your ideal customer is looking for.
Summary
We are witnessing a major shift in our economy. More and more business is conducted online and more people are working from home and making money online. There is a huge opportunity for average people to learn new skills and build online businesses. Affiliate Marketing is one of the best opportunities for anyone who is new to online business.
How to get started
If you’re not sure where to get started, look for some online training. Start following successful people and learn how they run their business. The fastest way to get started is to have a coach or mentor who can guide you. The best resource that I can share with you is the Entre Institute founded by Jeff Lerner. The Entre Institute is all about helping you to create an awesome life by pursuing excellence. You can learn more from the video below.
