If you’re a senior investigating how to earn an extra income, I hope you’ll carefully consider the advantages of affiliate marketing for seniors and retirees. Why not leverage your years of experience and make money sharing your acquired knowledge with others?
As a senior who has traveled the affiliate marketing route myself, I see this as a perfect fit. You’re ready to embrace the next phase of your life, and it shouldn’t be tied to an employer’s schedule. I get that, and you’ll love the flexibility and self-directed nature of Internet marketing.
Working on my blog is not location-specific. I can hang out comfortably at home, bring my laptop to my favorite coffee shop, or take it with me on the road as I travel. That works with my retiree lifestyle!
Moreover, I know very few folks on the brink of retirement who aren’t looking forward to indulging in a favorite pastime or hobby. What if you could combine your need for a little extra income with a pleasurable leisure pursuit or avocation? Didn’t we dream of something similar throughout our working careers?
So pour an extra mug of coffee, and stick with me as we explore the myriad reasons why affiliate marketing should be part of your future.
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What is the Affiliate Marketing Business Model?
In this digital age, the affiliate marketing business model represents a powerful strategy for making money online. Under this model, affiliates (who are also known as publishers) promote the products of certain vendors in exchange for a commission. A 2016 survey conducted by Forrester Consulting estimated that 81% of all online sales involve an affiliate.
Your mission as an affiliate is to connect consumers who are surfing the Net in search of information with vendors who have products and services to sell. There is no need to develop your own products, stock stuff in inventory, or deal with shipping issues. Those headaches are dealt with by merchants.
Since virtually all of the largest online retailers (and most of the smaller ones as well) offer affiliate programs, the selection of products you can choose to promote is staggering. The model is highly effective because all parties benefit and the shared advantages have driven explosive growth in the affiliate marketing industry.
Overall, the business model is a simple one that offers affiliates both flexibility and the potential for lucrative returns. Merchants jumped onboard because affiliate marketing is performance-based. They get broad exposure for their products, and they only pay for results.
And, naturally, consumers revel in the content that they can leverage to make more informed purchase decisions. It seems that all parties win which suggests that affiliate marketing is here to stay.
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work?
So, I’m sure the concept of affiliate marketing sounds intriguing. But how do you get started and how does affiliate marketing work at a detailed level for an individual marketer like yourself? I know you’re wondering lots of things like how you choose which products to promote, how you connect with consumers, and how you get paid.
Great questions! So, let’s answer your questions, shall we?
Choose an Engaging and Riveting Interest
As you contemplated retirement over the years, what hobby or activity did you most often envision having the time to enjoy? Now, can you further imagine all the other folks out there who share your enthusiasm? Affiliate marketers refer to that group of people as your niche.
The ability to empathize with your niche or target audience and understand their informational needs and pain points is huge. The secret is to get inside a fellow enthusiast’s head, figure out just exactly what they’re looking for, and create content that fills a need.
Why not jump into the comments section below and share your favorite hobbies or pursuits?
Build a Beautiful Website
There’s no need to be technically savvy to build a stunningly attractive website. The computing skills you exercised to find my website and read this post are sufficient. I urge you to create a site using WordPress which has more than 2,000 free themes that allow you to personalize your website and make it your own.
Check out the video below to see how you can create a free WordPress website in seconds which you can subsequently use to communicate with your online target market.
Attract Visitors With Helpful and Informative Content
Once your website is live, you can begin the process of attracting a following. This phase is all about your readers and involves blogging about topics of paramount importance to your niche audience.
We start with keywords and use search engine optimization techniques to encourage Google to send visitors our way. Billions of Internet users conduct searches on Google every day. Searchers have questions that require comprehensive answers. If you’ve done your research and your site contains relevant answers, you can attract free organic traffic.
Content creation is where you’ll spend the bulk of your time as you create your online business venture. It’s hard work requiring time and patience which is why I encourage you to follow your passions and choose something you thoroughly enjoy. Toiling at something you love is far more palatable.
Earn Revenue By Connecting Consumers and Merchants
Any website that attracts an interested following can make money. I don’t care what your hobby is; you’ll frequently feel the need to acquire additional supplies, tools, books, and related gadgetry. Successful niche websites investigate and review popular products with an eye toward helping consumers make the best purchase decisions for their needs.
All affiliate programs are free to join. After you’ve partnered with a vendor (or perhaps the affiliate network they employ), you’ll add unique links to your site that readers can click to travel to the merchant’s website and make a purchase. As the referring publisher, you earn a commission for each completed purchase transaction.
Where Can You Find Affiliate Products to Promote?
Finding products to promote on your website is not difficult because these days it’s the rare vendor that doesn’t have an affiliate program. Many newbie affiliates start out partnering with Amazon, and I think you’ll want to consider that as well. Amazon is bound to carry products for almost any scenario, and you can’t discount the Amazon trust factor.
But there are endless additional options that you should also investigate. Go to Google and type in the name of any product. Then tack on ‘+affiliate program’ to see all the information you’ll need.
How Much Money Can You Make?
No one really wants to hear the answer that your earnings will depend entirely on you, but that is, in fact, the reality. If you’re looking for some overnight riches type of scheme, this is not it. Making money as a blogger takes persistence, patience, and good old-fashioned hard work.
Most people blog in relative obscurity for months before their traffic starts to grow. But if you resolve to write quality content and keep at it, Google will eventually begin to reward your efforts with higher rankings. Each new post you publish will bring a trickle of new readers until you eventually draw a steady stream.
Somewhere around the 6-month mark, you’ll start to see your first sales, and you’ll fully understand that the process works. From there, it’s a question of scaling your business. I know marketers at various ends of the spectrum. Some are content with small amounts of extra income. Others are pushing the limits and earning more than they ever earned as a full-time employee.
Of course, there are also the people who never earn anything. Those are the folks who quickly become discouraged and give up. I think my senior readers who’ve spent their entire lives working in and outside the home will recognize the wisdom in staying the course and making the necessary commitment.
How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Website the Right Way
Much like other endeavors, the right training and tools can make all the difference in your success as an affiliate marketer. I’m going to recommend you follow a proven path. My suggestion is to join a community of entrepreneurs who will encourage and mentor you on your way to online success.
Wealthy Affiliate is one of the most comprehensive training platforms available in the online space. I have firsthand knowledge of this as a premium member for 3 years with no plans to ever leave.
I can assure you that Wealthy Affiliate offers everything you need to start your online business the right way and continue to work toward success. Read more about the benefits of Wealthy Affiliate or click the banner below to join risk-free as a Starter Member.
Over to You
What else can I tell you about the benefits of affiliate marketing for seniors and retirees? As your questions in the comment section below and I will get back to you promptly!
