How to up your affiliate game in 2018

As the new year rolls in, we’re all thinking about those resolutions.  If you’re like us, you’ve made a commitment this year to up your social media game.  Maybe this is even the year you start to earn some -- dare I say it? -- cash.   Yes, I know we all do this because we love it, but it’s also a real job, even if it’s just your favorite side hustle.  

For those of you who are active bloggers, one of the easiest and best ways to make money through your blog is through the use of affiliate links.  

What are affiliate links?

These are trackable links you get from brands, Obviously Studio, or third party sources like RewardStyle or Linkshare.  These links allow brands to see how many people visited their site via your blog and how many of those visits led to purchases. You, the influencer, get credit for driving traffic to the brand’s site.

How do I get paid for this?

It’s simple!  The trackable links allow us to see how effective your blog is at generating interest in the products you are promoting.  In some cases, you will earn credit for every click.  With Obviously, you will generally make a commission for every sale resulting from your blog.  So, once you’ve created your great content, all you have to do is sit back and relax.

But what if I can’t find any affiliate partners?

Great question. The best way to attract partners to your blog is to harness the power of data.  We highly recommend using services like Bitly on every link you post, so you can learn how many clicks you are driving to brands and product pages.  You can use this information to market yourself- presenting brands with hard evidence of your blog’s value is a great way to get their attention.  Additionally, this type of tracking can help you learn more about what your followers are interested in, allowing you to gear your content in that direction and make yourself even more valuable.

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks in the new year!