Becoming an affiliate for someone else can be a very powerful way to develop passive income.
How it works…
•Someone else creates something and puts it out into the world to be sold.
•They need help getting the word out, so they offer commissions to people who can spread the word.
•The whole thing is automated to keep track of movement from the time you put your link out – to the time someone buys.
•Most affiliate fees are between 10-50%
You are able to pick and choose what you represent, so be careful, pick the things you love and leave the rest behind. Do not tell someone else to use something that you do not know to be something of value.
Be sure you set up an affiliate program for yourself. This way other people can help you spread the word about your coaching, e-books, e-courses, and goods you sell.
An affiliate program allows teamwork that profits everyone…the seller, the affiliate and the end user. It allows all of us to change the world a little quicker and together.
Be a Rock Star Affiliate
1.Find affiliate programs you love and believe in.
2.Sign up as an affiliate
3.Get a link to use to share with other people.
4.The link directs people to the product and keeps track until they buy.
5.Most affiliate programs automatically deposit money into your PayPal account. They will do it once or twice a month and in intervals if the purchase is set up on payments.
•Email your mailing list and tell them all about the product you are representing. What you did and did not like about it and why you would buy it all over again.
•Use banners that are provided on your Facebook page, Twitter and on your website.
•Talk about the product on your blog
•Interview the creator on your blog.
•Include it in your newsletter.
You may want to offer something you have that is equal or less value than your commission as an incentive to use your link to purchase the product. You don’t want to do anything that confuses the new purchaser in branding, they must know that you are not the person selling the original product and that you are an affiliate for the original seller.
You should only be an affiliate for things that you love…and know that another person would find value in. It can be very good additional passive income if you do it correctly.
Create Your Own Affiliate Force
Let other people help you spread your magic! Affiliates can spread the word faster and let more people know what you have to share with the world.
•Decide how much you should pay as a commission. Be generous, you may receive less for each sale, but you will have sales that would not have been created without your affiliate warriors.
•Then, pay on time.
•Set up an account for your affiliates to sign up and keep track of their progress. We started out with a simple WordPress plugin and now use Infusionsoft for affiliate tracking.
•Create Banners for your affiliate program
•Set up some examples of what your affiliates can say to promote you
•Let them know ways to share the banners and words
•Get the word out that you want people to sign up as your affiliate!
Teamwork is the key…everyone works together.
Tell me some of your experiences with Affiliate programs below!
I was recently asked if I will be doing an affiliate program? I thought to myself what in the world does that entail??…. Thank you very much Cathy, this article was very helpful for me to learn and expand on potentially offering an affiliate program.
Love the affiliate programs. This was a great reminder of how to use them and to consider doing it for myself. As usual – another great blog post from Cathy. Thank YOU!
Cathy, I really like the way you laid this all out. I have truly enjoyed being an affiliate for courses and programs from which I have received great value. Perhaps…I’ll have my own affiliate program this year. Hadn’t thought about until now. Great post!
Great description of how affiliate marketing works. I have participated it one once but it felt uncomfortable for me as an attorney to promote other programs, particularly since it was not a law program or providing legal services. Anyway, I think affiliate marketing is great when its appropriate to one’s clientele and community.
I am 100% in support of passive income streams! Afterall, why not make making money easy, enjoyable and in service to others. Thanks for your post on another way to do this!
Sarah | ManagingYouAcademy on March 13, 2013 at 1:04 pm
This is something I’ve been looking at from both angles so it’s very timely for me. I really do need to get myself into gear on this. Thanks for the reminder and help.
Thanks Cathy – I think the key really is in promoting something you are already super passionate about. Its great to keep in mind the idea of getting others to be an affiliate for me too. Thanks!
For the past 14 years, it has been my privilege to help health coaches, wellness practitioners, nutrition professionals, and clinicians turn their passion for helping others into thriving businesses. One of the biggest challenges after becoming certified or licensed is figuring out what comes next. Most graduates leave their programs with the knowledge to help people, but little guidance on building a sustainable practice. That's why I created this free resource library—to help bridge the gap between certification and success. Inside, you'll find practical guidance on licensing wellness programs, selecting the right programs for your audience, pricing your services, marketing your practice, delivering professional client experiences, and creating multiple income streams.
I encourage you to take full advantage of these free resources as you build your business. When you're ready to go deeper, we also offer affordable self-paced courses on Business Planning, Marketing, Memberships, and AI that provide step-by-step training to help you grow with greater confidence, clarity, and efficiency. My hope is that these resources help you spend less time figuring out the business side of wellness and more time making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Passive Income Streams –
I was recently asked if I will be doing an affiliate program? I thought to myself what in the world does that entail??…. Thank you very much Cathy, this article was very helpful for me to learn and expand on potentially offering an affiliate program.
Thanks Amber! Affiliate programs are a great way to collaborate and it isn’t very well understood by most. I am glad I helped.
Great overview of both sides of the process, Cathy!
Love the affiliate programs. This was a great reminder of how to use them and to consider doing it for myself. As usual – another great blog post from Cathy. Thank YOU!
Very interesting. I will keep this in mind as I launch my belly balancing program. I love the idea of having this extra help to spread the word.
Cathy, I really like the way you laid this all out. I have truly enjoyed being an affiliate for courses and programs from which I have received great value. Perhaps…I’ll have my own affiliate program this year. Hadn’t thought about until now. Great post!
Great description of how affiliate marketing works. I have participated it one once but it felt uncomfortable for me as an attorney to promote other programs, particularly since it was not a law program or providing legal services. Anyway, I think affiliate marketing is great when its appropriate to one’s clientele and community.
This was a fantastic piece. Thank you for putting laying it out like that and thanks so much for sharing.
I am 100% in support of passive income streams! Afterall, why not make making money easy, enjoyable and in service to others. Thanks for your post on another way to do this!
This is something I’ve been looking at from both angles so it’s very timely for me. I really do need to get myself into gear on this. Thanks for the reminder and help.
Thanks Cathy – I think the key really is in promoting something you are already super passionate about. Its great to keep in mind the idea of getting others to be an affiliate for me too. Thanks!
vps, we learned all this by doing it.
This article is very informative! I love how you explored both sides of the affiliate program.