Affiliate Marketing in Your Mommy Blog
Perhaps you have been blogging for a while and have been lucky enough to earn a loyal following. Congratulations to you! It’s tough to get noticed in this competitive field.
While you care about your audience and the message of your blog, you need to earn a more significant income. Kids aren’t cheap, and as they age their clothes, toys, and activities become more expensive. Plus, nine-year-old boys eat like a horse.
It’s only natural that you would try to earn more money from your blogging habit by signing up for affiliate marketing programs.
Here are some simple steps to get started:
Step 1 – Choose Your Niche
Since you are visiting our website, I’m going to take a wild guess that your blog is somewhat “kid” related. When it comes to choosing affiliate marketing programs, you may want to narrow your scope a bit.
Perhaps you are a dance or ice-skating mom. You probably have spent hours bedazzling costumes, and you know all the best tools and tricks for maneuvering through that world. Capitalize on this knowledge. Maybe your blog can offer suggestions on the best reading glasses to purchase now that you have ruined your eyes from too much bedazzling.
Maybe your child has struggled as a reader, but you have found resources and strategies that you would like to recommend to parents going through similar issues. Why not make money from your recommendations?
Do you have the girliest girl who loves to dress in boutique-style clothes? If you are raising a model-in-the-making, why not make some extra cash along the way by offering an affiliate marketing program that focuses on kid fashion?
If you have been writing for a while, you probably already have a niche. It’s time to capitalize on that knowledge by sharing your favorite products and services with others.
Step 2 – Form Opinions
Your savvy readers will smell a rat from a mile away. They will be able to tell whether you are a genuine user and fan of a product, or if you are just saying you are to make some extra money. Find products that you really do use and enjoy.
Marketing experts know that this kind of publicity works to sell a product. In fact, millennials are more likely to trust the opinions of someone they view as a peer instead of any other form of traditional advertising.
Make a list of all the products and service you interact with that relate to your niche. Feel free to play with topics that are not directly related but are loosely connected.
For example, maybe your child’s dance team habit means that you travel to competitions around the country. Expand the scope of your affiliate marketing campaigns, so you write about dance-related travel.
Step 3 – Sign up for the Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program
Sure, there are other affiliate marketing programs out there, but since you use amazon, and your readers already use Amazon, why not start there?
Another benefit of using Amazon is that you can find any product imaginable on their website.
It’s an easy process. Here are the basic requirements.
If you are starting an affiliate marketing program on your website, you must own your own website. The content must be recent or no more than 60 days old. There must be at least ten posts, and the site must be live and viewable by the general public.
You can also run an affiliate marketing program through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch.TV groups. Your social network account must be already established with at least 500 members. It, too, must be publicly available.
Once you have signed up, you need to have at least three sales within the first 180 days. You can’t make the sales on your own; they have to be from a third-party source.
Finally, you need to comply with Amazon’s extensive list of rules and regs. It’s Amazon, so they take their practices seriously. Here’s the complete list. Some of the regulations are written in shouty-voiced ALL CAPS, so you know they mean business.
One of the most important things to remember is that you need to identify yourself as an Amazon associate by using these words: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” You cannot offer anyone a reward or incentive for using your links. You can’t say that proceeds from particular orders will go to a charity or non-profit organization.
Step 4 – Continue Producing Content
You need to be prepared before you sign up to become an Amazon associate. Amazon has high expectations that you will start driving sales within the first five months, so you really need to have your ducks in a row before you apply.
Good luck in expanding your mommy blog. Remember to stay true to your message, and your readers will follow.
