Doing affiliate marketing without a website seems impossible.
Tell that to the people doing it.
The truth is a site does help… but it’s not the only way you’ll make money doing affiliate marketing.
This is what you’ll learn:
- Monetizing your social feeds
- Using free hubs to make sales
- Creating videos that’ll convert
The nice thing about all this is how the costs are kept low and you’re not stuck managing a site.
Making Money on Social Media as an Affiliate Marketer
This one is easy:
- Sign up for an affiliate program to share offers your community would want
- Mask the link using URL shorteners or if the affiliate network provides one
- Sharing your thoughts, tips, or ideas and including the affiliate link
You can do this across many social channels like a Facebook page or Pinterest board. Or, include it with a great photo on Instagram. I wouldn’t try it on LinkedIn since that’s too professional. But, you could get it out there on Google+, Reddit, and the other, big social networks.
Just make sure you tag them with #ad, #afflink, #aff, or disclaimer.
Facebook is the best for our purpose – you’ve got:
- Branded pages
- Sponsored posts and ads
- Live streaming video
- Instagram integration
- Shopping cart integration
- 1 billion+ active users
…plus, you can use the other social channels to point back to the FB post.
However, if you did want to use the others as your focus (maybe you have more followers, there), then focus on delivering a mix of freemium content (better than usual stuff) and teasers. This way, you’re getting them interested and starting a discussion, which will let you smoothly include the affiliate offer.
A few quick tips about doing affiliate marketing on social:
- Don’t overdo it with the affiliate links (think 1:10 ratio with your shares)
- Create a review or a video with you using the item/service to get people asking “what’s that?”
- Stick around and answer people may have about the offer (and why you’re promoting)
- Work with other social media influencers to create some buzz around the promotion
It’s easier said than done… but it is doable.
Use Free Hubs to do Affiliate Marketing without a Site
I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to call them, so I went with “hubs”.
Hubs meaning stuff like:
- Web 2.0 sites
- Forums
- Q&A boards
- Chat rooms
- Webinars
- Membership portals
… as in hubs of activity.
You can create a free account on these hubs and use them as an affiliate website alternative. The upside is how they also have active members you could convert. The downside is a lack of control which will place distractions in the way of your promotions (like ads).
Here’s an example of a small promotion I did:
I decided to create content on Hubpages since it’s still active and I could include affiliate links. I made a helpful post and linked to Amazon. Then, I promoted the post on an FB page within the space. I also spent a few bucks running it as a sponsored post.
This concept is applicable in many ways:
- The content goes on a hub
- It’s then promoted on social
- You build backlinks if it’s worthwhile
I know you’re thinking this is a lot of effort — creating content, promotion, ETC – when you have easier options like our first example of affiliate marketing without a website. But, this gives you the advantage of on-going affiliate sales since people will continue to find the content.
You could even create a process:
- Create the main content on a Web 2.0 property
- Link to the page in a forum signature and join a discussion
- Answer a topical question on Quora and link back
- Share 1, 2, and 3 at different times to build interest
We used to do this all the time for link building until Google gave that activity a slap. However, those weathered the shakeup are still doing pretty good for themselves. It’s one of your options for doing affiliate marketing without a blog or site, that’s for sure.
Convert with YouTube Videos (with a Few Affiliate Links Mixed In)
Your all-around best option is to create YouTube videos for the affiliate link promotion.
YouTube has a lot going for it:
- It’s the biggest video platform with tons of traffic
- Google loves placing videos high up in search results
- Video is rather quick and easy to create once you know how
- You can build a following and get ad money while you’re at it
- A popular channel will attract brands and businesses with offers
Look at a lot of your favorite YouTube personalities… do they have a site?
A lot don’t.
YouTube is their website in this regard for our topic.
The YouTube content creators are selling the offers by embedding their mentions in the video content. They do this with mentions, call-outs, or linked in the description.
Making affiliate money without a site… with YouTube, instead:
- Choose if you want to be on camera, animate, or do screencasts
- Brainstorm a list of neat topics or topics found from searching
- Look on affiliate networks for products appropriate to the topic
- Write a script, edit, and practice a dozen times to nail the delivery
- Shoot/record the video, upload, optimize, and share it everywhere
Hey, see our guide: YouTube Traffic Generation: A Beginner Guide to Video Production on a Budget
The video will keep sending people through your affiliate links. And, without enough optimization and interest, the video may show up in search results. This is why answering specific questions are a good avenue for making money with YouTube affiliate links.
Here’s the thing:
- The first, few videos will suck
- You’ll start to find your voice and style
- The community will grow if it’s nurtured
- More, affiliate opportunities will pop up
- The later videos will look great
YouTube and affiliate marketing are perfect if you’re not big on writing. You can often create little, videos in about 5-10 minutes, too. This will give you lots of eyes on the affiliate offers.
… just make sure it’s good stuff.
The Truth about Affiliate Marketing without a Website
Honestly, it’s kind of silly doing these affiliate strategies without a blog or site considering how easy it is to make one. You’re saving what? $20-$30 from skipping over the site? Maybe 5-10 hours of your time getting it all together with a few, small pieces of content?
- You don’t get a lot of options with direct linking affiliate marketing programs since that tends to go against their terms and the platforms you’re promoting the offers
- You probably don’t want to take up that offer for a free affiliate marketing website, either, since those have obtrusive ads and shady, link neighborhoods
Remember: The point is to make it into a repeat money maker.
If having to continuously promote affiliate links on social media or be at the will of a hub site or YouTube, then have at it – those are good options. But, I much rather add the +1 to my efforts where those affiliate strategies are driving people back to my hub.
But… that’s up to you.
I think doing some affiliate marketing without a website is a great way to get introduced to the business model. Plus, you probably already have a small or decent following waiting to be monetized. You should check into it because it’s not nearly as hard as some make it out to be.
Like the concepts? How would you do affiliate marketing without a website or running a blog?
