Affiliate marketing covers more than just blogs or websites. Sure, it can be a useful way for bloggers to monetize their blog and some people even make their living off of affiliate websites that promote links and services which offer them some form of sales off of clicks or purchases. But it’s possible to have an affiliate marketing strategy that includes other tactics, including YouTube videos or social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. And if you decide to start and grow an email list, it can also include email marketing.
Affiliate marketers choose to gather people’s emails because it is the key to their inbox. You can’t simply add any email address to your list that you want—you must first get permission from that person. This is commonly done by having sign-up forms on your blog or site. When people agree to submit their emails they receive an initial email that confirms they’d like to be added to the list. Once they confirm, they’re in.
If publishing a blog post is the equivalent of standing on a soapbox with a microphone and attracting people who want to listen to you, then email marketing is the equivalent of inviting someone over, sitting down, and having a chat with them. It’s much more personal, and they’re more inclined to listen to what you have to say.
But while you do have their attention to some degree, you do still have to put together some solid emails to truly stand out. Just think about all the spam messages and unwanted emails you receive on a daily basis. You need to ensure that your emails pop and make them want to immediately open them.
Have A Great Subject
The subject line of your email is such a small piece of the puzzle here, but if it’s not good then the rest of your email will simply end up in the trash folder. It’s a lot of pressure! You want to create something short and concise, engaging and interesting, revealing (but not too revealing), and something that entices recipients to open it up the second they get it. Chances are, if they make a mental note to come back to it, the email will never get read at all.
Here are a few ways to make your email subject stand out:
- Ask your readers a question. Make sure you think about your ideal reader and ask this person specifically your question.
- Use emojis. Email marketing campaign sites like Mailchimp allow you to use emojis in the subject. If it makes sense for you and your audience, then put in a couple to make it more fun and noticeable.
- Keep it short. If subject lines are too long, then your recipients won’t be able to read it in its entirety on their desktop or mobile device.
- Personalize it. If you’re able to include the person’s name or the city they live in, then this can pique interest.
Make It Different Than What You Already Do
If you’re solely doing email marketing for your affiliate business, then this doesn’t really apply. But let’s say you’re adding an email marketing strategy to your current blog or YouTube video series. You don’t want your newsletters to simply be a recap of all of this information, because subscribers will wonder why in the world they signed up in the first place. Of course, the information is going to be related, and in some way you should make a clear business plan for how you are going to cross-promote your work, incorporate links, and gain trust from your audience. But it absolutely must be different.
So how can you do that? The best plan of action for you is going to be different than anyone else, really, since your business is unique. But consider trying something like:
- Offering readers a behind-the-scenes of what you do. If you have a lot of fans on Instagram, show them how you set up your amazing shots. If you’ve recently promoted a product on your blog, include a photo of you using it.
- Feature additional products or services that don’t get featured elsewhere. This will make your readers feel like they’re getting extra content for free, simply for being a fan of yours.
- Run giveaways. Maybe you don’t like the idea of doing some kind of promotion or giveaway on your site, but a newsletter is a great spot to do something special for your readers.
- Do polls or questionnaires. Since you know that your email subscribers value your opinion greatly, then they’ll certainly appreciate you returning the favor.
Include A Call To Action
Whether you want people to check out your latest blog post or view your newest video, go ahead and include one valuable, strong call to action in your email. Sometimes, this might be incorporated with affiliate links, and sometimes it won’t be. But most importantly, you don’t want to put multiple calls to action in one newsletter. This can be incredibly confusing to your readers so instead make it simple: one call to action that is clear and to-the-point.
Track Your Links
Obviously, email campaigns can pack an added punch to your affiliate sales. Make sure that you include trackable links in all the things you promote. This won’t be something obvious to your readers, but it will make a big difference for you. After every campaign you send out, take a look at these unique links and see how sales went. This will give you an idea of what is and is not effective so that you can continue to improve your work to benefit your readers (and you!).
