New to affiliate marketing?
I know, it can be overwhelming.
There are tools to learn. Blogs to write. Tech to master.
And now you hear that you have to “build authority and trust with info articles.”
Right now, maybe you’re scratching (or banging) your head, with no idea how to get started.
Questions buzz like flies inside your brain.
“What the heck are info articles, anyway? Why should I write them? More importantly, how should I write them?”
If this is you, don’t worry.
In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to write an info article for affiliate marketing.
I’ll walk you through:
- Exactly what an info article is
- Why you shouldn’t skip this type of article in your affiliate marketing blog
- How to write an info article (that wins on the SERPs), step-by-step
Ready?
Let’s dive right in!
This post is part of our free series on Affiliate Marketing! If you want to learn everything from A – Z in one place, then check out our course below!
What Is an Info Post? (With Examples)
Ever jump on Google to learn something outlandish like, “How to Do a Cartwheel”?
Or maybe it was something useful like, “How to Bake a Black Forest Cake.”
Now, if you’ve ever done anything like this, then you probably already know what an info article is.
In short, info articles are educational. They teach you something new. They guide you as you learn a new skill. They give you facts and knowledge that help improve your life.
Let’s take a look at examples of three great info posts.
Info article #1:
Source: neilpatel.com
Info article #2:
Source: parents.com
Info article #3:
Source: humanesociety.org
To summarize, an info article is a piece of content that educates readers. It helps them get from where they are (Point A) to where they want to be (Point B).
Example:
Point A: I don’t know how to make a pizza.
Info article: How to Make PIzza
Point B: I now know how to make pizza.
Affiliate Marketing 101: Why Writing Value Posts for Affiliate Marketing Is Non-Negotiable
Now you know what info articles are, your next natural question would be…
…why the heck should I write them for my affiliate marketing campaign?
The truth is, it’s easy to see info articles as useless.
I mean, you’re here to sell products and services using your affiliate links, right?
You’re not here to blog for fun, share emotional life stories, or teach readers your awesome leather crafting skills.
But here’s the thing.
Fun, stories, and sharing tips and knowledge play a huge part in affiliate marketing.
Shocked?
Don’t be.
Here’s a story to illustrate my point.
Imagine you’re a person who’s planning to start a backyard chicken farm.
To do this, the first step you’d need to take is to buy a sturdy chicken coop.
Now, let’s say you find two chicken coop stores side by side. Let’s call them Store A and Store B.
You walk inside Store A, and you’re immediately bombarded with sales talk from a widely grinning salesman. He goes on and on about why you’ll never have a successful chicken farm without his special chicken coops.
But then you walk inside Store B and find an old man bending over a wooden chicken coop in-the-making. Instead of haranguing you with sales talk, he asks you what you need. When you tell him about your chicken farm, he takes immediate interest.
You sit down for a chat. He tells you about his 20-year experience raising backyard chickens.
He gives you tips on what to do if your chickens start getting sick. He guides you through his process of choosing breeds, buying feeds, and ensuring the chickens lay eggs. He even tells you funny stories about his chicken raising experiences, and what he learned from them.
Now, let me ask you a question.
When the time comes to buy your chicken coop, which store would you get it from?
Store B, of course.
The same is true with affiliate marketing.
When you build trust and a real relationship with your readers, they’ll buy from you without question.
It’s that simple.
And in our fast-paced digital world where there’s no time to sit down with people and chat over chicken coops…
…info articles are your best bet for reaching such a goal.
In fact, they’re non-negotiable.
How to Write an Info Article for Affiliate Marketing: 6 Steps to Success
Worried about sitting down to write your first-ever info article?
Don’t be.
Simply follow the steps below one by one, and you’ll see it’s easier than it appears.
(Also, remember to have fun!)
Step #1: Ensure Your Audience Will Find You
First things first.
Before you can make your audience love you, you need to ensure they find you.
And if you’re buried deep on the 100th page of the SERPs, there’s no chance that’ll ever happen.
It’s just like in the chicken coop story above.
You found the old man because he actually set up his shop.
But how do you “set up shop” online?
Target the right keywords.
It’s that simple.
Now, don’t run away in fright because you’re “not an SEO guru.”
Hear me out for a second.
Knowing whether or not you can rank for a keyword can be done in two seconds with zero SEO experience.
All you need is a beginner-friendly keyword research tool like KWFinder. (You can get a plan for as low as $29.90/month.)
Once you have it, stick to this rule:
- Only go for keywords with a search volume of 300 and above.
- Only go for keywords with a KD score of 40 and below.
To give you an idea of what the data looks like on KWFinder, here’s a quick example.
Source: KWFinder
Note: Want to experiment with keywords? KWFinder has a 7-day FREE trial with zero commitment. Sign up here.
Step #2: Step into Your Readers’ Shoes
Info articles are different from other types of affiliate marketing posts.
One of the main differences?
They’re all about your reader.
That’s right!
They’re all about your reader’s:
- Interests
- Pain points
- Desires
- Fears
- Challenges
Keep this in mind each time you sit down to plan and write an info article.
For example, let’s say you’re an affiliate for dog food products.
Naturally, your audience would be dog owners, right?
Knowing that, here are awesome info article topics you could dive into:
- How to keep your dog healthy
- How to pick the right dog food
- 6 steps to keeping your dog’s coat shiny
At times, finding out which topics your audience is interested in will be as easy as sitting down for a quick brainstorming session.
But if you still aren’t sure, you can use a savvy tool like Ahrefs to help you.
All you need to do is go to the Keywords Explorer tool and select Matching Terms on the left side of your dashboard.
Then, click the Include option and type “how to” in the search field.
Like this.
Source: Ahrefs
When you click “enter,” you’ll get a ton of info article ideas for your next post.
Like this.
Source: Ahrefs
Step #3: Select a Proven Framework
Now that you know which keywords and topics to target, it’s time for the fun to begin (a.k.a. it’s time to get writing)!
But before you open up your favorite word processing tool and start slamming on your keyboard, remember that most blog posts need to follow proven formulas to work.
I say most because there are times (maybe one in a million) when a crazy, weirdly-structured blog will make it to the top of Google.
Most of the time, though, following a proven and tested structure is the best way to get into the good graces of both Google and your ideal reader.
So, what’s the best framework for an info article?
Surprise, surprise: it’s the “how to” framework. (I bet you weren’t surprised.)
Writing a how to article works because:
- It’s one of Google’s favorite structures (you’ll be amazed at how many “how to” blogs are ranking today).
- Its goal is to help your reader learn or achieve something.
- It showcases your authority.
So, how do you structure a how to article?
Here are the basics:
- Start with a magnetizing headline that tells readers exactly what they’ll get from the blog.
Source: enchantingmarketing.com
- Dive into concrete steps taking your reader to their desired goal.
Source: enchantingmarketing.com
- End with giving your reader steps that’ll take them forward.
Source: enchantingmarketing.com
Sound simple?
It is!
That’s what makes info articles amazing.
Step #4: Make Your Info Article into a Roadmap
Here’s a sad fact: a ton of the content we find online is complete rubbish.
Seriously.
I’ve read too many blogs I felt were a total waste of time.
Now, here’s what’s scary: your audience doesn’t have time.
Nope! They’re too busy watching cute cat videos on Instagram and bashing their foes on Reddit. They don’t have time to read your blog…
…unless…
Unless your blog is different, and will actually help them quell their fears, achieve their goals, or get what they desire most.
(Don’t worry, reader desires aren’t limited to the big ones like quitting their jobs and spending their lives traveling the world. A ton of the time, it’s little stuff like getting rid of snoring or learning how to keep strawberry runners alive through the summer.)
My point is: never write an info article unless it’ll actually achieve something for your audience.
Like I mentioned above, this type of article is meant to take a reader from Point A (where they are now) to Point B (where they want to be).
Example:
Point A: Strawberry runners shriveling up and dying because it’s too hot
How to article: How to Keep Strawberry Runners Alive through the Summer
Point B: Strawberry runners healthy and thriving through hot weather
If you can’t structure your info article as a roadmap to get your readers to where they want to be…
…there’s no point even writing it.
Step #5: Throw Quantity Out the Window
This ties in to the previous point.
If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say it.
I know a ton of blogs run on and on just to beat a required word count.
They’re all fluff and no substance.
So here’s my advice: throw quantity out the window when you can.
Focus on quality.
What do I mean by quality?
A number of things:
- Real advice that’s proven to work
- Facts and stats from reliable sources
- Direct, straight-to-the-point writing (say what you have to say, and then stop)
- Images that illustrate your points
- Visually appealing sentences and paragraphs (cut the immense walls of text down and stick to two to three lines for every paragraph)
Each time you write something, go over it with a brutal fine-tooth comb.
Ask yourself, “Is this needed? If I cut this, will my article still make sense?”
The more you do it, the easier it’ll be to feel when your blog is good and when it could use some work.
Step #6: Do This and Still Get Sales from Info Articles
Now, big question.
“Is it never OK to mention my affiliate links in info articles?”
My answer: of course you can!
Affiliate links have their place even in the most info-ish of info articles.
The secret is to introduce them skillfully and honestly.
For instance, if you’re writing an article on how to keep a dog’s coat shiny, you can include a point like “feed him right” and recommend the dog food brand you’re promoting.
Of course, never do this if you don’t believe 100% that the dog food will improve his coat (otherwise, you’re just a nasty salesperson).
Here’s an example of an affiliate link in a “how to” article done right.
Source: SmartBlogger
If you become skillful at this, you can still get sales even from the most hardcore of your info articles.
How to Write an Info Article: (A Surprise + Steps to Push You Forward)
By now, you know how to write an info article for affiliate marketing.
Now, here’s a surprise.
This post is an info article for affiliate marketing. (KWFinder is a product I love and promote.)
Surprised?
(Maybe not.)
If you ever get stuck with your own info post, go back to this one and revisit the steps I mentioned.
Or you can simply read it for inspiration.
Ready for what’s next?
Here are three steps to push you forward:
- Learn a bit more about your audience and what they want to achieve (this can be large or tiny – either is great).
- Sit down and imagine you’re about to teach a friend how to do something you’re an expert at.
- Create an outline with detailed steps on how to do it.
Now, you’re ready to write your own info article for affiliate marketing!
This post is part of our free series on Affiliate Marketing! If you want to learn everything from A – Z in one place, then check out our course below!
