6 Ways Infopreneurs Can Promote Affiliate Products in Their Businesses
Affiliate products can be an excellent way for infopreneurs (authors, speakers, course creators, etc.) to add additional revenue streams to their businesses.
Unfortunately, many infopreneurs don’t know how to effectively market another person or company’s products through their own platforms in a non-spammy way that doesn’t also detract from their own brands.
In this article, I share some effective, ethical ways to promote affiliate products in your infopreneur business!
#1: LINK TO AFFILIATE PRODUCTS IN YOUR EXISTING FREE (AND PAID) CONTENT.
Infopreneurs have already created a platform for themselves online where they can share information with their audience for free, such as their blog, podcast, YouTube channel. Infopreneurs can leverage these existing platforms to promote affiliate products by using affiliate links when a product is referenced. You can use affiliate links directly in your blogs, in descriptions of YouTube videos and in promotional segments on your podcast.
Infopreneurs should also consider where they can link to affiliate products in their paid products as well. If you have a course where you’re discussing several resources a person may need to accomplish their goals, you can put links to the products in the notes underneath a video in one of the modules, for example.
#2: STRONGLY SUGGEST (OR REQUIRE) CLIENTS TO USE PRODUCTS FOR WHICH YOU ARE AN AFFILIATE WHEN WORKING WITH YOU.
Infopreneurs’ revenue streams usually include both products and services. When offering services to a client, an infopreneur can require that the client use a particular product in order to achieve the intended result.
When I used to offer done-for-you virtual summit services, I would require my clients to use ClickFunnels to host their summits. I am not only a ClickFunnels affiliate but also a ClickFunnels user for many years, and it is the platform I use to host my own virtual summits. Therefore, the main reason I required my clients to use ClickFunnels is that I needed my clients to use a system I’m familiar with and can generate proven results using, as well as prevent clients from insisting on using systems I don’t know. However, an added benefit is that I can provide them an affiliate link with which to sign up for ClickFunnels if they don’t already have an account.
Now, here’s the important thing to remember: I always disclose that the link I’m providing to them is an affiliate link, and I can’t force them to use it. But in all my time as a business coach offering these services, no one has taken issue with using it. I simply also explain that it won’t cost them anything extra.
#3: TEACH METHODS USING THAT SOFTWARE IN YOUR PRODUCTS.
In #1 above, I mentioned that you can include links to affiliate products in your own free and paid content. Another way you can take this to the next level is by actually designing your content around the product such that someone has to get the affiliate product in order to accomplish the goal they desire (or otherwise struggle greatly to use a different product or system).
An example of this would be having a course teaching people how to sell ebooks with a sales funnel, then showing them the step-by-step tutorials of how to do it with ClickFunnels (of which you would be an affiliate.) You could even provide a ClickFunnels template in the course, known as a ‘share funnel’, making it a no-brainer decision for the student to use ClickFunnels.
#4: CREATE AFFILIATE PRODUCT-SPECIFIC FREE CONTENT.
In #1 above I mentioned that infopreneurs can put affiliate links in their existing free content. You may also want to consider creating free content specifically designed to educate people about the problem the product solves or the product itself.
You could create video demos of the product or interview people who have used the product for your YouTube channel. People who knew about the product already but were on the fence about buying might find your video review and click your affiliate link when making their final purchase.
You could write blog posts about the problem the affiliate product solves or explaining the affiliate product’s features and benefits.
You could even create free lead magnets for leads to download about the product, such as a how-to guide or instruction manual about how to use it. In the case of products that have recurring subscription fees, these types of free content help the customer stay with the product longer because they understand how to use it properly and will likely see results sooner.
#5: CREATE SALES FUNNELS THAT LEAD TO THE SALE OF PRODUCT.
Why stop at just creating free content? You could create entire sales funnels that guide potential buyers to the sale of the affiliate product. Sales funnels aren’t just for products you have created, but they can be very useful for promoting affiliate products, too.
Sometimes these types of sales funnels are known as “bridge funnels” because they lead a potential buyer across an imaginary pathway from your free content to the affiliate offer.
#6: OFFER FREE BONUSES TO LEADS WHO PURCHASE AN AFFILIATE PRODUCT FROM YOU.
As business owners, we know that a large part of making a sale is about the total offer, the total package. Does your offer have enough value for the price someone is going to pay for it?
Perhaps a potential buyer is reluctant to purchase an affiliate product all on its own, but if you offer bonuses with it to the potential buyer, you can increase the overall value of the offer, making it much more likely someone may buy.
Additionally, sometimes the world of affiliate marketing can be competitive. With many people promoting the same product, how can you get someone to buy from you and not them? Offering bonuses allows you to differentiate your offer compared to someone else’s, and if your offer has the value they desire, they may be more likely to purchase from you.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or legal advice. Always consult a qualified legal and/or financial professional before making business decisions.
