Maybe you are just dipping your toe in, or maybe you’re in the deep end. Either way, you’ve found yourself in the affiliate marketing pool. Now you want to take it to the next level. Your content is good, but you know it can be great. Where do you start?
A few months ago, we shared a great affiliate marketing infographic. It showed how important it is to have fun, relevant content for your audience. But what does that content look like?
Well, for starters, it:
1. Speaks From Personal Experience
If a friend recommended a snack bar to you, but hadn’t actually tried it, would you want to to buy it? Probably not.
The same goes for your readers. Any products or services you mention, you should have experience with. Your readers will have questions, and they’ll want you to answer them. Those answers should come from personal experience whenever possible.
Personal stories keep people interested. They want to know about the time you got lost on your way to the mall and this app saved your life, or the new restaurant you tried. Stories are fun to listen to. Getting personal will improve the content that needs to convert.
2. Keeps The Reader In Mind
The first rule of marketing is, “if your audience doesn’t want, they’ll never buy it.” Amy Lynn Andrews talks a lot about this in her post on affiliate marketing tips. Think of what they will buy, when, and how much they might spend.
Finding the right products and services for your readers is important. It’s also important to highlight why they’re are a good fit for your readers.
Do busy moms read your blog? Then how can this new mixer help them? Why is it worth the investment? Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. This will help make your content more persuasive.
Keep this in mind when you’re building your audience, as well. Before you have an established audience, you need to do the reverse. Find readers for the products and services you’re promoting.
3. Connects Content And Promotion
No one gets on Twitter for the promoted tweets, or goes to a webpage for the banner ads. People want to hear what you actually have to say. Your entertaining content might include a brand mention. Your readers will read that too.
Readers don’t want a long string of funny tweets from you, and then an awkward sales pitch. Try a funny story involving brand X, Y, or Z instead. People don’t mind promotion when it’s entertaining.
4. Is Honest About Flaws
Readers expect you to be honest, which means including negative feedback now and then. When every product is your “new favorite,” it starts to sound fake. Mentioning anything that you didn’t like helps balance out your reviews.
Holding off on five-star ratings also gives them more punch when something truly great comes along. Just like in school, when that one teacher would never give anything a 100. You knew any project he or she gave an A was top notch. You want to be like that teacher, so people know you only recommend the best.
5. Has Variety
Even if your blog or Twitter account is great, variety is the spice of life. Try new methods of promotion to reach new people. Maybe an email newsletter, a Pinterest account, or pay per click advertising. Think of new ways for people to find you. Have a friend with a similar blog? Maybe ask if they would let you write a guest post. Look at that, there’s a whole new audience for you.
If something you try doesn’t work, feel free to stop using it. But continue to try new things. You never know what might be your next big break.
What truly sets the best affiliate marketers apart is their content. Personal, relevant, and honest content will win out.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: How To Write Better Affiliate Marketing Content
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