Getting started with affliate marketing?

I have 2 websites where I sell childrens products and I have one blog that I recently started where I talk about the different products that I sell.

I want to get started and get my feet wet with affiliate marketing and I am already an affiliate with amazon associates , and have some accounts set-up with linkshare but I have yet to use any of the affiliates from a lack of how to really go about posting on my blog using the affiliates. The affiliate accounts that I do have set up are all in my current niche. I guess I really get stuck on what to write about and how to incorporate it into the post.

I am looking for some examples of effective ways to market affiliate products on my blog? Like what are the most effective ways to get people to click through.

Does anyone have experience with this and could give me a link to some blog posts where an affiliate physical product is being promoted so I can see what it is like?

I am open to any suggestions as to how to use affiliate marketing with my current business model to get started.

This is my blog: Brianna's BoutiquesThanks!

Bri,
There is a lot you can do but what I have found to bring the most affiliate sales is product reviews using links within the blog posts rather than buttons and banners. Also, I have done a case study on a product (workout DVD) where I used it for 30 days and shared my entire experience. Just linked out to the product on Amazon and that was last year and sales are still coming in for that DVD almost every day. Crazy!

As for your blog, I think you're doing great. You'll keep doing that and link out to the affiliate products when you write about them. My first thought about yours though is that your products might be more for a static site over a blog. Of course you could still use the Wordpress platform for that but maybe not worry about blogging? I don't know...although your boutique blog is nice and I think you're on the right track.

Definitely need to work on using keyword phrases and incorporating those in your blog posts.

OK, you asked for samples and I'll show you what I did for that case study (nothing too spectacular but it's still working till this day LOL). You can find all my posts under the 30 Day Shred category on my blog. Remember this was last year so none of it has been updated since then.

Another thing...do you have Twitter and Facebook for this niche? Might be something to think about. Do guest blog posts for decorating blogs/sites, etc.

Just some thoughts!

Hi Angie,

Thanks for the reply! I do have a twitter and facebook page for both sites actually. for Kids chair world and for Brianna's Bedding and Beyond.

What I use my blog for now and my initial odjective when starting the blog was to drive traffic to both of my stores but I would like to shift my business model more towards the affiliate marketing side and rather than start another site I thought that I would dabble with affiliate marketing on my current blog to get the feel for it and such....

I'm curious why the switch - are you planning to discontinue selling your own products? Or has that objective just not panned out for you? Just curious what you're thinking is on this before you venture into any major changes...

Lynn,

My thoughts are many on the topic. When I originally started my sites my expectations were much different than what I have actually found out... having said that I have gotten myself in much deeper than I had wanted to in the fact that I have two physical product sites that I fully manage and operate myself.. all aspects of. This is slowing down my progress in getting my income to where I want it to be because I feel that for the amount of work that I am doing for the sites I could be spending on affiliate marketing for a much greater return on my time.

What I dont like about the physical product selling is the inventory sourcing, customer returns, checking stock status for all suppliers, running promotions and all aspects of having to manage a physical product website.. add in the marketing and it is a lot and I am really not making much of anything for all that I am doing.

Reasons for wanting to dabble in affiliate marketing is that I am really good at putting up websites, monetizing them for the search engines .. and driving traffic to them.. so my thoughts are and my initial goals before I got myself in so deep with my websites was to put up websites get them making a steady income and then sell them.. well things have not worked out that way as I am not sure why .....

I listened to your interview with Lisa Suttora a couple of times about affiliate marketing and it really is so appealing to me the whole passive income model... that is for me for sure...

So I am not sure at this point what to do about my websites... I certainly don't want to totally abandon them because they are growing .. just slowly.. so I am looking for a way to add some income in with affiliate marketing.

I am thinking about starting with the amazon affiliate program as I am already set up by blogging about and recommending childrens products from my blog.. sort of do like mom blog reviews.. and maybe some squidoo pages as well the same way..

Hopefully this gives you a better idea..

Thanks!

Bri, I just checked out your sites, great stuff. I will hold onto it for later when the time for my delivery gets closer. Question... Do you make those chairs or are you a wholesaler? or are your products connected to affiliate marketing? I am just curious. Paula

Paula,

I don't make the products, I source them all myself and work with drop shippers. I am starting to work with affiliate marketing some physical products that i feel my customers would really like to know about as well as finding only high quality and unique products that stay in line with my mission. Thanks for checking out my sites... and congrats on your expecting bundle! Hats off to you girl!

Thanks;)... I like your stuff, as you start blogging, let me know, I'd like to keep up on your site.... good luck with the affiliate venture, I am sure you will be pleased with the end results.

Hi Paulawog,

Thanks ... I tried the affiliate marketing a bit on my blog for experimentation and it worked.In 1 week from posting I made 2 sales.. yippie this is so cool!

Congratulations!!! Very cool!