Content creators are taking the lead. After 20 years of affiliate revenue being dominated by the coupon and loyalty space, power is shifting to content creators. 

A content creator is any person or company that creates content to inform and attract an audience and shares that content through a variety of distribution channels, usually on their own website, blog, newsletter, YouTube or another social channel. Content creation encompasses a variety of media, such as articles, videos, podcasts, visual graphics and photography. 

Content creators may or may not have an existing audience, but they usually focus on creating content on a particular topic or with a particular audience in mind. Content creators are in high demand online, because they can speak to that specific audience and affect their buying decisions, often more successfully than a brand or other paid marketing channels.

Review sites are among the best-performing types of content sites as they provide a ton of information about a product or service, usually described in full detail with product images, ratings, customer quotes, key takeaways and a full list of features, advantages, benefits and pricing. 

How to Create Affiliate Marketing Content that Converts

1. Keep your site’s content fresh! 

Talk about the latest products and services along with related offers and campaigns. This is the best way to create and promote original content. Whenever necessary, ask your vendors to provide promotional materials for their latest products and update the info. Also, make sure to delete or update any content that is no longer relevant. 

2. Write for your audience. 

The best pieces of content are the ones directed at your key audiences. Understand your customers: know their pain points, what gets them psyched and what keeps them up at night. Killer content addresses your audience’s needs and concerns!

3. Believe in the product or company you’re marketing. 

Make sure that the product or service you’re affiliated with is something you really believe in. Building relationships with a company that you stand by as a customer gives authenticity and integrity to your brand, and that builds invaluable loyalty.

4. Provide relevant information. 

When people search the web, they’re seeking answers. If your site doesn’t provide the facts, visitors will move on to the next one in the search results. Don’t be afraid of sharing too much information, and that includes prices. Studies show information-rich websites are the most effective in converting visitors into serious prospects.

Winning online today requires adding value to people’s lives. Add value and users will come back for more, time and time again. When you think about affiliate marketing and how you can monetize your content, make sure any content you create is high quality with valuable insights to your audience. 

5. Stay consistent. 

Users want consistency in your branding methods. They don’t want a serious tone on your website and a funny tone on social media. Your overall tone, design and personality should stay the same no matter how a consumer finds you.

6. Promote digital products. 

Digital products are attractive for two reasons. First, they have higher conversion rates because customers can get instant access and instant gratification when they purchase. Second, digital products typically offer much higher commission rates than physical products, which means more profits for you. The Avangate Affiliate Network Marketplace is the go-to place for the latest offers for software and digital goods.

7. Use different content formats. 

Common forms of content creation include website content, blogging, article writing (reviews), photography, videography, online commentary and social media accounts. Try them all to see what engages your audience most, then focus on those content formats.

8. Try webinars.

They not only engage people, with webinar attendees sticking around for an hour of content on average, but they also generate high-quality sales leads from all over the world. Webinars take prospect and customer relationships to the next level. Besides, they’re cost-effective, typically with minimal hosting costs. The primary cost is your time. You can even take it one step further with live webinars where your audience can ask questions and interact with you in real-time, making the experience a little more authentic for some consumers.

9. Customer reviews matter! 

Buyers like to hear from one another: product reviews are the most influential factor in buying decisions, more so than discounts and free trials. If you don’t already have a reviews program, start one now! You can also integrate customer reviews from the merchants you promote.

10. Build a subscriber database.  

Building a list of subscribers can take time, and you will need a landing page to handle the subscription process. People are more willing to subscribe if you offer a free item, such as an e-book, in exchange. If your subscribers are the right target audience, they’ll want to hear more information from you periodically, so think about content that will engage them over time. 

To sum it up, becoming a content creator requires diversifying your content types and offering detailed information about the products you are marketing. Keep your content up to date, be genuine and stay consistent with the message you send to your target audience.

Engage regularly with your subscriber database to see an improvement in your conversion rate. Last but not least, remember that buyers read customer reviews before making their purchase—don’t be afraid to ask for opinions!

Now that you have the knowledge, it’s time to act! Enter Avangate Affi­liate Network and monetize your content creation skills. Here, you can create partnerships with merchants that offer up to 100% commissions.