The benefits of starting an affiliate program for small creators

As a small business owner and creator, you have to get a bit creative to market your business, get more eyes on your brand, and convert views to sales. Although you may have seen some results with content marketing and advertising, you might need another way to bring your business to the next level. One method you may be overlooking is an affiliate marketing program for small businesses. 

Building brand advocates

Affiliate marketing is essentially a tactic that employs advocates of your brand. These affiliates promote your business to their respective followings, thus broadening your reach. What’s in it for the advocates? Affiliates typically get a small commission when their work converts to sales for your business. 

Of course, if you’re looking to seamlessly integrate affiliate marketing into your business strategy, you can do it right here on Teachable. But, before you leap in, check out these key reasons why affiliate marketing can be beneficial in helping you scale your small business. 

Marketing matters

Simply put: Word-of-mouth marketing can lead to more sales. Nielsen reported that 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family. Additionally, 74% of people attribute “word of mouth” to their purchasing decisions.

Affiliate marketing uses word-of-mouth marketing to reach new audiences and show the problems your product solves. What’s more, if someone is following someone they find credible, that recommendation usually translates to credibility for your business. 

Bigger is better

Outside of expensive paid advertising, you don’t get many opportunities to put your business in front of those who don’t already follow you. Affiliate marketing breaks this mold. Advocates get your business in front of those who may have never heard of it otherwise.

Grow on a budget

Additionally, affiliate marketing programs for small businesses are excellent alternatives to paid advertising. Because it don’t require much upfront costs or work besides setting up and picking affiliates, this is a great option for small creators. And remember: Affiliates don’t get paid a commission until a sale is confirmed. This is unlike ads, which are paid upfront without the promise of ROI. 

Welcome fresh faces

Much like salespeople in a department store, affiliates are motivated by commission to promote your brand. And, with the increased affiliate promotion, you’re sure to see more traffic to your site. As long as you’ve chosen the right affiliates who  regularly promote your product but know how to drive conversions, you should see a healthy bump of traffic. 

If affiliate marketing isn’t a part of your promotion strategy at the moment, now is the time to consider doing so as we move into 2022.