5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Diving Into Affiliate Marketing

Thinking About Affiliate Marketing? Here's Everything You Need to Know Before You Get Started

Affiliate marketing can be a fantastic way to monetize your platform and share products you love with your audience. However, before diving in, it's crucial to ask yourself a few key questions to ensure your success. 

Here are five essential questions, inspired by insights from industry leaders at the h+h americas x gosadi Content Creator Summit 2024.

Your audience can detect inauthenticity from a mile away. Dawn Prickett, the owner and creative director at Twice Sheared Sheep, emphasizes that true passion for the product you're promoting is what makes an affiliate successful. When you genuinely believe in a product, your enthusiasm will resonate with your audience. Choose campaigns that align with your brand as a creator and values, creating a natural fit that feels authentic.

Dawn highlights that an affiliate program should be seen as a partnership—a collaboration where the brand seamlessly fits into the creator's world, and the creator brings their unique voice and perspective to the brand.

Tara Swiger, Marketing Coordinator at SewTites, says absolutely YES! At this year’s Content Creator Summit, Tara shared that the most successful partnerships for SewTites have been those where creators are not afraid to share their objections constructively. This doesn’t mean outright bashing the product, but rather offering balanced feedback to your audience.

For example, you might say, “I didn’t think I needed this product because of [insert your reason], but now I use it all the time and love it because of [insert your reasons].” 

By honestly addressing potential hurdles, you build trust with your audience, making your positive endorsements even more credible.

Most brands will send creators asset folders to help the creator effectively market the new product. This could include images, logos, and sometimes even a list of key talking points about the product or brand. 

Katelyn Moll, the Influencer and Content Marketing Manager at WeCrochet, suggests a mindset shift: think of yourself as a member of the brand’s sales team. Brands and creators are working together to craft an effective story. These asset folders are meant to help you craft an effective story…but it doesn’t mean you should simply copy and paste. Think of them as additional tools in your toolbox! 

Anthony Bowser, Social Media + Influencer Manager at Premier Yarns, believes affiliate marketing should not feel like an ad placement. While incorporating talking points into your content is important, what truly matters is your unique voice and perspective. 

If your audience can’t connect you to the product, it won’t translate to sales.

While many brands focus on sales metrics through programs like ShareASale and Awin, Stacey Winklepleck, the Pattern Director at KnitPicks, recommends creators look at their engagement rates to gauge the success of a campaign. 

Creators should specifically, consider the number of new people you're bringing to the product. Brands have a core audience already, and as an affiliate you add a huge amount of value when you’re able to introduce them to new potential customers.

Anthony Bowser reminds us that social media marketing should be fun! 

As we discussed in question four, metrics are important, but there are other ways to add value to a brand. Creating engaging content that a brand can repost adds tremendous value and exposes you to their larger audience base.

Additionally, our panelists agree that brands often look for new creators to work with on paid sponsorships based on the creator’s performance in their affiliate programs. 

If you’re driving sales and engagement as an affiliate, this is an opportunity to catch their eye for more significant opportunities in the future!

Before jumping into your first affiliate marketing relationship, ask yourself these crucial questions to ensure you’re on the right path. With some time and practice you’ll be growing in affiliate marketing like a pro!