You’ve probably heard of clickbait. The practice of using sensationalized headlines to attract readers to an article, only to disappoint them with a poorly-written piece of content is certainly nothing new. In the last year or so, the trend of making money from home has led to a rise in the popularity of clickbait blogs. But why should you care? Is making money from home a good thing? Is it even legal? Should you try your hand at making money from clickbait, or should you stick to what you know? Let’s take a look…

The Rise in Home-Based Businesses

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either an entrepreneur or an employee of one, as there’s no other possibility of being somewhere in between. I’m sure we’ve all seen the news stories of well-known companies that have failed due to lack of management, or the company having too great a focus on cash-flow rather than expansion and sustainability. These are the kinds of businesses you might find yourself working for if you’re an employee, and the ones many would see you joining if you’re an entrepreneur.

But why work for a company when you can do the same thing yourself? The trend of people choosing to work from home is clear to see, and it’s certainly made its way to the world of affiliate marketing. You’ll often see companies try and establish themselves as a “one-stop shop” for all their affiliate needs, with offices in several major cities across the country. This centralization of affiliate sales provides a clear benefit to customers, who no longer have to go from website to website to find what they’re looking for. The rise in home-based businesses and work-from-home opportunities has led to a rise in the popularity of clickbait blogs, which are designed to take advantage of this trend and get you to click, read, and eventually, buy their products.

Why Affiliate Marketing?

There are many ways in which you can earn money from home, but if you’re looking for an easy way to make cash flow, you’ve probably considered trying your hand at affiliate marketing. What is affiliate marketing, you ask? In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is when a business encourages you to perform an action (in this case, make a purchase) in exchange for something they get paid for (in this case, a commission).

This might sound a little too good to be true, but the truth is that affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to make money online. The concept is very simple. All you have to do is put up a blog or website that contains affiliate links, and you’re good to go. When someone clicks on one of these affiliate links and makes a purchase, you’re compensated (usually through affiliate programs run by the larger brands).

This might seem like a very easy way to make money, but it’s actually a highly effective one. According to affiliate marketing specialist, Michael Port,

• The average click-through rate on an affiliate link is between 2% and 5%,
• The average sale is between $20 and $50, and
• The average customer stays on the site between 30 seconds and two minutes, depending on the site.

These are valuable numbers to any affiliate marketer, and they justify the time and effort required to build a successful business. There’s a lot more information you can learn about affiliate marketing, how to start a successful blog with this in mind, and how to get the most out of your existing blog. Learning about affiliate marketing is a great way to get ahead in this exciting yet competitive field.