Being a woman living in a man’s world is hard. Having masculine features and a female name can make it even harder. For transgender people (those who don’t identify with the gender they were born with), it’s an additional step to prove they are women. The process of transitioning can be expensive, and the lack of financial stability is something many of them struggle with. Going through HRT (hormone replacement therapy) can also leave people with unexpected financial burdens. It’s no wonder many turn to affiliate marketing as a means to earn extra money. Despite the fact that the majority of online stores are built around selling affiliate products, very few resources exist to teach transgender people how to successfully promote a business online. That’s where we come in! In this article, we’ll teach you the ropes of affiliate marketing so you can hit the ground running once you’re transitioned and can’t rely on your former income.
Setting Up Shop
Before you can begin earning commissions you need to have a Shopify store setup. If you don’t have one, you can use our affiliate link to create one. Once you’ve created a Shopify store, you’ll need to pick a product to promote. The best products to promote are those that solve a problem for the target audience you’re aiming for. When picking a product to promote, make sure you pick something that fits within your budget so you can actually afford to buy it. Once you’ve found a product you feel comfortable promoting, you can move on to the next step.
Pick A Niche
If you’re a newbie to affiliate marketing, it’s important you pick a niche. This refers to a specific group of people you’ll be targeting with your affiliate promotions. A good rule of thumb is to pick a niche that has a lot of potential. It’s important you choose a niche that pays well and is within your skill set. When picking a niche, make sure you’re not promoting a dead product or a product that’s already established in the marketplace. Although it’s tempting to pick a hot topic that everyone is talking about, doing so can leave you in financial trouble if the product turns out to be a scam. Unless you’re tech-savvy and know how to use products like Google Adsense, you’re better off focusing on a niche that isn’t as trendy but is more lucrative.
Choose Your Affiliate Program
There are many affiliate programs out there; all you need to do is find one that fits your niche. It’s important you find an affiliate program that pays you fairly for each sale you make. It’s also important you’re signed up for an affiliate program that provides you with enough commission opportunities to make a living. As you may imagine, a lot of affiliate marketing is done blindly. You’ll typically just enter your email address and wait for the emails to come in. The catch is, these affiliate offers come with a lot of extra work. You have to promote the products, drive traffic to the stores, and make sure you’re abiding by the rules of the affiliate program. The good thing about affiliate marketing is you can typically find work-from-home jobs that pay well and allow you to make extra income. There’s also a lot of freedom in choosing what products to promote as long as you’re abiding by the rules of the affiliate program.
Learn The Basics
Even though you may have learned how to Google and use your phone, you may not be familiar with the whole concept of affiliate marketing. This is where your basic training begins. Even though there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to affiliate marketing, there are some pretty basic things you’ll need to learn. Things like; how to pick a product to promote, how to create landing pages, and much more. Luckily for you, we’re here to help. In this section of the article we’ll teach you the basics of affiliate marketing so you can begin creating affiliate websites and start earning commissions.
Understand The Psychology Of Consumerism
Being human is hard. We all want what we want, and if we don’t get it, we feel like something is missing. This is especially true when it comes to buying consumer products. When you’re driving down the street and you see a shiny object in the window of a shop, it’s hard not to want to go in and buy it. This is why when you’re promoting a product you need to understand consumerism. What is consumerism? According to Wise Marketing, consumerism is;
“the psychological need people have to acquire new things to feel normal to be fashionable to be accepted by others“
For example, let’s say you’re a transgender person, named Lucy. You’ve always felt like you were a part of the male group of people. You’ve always felt like a woman, even though you were born with male appendages. To avoid feeling like a freak, you want to be accepted by your peers. To feel like a real woman, you need to have a certain number of female shoes and handbags. To feel that you’re a part of the group, you need to show the world you’re a woman. This is why you turn to shopping; to fulfill your psychological and social needs. When you understand consumerism, it’s easier to understand why people are so drawn to affiliate marketing. Once you’ve learned how to connect with your audience and how to engage with them, the sky is the limit as to what you can achieve. Creating a store that helps transgender people feel comfortable in their own skin is a smart choice. As an affiliate marketer, you’re legally required to abide by the rules of the affiliate program you’re signed up for. It’s your responsibility to promote products that you’ve been offered as part of an affiliate program. While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to affiliate marketing, here are some basic guidelines you should follow.
Do Your Research
As we mentioned before, there are a lot of work-from-home jobs that pay well and allow you to make extra income. It’s important you look for opportunities that pay well and provide you with the flexibility to work remotely. As an affiliate marketer, you need to make sure you’re knowledgeable about the products you promote. You need to conduct extensive research on the company that manufactures the product before you choose to do business with them. This is because it’s your job to educate customers about the benefits of the product you promote. As a rule, the more you know about a product, the more you can convince people to buy it. When doing your research, make sure you look into the product’s reviews. This will give you an insight into whether or not the product is worth your time and effort. If you do enough research, you’ll be able to find a product that solves a problem you’re facing while also being within your budget. From a business standpoint, solving a problem is what earns you customers — many of whom will become paying customers. If a product doesn’t solve a problem, it may be a good idea to look for another solution. However, as an affiliate marketer, you’re not in a position to judge a product by its cover.
Judging a book by its cover is something you might do in a bookshop. In an online shop, you’ll typically find beautiful or functional products that don’t necessarily need to solve a problem. This is why it’s important you do your research before you commit to promoting a product. By choosing products that you’re familiar with, you’ll also familiarize your audience with that brand. If someone clicks on a product you’ve promoted and then buys a different product of the same brand, you’ll be able to retarget the person. Retargeting is when you show ads that are targeted to the product or service a person has purchased. For example, the person who bought a MacBook Air may see an ad for a MacBook Air, or the person who bought a Chanel bag may see an ad for Chanel. Retargeting is extremely powerful because it means you can target people who are already interested in your product or service and help them find even more information. Ultimately, retargeting helps you improve conversion and raise your profits.