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As many of you may have heard or said before, personal training and fitness businesses are usually marketed the best by word of mouth. In most cases, this is true– several fitness businesses do well via word of mouth and do not have to use a structured marketing plan to get repeat customers.
Today, I am telling you to rely on word of mouth. Not on the general grassroots movement, but on a particular word of mouth system that is unique to the online marketing world.
Today, I am teaching you about affiliate marketing.
A lot of business owners are older and not up to date with the way technology and marketing has progressed in the fitness industry. That is okay, there is nothing wrong with that however prioritize making an effort on catching up with the new age in technology.
“Affiliate Marketing is the fastest way to grow your online business.”
A recent forecast post stated that affiliate marketing spending should reach over $100 billion in 2019. This forecast means that affiliate marketing spending has overtaken broadcast and cable television spending. This is due to the growing trend of brands switching over to digital advertising as their primary consumer outreach method.
Are you interested in a crash course to affiliate marketing now?
For those who are unfamiliar with the term, affiliate marketing is a simple method of exchange that allows any online marketer, personality, or even someone with a reasonable email list to make money by selling and promoting products. These can be their products or someone else’s.
What does that mean?
Whenever a company is launching a new product, they will often reach out to online marketers and ask them to be a part of their launch by reviewing and promoting the product. Most businesses use online programs to incentivize (Clickbank being the most popular) online promoters to promote their products. These programs usually offer a percentage of every referral sale made through their blog to the affiliate.
For example, if a friend launched a new product while you had an extensive email list, he could ask you to be part of his affiliate program and send out an email describing and promoting the product. To incentivize you to do this, he might offer you 75% of every sale generated from your blog link to his product page.
Once you understand what affiliate marketing is, you then need to follow the rules, tips, guidelines, and best practices that will make your affiliate program a success!
First–how do you find and make affiliate relationships?
The most direct and distinct method to do is networking.
This means regular attendance at seminars, conferences, and any other large gathering of the best and brightest of your field. This is where you can be introduced to people, make a note of names, and get yourself onto many affiliate lists. If you are unsure where to start, the best places to start are Fitness Business Summits, The Fit Body Boot Camp World Conferences, The Online Info Blueprints, as well as any masterminds.
If you already have a decently sized affiliate list, you can use their conferences for marketing yourself to more significant affiliates. You may also be able to find people who are willing to use your lists to promote your products.
If you are between conferences or cannot make it to any of them, then there are other ways to find affiliate partners.
This is where you use email. However, be warned–it is not as simple as a handshake, in-person conversation, and then the exchange of information.
It is an entirely different ballgame on the internet. You may come off as well-mannered and non-pushy in real life; on the internet, you appear much differently. If you are not careful, people will come to regard you as a scammer and quickly come to avoid you and warn others as well.
Your priority is to make contact with other affiliates safely and reliably.
The easiest way to do this is first to find all of the affiliates in the niche you want to target and contact them with an email.
To find this information, you need first to find their websites. They should have a contact page that contains their email address. If not, or if you cannot find any affiliates who are willing to promote your product, you should search the most prominent online marketer’s web page that you can discover and uncover their affiliate sign up page. Sign up to be an affiliate via email, and you will start to receive emails shortly.
Now you have their affiliate list. This list will tell you who sells the most, the top performers, and whom you should contact and ask to market your product.
While this seems to be a dishonest way to get affiliate marketers to promote your product, it is relatively common in the affiliate marketing world. Your next step should be making sure your email is written in a way that will gain you, partners.
If your emails follow these guidelines, you should be fine.
First, affiliates hate email, especially junk and spam email. To make yourself stand out your email needs to be written concisely, but also in an exciting way. Say precisely who you are and what you want in as few words as possible. This will make you stand out to the affiliate as a potential future partner.
Second, do not ask them for anything until you have built a relationship with them. The first email should merely be an introduction. Do not ask for help on anything.
Third, this relationship is not about you yet. It is about them. It is all about them and their reach as an affiliate. They do not want to hear about how amazing your product is or how amazing you are. Keep it to how you can help their marketing reach, not yours. Flattery and compliments are key.
Fourth, find ways to make their job easier and offer it as soon as possible. Send them a free product. If you want them to send out an email about your product, write the email for them so that all they have to do is copy and paste it at most.
With these rules in mind, here is a format that has proven to be successful time and time again, when reaching out to affiliates.
Introduce Yourself–Keep it simple and concise. Remember that you are not selling a product so much as selling yourself.
Build Credibility–Again, you are selling yourself. Make sure your voice, tone, and content all work to present you as a reliable partner.
Thank Them–make sure to tell them that you are grateful for any service you can perform for them, no matter how small.
Help them–finish the email with whatever help or value you will be giving them. This ends the email on a high note and will leave a great impression.
If you want to learn more about this in detail you can check out our beginners guide on how to get started with affiliate marketing.
