Do you know the value of your blogging? It goes a lot deeper than you’d think. You can earn money while helping consumers and companies with your content. Let’s explore why.
Elliot is flustered, Elliot has had it. He needs a new tent. But when he enters “backpacking tent” into the search bar, in T minus 0.46 seconds, he’s overwhelmed.
This is Elliot. He’s looking for a tent, and it’s overwhelming.
This is what he’s looking at:
1,760,000 results. That’s a whole bunch of ads and pictures of tents. Elliot doesn’t know much about what he wants in a tent, and this isn’t helping. That’s where you come in as a blogger. You can be the superhero of tents–the go-to guru of the interwebs for the things you love to do in real life. But do you know why your blog is valuable? Do you know the potential impact your blog can have?
[clickToTweet tweet=”Your blog could become a vital asset, valuable to companies, consumers, and most of all—to you!” quote=”Your blog could become a vital asset, valuable to companies, consumers, and most of all—to you!”]
Why companies need your blog
Let’s assess the situation in the advertising world. There are many brands offering similar products, and just as many ways to discover those brands, whether it’s through word of mouth, social media, TV advertising, blogs, pieces of paper blowing in the wind, etc. Companies have specific ideas about how they want their brand to be perceived, and they want to be in control. But they aren’t.
If you look at the factors that influence purchases these days (see image below), it’s clear why merchants want to be involved in product reviews and content featured on blogs. As studies by Deloitte University show, “Consumers feel more comfortable searching online and reading expert reviews and user opinions as a first step in gathering initial information about a product or service.”
Image source: Derived from Deloitte Digital Democracy Survey, Ninth Edition
Why consumers need your blog
Now that he’s stuck, Elliot searches for something like: “How to choose the best backpacking tent.” This is because he doesn’t want to hear from tent companies; he wants to hear from someone like him who used the tent. A quote from the Deloitte study captures the feeling:
I felt reviews on the company website might not be genuine, so I looked elsewhere.
Let’s say tent company X has exactly what Elliot needs, but he doesn’t realize it. Their tent is super light, but not super expensive, and it has plenty of mesh windows for stargazing (Elliot fancies himself an astronomer). Elliot finds your blog from the search, which features your post comparing the latest backpacking tents with in-depth analysis of how each one worked on a real trip. You’re not directly employed by these companies, and your blog has an established backpacker following, so Elliot knows he can trust your assessment.
Well, isn’t that nice. So how does this make your blog valuable?
Why your blog is valuable
- The tent companies need a trusted resource from the communities they’re targeting to discuss their products.
- Consumers like Elliot need an authoritative, independent voice to help them find what they’re looking for.
- And you, the blogger, need a way to monetize your content because you put a lot of time and effort into it.
The ecosystem represented here is a win-win-win. But what makes it work?
How Affiliate Marketing can turn a hobby into cash
The answer is Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate Marketing is the photosynthesis of the online retail ecosystem. It’s the critical piece of the puzzle that connects the blogger, the company, and Elliot, and turns your blog into a business.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Affiliate Marketing is the photosynthesis of the online retail ecosystem.” quote=”Affiliate Marketing is the photosynthesis of the online retail ecosystem.”]
In our scenario, tent company X has an affiliate program on the AvantLink network. If you apply and join the network, you can use AvantLink’s powerful affiliate link tools to integrate tent company X’s program on your blog–for free! Then, all affiliate links to the products in your reviews will be tracked. So, if someone like Elliot visits your site, clicks the link to the tent he wants and buys it, you will receive a commission!
Thanks to your blog, Elliot finally got his ideal tent!
The future of your blog
If your content is authentic, and you utilize AvantLink’s powerful network and tools (which come at no cost to you), your blog could become a vital asset, valuable to companies, consumers, and most of all—to you!
In fact, a recent Marketing Land article points to research that indicates affiliate commissions have increased 17% each year from 2011 to 2016, for a total of $4.5 billion. The same study also indicates that people buying through affiliate links spend more than the average online shopper, meaning there are more commissions rolling in for quality affiliate content.
Not to mention, right now is the critical time to get in on the Australian affiliate network. This market is growing and is largely untapped. If you already have a blog, or you’re working on one, there’s no sense in waiting to hop on this fast-moving trend, and AvantLink has the network to support you.