If you are looking to earn additional income as an affiliate marketer, you are not going to go far without a strong network of followers.
Whether you are writing about pet toys or stock markets, there are vital ingredients that can extend the reach of your content. Here are five tips for growing your audience:
Show the real you
Topmost, be authentic with your stories and what you represent.
When you are genuinely passionate about the things you write about, that enthusiasm will naturally shine through.
And rather than emulate other popular influencers, establish your own style that reflects your true personality. This not only helps you stand out from the crowd but may also endear you to followers in search of a unique voice.
Where possible, show or relate personal anecdotes that add more depth and authenticity to your content. For example, if you are reviewing a dog toy and actually have a dog, include it in a clip. Viewers are then more inclined to trust your review.
Watch out
Resist the temptation to over-share in your quest to establish your personal voice. The online world comprises many different individuals with different opinions. Not all will appreciate reading about every facet of your private life, especially if they find it irrelevant to the main topic.
Tell a compelling story
What will draw an audience to your blog or website is compelling content. And this should relate to the domain or market you are targeting.
For instance, if you are on the affiliate program offered by platforms such as Forex4you, you will want to create content that appeals to traders and investors.
This can include FAQs or tutorials on hot topics such as cryptocurrencies. Trending issues can drive higher traffic to your content since more people will be searching for these keywords.
Think also about what is the best medium to tell your story. A YouTube video may be a more ideal platform for cooking appliances, while Instagram is likely a better way to showcase your food review.
Watch out
Make sure you do know what you are talking about. Giving the thumbs up for a product that has been widely panned by its users can tarnish your credibility. If you personally do like the product, acknowledge that there are critics who disagree and explain why you stand by your review. You may actually earn a new audience with your honesty.
Stick to a schedule
Producing great content is the first positive step to growing your audience. You will need to then retain your readers and encourage them to keep coming back to your site.
You can do so by establishing a timetable of when new content will be posted. Your followers or subscribers then will know when to expect the next post or video.
Keeping to a regular schedule also ensures there is a consistent flow of new content. Nobody wants to visit a website that has not been updated in a month.
Depending on which markets you are targeting, it also is common for some online influencers to push out new posts every few days. So, you may need to set aside more resources to keep pace.
Watch out
If you are going to create a schedule, you will want to stick to it. Miss out on your stated timelines too often, and you may risk losing an audience that no longer trusts your brand.
Make some social noise
After you have put in the effort to create great content, take the time to ensure your targeted audience can find them.
Identify the most popular social platforms in their medium and post your content there. For example, your videos should go on YouTube or TikTok, photos on Instagram, and posts on Facebook. You can also drive links to your blog posts via microblogging platforms such as Twitter.
Furthermore, consider the followers you want. If you are looking to attract a business audience to drive affiliate links for Forex4you, promote your content on social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
Watch out
Avoid flooding your followers with repeated or frequent messages promoting your content. Consider how annoying it is to see an ad pop up in a video every five minutes. So you should temper the frequency of messages you push via social media.
Tap the network effect
You can further expand your reach by tapping the wider network or ecosystem where you may find your targeted audience.
The review you did on the dog toy, for instance, may be of interest to community or forum groups where dog owners and lovers gather.
You can also reach out to other influencers and experts in your domain and collaborate on some projects. This enables you to recruit new followers you know are already interested in the subject matter you cover.
Watch out
Take some care when choosing individuals you want to collaborate with. If your personalities clash or if they have dubious credibility in the market, your own brand may be adversely affected. You can end up losing, rather than gaining, an audience.
