With over two billion monthly logged-in users and ranked as the second most visited website in the world, YouTube is a premier platform for marketing. As a small business, one of the most important things you can do is to get eyes on your products, services, and brand. This basic engagement is a simple way to attract consumers to your business, especially if you exist as a digital-only storefront.
YouTube affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to bring customers to your website, whether it’s getting them to engage with your site, sign up for an email newsletter, or complete a conversion by making a purchase. But how can YouTube affiliate marketing benefit your business? There are numerous ways in which it can benefit you, but here are some things to keep in mind before jumping into the deep end.
Best Practices for Youtube Affiliate Marketing
Before you reach out to affiliates, understand that there are some things you and your affiliates should take care of.
- First, understand that you need to create unique affiliate links that will send viewers to the part of your site intended as their destination.
- Second, every affiliate promotion should have a call to action — you can develop this for your affiliate, making sure it is as clear as possible.
- Third, make content that hits home. You’re trying to influence viewers to visit your site and make a purchase; give them content that captures their attention by focusing on their interests and being unique. Fourth, have your affiliate provide a disclaimer: This is particularly for the safety of your affiliate, as the FTC requires people to know when they are being presented sponsored content.
- Last, use all of their social channels. Have affiliates promote your brand not only through YouTube but other channels where they have an audience. This increases the chances of your business being seen.
How YouTube Affiliate Marketing Can Benefit Your SMB
Develop Relationships
The best parts of an affiliate marketing strategy are the numerous relationships produced. By partnering with YouTubers, you’re collaborating with affiliates who work for you. This symbiotic relationship ensures that you and they both receive a reward from their work: They receive a commission for every action completed while you gain engagement and conversions. Keeping your affiliates happy means having promoters who will continue to put in the work for you.
Increase Return On Investments and Decrease Customer Acquisition Cost
One of the key things you learn from affiliate marketing 101 is that you only pay a commission when an action is completed by an affiliate. This means you’re spending from your marketing budget only when it works for you — versus a SEM campaign.
If your affiliate’s action is to get your brand a conversion, you’re also increasing the number of customers you’re onboarding. So, you’re increasing your return on investment (ROI), spending less for results, while decreasing your customer acquisition cost (CAC) — lessening the amount you spend per conversion.
Improve Word of Mouth Marketing
Not every viewer will become a conversion, and that’s okay. While affiliate marketing is great for the increased ROI and decreased CAC it provides, it’s even better for its word of mouth marketing. While a viewer might not be compelled to complete a sale with your company, they’re going to hear or see the advertisement — which will be stored away in their brain. They might not access it at the moment, but it could lead to them becoming a customer in the future. Better yet, your company might not be right for them, but they may know someone who it’s perfect for. Suddenly, you’ll have a new customer who didn’t even watch the affiliate video, all thanks to word of mouth.
Find Other Affiliates
The best part about maintaining a good reputation with your existing affiliates is that it will make it easier to find new affiliates in the future. This is especially true if you’re creating stellar content for your current affiliates to use. Other YouTubers will see the affiliate ads they’re producing and will be impressed, increasing your chances of having them reach out for potential work.
Reach Your Niche Audience
What makes YouTube affiliate marketing so exceptional is that it allows you to reach your audience with ease. With the right YouTuber affiliates, you can speak directly to their audience, enticing them with affiliate links and content in hopes of turning them into conversions and lifelong customers.
Use YouTube to Your Benefit
Onboarding the right YouTube affiliates takes time and research, identifying whose content most closely aligns with your brand. But it’s worth taking the time, as the gains garnered from the platform are exceptional. Begin developing your business’s YouTube affiliate marketing strategy today.
