How To Sell Other People’s Products Online
When you sell other people’s products online it’s often referred to as affiliate marketing. Many newcomers to the world of eCommerce who are starting their own business have become successful affiliate marketers, earning commission from top sites like Amazon and vendors like Apple for helping to sell their products.
You can even sell products from home for companies which has made the affiliate marketing business model very popular. Affiliate marketing is more competitive now than it was, so it’s important to know the best ways to promote your chosen affiliate products.
FREE Checklist: Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
7 Ways To Sell Other People’s Products Online
1. Social Media
Social media is an effective way to sell other people’s products online because the networks are free to use and chances are you already have an account at all the top ones, such as Facebook and Twitter. The main issue is how often to promote product links. You can’t do it too often, because you will start to look like a spammer. But in general, you can present yourself as a helpful person who is in the know about a certain topic, commonly referred to as a niche.
Most people have “pain points” or problems in relation to a niche that they would like to solve. The affiliate products you promote could be the solution/s they are looking for. Your posts can be chatty, discussing a common pain point and then suggesting an affiliate product that can help.
Also, Twitter and Facebook ads are not expensive but are highly targeted. You can drive traffic to your posts or a group page for only pennies per click.
2. Blogging
Blogging is a great way to sell products for companies for free. Your blog should be the hub of all your marketing activities, so make the most of it with great content. There are a number of different types of content that can use on your blog for selling another company’s product.
- Articles and posts
- Reviews
- Video reviews and Demonstrations
- Comparison tables and charts
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Content drives all search engine results. The words on a website signal to the search engines, such as Google, what it’s about. When people run a search for a particular topic, like dog obedience training, Google delivers search engine results pages (SERPs) with what their formula (or algorithm) determines to be the most relevant pages.
There are a number of ways to optimize your content so it ranks highly and you get free traffic. Your primary tactic is using keywords that are typically related to your niche or topic. They are the kinds of words your prospective customers would use when searching online for the type of content and products you have to offer.
The title of your article, review or post should contain at least one keyword. The content should contain that keyword, and at least two or three others. The keywords all taken together offer what is called semantic support, helping to define what the page is all about.
Some marketers try to “stuff” keywords, using them over and over again, but Google will penalize you for this. It’s best to just write naturally, as you would for a person not just a search engine.
4. Videos
Videos are a handy promotional tool that can drive a lot of traffic if you post them on YouTube and Facebook.
Review Videos
Review videos are good way to express your opinion about a product or service. However, be sure to use keywords in the title of the video and a description of the video. You should make reviews of the products you’re familiar with, and your reviews should be as honest as possible. Otherwise, you’ll start to get a reputation of being willing to promote any old rubbish, which will damage your standing as an expert in your niche.
Tutorial and Demonstration Videos
These are really popular because they actually show the product in action. People will even watch “unboxing videos” in which a person orders something online and films themselves opening the box when it arrives. Tutorial and demonstration videos can be far more useful, though – especially if the item is an expensive one or a complicated one.
5. Email Marketing
Social media is great for marketing, but email marketing is still the best method for building a real relationship with your target audience over time. Social media posts are fleeting. In contrast, emails can sit in a person’s inbox for some time. They can also be a long format, giving lots of interesting details about the affiliate products you wish to sell.
One of the biggest mistakes new affiliates make is sending the traffic they work so hard for directly to the vendor’s sales page. This means they never see these people again, and learn nothing about them. A better method is to create a landing page with an email sign-up form. The best way to get them to sign up will usually be to offer an incentive, such as a free eBook, eCourse, or other very useful informational item people in your niche would love. Once they are on your list, you can market to them regularly.
6. Strategically Placed Offers On Your Website
Content is king on the internet, so you need to produce high-quality content that will attract search engines and people alike. Product comparison charts, checklists and quick-start guides work well. They help your target audience achieve their goals, but above all, they provide a logical context for your affiliate links. You’re not just posting links to products for no reason, which would be like spam. You’re providing genuinely useful information for those interested in your niche.
In addition to contextual links, top affiliate companies support their affiliates with marketing material such as banners, box ads, free articles, and more. Make the most of these if the product is a good one you really believe is worth giving prime real estate to, such as a banner ad at the top of your page.
7. Offering Incentives For Buying Through You
One of the things to look out for in the affiliate marketplaces is the excitement of a product launch. Whenever a vendor launches a new product, they want big sales right away in order to make up for the cost of developing it, and to prove that it’s exactly the type of product people in the niche really need.
So the vendor will create “buzz” about the product, both at their own website and social media sites, and hopefully through those of their affiliates. So how can you stand out from the crowd? The answer is to offer great incentives.
You can’t change the price of the item, because the vendor has set that. But you can add value in the form of bonus items you already have, or are prepared to create in relation to the topic. For example, if they are offering a product on affiliate marketing and you have already written an eBook on that topic, that would be an ideal bonus. You could also offer them a special coupon code, such as 50% off one of your items you’re selling at your website, if you’re selling products of your own already.
Free Checklist: How To Sell Other People’s Products Online
There are many companies that pay you to sell their products online. Success comes from choosing the right niche, staying committed and understand your audience. One thing to keep in mind when you start affiliate selling is that success isn’t going to happen overnight. You can make unlimited profits, but it will take time.
For more information on how to sell other people’s products online, download my free checklist, Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.