At WTM London it became apparent that very few travel bloggers make money from, or monetise their blog, using affiliate marketing. This presentation covered what affiliate marketing is, how to get started with affiliate marketing (including which networks to sign up to), as well as important considerations such as cookie lengths, ad types and commission levels. The presentation also covered key questions such as tracking links and nofollowing affiliate links for SEO purposes.

1. DEMYSTIFYING
AFFILIATE
MARKETING
APRIL 2016
@MrHeyes #Traverse16

2. HELLO & WELCOME!
• Run the travel blog simonsjamjar.com – travel blogger
since 2011
• Have worked in digital marketing since 2004
• Run affiliate programmes for my blog, and help brands
to make the most of affiliates
• Affiliate programs for my blog include Travelzoo,
Booking.com and Amazon
• This session will cover…
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
WHAT IS
AFFILIATE
MARKETING?
GETTIN
G
STARTE
D
COMMISSION,
ADS &
COOKIES
(CAC)
FAQs
QUESTION
S

3. WHAT IS AFFILIATE MARKETING?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
COMPANY X
AFFILIATES RECRUITED
AFFILIATES
PROMOTE
COMPANY XAFFILIATES GET
COMMISSION
COMPANY X MAKES
MORE SALES

4. WHICH BRANDS RUN AFFILIATE
CAMPAIGNS?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
HOLIDAY COMPANIES HOTELS
TRAINS
AIRLINES
CARS

5. KEY TIP…
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• If you’re not sure whether a brand runs an affiliate program, simply Google them…

6. THE BIGGER PICTURE
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Online Performance Marketing (OPM)
generates over £14 billion in sales…
£14 billion
• ….approximately 10% of all
UK e-commerce sales
ROI
£15: £1

7. GETTING STARTED
@MrHeyes #Traverse16

8. WHERE TO BEGIN?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
1.
THINK
ABOUT
YOUR
AUDIENCE
2.
BE TRUE
TO YOUR
BRAND
AND BLOG
3.
BE
TRANSPAREN
T & OPEN

9. WHERE TO BEGIN?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Sign up to affiliate networks that are running the campaigns you want to join
AFFILIATE NETWORKS INDEPENDENT PROGRAMS

10. WHERE TO BEGIN?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Approval ratings are usually between 85 – 95%
• Potential spam content detected
• You promote their competitors –
brands may want exclusivity
• Wrong fit for the brand
• Your site may be focusing on a
different market or target audience
• Bad timing (program may be closing,
change of personnel etc.)
REASONS YOU MAY BE REJECTED

11. WHAT DO AFFILIATE NETWORKS LOOK
FOR?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
1. RELEVANT, FRESH,
ENGAGING CONTENT
2. A WELL
DESIGNED SITE
3. PASSION

12. YOU’RE IN!
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Affiliate network platforms differ, but here are the key features to look out for…

13. YOU’RE IN!
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Affiliate network platforms differ, but here are the key features to look out for…

14. YOU’RE IN!
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• EPC = Earnings Per Click - reflects an average affiliate program's pay out per one
hundred clicks

15. A TYPICAL AFFILIATE PROGRAMME
PAGE
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
Tools to
promote
the brand
What you can
and can’t do
What you could earn

16. COMMISSION, ADS
& COOKIES (CAC)
@MrHeyes #Traverse16

17. SO…HOW MUCH MONEY
CAN I MAKE?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16

18. COMMISSION
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Most affiliate programs pay out based on sales or leads
• Commission varies depending on the product being sold – insurance = higher
commission, flights = lower commission
• Commission can be tiered, depending on the volume you drive
AOV = £700
Commission = £35
AOV = £950
Commission = £57

19. COMMISSION
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Some brands also alter
commission levels and provide
incentives based on their wider
marketing campaigns and
inventory
Usually 4%
April 2016 = 8%

20. COOKIE LENGTH
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Most affiliate programs cookie lengths vary from 30 days to 90 days
• The longer the better!
24 Hours 30 Days 90 Days

21. WHAT DO OTHER BLOGGERS EARN?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Anywhere from £20 to £1,700 per month, depending on seasonality

22. ADS ON YOUR BLOG - LINKS OR
BANNERS?
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Remember, stay true to your audience – make the affiliate integration seamless
• Links generally convert a lot better…. and banners look shit on mobiles

23. BANNERS ARE DEAD
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Depending on the programme the banner selection may be very unhelpful
Banners haven’t
been updated
Banners aren’t
responsive / don’t fit
your website
Banners are made
in Flash (which is
also dead)
Doesn’t cover the
product / campaign
/ service you need

24. THE SECRET SAUCE? DEEP LINK
BUILDERS
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Link to any page of the brands website. Connect your audience directly to the content
they are interested in

25. HANDY REPORTING
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Reports by merchant (brand), by click reference and more

26. HANDY REPORTING
@MrHeyes #Traverse16

27. PLUGINS & OTHER FUNKY TOOLS
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Adding links can take up a lot of time. Here are a few tools to keep an eye out for.

28. PLUGINS & OTHER FUNKY TOOLS
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Adding links can take up a lot of time. Here are a few tools to keep an eye out for.

29. FAQs ABOUT
AFFILIATES
@MrHeyes #Traverse16

30. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
Can I make my
own banners to put
on my site?
Depends on the individual
brand guidelines that outline
what you can and can’t do.

31. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
Do I Need To
Disclose Affiliate
Links?
Be transparent with your
audience. You would disclose for
gifts or collaborations, so it’s best
to disclose you may add affiliate
links into your content

32. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
If I’m collaborating
with a brand, can I
use affiliate links
rather thank
normal links?
This very much depends on
the agreement you have with
the brand. Always ask and
check before publishing the
content.

33. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
Can I use my social
media channels to
promote my affiliate
programs?
Yes, you can. Tracking will
mainly be connected to your
blog, but you can still
promote through affiliate
channels.

34. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
What if I mask the
URLs using a link
shortener - will the
links still be
tracked?
They will indeed! Use Bitly or
another URL shortener, plus
you get another data source
for tracking links!

35. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
Should I add
‘nofollow’ tags to my
affiliate links for
SEO purposes?
Most affiliate links use a 302
redirect…and Google handles
affiliate links differently…but
just to be safe, yes, add a
nofollow tag so there is
complete clarity for Google’s
little robots.

36. FAQs
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
Do I need to pay tax
on my affiliate
earnings?
Unfortunately, yes. Any
income you make should be
disclosed to HMRC.
Need help? Contact Raj!
hello@konaseven.uk

37. SUMMARY
@MrHeyes #Traverse16
• Sign up to affiliate networks and programs that suit your blog
and your audience
• Be transparent with your audience
• Promote affiliate programs in a natural way that fits in with
your blog and social channels
• Look out for affiliate incentives and offers
• Go make some money!

38. THANK YOU!
@MrHeyes #Traverse16