When it comes to choice and variety, affiliate marketers have one of the best occupations out there. From the incredibly large range of different products available to promote to the sheer variety in niches and markets, the world of online marketing is packed with opportunities to diversify, experiment, and expand across new markets and product types.
But there is another type of variation and range that is often skipped over. It is not the range of products, but the range of different affiliate offers available. While most affiliates like to stick to product-based marketing, there is an endless range of non-product affiliate options out there. From offers to opt-in affiliate programs, affiliates can pick and choose from a range of different ways to monetize their traffic.
These three different choices cover the most popular affiliate marketing bases. If you have got traffic and need a way to monetize it, take a look at these three different types of affiliate programs and decide which one is best for you:
1. Per-action (CPA) Offers
CPA (cost-per-action) offers are, as the name would suggest, a type of affiliate offer that pays out whenever the user completes a certain action. Generally, these actions include signing up for a free trial program, joining a new website, or completing an online survey.
A lot of marketers prefer CPA offers to per-sale affiliate offers as they allow traffic to be monetized without requiring a purchase. While per-offer income is not quite as high as it typically is with a per-sale product program, the increased conversion rates and simpler marketing methods make CPA offers a viable affiliate marketing option.
2. Per-sale Products
Per-sale programs are particularly popular with affiliate marketers. Operating an a simple commission basis, affiliates are paid a portion of the end price of each product they sell. Commission amounts range dramatically within the industry — from 4% on some physical goods, all the way up to 75% on virtual goods — and conversion rates can be just as variable.
Per-sale affiliate programs are by far the most popular form of affiliate marketing, and are definitely the most visible. From Clickbank to Share-a-sale, some of the biggest affiliate networks are built almost entirely on per-sale product models.
3. Opt-in Programs
Opt-in programs are typically designed to help businesses gather leads and customer information. Instead of directly promoting affiliate products or CPA offers, affiliate marketers simply find potential customers for businesses to directly market to. Using email, address, or name submission forms, affiliates are paid for every user that submits their contact information to the advertising business.
Opt-in programs are particularly popular. Once affiliates have generated enough leads for the advertising website, prospective customers are contacted and monetized. This form of marketing is relatively low-risk for affiliates, as they are paid for every lead that they can send to the business, rather than for every sale they can generate. With the right blend of opt-in marketing and direct sales, this marketing method can be highly successful for product and service-based companies.