How to Find High-Converting Affiliate Traffic Sources?
Affiliate marketers have been earning six figures for the longest time. And you know what's the one thing they have got right to get there? Their traffic source, or the mediums that send users to an affiliate site or a landing page.
Knowing the best affiliate traffic sources will ensure that you don't roam around and waste your budget on nothing. The aim is to help you find the right audience for affiliate offers, increase your referrals, and ultimately, commission. It's a whole ride, and this blog explores some of the top high-converting affiliate traffic sources for marketers. Keep on reading to find out!
What are Affiliate Traffic Sources?
Affiliate traffic sources refer to platforms that can send visitors to an affiliate's website or landing page of the affiliate product/service. Think of this traffic as the traffic you gain from the affiliate promotions. The medium you use will be considered an affiliate traffic source.
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The sources can be mainly divided into:
Paid Traffic: Includes traffic from sources that you pay for, such as online advertising through ad networks. The result is almost instant and ten times more targeted than organic traffic.
Organic Traffic: Includes traffic from unpaid sources, such as SEO and organic social media. The results may take time, but they have a longer-lasting impact than paid traffic.
How to find high-converting affiliate traffic sources?
While a good traffic source can get you plenty of successful referrals, finding it is the hardest part. Here's everything you should consider beforehand:
Where the audience is
The first thing to consider is what sources reach the audience you're aiming for. Different sources cater to different niches, and you need to find one that aligns with the majority of our audience base. For example, most fashion-related product promotions are suited for social networks. The reason is that that's where most fashion enthusiasts are active.
What your budget is
Budget is an unskippable part. Think about what traffic sources you can afford. For instance, paid traffic sources naturally cost more than organic ones. High-quality traffic that converts almost instantly tends to be more expensive than one that takes time. Therefore, it is always better to have a well-thought-out budget plan that takes into account all aspects and future considerations.
What's the amount of traffic you can expect
The amount of traffic you can receive from different sources isn't always the same. Some sources may give you a large volume of traffic at very low rates. While others might generate no traffic even at higher rates. This again depends on where most of your audience is present.
What the quality of traffic is
Suppose you created a paid ad campaign and got a decent amount of traffic, but no conversions. That's poor-quality traffic right there. The reasons could have been poor targeting or a lack of response from the users. So, look for sources that provide a better quality of traffic within the budget you have.
Restrictions and Regulations
Many ad networks and GEOs have their own restrictions and regulations that affiliates need to follow. For instance, Google and Meta heavily restrict niches like iGaming and Crypto in areas where it is banned. In such cases, you can explore other organic sources, such as social media and SEO. Or find advertising networks and GEOs that allow affiliates to advertise freely.
Top Affiliate Traffic Sources To Choose From
All affiliate marketers have their own winning affiliate marketing traffic strategies. But what works for one person may not necessarily work for all. After years of trial and error, most affiliates seem to have settled on the following affiliate website traffic sources.
Blogging
Blogging, affiliate marketing, and SEO are your PB&J sandwich. They make the perfect recipe for every website owner or blogger. Blogs provide value and build up a community, SEO inserts authority and spreads visibility, and affiliate marketing gets you the money, making it one of the best organic traffic sources for affiliates.
Blogs, as a source of affiliate traffic, are a long-term, evergreen investment. They specialize in specific niches through written content that can be published on your own website or someone else's. Once you gain an audience, you can easily promote affiliate products or services that fall within that niche.
Social Media
Everybody uses social media, and everybody is an influencer nowadays. They build their own community through their own content, sign up for affiliate programs, and promote the affiliate offers to the same community. Traffic from this source is guaranteed if you have your community's trust.
However, it's essential to note that you don’t have to be a full-fledged influencer to make a meaningful impact. In fact, you can create valuable content simply by sharing honest reviews of products that you genuinely use and appreciate. Plus, engaging with other users by responding to comments or questions can be incredibly beneficial.
Online Forums
Online forums like Reddit and Discord provide you with the freedom to establish your community and recommend products to them. And many times, you don't even need a community. All you need to do is write down your own experience of using a product. A true review of the benefits you gained, the drawbacks you felt, and how much you will rate the product.
It is a pretty straightforward way to promote affiliate products that doesn't require much experience. Additionally, not only community members, but anyone seeking a review of the product can view it.
Emails
Email affiliate marketing is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Affiliates leverage this source in two ways: by starting their own newsletter or promoting through somebody else's. While the first approach requires building up your audience and takes quite a bit of time, the latter is almost instant.
For instance, if you want to promote a crypto service, then advertising in existing crypto and finance newsletters can help. You can simply include your promotional material, unique affiliate codes, and links to get started.
PPC Advertising
PPC, or pay-per-click, advertising is one of the most popular sources of affiliate traffic. It doesn't require you to publish any form of content or build an audience. All you need to do is run paid ads through advertising networks. You get the flexibility to choose from multiple ad formats, pricing models, and targeting options.
Since the reach is more targeted, the result becomes almost instantaneous. You start gaining conversions and commissions right away.
YouTube
YouTube has been a classic when it comes to affiliate marketing. Most affiliates like to leverage videos to promote other products and services. A good script, light, and video editing skills are a must. You can publish detailed video reviews, make comparisons, create a how-to guide, do an unboxing, answer questions, or even fit in a promotion in between your original content. Remember to be clear about your affiliate codes and links. You can even pin them up in the comments or mention them in descriptions.
Conclusion
Affiliate marketing becomes easier when you have identified the sources that work best for you. All you need to do is consider your audience, budget, the volume and quality of traffic you can expect from each source, and whether there are any restrictions on using that source. To date, blogs, social media, paid advertising, email, online forums, and YouTube have consistently proven to be the best traffic sources for affiliate marketing. Check which one suits you and your audience the best, and test out different approaches to find the one.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a traffic source in affiliate marketing?
Ans. Affiliate traffic sources refer to mediums or platforms that direct users to the affiliate product's landing page or website.
How can I find the right affiliate traffic sources?
Ans. Consider your niche and audience, quality and quantity of traffic from each source, any kind of restrictions, and whether it is within your budget. Go for one that checks out all the boxes.
What are the best affiliate traffic sources?
Ans. Paid advertising and blogging are two of the best affiliate traffic sources. While paid advertising gives almost instantaneous results, traffic generated through blogs is more long-lasting, albeit it takes more time.
Where can I advertise my affiliate products or services?
Ans. 7Search PPC is the best platform for advertising affiliate products and services. Affiliates can get targeted reach within their niche, along with multiple ad formats and pricing models, making it easier to earn commissions.
What are the best sources of organic traffic?
Ans. SEO-optimized blogs and social media are among the best sources of organic traffic. You don't have to pay, plus the content you build gives long-lasting results.
