Guide to Affiliate Marketing in Kenya.
}
![]()
Affiliate marketing is earning a commission through the promotion of other people's or company's products. We can view it as creating and marketing of a product or service across original parties, with each party receiving a revenue share as per their contribution. Notably, it is not only product creation or promotion that will define you as an affiliate marketer since you can become a creator and a marketer and still enjoy the underlying idea of revenue sharing.
Affiliate marketing is a skill-based approach that anyone can learn. It works by the spread of responsibilities of product marketing and creation among the parties involved. Affiliate marketing can thus leverage various individual's abilities to make the marketing process more effective while providing all the contributors with a share of the profits. The process involves the following parties:
Ø The Merchant.
Commonly known as a creator, seller, brand, retailer, or vendor, the
merchant is the owner of the product and can be a company or an individual. They
are not actively involved in the promotion process but only have the product or
service to sell. In the affiliate program, anyone can become a merchant; thus, be
not worried about finding products as you will a variety of merchants.
Sometimes known as the publisher, the affiliate can either be an
individual or a company. The business of affiliate marketing often earns the
affiliate a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars with the right
strategies in place. The affiliate process is where the marketing occurs; they
promote one or multiple products by attracting and convincing a potential
customer of the value of the products that the merchant has for them to end up
buying it.
The consumer or customer is very essential in making the affiliate
process to work. They are the source of revenue for the merchant and the source
of the commission for the affiliate. The affiliate is charged with seeking a
customer in every means possible either through social networks, content
marketing, or digital billboards. On a mention, the affiliate does not often
know that they are part of the affiliate process; however, some affiliates
choose to tell the potential customer as a form of incentive.
For many people, the network is often left out and not considered in the affiliate marketing process. The network is more than just
the online platform or marketing media; it is the relationship and the
interaction that you have with the people you intend to sell to. It acts
as the intermediary between the affiliate and the customer; substantially, an
affiliate may have to go through specific affiliate networks to promote a
product
How Does Affiliate Marketing Pay in Kenya?
Affiliate marketing is a quick and inexpensive way of making money
without the hustle of selling the product. To point out, one complicated issue
that is often not addressed is, "How do I get paid as an affiliate
marketer?" Well, here is an avid description of how you will be paid as an
affiliate marketer.
The payment methods are dependent on the program one chooses:
Ø Pay Per Sale
The pay per sale program works similar to the traditional forms of
marketing; it is the standard affiliate marketing structure. A merchant pays an
affiliate an agreed percentage of any purchase that is made through the
affiliate. Unlike other forms of marketing, the merchant sets the price hence the
affiliate is only to compel the customer to make a purchase hence earn a
commission.
Ø Pay Per Lead
This structure or program is however more complex as it requires
more effort to generate enough income. The merchant pays the affiliate in the form
of compensation based on the conversion of leads. The affiliate's work is to
compel the customer or potential client to visit the website of the merchant
and complete either of the desired actions of filling a contact form, signing
up for a trial of a product, newsletter subscription, downloading or sharing a
software.
Ø Pay Per Click
The most common and effortless way of making money. The program
focuses on incentivizing the affiliate to redirect a consumer from their
marketing platforms to the website of the merchant. The affiliate, therefore,
has to engage the consumer and convince them, persuade that is, to visit the website
of the merchant; the pay is dependent on the amount of traffic generated by the
affiliate.
Why You Need to Become an Affiliate Marketer
Are you navigating this article and still not convinced why you
need to become an affiliate marketer? Here are the reasons why you need to be
one:
1.
Source of
passive income.
Generate more income by just featuring a product on your platform
or leading someone to another platform.
2.
There is NO
customer support.
You will not be blamed or be held accountable for any sales that
go awry; it is all to the merchant. You only need to ensure that you sell or
lead people to authentic products and sites.
3.
You get to
work from home.
There isn't much to discuss here; today, people earn more while working online at the comfort of their homes, be sure to be one.
4.
It is cost-effective.
Are you held back by financial constraints in starting your dream
business? Maybe redirect your energy into affiliate marketing. It requires low startup
fees of only acquiring a marketing platform, and you are set to go.
5.
Convenient
and Flexible.
You will be considered or consider yourself a freelancer; you will
have the ultimate independence and freedom to set your own goals, how to market,
the timelines, and products. Only beware that this freedom is directly
proportional to your pay.
6.
You get what
you deserve.
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based reward program; more
effort and conversions translate to more income. Hone your reviewing skills and
write engaging campaigns to enable you to improve your performance and overall
income.
Affiliate Marketing Channels
While thinking of starting an affiliate marketing business, you
must have thought about the media. There are several channels you can choose
from to set up an affiliate marketing business:
1.
Influencer
Marketing
An influencer is a person who holds the power of impacting the
purchasing decisions to a large customer base. They are in a great position to
market from the affiliate marketing business as they already have an impressive
following population; hence it easy for them to direct consumers to merchant
products and websites through social media, blog posts, and other follower
interactions.
2.
Blogging
Bloggers input more effort in analyzing the minor details of all
aspects of life into significant issues and address them based on timelines or
specified target audiences. Blogging works best for pay per sale as the blogger
can review product or service and compel the readers to buy it. A blogger may
also write posts and set up related posts through which they earn by pay per
click or pay per lead programs.
3.
Paid Search
Focused Microsites
Microsites are distinct and separate from the main site of the
merchant organization; they are advertised within a partner site or on
sponsored search engine listings. The microsite ensures that it offers the client more focused and relevant content, which thus leads to conversions.
These are sites that are designed to create huge traffic amounts
as they focus on building an audience of millions of subscribers. The websites
may have banners and contextual affiliate links that would lead to more rates
of conversions.
5.
Email Lists
If you have a blog or a website, it is much easier to get email
signups that you can send affiliate product recommendations and leads.
Affiliate Marketing Plan
Affiliate marketing is rapidly overtaking other forms of marketing
as it wins more and more customers every day, all thanks to technological
advancement. Affiliate marketing is also becoming more common, and people are
taking it up with the increase in the number of websites. For you to become
successful with affiliate marketing, you need a plan, and here are the tips:
A niche can be a product or service that you are passionate about,
relates to your discipline or career, or you are more informed about. Choosing
a niche comes first since it will determine the extent to which you will carry
on with the affiliate marketing programs. You can also consider the marketability,
competition, and possible merchant sources when choosing a niche.
After choosing a niche, build your marketing platform. The
platforms may be through social media, blogs, or websites. The platform is
vital since it is what would convince the merchant of your potential customer
base for them to allow you to market their products.
3.
Develop a
rapport with the customers
Developing a rapport gives you an upper hand when it comes to
winning the customers and even maintaining them. Create an audience with
specific interests as you showcase the excellent reputation of the product or
the brand. Consider creating compelling content for your readers or viewers in
your platform that would lead to conversions.
4. Create a robust affiliate network
It is more advantageous for one to create personal affiliate
networks, which will help in tapping more customers. Creating an extensive
affiliate network requires consistency and patience because you will begin with
a low number, then the chain will keep on lengthening with time. The growth of
the network depends on your trustworthiness, loyalty, and honesty; hence you should
make sure that all the appropriate information that can attract as many
customers are provided.
5. Optimize your product page for conversation
On a mention, social media platforms play a significant role in
this. You should have a platform where the potential customers can ask
questions, give their feedback, and for you also to address the raised concerns.
The communication alone plays a vital role in maintaining the customers; thus,
the site should be attractive, contain sufficient information and user
friendly.
6.
Leverage the
power of influencers
Influencers can make a product to sell much faster. You may write
blog posts about these influential persons, and their followers will be much
compelled to read them, thus growing your readership and potential affiliate customer
base.
Substantially, affiliate marketing success heavily lies in the types
of plans put in place. The best ideas sell better, while inadequate methods
result in low sales. The above procedures prove to be some of the best that can
lead to rapid sales.
Selecting an Affiliate Marketing Program
The following are the tips to consider when choosing an affiliate
marketing program:
Physical products have to manufactured, stored, and shipped; hence
they are much challenging if not difficult to operate, which translates to the
low rates of commission. Services, on the other hand, pay out more since they
bank on numbers of users or sales to cover for the effort in such competitive
markets.
2.
The
Commission Payouts
If you are going for pay per sale, consider a commission that is
favorable and much easier to achieve, not unless it is fixed for certain
products. Note the following:
Ø Selling more may increase the commission
Ø New program joiners may have some promotions
Ø The rate of commission varies for different products
3.
The Referral
Lifetime of the Cookie.
This is the time frame from the initial click to the purchase in
which a person is eligible for a commission. A long lifetime of a cookie is more
appealing since you will not have to worry about the customers or readers
failing to click or convert; eBay is one such merchant that offers 60 days’
cookie lifetime. You thus need to pay close attention to the cookie lifetime
policy whenever you are choosing an affiliate program.
4.
The Payout
Conditions of the Affiliate Programs
Many companies pay out monthly with only a few paying out based on
the threshold amounts. One harsh truth is that you may not earn anything and
worse of it all, some companies go ahead and charge you if you don't earn
anything for some months. Go for threshold payouts; you only earn after
reaching a specific target as this will make you sell more.
5.
The Criteria
of Acceptance
Every merchant wants their products to sell, making them open to
all affiliates; contrarily, some merchants impose serious restrictions for one
to become an affiliate. Take for example, Airbnb, who only allows affiliates
with websites and with at least one million visitors every month, which
explains the reason for their purported 10% commission on sales.
In addition to the mentioned factors, consider the size of the
market or marketability of the product or service, the competition and earning
per click. It is only after you consider all these factors that you will be
able to make a rational or sound decision on the affiliate program company that
is right for you.
Best Affiliate Products to Promote in Kenya
With a niche, you have a specific product to promote, for those
without a niche, here is a list of best affiliate products to promote in Kenya:
1.
Phone and Laptop
[accessories].
2.
Kitchen
equipment.
3.
Fashion wear.
4.
Gaming.
5.
Betting.
6.
Travel and
Tourism.
7.
Jewelry and
watches.
8.
Footwear
9.
Beauty
products
10.Food delivery services and coupons
11.Office accessories
12.Digital learning
Best Affiliate Programs in Kenya
Affiliate programs or associate programs are mutual arrangements that
describe the affiliate marketing plan. There are several companies offering affiliate
programs in Kenya, ranging from online courses, website development sites to
e-commerce platforms. The following qualifies to be some of the companies
offering the best affiliate programs;
1. Jumia
Jumia is an e-commerce platform for trading online; they have a variety of products, including fashion clothing, electronics, foodstuffs, among others. It is a market place of leading logistics and connectivity and is one of the best dealers on online purchases. Jumia's advertising media consist of banners, product feeds, and text links. It offers a 13% commission and cookie life of 7 days.
2.
Travelstart
Travelstart is a traveling agency that serves both business and leisure
travelers. It enables traveling individuals to make a comparison and get their
best taste in means of travel and accommodation services. Travelstart agency
works on a specific radius enabling it to serve specific audiences; this has
disadvantaged some individuals outside the scope in addition to having specific
rates of commission of $4 to $12 for domestic booking using the platform.
3.
Kilimall
Kilimall is one of the largest online shopping malls in Kenya. Kilimall
deals in a wide range of products, including; clothes, electronics, fashion,
and home appliances. It offers training services for their affiliate for
beginners via their website. Kilimall gives a 2% to 8% commission based on the
category of the product.
4.
iPay Africa
iPay Africa is an innovative payment processing solution across
the African continent that has eased the use of payment methods such as M-Pesa,
MasterCard, Kenswitch, Airtel Money across the among the nations at a very
lower charge. It has helped in curbing financial insecurity, which was a
challenge initially when transacting money. The percentage of commissions
offered to clients is very friendly (2.5%); one can also earn up to 10%
commission of iPay commission fees throughout the merchants transacting
lifetime.
HostFiti helps small-scale businesses to create content online
efficiently; one can easily use website builders to create a professional
website at a lower price. Its success heavily lies in the creativity of the
seller or the one promoting the brand. Creativity can be enhanced in the form
of videos, banners. HostFiti Website Builder cookies have a lifespan of 45 days
and 20% to 25% commission.
6.
Betin
The company has partnered with Paysafe Income Access in creating
an affiliate program that focuses on the Kenyan and Ugandan markets. The
betting site pays out commission whenever a person joins through an affiliate
link.
7.
Topserve
Topserve is a company specializing in accessories used in cake
décor, packaging, and edible photo printing. If you are passionate about
baking, this merchant is then for you; you will earn a commission of 5% on
sales.
Other notable affiliate marketing programs in Kenya are:
Ø E-Pay Kenya
Ø E-Host Kenya
Ø African Point
Ø Kenya Website Experts
Ø Tropical Valley Tours and Travel
Ø Kenyapesa
How to Build and Optimize a Marketing Audience
Building and optimizing the marketing audience is the initial
stage that either reflects on the success or the failure in a business. It
encompasses the creation of the target market or potential customers that would
make purchases or lead conversions. Building a marketing audience requires
patience on the side of the seller as customers are won in stages; they start
as readers or info-enthusiasts then convert to potential customers.
1.
Research on
your target audience
Modern technology has significantly boosted research and knowledge on customer dynamics through social media platforms. Through frequent conversations, a seller will get to know the taste that the majority of the customers need, which can also influence the marketing language.
2.
Take
advantage of data and analytics
You can always track your website performance through affordable
google analytics. Besides, social media platforms can enable you to create more
appealing analytics by following the preference of the majority; this helps in
even creating more opportunities.
Search engine optimization [SEO] is another meaningful way of
optimizing the marketing audience. SEO refers to all the technologies and
tactics used to boost the marketing ranking in a competitive field. For example, when one is searching on a
specific topic on google, your ranking is necessary because the audience
assumes that the first website is the best.
4. Harness the magic of social media
For the last ten years, social media has revolutionized the way people interact; this means that via social media platforms, one can win as many customers as possible. Through social media, you have everyone's attention, which makes marketing and interaction so much easier as they allow a seller to advertise their products to as many people as possible. On a notable scale, online presence seems to be the other name of success, but only in case the buyer can be able to create a good rapport with the customers and showcase the excellent reputation of the brand.
5.
Leverage the power of automation.
Technology has changed marketing strategies through software and
data management. The power of automation originates from technology, whereby
one can post the content on the social media platforms and win the customers
automatically without reaching them physically. This helps in increasing the
profit margin as the cost of expenditure is lowered. The power of automation
helps in planning on the campaigns and gives the assurance that the
budget-planning will be easy.
6.
Use the internet to brand your product
. The best form of online branding is to own a website, where the content about the brand can always be displayed. The is no general approach of branding because every brand uses different procedures concerning their target audience and the nature of the business they run.
Building and optimizing the marketing audience is much dependent on
the follow-ups made by the seller, a good rapport created between the seller
and the buyer, and the level of creativity employed in the marketing of a
brand.
Successful Affiliate Marketing Tips
Affiliate marketing requires dedication, strict attention to the
customers, adherence to the customer's preference. The following are some of
the best tips for a successful affiliate marketer;
1.
Be passionate
about the job.
It is apparent that everyone that one can do what he or she loves
better. Many have tried affiliate marketers just for money, but it has worked
for a short period then collapses. Let it be something you enjoy doing and
would be proud to wake up to every day.
2.
Learn from
others
There are several sources of information online of people
detailing their experiences on how to go about affiliate marketing. All you
need is 20 minutes of internet search.
3.
Learn about
the product you are promoting
This step has failed many
marketers because they don't do enough research about the product; hence they
cannot answer the questions posted by the customers correctly. In turn,
customers tend to shy away as they perceive such marketers as untrustworthy and
dishonest.
4.
Be
consistence
As an affiliate marketer, one should try to be consistent despite
the challenges. You should always in touch with the customers; for example, one
should be responding to the questions on the website frequently and even
posting on the website at regular intervals.
5.
Build a
strong reputation in your niche.
Affiliate marketing has gone through some stages that make it more
complicated as never before. Building a good reputation will help in winning
more customers and retaining the already existing ones. This can be achieved by
being polite, honest, and keeping in touch through communication with the
customers. The complexity is brought by the competitive environment existing,
which has contributed to the elimination of lazy marketers. The few who can
compete stiffly experiences a wide profit margin.
Teamwork works best in affiliate marketing as it boosts the number
of customers won because everyone will be posting the same content on different
platforms. The team members will have different individuals following them, but
the content is the same. A team discusses and comes up with the best ideas that
favor the majority of the customers.
7.
Make a plan
Every business success lies in the plans allocated. Best plans
take the win everywhere, and affiliate marketing is not excluded in
plan-making. The plan is just a sketch of the actual thing you want to do and acts
as a directive measure in every step to be followed.
Beginners Mistakes in Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketers make mistakes; many such errors are from ignorance, lust, and lack of experience. The mistakes are petty often costs the brand to eliminate them. The best way to deal with such simple errors is to go through them before making your final decisions. The following are some mistakes that are frequently made by beginners;
1.
Wrong
decision on the product to promote
The choice of the product to deal with has been a challenge to
many affiliate marketers. This is a mistake that results from uncontrolled
desire as many aims at promoting expensive products to earn more money only to
generate fewer sales. Many affiliates also fail to consider other factors like
the change in seasons; for example, one cannot decide to promote sweaters
during the hot seasons. The best method to deal with this is to trade in many
products that cater for such changes.
2.
Poor website
designing
A website is the best platform for marketing a product; therefore,
it needs a proper design that can impress more audiences who are accessing it.
Poorly designed websites drive away potential customers who are unable to get
the content logically. Make your website user-friendly, easily accessible, and
avoid putting up adverts without offering access to web content.
3.
Low-quality
content.
The content is the only driving factor of the customers; if it is
impressive, the customers will have to promote the brand by buying the product.
The materials should be published and posted after thorough proofreading by
different skilled individuals to avoid this mistake.
4.
Failure to
give the updates
In case there are any slight changes that you will be working on, make the customer aware of it, including product or service updates by the merchants. These could be changes in price, improvement in the quality, and even in case of offers. Failure to give updates will drive away potential customers as they may consider you as incompetent.
5.
Failure to
track on the website performance
This is a mistake resulting from ignorance; many affiliate
marketers assume that once they post their content on their websites, there is
no need to revisit the site to check on its performance. Through data
analytics, you will be able to know the level of engagement, and overall
performance, thus make sound predictions and decisions for change.
6.
Promoting too
many products at the same time
Many affiliate marketers are tempted to choose too many products to promote at the same time. When all these products are posted on the same website, there won't be any logic in the content. Some customers' preferences may be down in the list; hence they won't be able to read all the information, but just quit.
7.
Repetition of
ideas
This results from the failure of one to research one keep on
repeating the same content on their website. It often bores the audience
because they will read the same thing repeatedly; you, therefore, need to
get creative.
Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing
In summary, you need to use the following strategies to get
started with affiliate marketing in Kenya
Ø Choose a niche
Ø Choose and build a platform
Ø Find a program to join
Ø Create great and interesting content
Ø Drive traffic to the affiliate site
Ø Get clicks on your affiliate links
Ø Convert the clicks into sales
Go ahead and make money
Sorry for the long post, anyway are you ready to start this journey? Subscribe to our newsletter and get daily insights and free help to actualize this dream!