How to Earn an Income Promoting Other People’s Products as an Artist
I’ve been an affiliate for various products since 2011. In that time, I’ve earned thousands of dollars in affiliate commissions.
And that’s what it means to earn an income promoting other people’s products – being an affiliate.
Although I do want to share my experience here, you shouldn’t necessarily look to me as the poster child for successful affiliate marketing ventures.
See, if we’re willing to remain open minded, there’s a great deal we can learn from other industries, niches, and markets. As I’ve shared many times, I take it on myself to follow my interests and passions, study, and bring key takeaways and insights back to you.
So, forget what you know, or what you think you know, and let’s look to the summits of affiliate marketing for just a moment…
Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income
In my early days of internet marketing, I learned a great deal from Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income, who became known for publishing monthly income reports (although that alone was not the reason he rose to prominence).
It would seem he’s fallen out of the habit of publishing income reports in the last few years, but one of his final monthly income reports shows over $100,000 in affiliate earnings alone. That’s six-figures in a month, not in a year.
John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur On Fire
Soon to follow in Flynn’s footsteps was now infamous daily podcaster John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur On Fire. Dumas posted over $12,000 in affiliate earnings in his November 2021 income report, with a gross income of nearly $200,000 from other products and services. Again, that’s what he earned in a month, not in a year.
Those two case studies demonstrate just how powerful and amazing affiliate marketing can ultimately be.
Can You Really Earn an Income as an Affiliate?
I don’t want to create the impression that making mad stacks as an affiliate is somehow easy. Generally, becoming an affiliate means driving a lot of targeted traffic to your content – reviews, comparisons, resource roundups, things of that nature. This, so far as I’m concerned, is the most ethical, and powerful way of driving affiliate sales.
Pretending that you enjoy the product when you don’t, spamming your email list and social media profiles with affiliate links, making deceptive marketing claims… all that stuff is, for a lack of a better term (political correctness be damned), stupid.
You know what is fair game for musicians, though? Doing a rig rundown video and sharing affiliate links to the products in the description. Telling a story about your favorite guitar and letting people know where they can get theirs. Talking about your favorite video game and linking it up so your audience can find it easily and conveniently.
When you look at it like that, sharing products is a value add and a low-pressure sale.
I have never advocated musicians become full-time affiliate marketers or to even expect the world from affiliate marketing. Even the top earners, like some of the entrepreneurs mentioned earlier, put significant time and effort into creating content and promoting affiliate offers.
But as a musicpreneur, you should develop awareness for every income opportunity available to you. Personally, I regularly go through the process of identifying opportunities, selecting the ones I want to focus on, and ensuring my schedule is consistent with the pursuits I’ve committed to.
As a musicpreneur, you should develop awareness for every income opportunity available to you. Click To TweetAnd, as I pointed out earlier, I have earned thousands in affiliate commissions over the years. At times, it has been quite substantial, but most of the time it has remained solid mailbox money for me. And what is a career in music if not the accumulation of mailbox money?
Is Affiliate Marketing Too Old School to Work?
No, nothing could be more ridiculous.
Some experts claim it’s too saturated, or there are too many people doing it, or “users are smart and know what you’re doing when you review and link up specific products.”
Quite to the contrary, if you hit the right vein with SEO, you can earn a solid income on the back of your recommendations. Just make sure your recommendations are accurate. Cover the positives and negatives of the products you’re promoting (meaning – you should try the product for yourself before promoting it).
As an artist, don’t focus on driving sales. Instead, include affiliate links where relevant and appropriate, and let the sales flow on their own.
Quick reminder – you can now pre-order the Kindle edition of The Music Entrepreneur Code – 2022 Edition (just in time for the holidays). Don’t get left behind – be the first to get my latest work into your hands!
