In a perfect world, you could just do your job and the money would flow in. Unfortunately, that’s not always how it works out. To thrive as an entrepreneur sometimes requires stepping outside of your standard daily activities so you can focus on marketing ideas to try if you want to make money. For many people, this can be scary. But it doesn’t have to be. Many of these methods are simple if you know what you’re doing and will yield results faster than you would expect. Here are some marketing ideas to try if you want to make money.
Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs are essentially opportunities where you can make money by posting links on your blog or website to products that are sold elsewhere. You get paid a commission when someone buys something after clicking your link. This isn’t just for big e-commerce sites, either. Plenty of companies offer smaller affiliate programs that will still pay you decently if you refer business to them. There are low-ticket and high-ticket programs. The low-ticket programs are typically for things like weight loss supplements, dating advice, or alternative medicine while high-ticket affiliate programs are usually more traditional products or services. Google AdSense is one of the most well-known options and it’s easy to get signed up for if you have a website. There are plenty of other options available, though, like joining an affiliate program that offers pay-per-click ads instead of link referrals. The advantage of this type of affiliate marketing is that you’ll earn money even if someone doesn’t buy anything.
Niche Marketing
Niche marketing takes a slightly different approach than affiliate programs by offering targeted ads to a very specific audience rather than trying to cast as wide of a net as possible. If your website happens to be aimed at people interested in, say, getting their Ph.D. in psychology, you might consider joining an affiliate program focused on textbooks. It’s likely that many of the people visiting your site are also looking for similar products. Niche marketing isn’t necessarily better than general marketing but it can help create a more targeted list of potential customers who are likely to be interested in whatever it is you’re offering.
Social Media Marketing
Another option for marketing ideas to try if you want to make money is social media marketing. If your company already has a well-established social media presence, this can be very effective. You can use this kind of marketing to get your name out more and increase recognition. If you don’t have a huge social media presence yet, though, this might not be the best option for you unless you’re just looking to get started with something small. Here are the best social media sites to market on and how to market on them:
With over 2 billion users and counting, Facebook is a great place for social media marketing. If you have a page for your business, you should aim to post at least once each day so you stay fresh in people’s minds. You can also do things like offer discounts and freebies on the “events” section of your page. Sites like Eventbrite make this easy to use.
Facebook groups can also be a good way to connect with potential customers. You can search for relevant groups and build relationships with people in those groups by asking questions, posting links to your site, and even offering expert advice if you happen to be an industry expert.
Instagram is a great place to market ideas to try if you want to make money because it’s much more visual than sites like Facebook. You’ll need a good camera, though, to get the most out of this type of marketing. Studies have shown that visuals are much more successful in capturing a viewer’s attention and keeping it. That’s why you see so many ads on Instagram from big companies that have the money to invest in high-end cameras.
Pinterest is another visual-based site to market ideas to try if you want to make money. It works well for marketing because it’s essentially a place where people go to search for ideas and images that will help them solve problems. You can search for relevant pins and repin them to your page. If you add a catchy but informative description, many people will click through to your site if they like what they see.
Twitter is another social media site that can be a great way to market ideas to try if you want to make money. Many people use it as a source for breaking news stories and as a place where they can connect with their favorite celebrities and industry experts. You have the opportunity to get noticed by posting links back to your page or using hashtags to tag your tweets so they appear when people search for relevant keywords.
Email Marketing
Since most email programs are set up to filter out spam, an effective way to get your message in front of a wider audience is by using email marketing. This is one of the most popular ways for small businesses and bloggers to market themselves because it’s less expensive than other options yet still very effective. Here’s how to do it effectively.
Design a Disclaimer
Use a disclaimer that lets readers know that you’ll be sending them emails. You will usually see this in the form of “subscribe to our email list” and it lets readers know why they’re receiving your message.
Make Your Emails Personal
Follow up on comments or blog posts by including a link back to the site. This is also a good way to get email subscribers.
Make It Easy to Unsubscribe
This is really just common courtesy but it’s also a good idea for legal reasons. You don’t want someone complaining that you’re spamming them so make sure they have an easy way of opting out if they no longer wish to receive your emails.
Create a Series of Emails that Build One Upon Another
This will increase the chances that your subscribers read more than one of your emails and increase the chance that they’ll click on links within those messages.
Traditional Marketing (Print Media)
If you want to sell physical products or services and still make good money, traditional marketing ideas like print ads and brochures can be an effective way to market your business. Many people still use these types of tools to market their businesses so it’s definitely worth exploring if you’re interested in making money with a brick and mortar location or physical product.
Marketing is a fundamental part of any business venture which is why it’s essential that you learn as much as possible about it and hone your skills if you’re serious about making money. The best way to do that is by trying every idea that comes your way, keeping what works, and learning from what doesn’t. With this method, you’ll not only come up with your best marketing ideas to try but you’ll find that the process becomes easier as well.
About the Author
Jiggy Brown is a Content Marketing Manager for a mobile technology blog that covers tips and tricks related to Mobile and other technology-related trends.
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