Chapter 8. Paid Traffic vs. Free Traffic
Your audience is one of the most critical aspects of affiliate marketing and industry in general. You would appeal to a very particular audience that is actively seeking something. You don't want to drive random traffic to your website when it comes to affiliate marketing. You want to send laser-targeted traffic to your platform, where you will offer them just what they want. Only keep in mind that matching a niche demographic to a good or service that is in demand nearly often results in a profit. It's as easy as going to Foot Locker in search of running shoes.
8.1. Different types of traffic
The only distinction between paying and free traffic is that paid traffic is based on someone else's efforts. Not only that but most paid traffic is traffic that starts working nearly immediately, so there is no waiting for traffic to start. Someone that buys ad space on a page, for example, might be called paid traffic. Paid traffic is often thought to be less hands-on in the way that it is a set-it-and-forget-it strategy with a few tweaks here and there. Free traffic, on the other side, is any traffic you deliver to your website at no cost, or by search engines or guerilla tactics. It is free traffic if you post in discussions and have a connection to your website in your signature. Free traffic, on the other hand, normally takes a long time. Since there are so many ways to drive traffic to your website, I've separated the two forms of traffic into free and paid traffic.
Google Ads – Pay Per Click (PPC) is the major kahuna of online paid ads, with Google Adwords dominating. You've already found that these commercials appear with the search results. Through PPC, you bid on a keyword and the location in which your ad appears. This is by far one of the quickest ways to drive focused traffic to your website, but if handled incorrectly, it may easily drain your bank account.
Facebook Ads – Since you can reach very particular audiences with Facebook ads, they've grown in popularity. Anything you placed in your Facebook profile, from your hobbies to your friendships, is registered. You will use this detail to create Facebook advertisements that are only seen to those that suit your ideal demographic. Start tiny, set a budget, and keep an eye on your pocket, much as with Google Adwords.
Ad Space - An easy and old method of gaining traffic, entails purchasing a text link or banner location on another page. Always make sure you're buying ad space on a website that's important and directly related. It is strongly advised that you have a provision in your contract that allows you to cancel within 72 hours if things do not seem to be going well. Often webmasters would exaggerate statistics such as traffic hits.
Ad Network - Many people do not want to go to the hassle of looking for websites to purchase ad space on, instead they just use an advertisement network, which acts as a middleman between you and the website providing advertising space. There are numerous options available, including Adbrite, BuySellAds, and Chitika.
SOURCES OF FREE TRAFFIC
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - This is the method of enhancing the visibility of the website in search engines, ideally at the top. This is one of our preferred approaches because it is less expensive than compensated ads and typically yields a greater return on investment. This is a lengthy phase that will take us days to complete, so it's something to think about.
Social Network - With the introduction of Facebook and Twitter, social networking is on the rise. You will build accounts, communities, and pages for both of them. Building this would allow you to develop a following as well as an online presence from which you can share content from your website with these customers. It's what you can use for Secret, and can get thousands of hits every day.
Forums – Go out to look for these forums in your niche. You can earn recognition and be willing to share your page if you have great value and connect with other members.
Online Groups - Yahoo groups, Google groups, Ning, email groups, and Yahoo Answers are all examples of the online community. Close to forums, but with a distinct kind of discussion channel. As you get more active, you would be able to increase the number of visitors to your website.
Youtube – A large number of affiliate marketers use Youtube to drive traffic to their websites. Youtube and other video marketing outlets also make their videos featured in the search engine rankings, making it a perfect place to find instructional and how-to videos.
Blogs – There's a forum for anything, and fortunately for you, niche blogs exist. Guest blogging on a platform is something that webmasters adore. In exchange, you'll be able to connect back to your website at the very end.
Paid advertising is, of course, the quickest path to go if you have funds to spend. However, since we want affiliate ads to be as low-cost as possible, I consider utilizing guerilla tactics for free traffic. Never depend on a single stream of traffic, much like you wouldn't throw all your eggs in one basket. Let's imagine you're receiving a lot of relevant traffic to your website from a Youtube video you put up, but Youtube decides to remove it because you used copyright content. You will no longer get any clicks, which ensures you will not get any purchases, as soon as this occurs. My advice is to get out there, participate in various platforms, and establish a presence. As a result, you can become a guru and the go-to page.