Welcome to some of the newer age marketing tactics. If you own any kind of small business, then we assume you are familiar with the term "affiliate marketing". If not, feel free to read along and learn all about it and how you can incorporate that into your small business.
First and foremost, if you're new here- HI! We are Sweet Sassafras Boutique. A local online boutique that is stationed in Dawsonville, GA. We are a mom and two daughter team that does everything pretty much from scratch. Feel free to read more about us here, All About Us.
Affiliate Marketing by correct term means, a marketing arrangement by which an online retailer (Sweet Sassafras Boutique for instance) pays commission to an external website for traffic or sales (meaning customers, or possible clients,by a link) generated from it's referral.
A lot of small businesses choose to go this route for a number of reasons, but the biggest one is solely because word of mouth (or posting online) by people with bigger influences generates more exposure, which for most, turns into revenue. It's a more "budget friendly" mindset and marketing tactic. Those who love your brand post all about it, others shop their link, and boom- you get more exposure and revenue while also being able to give a little income to those posting.
As an affiliate, your job is simple: post what you love. Literally. If you love our Smocked Midi dress in Black, post about it with your link or code attached. You would be surprised at how much influence you can have in your friend groups and on social media even when you don't have a huge following. This goes for any affiliate program you join.
What you DON'T want to do is lie about products you haven't used yet. A lot of people can make some good extra income from doing this, but when in doubt, you CAN get in trouble by the companies you promote for lying.
As they say, honesty is always the best policy, and as an affiliate you are suppose to promote brands you love and trust.
Looking to add some affiliate marketing into your business? Check out this article by Impact my biz for 6 reasons why affiliate marketing is a game changer.
Some tips and tricks if you are looking into being an affiliate:
1. Apply for brands you are already comfortable with. You already know what you love about them and how you use them. This is great for starting out!
2. If you are working with clothing companies, jewelers, anything that involves you having to be a model- don't stress about perfection. The goal is to be yourself and promote the product exactly how you use it and or wear it. EX: if you love our Button Up Tiered Midi Dress in Coral take some photos of yourself picking up your coffee run or picking your kids up from school!
Casual conversation and fun while representing our Boutique! See! It can be so simple and fun!
3. Facebook groups can be great but also hard to maintain. Retention can be hard here and hard to start up. But with a little dedication, you can move mountains.
4. Creating a blog can be great and you can funnel through Pinterest!
5. TikTok Shop can be a simple and easy way to start!
Did you enjoy the read? Do you have an interest in being a Sweet Sassafras Boutique Affiliate?! Sign up here.