Boost Your Course Revenue: The Power of Affiliate Links
How easy are you making it for business clients, ambassadors, associates, or raving fans to share the details of your online course (or event, for that matter) and for them to set up an affiliate link so they can share with their audience and get a cut for their effort?
Compensating these people for sharing your course link can help you get more sales and in front of a bigger audience, obviously. It also creates that extra layer of social proof and trust. Even though there is a cost, consider it as part of your marketing costs.
They will be more likely to share if they are getting a financial compensation, of course!
A while back, I researched the different affiliate features and functionality available on some course platforms for a client. We discovered it’s very important to understand the following, which may be relevant for you if you are researching course platforms too!
✅how easy is it to create and share the affiliate link with existing course purchasers or non-members outside
✅ how easy is it to pay them (do you have to manually gather their PayPal details for example and pay them or can you pay from the system)
✅ can you set up different varying percentages (5,10,15% etc) and/or a fixed amount
✅ can you set up different currencies
✅ how good is the reporting for you and can you easily identify who the affiliates are and what they are due
✅ how good is the reporting for the affiliate and can they easily what they are due and what links are working
✅ can you track recurring as well as one off course payments
✅ what is their cookie policy
And why is it important to have the functionality of being able to share an affiliate link?
🤑 because you want to be able to promote your course as widely as possible
Once you have an affiliate capability set up, remember also to make it as easy as possible for your clients to share the relevant link
Make a video showing them how to access their affiliate area
Give them examples of where they can share the link (email marketing platform/email signature/link in LinkedIn profile/linktree link/YouTube video).
Create a shared folder (GoogleDrive/Dropbox for example) with social media mages, examples of email templates or snippets they can share to explain the benefits of your course .
Let them know if they can customise the link and track on their own side to see what is working best.
Give them a list even of common objections
I'm in the business of helping busy entrepreneurs get organised, so I share the affiliate links of a select number of my clients who have online courses in this sphere (accountancy, professional organisers, coaches, etc.).
If you are researching a course platform and losing hours going down a rabbit hole reach out and book a discovery call with me to see how I can lend a virtual hand and make sure you are looking out for the right things!
