In the past year, publicists have witnessed the continued rise of the integration between marketing and public relations. The most significant proof of this continued overlap between the two fields is the prevalent use of affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing has now become one of the most effective tools that a public relations marketing agency can use to help achieve and create better relations with publications and journalists.
This blog will explain what affiliate marketing is, how it works, and why public relations marketing agencies can benefit from it.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a process in which publications can commission a product by promoting the product via an affiliate link. Affiliate marketing allows businesses to market their products using well-known publications risk-free and allow for their brand awareness to increase. It is also a great way to track how many clicks and even shop from the affiliate links.
Affiliate marketing and links have helped many businesses reach their target audiences along with new audiences because publications can offer more niche and unique recommendations to their audiences.
How Do Publicists Use Affiliate Marketing?
Next, affiliate marketing combined with public relations can increase the odds of gaining a media feature with affiliate publications. Many of the publications you love and dream of getting on are often known as affiliate publications. Publications such as Bustle, Buzzfeed, CNN, Forbes, People Magazine, Seventeen, USA Today, The Zoe Report, and others have many features that mainly feature affiliate link companies. Many of these publications will use affiliate links by creating different forms of content with them, like long-form reviews, gift guides, buzzy product articles, listicles, and collections. This content is prevalent among larger audiences since it allows them to quickly explore various products.
Publicists also use affiliate links because it helps create lasting relationships with not only the editors but with the publications. A consistent affiliate program allows publicists to reach out to the editors writing the features your audience is reading.
How To Start Affiliate Marketing and Maintain Success?
When working with a public relations marketing agency, we will bring up having an affiliate marketing strategy or if you plan on joining it. There is no pressure in joining, but if you decide to have your business in and start with affiliate marketing, you will need to join an affiliate link program. When it comes to affiliate link programs, there are various programs that you can participate in like Share Sale, Amazon Associates, or Rakuten. These three are known to be the most popular ones among the many that there are. Feel free to research and find which one is best for you.
Finally, to maintain success, you want to make sure that the products you are picking for affiliate marketing are the ones you can recall to be your bestsellers or the attention grabbers. Make sure you update your affiliate links correctly to reflect what you and your business are demeaning as successful and always let your public relations marketing agency update on any changes. You want to ensure that we share the updated and correct information with our contacts.
Affiliate marketing has become a significant role in public relations regarding media relations and client relations. Here at BLND, we are excited to see how affiliate marketing will continue to define and change the industry’s landscape. Click here to learn more about the changing landscape of the public relations industry.