Start an Affiliate Program

If you have a side hustle that you want to turn into a full-time gig, I have a suggestion for you.  Set up a referral or affiliate program. An affiliate program lets your customers sign up and share your services with their friends using a special link. If a friend makes a purchase, the affiliate gets a small commission.

Nervous at the thought of starting your own affiliate program?  Don't be.  It's easier than you think.  And your clients or customers will love the chance to make some money promoting someone or something they believe in.  It's an awesome combination!

If you’d like to start an affiliate or referral program, you may be stuck on how to begin. Here’s what you need to do first…

Check Your Shopping Cart

If you sell digital products or use an online shopping cart to help your clients order your service, then you may already have a few options you can use. Some software companies bundle the affiliate function with your shopping cart. If this is the case for you, set up might be as simple as reaching out to your company and letting them know you’d like to turn this feature on.

However, some software companies may charge extra to add an affiliate function to your site. They may call this feature a “plugin” or “add-on”. If the affiliate fee is affordable and you already like your shopping cart, then don’t feel like you have to switch.

Some online business owners may not have a shopping cart. If that’s your situation, then two good suggestions are aMember Pro (free affiliate feature included) or WooCommerce (affiliate feature is an add-on available for purchase).

Look for Similar Offers

Once you have the tech taken care of, you’ll want to investigate other digital business owners that are selling similar products or services. Check out their affiliate programs and see how they structure their fees.

Typically, affiliates promoting a digital product want 50% of the purchase price. However, if your affiliates will be promoting your service, then set your commission rate to 10-20% of the purchase price. If you need to, raise the price of your product or service a small amount to cover the cost of your affiliate payouts.

Ask Friends to Promote

When your affiliate program is ready to use, invite a few close friends or supporters to join. Remember that many affiliates love promoting something they believe in and earning cash for that recommendation.
Announce Your Affiliate Program

Next, tell others in your circle about your new affiliate program. Put together a page with information about your referral club. Then post this link to social media—sharing it with your Facebook groups, Instagram followers, and Twitter peeps.

Keep in mind that running an affiliate program is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s OK to let it grow slowly over the course of a few months. As you see it expand, you’ll be inspired to come up with new ways to help your affiliates promote your products or services.

Take a Stand: Be Opinionated!

I have a health and wellness blog. I am passionate about sharing fitness with other busy entrepreneurs. But after several months, I am becoming discouraged. I don't seem to be getting any traction or comments on my blog. I'm not earning much from this site and I didn’t know how to change that.

So, I asked my coach for some advice. She reviewed my website then told me that I'm not opinionated enough on my blog. She said my content was bland.  BLAND!!. She said that I should try creating content that’s opinionated, even if I ruffle a few feathers along the way!

Well we all know that I'm not afraid to stir things up a bit  But I have been playing safe with this blog. My posts have been pretty factual and not too controversial.  And I certainly haven't been sharing much of my personal journey.  Time to make a change!


If you’re like me and your blog is boring and bland, try using these tips to spice it up….

Choose a Touchy Subject

You can start by choosing a touchy subject, but stay focused here. You want a topic that’s related to your business and niche. If you run a pet blog, then sharing your thoughts on the death penalty won’t be helpful. Sure you may generate more clicks than usual but your opinions aren’t likely to resonate with your audience.

However, if you pick a topic related to your blog, your community will be more engaged with your content. For example, a dating and relationships blogger might publish a post on seven reasons women should always pay for the first date.

Promote Respect

As soon as you share a post that’s controversial, expect to see disagreements. Most people will disagree with you publicly in your comments section – although a few people may prefer to contact you through your social media platforms or email.

Not everyone has to agree with you or share your exact viewpoint. But make sure these discussions don’t become destructive. If commenters begin harassing or threatening you (or your community), delete their messages.

Be Prepared

When you’re playing big and posting on topics that are important to you, ones that fire you up, make sure you don’t focus on just your passion. You want to be prepared to back up all of your statements and views with supporting material.

This makes you look smart in the eyes of your community and it shows others that you aren’t going off on a tangent. You want to present your opinion calmly and briefly so you look (and sound) professional.

I'm going to follow my coach’s advice - on all of my blogs!  So stand by for a little stronger voice than you may be used to from me.  And perhaps an entirely new take on my health and wellness blog.

Don’t hold back on your blog or website. You can share an opinion—even one that others disagree with—and still build a thriving community.