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If you are wondering how to use shareasale and how it actually works, then this article is going to tell you all these details to help you master shareasale and start your affiliate marketing blog or website or social platform like a boss.
(If you didn't know you can also use affiliate marketing on Pinterest, I have a complete guide to Pinterest Affiliate Marketing, which involve making money online without a blog or website. click here to read the Guide to start Pinterest Affiliate Marketing in 2019.)
Now, let's begin with the real stuff - "SHAREASALE"
What is ShareAsale?
"Watch the video to learn about ShareAsale from owners of ShareAsale. Keep in mind that this video is not mine, I have just put it here to help you understand the concept of ShareAsale a little better."
To put it in simple wording, ShareAsale is just a platform where merchants (vendors/sellers) put their products belonging to their site on this platform to let affiliate marketers (ie, you) to promote the merchant's products by requesting permission to promote the specific merchant's product on your website or blog or social platform and in return you will earn a small commission when people buy the affiliate products you are promoting.
Simple, right? Now that's just a summary of shareAsale, let's dive into how shareasale actually works. I guess that the reason you are still here. You want to learn how it works, right.
How does ShareAsale works?
You need to complete tax formalities, which is way simple compared to the Amazon Associates Tax Formalitites. As an international affiliate marketer, ShareAsale is so lenient with its Tax formalities compared to other affiliate programs, which I have discovered. (personal experience)
After to have complete the application, it is going to say that your application is under review and you will be notified within 1 business day. Now, understand this part clearly and put it clearly in your mind. (Oh my that sounded so aggressive but I am telling you this because I know some will start to panic if they don't get the notification within 1 business day)
When ShareAsale wrote that you will get notified within 1 business day, it is true but kinda not true at the same time. It depends on the situation. If the workload is not too much, then yes you will get notified within 1 business day but if there is too much workload then you will get notified within 3 business days not more than that.
So, put it in mind you will get notified in 1 business day or within 3 business days depending on the workload but not more than 3 business days. it's within 3 business days or less. What should I do after approval?
What do you mean what should you do? You should explore the platform. I will guide you here.
Open your Shareasale page by login in. I will explain some important stuff to you.
On the top left corner you must have noticed that there is either Mr/Mrs/Miss (seven digit number). Well, this seven digits number is your unique affiliate id or if put it simple, it is your unique affiliate number which will automatically be put in the url of the affiliate links you generate and this is the same affiliate id which will let shareasale know that the money generated from a purchase on the affiliate links belong to you.
This Part is where all the magic is conducted. If you can't see this, then click on the merchant tab, then on the drop down list click on search merchant.
I will list down the important categories and features I normally use on this page:
I use this to find the merchants belonging to my niche, which give me a broader option in my niche compared to keyword search which narrow down my option. Don't get me wrong. It's good to narrow down your niche but you might be limited to the number of product to promote.
This enables you to create different list for your affiliate product and put it in a specific list just to facilitate your task when search the merchant which belong to a specific list. Let just say you have chosen fashion niche, you can divide the merchants you have been approved to, into clothes list, shoes list, accessories list, jewelry list, designer list and so on.
This one you must check it because it will show all the popular, recognisable merchants on the marketplace and the commission are also high( most of it).
You need to check it out if you want to gain more audience, because power rank provide merchant who are easily recognisable by most people so people will tend to buy from these merchant more. The downside is that, they may reject your application just because you are a newbie (not all, you can still get a few approvals). I didn't dive into power rank right away. I waited for my website to be 3 weeks old and had created a reputation within that 3 weeks. After that I look at the power rank and choose the merchant which was suitable for my niche and requested permission to promote their promote by telling them the strategy I will use to promote their product. Luckily I got accepted for most of the affiliate programs. That's how I did it but you can choose to send request to the programs in power rank and see which program you get accepted. Normally, the affiliate program will send you an email within 1 day whether you have been accepted to the affiliate program or not.
This is an important feature you need to use because this calendar will tell you the upcoming event or occasion which you as an affiliate marketer need to track because it is in those occasion that your traffic are going to increase if you promote the product according to the event like promote gift created for mother's day, father's day, st.Patrick day, Easter day and so on.
The reason why I find this calendar helpful is because I don't celebrate most of the event like St. Patrick day, memorial day, Halloween and so on. So, i don't normally know when it is so this calendar is very helpful to me.
My most Favourite feature to use on ShareAsale is the Modify search:
This is the first feature I used and learnt to use as a new affiliate marketer. You know that as a new affiliate marketer, the probability that the permission to promote a product to get approved is very low and you want to promote products right away so that you can start increasing your business.
Well, this is where modify search come into use. If you didn't know, modify search offer the Auto-Approved and Auto-Deposit functionality which is awesome for a newbie. You will get the list of merchants which offers auto- approval so you won't have to stress about requesting for permission or getting your application rejected.
Here you are, just click on modify search button ONLY. You will see a pop up like this. Just type in your keyword (be a bit broad here) then tick on auto approved and on auto-deposit. You can either put commission rate greater than whatever number you want like 40% or let leave it blank to obtain all the result of merchants that offers auto approved function in your niche. Then click on search and see the magic.
All the program which auto approved will show up.
You just have to choose a program and click on Join program. But first let me tell you one thing. You see that little star next to join program. After joining the program you can click on the star which will let you create list in favourite where this program will be put into thus categorising your program. Cool right.
Click on save new and done.
If you want to join a program, just click on Join program (for eg, I want to join the OROSHE program. I will just click on join program.
As this is an auto-approved affiliate, you will have to pick on the agreement and just click on Join this program.
But if this wasn't an auto- approved program, then before clicking Join this Program you will have to type in how you intend to promote their product and drive traffic to their website. It may have written optional but for program which don't offer auto-approved, you MUST put your strategy if you want the merchant to consider your application seriously. After that, click on Join the program. One thing you need to keep in mind that there is a probability that the merchant declined your application right way even though it is an auto approved one, this is because they may not be accepting any application now or have money problems. ( this happened to me twice I think)
Here is the instant approval from the merchant. You will also get a message of approval in your email. Just click get links and start promoting their products.
Before continuing, I want to tell you that the auto- deposit is in regard to your earning, meaning that you money directly send to your account in shareasale without any procedure.
How to get custom affiliate links
I will take the oroshe program to explain you this part. There are programs which don't have any product listed but only a simple banner of the website given to you so that you put on your website.
This is what I mean no product in the description but only a simple banner.
So, what to do in this case. It is simple it is to create deep linking meaning to create custom link.
So, all you need to do is copy the url of the product you have chosen on the website and paste it on the custom link box and click on create. This will be your affiliate link, which you can use anywhere you want. You can shortlink it meaning making the long url short but keep it mind that shortlinks are no longer accepter on Pinterest.
One last tiny winy thing you need to know as a newbie is the activity feed on the ShareAsale home page.
This is where you will get all the information regarding the affiliate program you are working with. Only if there is a change withe your affiliate program, then a news will be published here.
Whenever you see the Red Bar, you need to know it's a danger sign meaning either the specific affiliate program has low fund or has gone offline. You need to check this one time to time. You will also see you affiliate programs have new datafeeds which are more information regarding their product which you can use to promote the product.
This is it. That is how ShareAsale works and how you should use it.
ShareAsale is an awesome affiliate platform which support new affiliate marketer. However for you to actually see progress as affiliate marketer will take time. You will not become millionaire overnight ( you can if you have traffic). It will take time, patience and lot's of hardwork. But ShareAsale totally worth it.
I hope you found this post helpful.
xoxo Nelima
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