We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Lori Ballen is a member of the Amazon Associates Program
There are a lot of different ways to make money from your blog. Two of the most popular are affiliate marketing and referral marketing. But what’s the difference? And which one is right for you? This post will break down everything you need to know about affiliate and referral marketing to decide which one is best for you. Let’s get started!
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Table of Contents
Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing. In affiliate marketing, you partner with a brand or company and promote their products or services in exchange for a commission. If someone buys something through your link, you earn a commission on that sale.
There are a lot of different ways to participate in affiliate marketing. You can partner with a company as an affiliate and promote their products or become an affiliate marketer and create your affiliate program.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money because it’s relatively simple to set up, and you don’t need a lot of start-up capital. It’s also a great way to build relationships with brands.
What is Referral Marketing?
Referral marketing is a type of word-of-mouth marketing. In referral marketing, you partner with another company to promote their products or services in exchange for a commission. But this time, you don’t earn a commission on every sale. You only make a commission if the person you referred buys something through your link.
Referral marketing is a great way to make money because it’s relatively simple to set up, and you don’t need a lot of start-up capital. It’s also a great way to build relationships with other companies.
The Differences Between Affiliate and Referral Marketing
Affiliate marketing and referral marketing are great ways to make money from your blog. But they have a few key differences.
One Example:
Referral Marketing:
Karen buys new shows online that she loves. Her friends ask her about her shoes. She gives them her referral link. When her friend buys a pair of shoes using her referral link, they save $20. Karen is then also credited $20 towards her next pair of shoes.
Affiliate Marketing:
Sheila writes a blog about the best shoes for women with high arches. She includes links to each pair of shoes on Amazon which she has an affiliate partnership. When someone buys a pair of shoes using her link, she earns a commission, generally a percentage of the sales price.
1. Commission Structure: In affiliate marketing, you can earn a commission on every sale. You only make a commission in referral marketing if the person you referred buys something through your link, and it’s a one-time payout.
2. Relationship with Brands: In affiliate marketing, you partner with a brand or company. In referral marketing, you are simply sharing a link. There is no real relationship.
3. Affiliate payouts are almost always cash, where referral marketing often points or discounts on your direct purchases.
4. Affiliate marketing can be a business. It’s a great side hustle or a full-time income. Referral marketing is not likely to provide substantial cash flow.
5 Many affiliate marketers have a business license, while most referral marketers do not.
Affiliate Marketing Examples
Mike is a stay-at-home dad and has a blog. He gives parenting tips and reviews products he likes. He’s an affiliate for a baby carrier company and promotes their products on his blog.
Many stay-at-home parents also have blogs because it’s a great way to share information with other parents and make some money on the side. In Mike’s case, he promotes a product that he likes and gets a commission on his sales.
This is just one example of how affiliate marketing can work. There are many different ways to promote products as an affiliate, and it can be a great way to make some extra money.
Jack has a Youtube channel. He shows people how to do basic repairs around the house on his Youtube channel. He’s an affiliate for a home repair company and promotes their products on his channel. He includes his affiliate links in the description of each video.
Rachel runs a blog about fashion. She’s an affiliate for a clothing company and promotes their products on her blog. She includes her affiliate links in the blog posts and on social media.
Jack, Mike, and Rachel are using affiliate marketing to promote products that they like and are interested in. Affiliate marketing is an excellent way for them to make some money from their blogs or Youtube channels while also providing valuable information to their audiences.
Referral Marketing Examples
LaTosha loves the gym. She goes five days a week and has told all of her friends. She recommends her favorite gym to them and provides her referral link.
If one of LaTosha’s friends joins the gym using her referral link, LaTosha gets a free month of membership. She can use her free month at any time, and she doesn’t have to be a current member.
Brian owns a restaurant. He’s been looking for a way to get more customers, and he’s heard about referral marketing. He decides to give out referral cards to his customers. When one of his customers brings in a referral card from a friend, they get a free appetizer.
Brian uses referral marketing to give his customers an incentive to refer their friends. This is a great way to get more people in his restaurant and increase his business.
Both LaTosha and Brian are using referral marketing to get more customers. LaTosha recommends her favorite gym to her friends, and Brian gives out complimentary appetizers to his customers when they refer their friends. Referral marketing can be a great way to increase business and grow your customer base.
Both affiliate marketing and referral marketing have their benefits. It’s essential to understand the differences before deciding which one is right for you. Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money by promoting products you like, while referral marketing can be a great way to get bonuses from brands you love.
