OPM Gives Agencies More Control in Remote Work Guidance

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The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has recently unveiled refreshed guidelines for federal employees regarding remote work, signaling a shift away from maximum telework during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This updated guidance supplements previous recommendations on integrating remote and telework practices within the federal workforce, which were initially issued in 2021.

The objective of this new guidance is to assist agencies in crafting and executing their own remote work policies. It is crucial to differentiate between remote work and telework, as remote work involves working entirely off-site, while teleworkers are expected to report to the office a few days per week.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” emphasized OPM Acting Director Rob Shriver. “Certain flexible work arrangements may not be suitable for every agency, department, or team, or align with every role or individual.”

Agency Responsibility

The guidance places the onus on federal agencies, clarifying that they are accountable for determining position eligibility and employee participation in remote work.

OPM advocates for agency leadership to supervise and oversee the implementation of remote work, along with the establishment of current, written policies governing remote work practices.

In terms of accountability, agencies are required to delineate the roles and duties of supervisors in monitoring employee compliance.

Not Suitable for All

Agencies are advised to adopt a standardized evaluation process for identifying remote work-eligible positions.

For such roles, agencies are advised to proceed cautiously before permitting remote work for senior leaders and new or early career talent, as these arrangements should be thoroughly evaluated due to the importance of senior leadership presence in the workplace and the mentorship and learning prospects for new and early career talent.

When employees reside near their assigned office, OPM encourages agencies to explore telework options for these positions.

Agencies are also urged to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to gauge the impact of remote work on an agency’s mission fulfillment, recruitment and retention efforts, and work-related travel.

“With deliberate and strategic implementation, remote work can offer considerable advantages to employers,” emphasized Acting Director Shriver.

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Binance transfers 137B Shiba Inu tokens: What’s behind the massive shift?

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  • The Binance exchange recently moved billions of SHIB tokens.
  • SHIB rose by over 4% in the previous trading session but has lost most of it in the current one. 

A significant Binance transfer of Shiba Inu [SHIB] tokens has sparked discussions about the potential future movements of the cryptocurrency.

Despite the speculative buzz surrounding this transfer, analysis of the SHIB price trend over the last 24 hours shows no notable changes or reactions in its market value.

The curious Binance transfer

As seen on Etherescan, Binance recently conducted a significant transfer involving over 137 billion Shiba Inu tokens. The transfer, noteworthy due to its size, was valued at over $1.9 million based on the current price of SHIB tokens.

The Binance transfer of 137 billion SHIB tokens might indicate several operational moves. 

It could represent liquidity management efforts, where the exchange redistributes tokens to ensure even liquidity across its trading platforms.

Alternatively, the transfer could be part of routine security measures, such as shifting funds between cold and hot wallets or managing large user withdrawal requests. 

Another possibility is that Binance is preparing for new initiatives like staking services, participating in a token burn event, or setting up a new listing or strategic partnership that requires token reallocation.

Additionally, such a significant transfer might be due to rebalancing the exchange’s reserves or adhering to new regulatory compliance needs.

Furthermore, as of this writing, neither Binance nor the Shiba Inu team has issued an official statement regarding the transfer.  This has yet to make the exact purpose of the transaction clear. 

Additionally, a review of the Shiba Inu burn rate on Shibburn indicates that there has been no significant activity in the past 24 hours. Data analysis shows a 100% decrease in token-burning activity during this period.

SHIB in the aftermath of the transfer

Analysis of Shiba Inu on a daily time frame indicates that the recent Binance transfer has not significantly impacted its price movements. 

According to AMBCrypto, the token has been oscillating between uptrends and downtrends over the past three days. 

Shiba Inu price trend

Source: TradingView

The previous trading session closed with SHIB gaining 4.03%, reaching approximately $0.00001393, following a nearly 5% decline in the prior session.


Realistic or not, here SHIB’s market cap in BTC’s terms


As of the latest data, SHIB is trading at around $0.00001365, marking a drop of over 2%.

This suggests that market reactions to external events such as the Binance transfer have been minimal, with the token continuing its typical volatility pattern.

7 Influencer Marketing Tools For Brands and Creators

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Say you have a product ready to launch and need to find influencers to generate buzz. Or perhaps you’ve already identified a creator you’d like to collaborate with and need a way to manage the partnership. In either case, you’ll likely hit up Google for an influencer marketing tool.

But with so many options available, how do you choose? Choosing the right platform for your influencer marketing efforts can be overwhelming—not because of a lack of options, but because there are so many to choose from.

So, in this article, we’ll cut through the noise to help you find the best tool for your specific needs.

  1. Heepsy
  2. HypeAuditor
  3. LTK
  4. Shopify Collabs
  5. #paid
  6. Passionfroot
  7. Skeepers

Heepsy

Best affordable influencer marketing tool

Heepsy offers an extensive database of influencers across various social media platforms and robust analytics to match. 

The platform’s advanced search functionalities allow businesses to filter influencers by multiple criteria, ensuring that they can identify those who best match their target audience and campaign objectives. 

Standout feature for brands:

Heepsy provides advanced search filters that allow users to narrow down influencer options based on various criteria such as location, follower count, engagement rates, niche, and more.

Standout feature for creators:

Creators can get access to a wide range of campaigns and sign up to be presented to join the platform’s database.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start from $89/mo with a free trial.

HypeAuditor

Best full-cycle influencer marketing tool

influencer marketing tool

HypeAuditor provides a comprehensive solution for brands looking to manage all aspects of their influencer marketing campaigns, from influencer discovery to detailed performance analytics. The platform excels in offering deep insights and fraud detection, making it a trusted choice for brands focused on authenticity and ROI.

Standout feature for brands:

HypeAuditor’s campaign performance monitoring allows users to assess the impact of their campaigns by measuring key metrics like engagement, reach, ROI, and audience sentiment. This detailed level of analysis helps marketers refine their strategies for better outcomes.

Standout feature for creators:

Creators benefit from HypeAuditor’s audience quality verification. The platform’s AI-driven algorithms detect fake followers and engagement, ensuring that creators with authentic and engaged audiences are highlighted, increasing their appeal to brands.

Pricing: Free trial available; pricing available on request

LTK (LikeToKnowIt)

Best influencer marketing platform for the fashion and lifestyle niche 

LTK, formerly known as LikeToKnowIt, is designed specifically for fashion and lifestyle niches. It offers a curated environment where brands can seamlessly collaborate with influencers who perfectly align with their aesthetic and target audience, making it a go-to platform for fashion and beauty campaigns.

Standout feature for brands:

LTK’s curated, niche network provides brands with access to a vast array of micro-influencers who specialize in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content. The platform’s selective approach ensures that brands connect with influencers whose style and audience are a perfect fit, maximizing the impact and engagement of campaigns.

Standout feature for creators:

Creators on LTK can take advantage of the shoppable content integration, allowing them to easily create and share posts that link directly to products. This feature not only enhances the shopping experience for followers but also provides creators with valuable data on what content drives sales, helping them to optimize their affiliate marketing efforts.

Pricing: Available on request

Shopify Collabs

​​Best for Shopify merchants’ influencer marketing strategy

Shopify Collabs is an influencer marketing tool specifically designed for Shopify store owners. It offers seamless integration with the Shopify ecosystem, making it an ideal tool for e-commerce businesses that want to manage influencer partnerships, track sales, and streamline campaign management all from within their Shopify dashboard.

Standout feature for brands:

Shopify Collabs simplifies the process of influencer marketing for store owners, reducing the need for external tools and enabling smooth operations within the existing Shopify environment.

Standout feature for creators:

For creators, Shopify Collabs offers the ability to receive automatic payments and manage collaborations seamlessly. The platform allows creators to connect with brands, access product discounts, and receive payments directly through Shopify, making it easier to monetize their influence.

Pricing: Shopify Collabs is available to Shopify merchants as part of their existing subscription. 

Best creator marketplace tool 

#paid allows brands to streamline their influencer marketing campaigns while empowering influencers to maintain creative control over their content. The platform focuses on creating authentic partnerships by matching brands with influencers who are genuinely interested in their campaigns, ensuring high-quality content creation and impactful collaborations.

Standout feature for brands:

#paid’s Handraise feature ensures that brands are matched with potential influencers who are genuinely interested in their campaign. Influencers express their interest and outline their strategy, which is then vetted by the #paid team before being presented to the brand, guaranteeing a more engaged and committed partnership.

Standout feature for creators:

#paid provides creators with the flexibility to choose the types of content they want to produce for campaigns. Whether it’s photos, videos, or stories, creators can tailor their proposals based on their strengths and preferences, ensuring they only take on work that aligns with their creative style

Pricing: Available on request.

Passionfroot

Best for creators looking to manage their own partnerships

Passionfroot is a comprehensive creator management platform designed specifically for content creators to streamline brand partnerships and sponsorship deals. It addresses many of the challenges that creators face, allowing them to focus on content creation while maintaining control over their business operations.

Standout feature for brands:

Passionfroot’s centralized sponsorship management feature allows creators to manage all aspects of their brand deals from a single platform. It offers tools for building storefronts, creating booking pages, filtering collaboration requests, helping creators present their offerings professionally, and converting potential sponsors into long-term partners.

Standout feature for creators:

For creators, Passionfroot provides direct access to potential sponsors and automated tools for scheduling and payments. The platform simplifies the process of finding and pitching to vetted brands and ensures creators get paid on time with compliant invoices, easing the financial management aspect of their business.

Pricing: Passionfroot offers a free version with essential features, making it accessible to creators at different stages of their careers.

Skeepers

Best for discovering and managing user-generated content

Skeepers helps brands manage and leverage user-generated content (UGC) to drive e-commerce sales. Initially focused on the fashion and beauty sectors, Skeepers has expanded to serve a wide range of industries, making it a versatile tool for brands looking to enhance their online presence and engage more effectively with their customers.

Standout feature for brands:

The platform’s influencer credit system ensures that only committed and reliable influencers participate in campaigns. Influencers earn credits by successfully completing campaigns, which enhances the quality and accountability of collaborations. This system helps maintain high standards across the board, benefiting both the brands and the influencers involved

Standout feature for creators:

Skeepers simplifies the often complicated process of managing content rights and licensing. The platform automatically handles all the legal intricacies and permissions, allowing creators to focus on producing high-quality content without worrying about legal hassles. This feature is particularly beneficial for creators who want to ensure their content is used appropriately and compensated fairly

Pricing: Available on request

Make your choice wisely

Based on my research, the most effective influencer marketing tools need to do at least three things: 

  1. Access to a curated database of influencers
  2. Advanced filtering and recommendation systems
  3. Comprehensive campaign management and analytics

Every other feature is a cherry on top. Of course, while these elements are essential, the best tool for you will ultimately depend on your unique budget and marketing objectives.

How to Create the Perfect Email Marketing Strategy

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Email is powerful. In fact, for every dollar spent on email, you can anticipate a $42 return on investment—if you do it well.

But before you can grow your email list, you need a plan. Think of it like this. When you start your work day, do you just take a willy-nilly approach? Or, do you look at your calendar to see what’s scheduled for the day, look through your emails to see what fires are burning, etc? Most people take the latter approach. And that’s what I am talking about—a plan to guide you on what you need to do, when, and why.

With an email marketing plan in place, you’ll have a better sense of what to do and who to target. But having a plan in your head isn’t always enough—you look at your calendar every morning for a reason—to remember what you need to accomplish.

By documenting your email marketing plan, you’re helping everyone on the team stay aligned, marching toward the same goal. And, you make sure that none of the important details fall through the cracks.

Quite frankly, documenting your email strategy means you’ll be more likely to stick with it, reach the right people, and achieve your goals.

Creating the perfect email marketing plan that drives results doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you follow these 8 steps to a successful email marketing strategy.

1 – Choose your email marketing goals

You wouldn’t run a marathon without training for the race. Similarly, you shouldn’t begin planning your email marketing strategy without setting goals.

Before you begin creating goals, take a moment to reflect upon what makes a good goal. Good goals are SMART goals. Here’s what SMART stands for:

  • Specific: Avoid creating vague goals. Be sure to include details about how you plan to reach your goal(s).
  • Measurable: You should be able to measure your goals with specific numbers or checkpoints.
  • Attainable: When creating your goal, consider the resources you have. You need to make sure your goal is attainable with your current budget, time and skillset.
  • Realistic: Your goal should be challenging, but within reach. Review historical data or research industry benchmarks to determine what this means for you.
  • Time-bound: Give yourself a date by which you want to complete your goal.

When you create any goal for your email marketing strategy, make sure it aligns with these five guidelines.

Now, let’s define your business’s specific goals.

Not sure what kind of goals to set for your email marketing strategy? Consider your overall business goals for this year and improvements to your email strategy that could help you reach them. Write down a list of the areas where you’d like to improve and create goals from them.

To get our creative wheels turning, you might want to focus on:

Growing your email list 

With a larger email list, you’ll be able to build relationships with more people, tell them about your business, and encourage them to purchase a product or service.

Increasing your email open rates 

If a lot of people aren’t opening your emails, it’ll be impossible to keep them engaged and build a relationship with them. Addressing this problem could help you increase the number of subscribers you’re able to interact with.

Improving your email click-through rates

Good email click-through rates indicate that people like your content and your business, which can impact their purchasing decisions.

Decreasing unsubscribes and spam complaints

Decreasing unsubscribes and complaints can help improve your deliverability and ensure you’re sending engaging, valuable content to your subscribers.

Asking for—and implementing—subscriber feedback

By applying subscriber feedback, you can create more useful emails to your subscribers, which could help you increase open, click-through, and conversion rates.

So, how does this apply to you? Let’s imagine you set this goal for yourself: 

I will grow my email list to 100 subscribers by the end of the year by adding a sign-up form to my website and asking my personal connections to join my list.

This is a great example of a SMART goal. It’s specific because it describes exactly what you’d like to do and how you plan to do it. Since it explains the number of subscribers you’d like to attain (100), it’s also measurable.

While a realistic goal will also vary from company to company, 100 subscribers in a year could be a very accessible goal for someone just getting started with email marketing.

And finally, since this goal gives a specific date by which you plan to complete it, it’s time-bound.

Bottom line: make sure to create goals that are realistic and attainable for you with your current resources and limitations. If your goals are unrealistic, you’re likely to miss the boat. And when you miss the boat over and over again, you stop trying as hard. This is super dangerous territory when it comes to your email marketing strategy.

2 – Define your target audience(s)

After you’ve set goals for yourself, it’s time to determine who your ideal subscriber is and create a persona for this subscriber.

By creating a persona for your ideal subscriber, you’ll be able to attract the right individuals to your email list and send content that’s relevant and helpful. This will guide your email marketing strategy moving forward, from how you grow your email list to how you communicate with your subscribers.

Nick Westergaard of Brand Driven Digital says, “List growth is always key. But it’s not just about quantity. Quality matters. Who are you trying to reach? Who do you want to talk to more? How can you encourage them to sign up for your emails?”

Your customer persona document should answer these questions:

  • What is your ideal subscriber like? Male or female? Age? Married or single? Kids? Occupation?
  • What are their interests?
  • What is their industry?
  • What are their goals?
  • What are their pain points and problems?
  • What could prevent or stop them from buying your product/service?
  • What type of content do they consume?

To answer these questions and get quality subscribers, you need to know your audience. Once you do, you’ll understand who you want to target and how you can encourage them to sign up for your list. And after they subscribe, you’ll be able to write emails that help them resolve their unique problems.

Create your customer persona

Once you know who your ideal subscriber is, it’s time to create a customer persona that will guide your email marketing efforts. Your customer persona will take the information you gathered from defining your ideal audience and expand upon it.

First, consider what your best customers have in common. You might even want to have a phone or email conversation with a few of these customers. Then, write down all the information you have about your persona in a document or on a piece of paper.

For help creating your persona, I encourage you to use Digital Marketer’s customer avatar (their name for a persona) worksheet.

Example of a customer persona avatar

3 – Find the right email service provider

Deciding which email marketing company to set up and send your email campaigns is a critical step. You need to make sure this company checks all the boxes you need to send beautifully designed emails.  

If you’re already an AWeber customer, you already know about our incredible email marketing platform and award-winning customer service department, available 24/7, so feel free to move on to the next section – Build your email list the right way

For those deciding between AWeber and another email service provider, here are just a few reasons why AWeber is the best choice for your email marketing strategy.

Create easy & beautiful emails

You can create your emails using our Smart Designer, an AI-powered email template designer that automatically creates amazing-looking branded emails in just seconds. Or our easy drag and drop email editor which allows you to create custom emails in minutes – no coding required.

100s of email templates

Our mission is to do 90% of the work so you can spend more time building your business. That’s why we have a library of over 600 mobile-responsive email templates for you to choose from.

Email automation

Assign triggers and flows to your emails that deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Some of the best triggered emails include welcome emails, reactivation emails, cart abandonment emails, order confirmation emails, and reminder emails. 

That last one is actually something so many businesses totally forget. And we’re not talking about birthday and anniversary emails. Let’s say you are in the landscaping business. Send customers a polite reminder when it is time to schedule their next service and why. If you’re in the heating and air conditioning space, send an annual reminder to order new air filters for the year, or to have the furnace inspected and cleaned. Customers will appreciate knowing that you have their back—and you’ll get some transactions out of the deal.

Email marketing features

What we talk about here only begins to cover the tip of the iceberg. AWeber’s email marketing features include everything you need:

  • Industry-leading email deliverability
  • Automated tagging
  • Personalized communications
  • Email split testing
  • Custom segmentation
  • Landing page builder
  • And so much more

4 – Build your email list the right way

Before you can send your emails, you need an email list. If you already have a list, I’m sure you’d like to see that list grow. But how do you do that? And how do you do it in a way that is in your face but not invasive? A conundrum, I know.

Grow your email list

Your strategy to grow your email marketing list may vary, but one thing must be consistent: your customers need to opt-in to receive your emails. Any email sent without permission is considered spam.

Here are some permission-based email opt-in strategies:

  • Put a signup form on your Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn (if you’re in the B2B space), or other social media pages.
  • Have a signup form on your website.
  • Experiment with pop-up forms on your website.
  • Create a lead generation landing page using AWeber’s landing page builder. Offer something of value in exchange for their email address.
  • If you have a physical location, attend trade shows, or have a call center, simply ask for a potential customer’s email address.
  • Have a “Forward to a Friend” link in every email you send.

5 – Create a tracking and reporting document

By tracking and measuring the performance of your email marketing campaigns, you will be able to determine:

  • Your content performance
  • Where you need to make improvements
  • How frequently you should be sending emails
  • Which lead source is performing the best
  • The health of your email list

What Needs to be Included?

An easy format to use is Microsoft Excel or Google Docs. Your document should include the following information:

  • Date of Send
  • Audience (segments) sent to
  • A brief summary of the email
  • Email Marketing KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
    • Number of emails sent
    • Number of emails delivered
    • Delivery Rate (Delivered/Sends)
    • Emails Opened
    • Open Rate (Emails Opened/Delivered)
    • Emails Clicked
    • Click Through to Open Rate (Emails Clicked/Opened)
    • Opt-outs
    • Opt-out Rate (Opt-outs/Delivered)
  • Post analysis comments

Why are email marketing KPIs important?

Each KPI tells a story about your email marketing strategy. Knowing how to read each statistic will help you determine what to test, leading to a more successful email marketing strategy.

Here we will focus on the main 4 email KPIs:

Delivery Rate

Your delivery rate should be in the high 90s. Anything below this number needs to be addressed. A low delivery rate could indicate two things: poor list quality or the wrong email service provider.Address your list quality first. If your sends are segmented by the source they signed up for your list (i.e., a form on your social channels or a landing page), see if one source is the reason for the low delivery rate. Consider cleansing your email list if the low delivery rate appears across multiple segments.

Delivery rate formula with exampleDelivery rate formula with example

Open Rate

Your email open rate is directly tied to your subject line and possibly your subheader. What is considered a good open rate will vary by industry, but on average, a healthy open rate may be between 15% and 25%.

If your open rate is low, consider testing different subject lines or preheaders to see what style works best with your customers.

Open rate formula with exampleOpen rate formula with example

Click Through-to-Open Rate

Several factors could contribute to a low click-through-to-open rate, such as your email design, content, call to action—really any element in the body of your email.

It is more challenging to isolate what may be causing a low click-through-to-open rate, so you need to set up some A/B test splits to determine the cause.

Click through to open rate formula with exampleClick through to open rate formula with example

Opt-out Rate

We get it. It’s not fun to see people unsubscribe from your list. But, it happens to all of us. 

Generally, a good (low) unsubscribe (or opt-out rate) is below 0.2%. But anything above 1% is a problem. Determining why customers opt-out can be challenging, so be proactive. Set up a survey for people who opt out, asking why.

Example of an opt-out survey

Opt out survey exampleOpt out survey example

This will help determine how to tackle the issue should it arise. 

opt out rate formula with exampleopt out rate formula with example

6 – Create an email marketing strategy calendar

Creating an email marketing calendar will allow you to map out your strategy. The goal of an email send calendar is to allow you to easily view when you plan on sending emails and to which segments. It ensures that you send the right messages to the right audience at the right time, allowing you to get the most out of your marketing efforts.

Create your calendar so it makes sense to you. Color code different segments or messages to quickly glance at your strategy.

Email marketing calendar sampleEmail marketing calendar sample

7 – Start sending email campaigns

Once you create your email marketing strategy, it’s time to set up and send your first campaign. Your calendar lets you know the audience and message you plan on sending. 

Email marketing guidelines

Here are a few general email marketing guidelines you should follow when designing your email:

  1. Add a logo to your email. Make sure people know who the email is from.
  2. Have a call to action based on the purpose of your emails
    • Drive traffic to a landing page
    • Trigger a phone call
    • Increase foot traffic
    • Place an online order
  3. Make sure email laws are being followed for the country you are sending emails to. In the United States there is the CAN-SPAM Act.

8 – Analyze performance

Once the email campaign has been sent, it’s time to analyze the results. Add the results of your campaign to the document you created to track your KPIs. Figure out what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve the email performance for your next send. 

But be careful to to change too many things at once. If you change up your strategy too much, your customers might get confused, wondering what happened. This can be a sure-fire way to get them to opt-out, even if they previously opted-in. So, be mindful. Look at the metrics that matter most to you, and go from there.

Remember that to optimize your emails, you may need to set up a series of A/B split tests for your next several campaigns. In fact, we highly recommend that A/B testing just become an ongoing part of your email marketing strategy. This will help you stay on top of consumer preferences as they change.

AWeber can help you create and manage your email marketing strategy

So, at this point, you probably know that you need an email marketing strategy. But I get it—getting started can be super overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to be a professional marketer to become an email marketing master. 

That’s why AWeber is here for you. We offer email plans to help you every step of the way. And you can even get started for free! Check out our plans today. And, be sure to follow the AWeber blog for more great tips to help you grow your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an email marketing strategy?

So, just what is an email marketing strategy, anyway? And do you really need it for your business? The answer is yes! And email marketing strategy is that set of procedures and guiding principles that you rely on to keep customers and prospective customers engaged through emails. 

Your strategy should align with your organization/s business plan to help you achieve your financial and long-term goals. Ultimately, an email marketing strategy is what keeps your customers engaged in between transactions so that you are top of mind when they are ready to buy.

What are the 7 email marketing strategies?

Gone are the days when email was a batch and blast process. Today, technology allows us to refine our approach to reach the right customers at the right time with the right message. This requires acknowledgment that the same message might not resonate with all consumers. 

Therefore, the seven email marketing strategies include personalization, segmentation, optimization, automation, analyzing responses and trends, prioritizing interactive content, and creating mobile-first and mobile-responsive emails.

What are the 4 Ps of email marketing?

If you’re in the marketing space, you’re probably pretty clear on the four p’s of marketing—product, price, promotion, and placement. And when it comes to email, they’re no different. Ultimately, the entire purpose of your email marketing strategy is to engage customers and consumers to get them interested in purchasing the product or service that you have to offer. Thus, you need to have a compelling product. 

Further, your email needs to communicate some sort of value to the reader—price. The place is the email—it’s the mechanism that you are using to engage with the customer. And, finally—promotion. For email, this is why it is so important to talk about the problems your product or service solves. And, it’s why every email needs some sort of call-to-action. Tell the customer what to do, and make it easy for them.



Ethereum beats Bitcoin in the last 24 hours: Is altcoin season finally here?

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  • Ethereum outperformed Bitcoin as a whale moved 5000 ETH.
  • ETH liquidations cooled off as ETF flow stabilized. 

Ethereum [ETH] surged 6.9% in the last 24 hours, outpacing Bitcoin’s [BTC] 1% gain. This sharp rise suggested renewed confidence in the crypto market after a challenging week.

This outperformance thus raises a question: Is the altcoin season beginning, with traders and investors now more focused on alternative cryptocurrencies?

Source: Quinten on X

Adding to Ethereum’s recent outperformance of Bitcoin, a major ICO whale moved another 5,000 ETH ($13.2M) to OKX just before the price drop. 

Source: SpotOnChain

Since the 8th of July, the whale has deposited 48,501 ETH ($154M) at around $3,173 each. The whale still holds 303.5K ETH ($744M) across two wallets, and this could be a signal for the start of an altcoin season.

ETH long liquidations cooling off

Ethereum’s price drop raised bearish concerns, but large liquidations indicate the futures market may be stabilizing. 

As ETF flows stabilize, a bullish recovery could emerge and an increased demand for ETH might drive renewed interest, leading to a sustained rally. 

The market’s reaction in the coming days will be key to determining the trend’s direction.

Source: CryptoQuant

ETF flow stabilizes

Ethereum’s outlook is improving as ETF flows stabilize and leveraged traders exit the market. On-chain metrics are showing positive signs, suggesting the worst may be over. 

All indicators point to a potential price increase in the coming weeks, signaling a possible bullish trend for ETH.

Source: Coinglass

ETH to fill CME gap

Ethereum’s current price movement has created a CME gap, and with markets often closing such gaps, ETH is likely to rise to fill it. 

This upward momentum could indicate the beginning of an altcoin season, suggesting a favorable trend for Ethereum and other altcoins in the near future.

Source: TradingView


Read Ethereum’s [ETH] Price Prediction 2024-25


During the 2020-21 bull run, Ethereum broke out, consolidated, and then rallied. The same pattern is likely to repeat for the 2024-25 altcoin season. 

A breakout is expected in November/December 2024, with a strong upward trend starting in Q1 2025. These signals further suggest Ethereum and altcoins might be gearing up for another bull run.

Source: TradingView

Liquidators Seek $1.3 billion from TerraForm Labs

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  • Liquidators seek $1.3 billion from TerraForm Labs.
  • The amount aims to compensate the hedge fund from 2022 losses after TerraUSD and Luna Collapse.

Three Arrow liquidators seek $1.3b from TerraForm

Liquidators for the defunct crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital are seeking $1.3 billion against TerraForm Labs.

The claim results from the massive losses Three Arrows suffered after the collapse of TerraUSD and Luna, tokens linked with Terraform Labs.

Based on the recent court filing, TerraForm allegedly manipulated the market for TerraUSD and Luna. The manipulation of prices and markets induced Three Arrows to invest huge funds in the tokens.

The crash of these tokens wiped out Three Arrows’ investment, thus resulting in substantial losses in its other holdings. After the crash of TerraUSD and Luna, Three Allows Capital collapsed along with various crypto businesses associated with the tokens.

Therefore, a court in the British Virgin Islands tasked liquidators from Teneo to recover assets and repay the hedge fund creditors.

These liquidators have long pursued claims against Su Zhu, Kyle Davies, and other associated ventures.

Collapse of TerraUSD and Luna

Terra network and its leader, Do Kwon, became significant players in the crypto industry over four years but ended in disaster. Luna crypto network collapsed in what’s regarded as the largest crypto crash, with an estimated $60 billion wiped out.

The collapse shocked the crypto world. Luna and UST crashed after UST lost its peg to the dollar, making it a stablecoin. TerraUSD was risky since it was not backed by cash, treasuries, or other traditional assets like other stablecoins like Tether’s USDT.

Earlier this year, a U.S. jury found TerraForm Labs and Kwon liable for fraud in connection with the collapse of Luna. By the end of April 2022, Three Arrows had held $462 million worth of luna, which had lost its value to $2700.

Also, Three Arrow’s value and other associated digital assets declined by $858 million over this period. In January, Terraform Labs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is preparing for liquidation.

Impact on crypto community

Notably, high-profile collapses have a massive impact on investors, traders, and the crypto industry. The collapse left millions of investors suffering losses, affecting their financial conditions and further pushing many people out of crypto.

Equally, the collapse is a negative development in the industry as it attracts authorities. Such losses cause regulatory authorities to increase scrutiny and tighten measures against the crypto sector

15 Types of emails to use in your marketing

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You’ve heard the advice — send personalized, targeted emails, welcome subscribers to your list, recognize customer milestones and celebrations, and so on. 

But did you know there are different types of emails to help you do each of those things?

You don’t have to use all of them, but let this list help you find the best way to reach your audience. Here are 15 types of marketing emails for every purpose.

Overview: 15 types of marketing emails

1. Transactional emails

These emails aim not to market to prospects or customers, but to provide a receipt of an action taken or request submitted.

Examples of transactional emails include order confirmations and receipts, shipping notifications, subscription confirmations, password reset emails, account creation, and more. 

But that doesn’t mean transactional emails have to be boring. For example, check out this transactional email from the sneaker company Allbirds. This email infuses the brand’s personality while reminding customers about its animal welfare and sustainability mission.

Transactional email example
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails

2. Welcome emails

The purpose of this email is to kick off a strong relationship. 

Welcome emails are the first email in a larger campaign. A welcome campaign is a series of automated emails that get delivered to new subscribers over the first few days of their subscription. 

These emails should thank readers for joining your list, set expectations around the type of content you will send, deliver your incentive, and send any information they need to know about your or your business. 

Bonus points if you reaffirm the value your new subscribers will receive from joining your list or purchasing your product. The mattress company Casper shows us a great example of this.

Welcome email exampleWelcome email example
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails

Related: Welcome email campaigns: How to onboard new subscribers

3. Nurture emails

A nurture email helps a prospect move through the marketing funnel, from initial engagement to conversion. 

Nurture emails are automated and generally tied to a lead magnet — something you give to people when they subscribe to your email list. These types of emails include targeted content based on the lead magnet they downloaded. The goal is to encourage prospects to convert to customers.

Nurture emails should include valuable content or exclusive offers like discounts. 

Related: Email automation for beginners: See how to get better results in less time

Promotional emails are one-off emails or broadcasts sent to an audience of prospects or previous customers. These types of marketing emails aim to promote a product, service, or limited-time sale. It makes it easy to convert subscribers to customers. 

Promotional emails can also invite subscribers to an event or webinar. 

Check out this promotional email from Freshly, promoting their End of Summer sale. They did a great job showcasing how much money customers save up to their fourth order.

5. Digest emails and newsletters

Newsletters are a type of email that any business, including creators, bloggers, small business owners, and more, sends subscribers regularly. 

Newsletters can include company updates, new blog posts or podcast episodes, relevant articles, or curated news from reputable sources. They can help you establish thought leadership and build a relationship with subscribers with valuable content. 

Plus, if you have a blog or a podcast, you may have an RSS feed. With a tool like AWeber, you can automatically put your content in an email without replicating your efforts.

Watch how:

Here’s an example of AWeber’s customer newsletter. Each week we send high-value content, our most recent three blog articles, bonus tips, and more. 

AWeber newsletter exampleAWeber newsletter example
Most recent blog posts included in AWeber's newsletterMost recent blog posts included in AWeber's newsletter

6. Re-engagement emails

Sometimes, subscribers stop opening and reading your emails. That’s okay — it happens to everyone. 

But that doesn’t mean that those subscribers are a lost cause. Re-engagement emails can help you remind your inactive subscribers about the value that you offer them. 

Restaurant reservation app Resy sent their inactive subscribers an email reminding them how to use the app to find restaurants to dine at.

re-engagement emailre-engagement email
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails

Pro tip: Are subscribers still not engaging with your messages after sending a re-engagement email? It may be time to unsubscribe them from your list.

This is a good thing for your email marketing. Unloading inactive subscribers increases your open rate. When inactive people who wouldn’t open the message regardless aren’t skewing the rate, it makes it easier to tell when your content does (or doesn’t) resonate with your active audience. 

7. Storytelling email

Storytelling emails are one of the more interesting types of marketing emails. The goals of many emails thus far have been to drive sales or re-engagement. These emails help build your brand story and build deeper relationships with your subscribers.

Stories help people connect. They build emotional connections and let readers relate to you. Author and entrepreneur Ramit Sethi frequently incorporates stories into his daily emails — both his own stories and those of his successful customers. 

Check it out:

storytelling email typestorytelling email type

8. Targeted emails

Targeted emails involve segmentation — breaking your subscriber list into categories. You can segment based on demographics, prior purchases, interests, or recent engagement with your emails. 

For instance, if you sell apparel, you can send a targeted email promoting a sale on hats to a segment of customers who recently purchased a hat. 

Related: Email tags for marketing 101: Understanding tagging and segmentation

9. Challenge or course emails

Email challenges and email courses can be a lead magnet or even a paid digital product. The idea is to deliver a lesson daily, weekly, or monthly.

See below for a campaign template you can upload to your AWeber account. Use it as a starting point for your own email course.

email course campaignemail course campaign

Get the campaign

10. Cart abandonment emails

Have you ever added something to your shopping cart and then not followed through on a purchase? That’s called cart abandonment. And smart email marketers send cart abandonment emails to remind their customers that they left something behind.

Cart abandonment emails optimize sales. Take abandoned cart emails to the next level by offering a discount on the product that your subscriber was looking at. That can lower the barrier to purchase and your subscriber will likely feel good about your brand after receiving that kind of personalized offer.

See how Food52 called attention to a subscriber’s abandoned cart in this email. 

cart abandonment emailcart abandonment email
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails

11. Launch email

These types of emails are used for a very specific purpose: to announce a new product, service, or feature. 

Launch emails are one of the best ways to let interested subscribers know about things that could help them achieve their goals. Plus, tease your launch ahead of time on your website or landing page and let visitors sign up for early updates.

12. Milestone email

Celebrate your subscribers’ successes, birthdays, and anniversaries with a milestone email. This type of email builds brand affinity by recognizing customer loyalty and major accomplishments.

For instance, at AWeber, we like to recognize our customers’ subscriber growth. We know it takes a lot of hard work to build your subscriber base and want to help our customers celebrate those milestones.

To do that, we send milestone badges that customers can share on their social media profiles.

milestone emailmilestone email

13. Survey email

Survey emails can offer insight so you can create content that resonates with your subscribers. Gathering feedback via a survey email is also one of the best ways to round up testimonials to use as social proof.

See how Ritual uses a survey email to ask subscribers to fill out a short survey. 

survey emailsurvey email
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails

14. Privacy policy updates

Emailing subscribers about updates to your privacy policy may not seem important to your marketing strategy. However, transparency and data protection are a huge priority for many conscientious consumers.

Even if you are not legally required to do so, these updates strengthen trust in your brand. Just keep it direct and informative. Unlike transactional emails, where you can assert brand identity, these are strictly business.  

15. Inspiration/educational emails

Inspire or show customers new ways to enjoy your product or service. These types of emails offer free tips and ideas in one message.

For example, if you sell jewelry or apparel, put together a quick style guide for the season. It can work with almost anything you offer as long as you are showing readers how to get the benefit you’re showcasing.

Are you leveraging different types of emails?

No matter what types of emails you send, they help you accomplish your goals. Try a few different types of emails this month and watch as your audience falls into place.

Ready to start sending with AWeber? Get AWeber for free today!



MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor on Bitcoin: ‘Unlock your future’

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  • Saylor remains bullish on Bitcoin, citing its volatility as a valuable feature.
  • MicroStrategy holds 226,500 BTC, reflecting strong corporate commitment despite market skepticism.

After dipping into oversold territory earlier in August, Bitcoin [BTC] has made a strong comeback, nearing the significant $60K mark.

According to the latest update from CoinMarketCap, the leading cryptocurrency was trading at $59,280, reflecting a 1.35% increase over the last 24 hours.

Saylor on Bitcoin

This renewed bullish momentum has been welcomed by long-time BTC advocates, including MicroStrategy’s Co-founder and Chairman, Michael Saylor, who took to X and noted,  

“Unlock your future. #Bitcoin.” 

Saylor’s remarks were well-received, notably by Joel Valenzuela, the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Dash, who echoed the sentiment and said, 

“The future of custodial money.” 

Saylor appreciated Bitcoin’s volatility

That being said, Saylor recently emphasized that BTC’s volatility should not be viewed as a drawback but rather as an inherent feature of digital assets.

He highlighted that this volatility is part and parcel of what makes Bitcoin unique and valuable in the long term.

“Bitcoin’s volatility is a feature, not a bug.” 

Additionally, in a recent interview with Bloomberg, Saylor disclosed that he personally holds 17,732 BTC and stressed that he hasn’t parted with a single one of these digital assets.

“I continue to acquire more. I think it’s a great capital investment asset for an individual, family, institutional corporation or country. I can’t see a better place to put my money.”

Microstrategy’s BTC holdings revealed

Beyond Saylor’s personal BTC holdings, MicroStrategy, the company he leads, has also made a significant mark in the crypto space.

As of the end of July, MicroStrategy has accumulated an impressive 226,500 BTC, making it the largest public corporate holder of Bitcoin.

With current market conditions, this massive reserve is valued at approximately $12.7 billion, underscoring the company’s deep commitment to the digital asset. 

Expanding on the same, Saylor in his 11th August X post noted, 

Source: Michael Saylor/X

Peter Schiff disregards Bitcoin’s worth

However, not everyone shares Saylor’s enthusiasm for BTC. Peter Schiff, a well-known financial expert, remains skeptical about Bitcoin’s value.

In a recent YouTube discussion, Schiff openly questioned whether BTC holds any real worth and said, 

“I’m open-minded but I’m also smart and honest.”

He emphasized that despite numerous efforts by Bitcoin enthusiasts, he has yet to hear a compelling argument that convinces him to embrace the cryptocurrency. 

What’s ahead for BTC?

On top of that, with the RSI still below the neutral level, it’s uncertain whether BTC will break past the $60K mark or continue to face resistance before a potential bull run.

However, the widening Bollinger Bands suggest increasing volatility, which could signal a bullish shift in the near future.

Bitcoin- Trading ViewBitcoin- Trading View

Source: Trading View

How To Start a Blog for Affiliate Marketing in 2024

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If you want to start a blog for affiliate marketing, you’re in the right place.

We’ve built many affiliate blogs in the past 10+ years – and have generated a ton of commissions in the process. Here’s a small sample of our earnings:

affiliate commissions

To help you get your successful affiliate blog up and running, we’ve poured our knowledge into this 10-step guide.

What Is Affiliate Blogging

An affiliate blog is a blog that earns money through affiliate marketing.

On an affiliate blog, you’ll create content around a certain topic and promote affiliate offers related to that content. You earn a commission when someone clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase.

The great thing about affiliate blogging is that you can write about any topic that interests you. As long as people are searching for information about your niche – and there are affiliate programs to promote – you’re in business!

Why Start a Blog for Affiliate Marketing

There are many reasons you should start a blog for affiliate marketing.

The first is money. Our affiliate marketing statistics show that successful affiliate marketers earn an average of over $8,000 per month. You can run your blog from anywhere, giving you the freedom to earn a location-independent, passive income.

An affiliate blog also allows you to immerse yourself in a topic you love: cooking, fitness, travel, or anything else. You can explore your interests and share your knowledge with others.

You can also build a community. An affiliate blog is the perfect vehicle to connect with other bloggers and readers interested in the same topics.

Examples of Successful Affiliate Blogs

Here are three affiliate blogs pulling in readers and making money from their content.

Mr. Money Mustache homepageMr. Money Mustache homepage

Mr. Money Mustache

Mr. Money Mustache is a popular personal finance blog run by a 30-something retiree. He’s used his expertise and passion for finance to build a strong following. He monetizes his content with affiliate offers and by selling digital products.

Visit the site

Fit Men Cook homepageFit Men Cook homepage

Fit Men Cook

Fit Men Cook began as a personal journal for Kevin Curry to tell his weight loss story, but it has grown over several years to cover several aspects of fitness. He makes money through affiliate offers and selling books and courses.

Visit the site

Shavercheck HomepageShavercheck Homepage

ShaverCheck

ShaverCheck writes comprehensive, experience-based reviews of electric shavers and shaving accessories.

Visit the site

How To Start an Affiliate Blog in 11 Steps

Here’s our in-depth guide to starting your own affiliate blog.

1 Narrow Down Your Niche

The first thing you need to do when starting an affiliate blog is to pick a niche.

Here are some characteristics to look for when deciding on a good affiliate niche:

  • Evergreen: You should look for a niche with a long history of people searching for information about it. Topics with steady or growing search volume give you the best chance of building long-term success.
  • High-paying affiliate programs: Since you’ll monetize your blog with affiliate marketing, you should look for niches with multiple high-paying affiliate programs to promote.
    See our guide to high-paying affiliate programs for some great examples.
  • You have interest or experience in the niche: You will be creating a lot of content for your blog, so it’s important that you stay interested to follow through over the long haul. That’s much easier if you have a genuine interest or experience in your niche.

For inspiration, check out our list of the best niches for affiliate marketing. You can also browse our other blog articles for tailored advice about specific niches.

Once you’ve decided on a broad niche – fitness is a good example – you must narrow your focus further.

That’s because readers expect content focused on their specific interests. Think about it – if you wanted bodybuilding advice, which blog would you rather read?

  • A blog that only writes about bodybuilding
  • A blog that writes about all kinds of fitness topics

The first option is what most people prefer.

Picking a sub-niche also makes it easier to build a core audience, as you can focus all content on their needs.

To pick a good sub-niche, start by considering the topics you’re interested in, then investigate.

Sticking with the fitness niche, here are some sub-niches you might consider for your affiliate blog:

  • Bodybuilding: Reviews of bodybuilding supplements and training gear, plus informational articles about diet and workouts.
  • Fat loss: Diet and exercise advice, along with reviews of supplements, books, and other related products.
  • Hot yoga: Guides to performing yoga, how to set up a workout area, etc. Reviews of books, mats, yoga clothes, and similar products.
  • Strength training: Program and equipment reviews, guides to picking a gym, and nutrition for strength training.
  • Home gym: Guides for building a home gym in the attic, basement, or garage. Equipment reviews.

Passion for your blog niche will keep you interested in your new site, but you must also ensure that your sub-niche is popular enough to build a following and make money.

The best way to do that is to choose a focus area with successful blogs.

Here is our recommended approach for finding sub-niches with a history of affiliate blogging success:

Make a list of successful blogs in each book sub-niche you’re considering. Use a blog aggregator like Detailed or AllTop to find blogs in your sub-niche. You can also search Google for keywords related to your niche or use the “Organic Competitors” tool on Ahrefs to find websites similar to a blog you already know about.

FitMenCook Organic CompetitorsFitMenCook Organic Competitors

Check traffic levels. High traffic levels are a sign of a successful blog. You can use a free trial of SE Ranking to check how much traffic the blogs on your list are receiving. Just type in the URL and then check out the Competitive Research section.

SE Ranking competitive researchSE Ranking competitive research

Compare prospective sub-niches with Google Trends. Google Trends can help you compare the relative traffic levels of several potential sub-niches.

Google Trends comparisonGoogle Trends comparison

If you’re still not sure which sub-niche you want to focus on at this point, watch our detailed video on selecting a blog niche:

Take a day or two to pick a sub-niche, but don’t get too bogged down on this step. It’s better to make a decision and move on than to over-analyze.

2 Choose a Blogging Platform

Now that you have a niche for your affiliate site, you must pick a platform for your blog.

A blogging platform is a service that hosts your content online and serves your site to visitors

There are a few free social blogging options, like Medium and Blogger. Beginners sometimes choose these platforms because they’re free and easy to use, but they have some serious drawbacks:

  • You don’t own your site, so you must comply with the platform’s standards. Some of the content you want to publish might not be supported or even allowed.
  • You have limited control over the design and functionality of your site.
  • It’s hard to monetize a blog running on a free platform.

For these reasons, building your own website is the best choice for most bloggers. Here are a few of the benefits of a self-hosted blog:

  • You control what your blog looks like and what content you publish.
  • No one can shut down your blog or your blogging platform.
  • A self-hosted blog makes earning money with affiliate products, display ads, and your own products and services much easier.
  • You can use social media and SEO to drive traffic to your blog.
  • You can build an email list to give you another revenue stream and to help protect your traffic from algorithm changes.

The best self-hosted platform for most blogs is WordPress – specifically WordPress.org (not WordPress.com).

WordPress homepageWordPress homepage

WordPress.org gives you free access to the WordPress platform, and you can customize your blog with thousands of themes and plugins.

WordPress is the best choice in most cases, but there are other options.

See our list of the best blogging platforms for alternatives.

3 Choose Your Domain Name

You’ve picked a niche and decided on WordPress for your platform, so now you must choose a domain name for your new blog.

A domain is the unique web address for your site. It includes the actual name of your site, plus an extension, like .com or .net.

domain name graphicdomain name graphic

Your domain name should be memorable and related to your niche so readers know what to expect from your content.

Here are some tips for picking a domain name:

  • Choose a .com domain. No other extension is as trusted as .com. However, you can use a .com alternative if you have a particularly good name with an unavailable .com.
  • Match it to your niche. Your domain name should give readers at least a hint about your niche.
  • Keep it broad – Don’t make your domain name so specific that you can’t expand your content down the road. For example, you might start reviewing yoga pants, but your domain name should be broad enough to add content about other aspects of yoga later on.
  • Keep it short. Short domain names are easier to remember and type, so you should keep your name to three words or less.
  • Make sure it’s not trademarked. Once you have a domain name you think will work for your blog, do a trademark search to ensure no one else owns the name.

If you need help finding a good domain name that’s still available, you can use an AI domain generator like Brandsnap to help.

Once you pick a domain name, you need to buy it. We recommend Namecheap – it does everything you need for ~$10 annually.

4 Buy Web Hosting

It’s time to set up web hosting for your new affiliate blog.

A web host is a service that provides the infrastructure to store, manage, and serve your site to users.

Inexpensive options like Bluehost are popular with beginning bloggers, but SiteGround is our recommended host for most bloggers. It provides superior speed, reliability, and support.

Here is a quick step-by-step guide to setting up hosting on SiteGround:

Step 1: Go to Siteground’s WordPress hosting page.

Step 2: Choose the StartUp plan. It’s the least expensive and perfect for a new blog. Note that the price does increase after the first year.

Siteground pricingSiteground pricing

Step 3: Select “Existing Domain” and enter your domain name:

Siteground existing domainSiteground existing domain

Step 4: Fill in your account and location details:

Fill in Siteground infoFill in Siteground info

Step 5: Add payment info and choose the subscription length. The best deal is usually the 12-month option.

Siteground hosting servicesSiteground hosting services

Step 6: You don’t need extra services for a new blog, so skip them for now.

Siteground extra servicesSiteground extra services

Step 7: Point your domain to SiteGround. If you bought your domain from a registrar like Namecheap, you need to change the DNS settings to point to SiteGround. You can use this DIY guide or ask SiteGround support for help with this.

And you’re done! Your hosting is set up — now it’s time to start building your blog.

5 Choose a Theme for Your Affiliate Blog

With web hosting in place, you can move on to choosing a WordPress theme.

A blog theme provides the visual framework your visitors see when they land on your site. As much as possible, match it to your niche and brand to help you make a strong connection with your readers.

For example, yoga blogs often feature soft color schemes with lots of white space and clean, legible text. They also showcase big, rich images.

As with your platform, you can pick a free WordPress theme or pay for a theme with more features.

While it’s OK to use a free theme when starting, ensure it also has the option to upgrade later. Most free themes have limitations that will slow you down as your affiliate blog takes off.

Here are our 3 favorite “freemium” themes that have a paid upgrade option:

⭐️ MOST TEMPLATES

astra logoastra logo

Astra

Comes with lots of templates to help you design your site, and it’s super fast.

Get Astra

EASY TO USE

kadencewpkadencewp

Kadence

Flexible and lightweight. It’s also easy to customize, even if you can’t code.

Get Kadence

FASTEST

generatepressgeneratepress

GeneratePress

A fast theme that comes with amazing documentation and strong support.

Get GP

Once you’ve chosen your theme, you need to install it. Here’s how:

Step 1: Go to your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2: Go to the left sidebar and select Appearance > Themes.

WordPress themes menuWordPress themes menu

Step 3: Click “Add New”

Add new WordPress themeAdd new WordPress theme

Step 4: Upload your theme file and click Install.

Step 5: Activate your theme.

Activate WordPress themeActivate WordPress theme

That’s all there is to it! Now you have your WordPress theme and can start customizing your site.

6 Decide on Design & Branding

The WordPress theme you choose gives your blog a basic layout and design, but you should also fine-tune your site to match your brand and niche.

The first step is to pick a color palette — the set of colors you will use on your site. This choice will impact every aspect of your blog’s design, so take time to get it right.

Luckily, you don’t have to be a design expert to make the right choices here. Instead, you can use Coolors to create a color palette that fits your niche and looks great.

Coolors color selectionCoolors color selection

Once you pick a set of colors, you can design your site’s logo. This is another critical part of your brand identity because it’s one of the first things readers see when they land on your site.

Like your colors, your logo should match your niche and the tone you’re trying to set with your blog. For example, many yoga blogs have round logos that feature the silhouette of a person stretching.

But here again, you don’t need any design experience to create a great logo. We recommend using a Canva logo template and customizing it to fit your blog.

Here are some examples of Canva templates for yoga blog logos:

blog logos on Canvablog logos on Canva

7 Create Essential Pages

Alright! Your blog has the building blocks of a strong brand identity, so now it’s time to add the pages that every blog needs.

All of these are essential, so don’t skip any!

Homepage

This is the “front page” page of your blog, and it should immediately let visitors know what your site is about. Use links, menus, and other navigation elements to help readers find what they want.

About Page

Your About page is your chance to show your audience who you are and why they should listen to you. Talk about your background in your niche and explain why you started the blog and where you plan to take it.

Contact Page

Tell your readers how to get in touch with you. Include a contact form, email address, and any social media accounts associated with your brand.

Privacy Policy + Terms and Conditions

These legal pages tell your readers about the information you collect and how they can use your site. Your site needs both pages, and you can generate them for free at PrivacyPolicies.com.

Creating new pages in WordPress is easy. Log in to your dashboard, click the “Pages” menu, and choose “Add New.”

Add new WordPress pageAdd new WordPress page

8 Join Relevant and Reputable Affiliate Programs

Affiliate revenue will be the primary income stream for your new blog, so it’s important to join reputable affiliate programs relevant to your niche. That will give you the best chance of finding offers to help your audience and boost your bottom line.

Here are some things to look for in a good affiliate program:

  • Products that are relevant to your audience. You should only review and promote products and services your audience is interested in.
    See more: Best Products for Affiliate Marketing
  • High commission rate. The higher the commission rate a program pays you, the fewer conversions you need to make good money.
  • Long cookie duration. The cookie duration determines how long you can make commissions after someone clicks your affiliate link. The longer the cookie duration, the better.
  • High conversion rate. Look for programs that consistently deliver a high conversion rate, which measures the percentage of your readers who click an affiliate link and buy something. Industry-average conversion rates run around 0.5% to 1%, but you should look for products that convert higher than that.
  • High product quality. You want to build a long-lasting relationship with your readers, so you should only recommend great products and services. Look for affiliate programs that feature products with strong ratings.
  • Good customer support. Make sure the affiliate programs you pick have good customer support to help you get set up and to help with any issues that might pop up down the road.

Affiliate marketing will be the bread-and-butter revenue source for your new blog, so do some research and pick the best programs for your new site. Your audience and your blog will love you for it!

9 Start Creating Content

Whew! You’ve done a lot of work to set up your blog, but now you finally get to start creating content about the niche you love.

It’s an exciting moment, but don’t just jump in and start writing about the first topic that comes to mind.

That might sound fun, but it’s not the smartest approach to your content.

Instead, I recommend adopting a keyword-focused content strategy to drive traffic to your blog. That means writing posts about keywords people search for on Google and other search engines.

You should create a nice mix of commercial and informational content for your affiliate marketing blog.

Commercial content includes product reviews, product roundups, and product comparisons. Informational content, on the other hand, doesn’t explicitly promote offers but instead helps readers learn more about your niche.

However, you should still include contextual affiliate links in your informational content. Just make sure the products you link to are directly related to your posts.

Look for keywords related to your niche with a decent monthly search volume but not much competition.

Ahrefs can help you with this keyword research. Just type a “seed keyword” into the Keyword Explorer, and Ahrefs returns a list of relevant related search terms along with their estimated search volumes. Look for keywords with volume above 150 and keyword difficulty of less than 25.

For example, here are some of the related terms that Ahrefs returns for the seed keyword “hot yoga”:

Keyword Search Volume Keyword Difficulty
How hot is hot yoga 1100 20
calories burned in hot yoga 700 15
hot yoga classes 300 12
best hot yoga mats 200 14
hot yoga for beginners 150 8

Use these keywords to come up with some blog post titles. Here are a few examples:

  • “10 Best Hot Yoga Mats for Beginners”
  • “5 Reasons Why Calories Burned in Hot Yoga Don’t Stop in the Gym”
  • “7 Best Online Hot Yoga Classes When You’re in a Hurry”

Once you make 10 post titles, it’s time to write.

Here are some tips for creating top-notch affiliate blog posts:

  • Understand search intent. Ensure you know what your audience wants to discover when they search for your target term, and then write your content to answer their questions.
  • Consider your audience. Write with your audience in mind and use language that makes sense to them. For example, people interested in hot yoga don’t want a formal essay, but they expect you to use the yoga-related lingo correctly.
  • Stay on topic. Don’t stray too far away from the keyword that your content is targeting. Instead, stay focused on satisfying the reader’s intent without adding fluff.
  • Share personal stories. Readers want to know that you’re a real person with experience that can help them. Share personal stories that show you know what you’re talking about and help them relate to you.
  • Link to other posts on your blog. Make sure to link to other relevant posts on your blog. That helps your readers learn more about your niche and can also help with SEO.
  • Buy the products you review. It’s hard to write an authentic review if you’ve never used a product, so buying and using whatever you’re reviewing is always best.
  • Take photos/videos of you using the product and add them to your post. Buying the products you review also allows you to include first-hand images in your posts. Using images to illustrate your words helps you connect with your audience and drive home your points.
  • Look for niche-specific information hubs to find further inspiration. Most niches have online communities that are rich sources of information and inspiration. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are hotbeds for yoga, for example.

In addition to these tips, the FTC requires you to tell readers that your content contains affiliate links. Ensure you include an affiliate disclosure at the top of each blog post.

You can read more details about satisfying this requirement in our post about affiliate disclosures.

The ultimate success of your affiliate blog depends on the quality of your content and how well you satisfy user search intent. Focus on answering your audience’s questions as thoroughly as possible with each post you publish.

10 Promote Your Affiliate Blog

Writing great content is vital to the success of your blog, but your posts won’t show up in Google search results right away. You should promote each post online to start getting traffic in the meantime.

Here are some tips for promoting your blog and helping readers find your content:

  • Share posts in online communities and on social media: Almost every niche has a strong online community across various social media platforms. Figure out where your readers hang out and share your content with them there.
  • Email list: Offer your readers a freebie related to your niche in exchange for their email address. Then send them an email update when you publish new content.
  • Optimize your website for SEO: Target search intent and answer your readers’ questions with each post. It’s one of the best long-term strategies for building traffic since Google and other search engines can send new readers to your posts for months or even years.
  • Collaborate with other bloggers in your niche. Work with other bloggers to promote each other’s content to your existing audience. This approach works well with complementary niches. For example, a yoga blogger might collaborate with a meditation blogger.
  • Look for local promotion opportunities. Try to find a way to promote your blog offline, in your local community. For example, you might start a niche-specific club, write a guest column for the local newspaper, or set up at local fairs and hand out information about your niche.

However, you approach promotion, make sure it’s genuine. Spamming links to your blog won’t help you build a devoted audience.

11 Monetize Your Affiliate Blog

You’ve posted the first content to your affiliate blog and decided on a promotional strategy. Now it’s time to get paid for your work by monetizing your blog.

Since the primary monetization strategy for your new blog is affiliate marketing, you must ensure you promote your affiliate links in as many places as possible.

Here are some tips to make your affiliate offers as visible as possible:

Add affiliate links to your posts. Make sure to include affiliate links for each product you review or include in a roundup, and look for places to include your affiliate links, even in informational posts, naturally. For example, if you’re writing about a specific yoga technique, you can link to a book or course that teaches more about the same topic.

Add product feature boxes to your posts. Make the products and services you’re reviewing stand out by including product feature boxes in your posts. You can do this with GenerateBlocks, which lets you easily create eye-catching product summaries and include affiliate links.

Create banner display ads for your links. Draw attention to your affiliate links by creating banner display ads for the offers you’re promoting. Most affiliate programs provide ready-made banners you can use, so you won’t need to design them yourself.

Create a Resource page. Gather all of the products and services you recommend onto a single page. It’s convenient for your readers because they can find everything they need all in one spot, giving you another place to include your affiliate links. Check out our list of the best online marketing tools as an example.

Even though you’re building an affiliate blog, you should also take advantage of other monetization strategies:

Display Ads

Ads are automatically served to your readers through an ad network or direct sponsorships.

Why It’s Great: You’ll get paid whenever someone views or clicks on an ad. Unlike affiliate offers, you don’t have to actively do any promotion since the ad network does all the work for you.

Get Started: Beginners can sign up for Ezoic to get ads on their site immediately. Once you have more traffic, you can join a higher-paying network like Mediavine (minimum 50,000 monthly sessions) or Raptive (minimum 100,000 monthly sessions). Direct sponsorships are another option and offer more control and potential profit.

Pro Tip: Display ads work well in conjunction with affiliate marketing. Our affiliate marketing survey shows that 82% of affiliate marketers who run 6-figure blogs use both display ads and affiliate marketing.

Sell Your Own Products

Create digital or physical products and sell them directly to your readers.

Why It’s Great: You can create products you know your audience will love, and you get to keep all the profits instead of just earning a small commission.

Get Started: First, identify your audience’s problems and determine how to solve them. For a yoga blog, that could mean writing an ebook about setting up a home yoga studio or producing a short video course illustrating various workouts. You can also make your own version of your top-performing affiliate offers.

Summing Up

You’ve learned the fundamental steps to launch your affiliate marketing blog and start earning passive income.

However, there’s still a wealth of knowledge to uncover that can supercharge your success.

Blogging and affiliate marketing have steep learning curves, and I couldn’t include all the necessary information in this blog post.

That’s why we’ve created a free training that reveals the most effective secrets and tactics we’ve discovered over a decade of profitable blogging.

This training is designed to give you a significant advantage. On average, bloggers who implement these techniques are 83% more successful than those who don’t.

If you’re serious about maximizing your affiliate income, you won’t want to miss out on this valuable resource.

Join the free training now.

FAQs

Blogs are great platforms for affiliate marketing because they allow you to connect directly with an audience who’s already interested in your niche and looking for information. Blogs with solid SEO also draw a steady stream of traffic from search engines.

Affiliate blogs make money by promoting affiliate offers for products and services related to their niche.

By publishing commercial-intent content like reviews, buying guides, and product comparisons, along with informational content that includes contextual affiliate links, blogs have plenty of opportunities to promote affiliate offers.

Besides their affiliate marketing efforts, blogs also make money through advertising and selling their own products.