How to Start an Affiliate Blog

So you want to make it big as an affiliate marketer. You have a good idea for a niche, you have found the perfect product, and you want educate people on how to make the best from that product. Amazing, you are on the right track!

Don’t wait any longer! Let’s get your affiliate blog up and running today.

Put things on hold for the next 15 minutes and follow our five-step guide to starting an affiliate blog. You will be up and running with your own affiliate blog in no time.

Domain Name and Web Hosting

This is the fun bit. What do you want your website to be called?

Our is, obviously, douglashunt.co.uk. This is a generic name which if I had the chance to go back and change I probably would, it’s a long and boring story, but the name ENM now work for us. I suggest brainstorming plenty of ideas for the name of your site – come up with something catchy, not too obvious, not too wordy and not too cliche. Next, head over to Tsohost and check to see if your domain name is available by entering it in the box that looks like this:

Once you’ve decided your name and you’ll also need web hosting. Web hosting is just like renting some space on the internet to put your affiliate blog. Tsohost has great rates, has great service and Tsohost gives you a free domain if you host with them through their Professional Cloud Hosting package.

Digital Secret: Use Professional Cloud Hosting as the basis for multiple affiliate sites. One hosting account, up to 100 sites.

Choose the Professional Cloud Hosting package and pay for two years to maximise savings. Mix this with voucher code ENM10 for an extra 10% off. Read more about that here at Tsohost Promotional Code.

Installing WordPress

Once you have got your domain and hosting sorted with Tsohost you need to install WordPress.

WordPress is a blogging software. It’s the software that we use for douglashunt.co.uk. It’s also the software used by more websites that any other on the internet today. The best part of all is that it’s super easy to use and it’s also super easy to install on your website.

Here’s how: Login to Tsohost and click add a new website.

Now enter in your domain.

Now select Linux.

Let’s go and install WordPress, click Install Applications.

Last but not least, click Install.

Once you get the “Installation Complete” you’ll want to make note of the Login URL, Username, and Password to avoid lost password annoyance and frustration later. You can change these to something more personal and memorable later, but you’ll need them for your first time logging in.

Now login, just enter your username and password.

Looking the Part

You now officially have your affiliate blog! Great job. You are literally minutes away from jumping in and becoming a fully fledged affiliate marketer, but first, we need to make the blog look the part.

It’s time to pick your WordPress theme. WordPress has lots of free WordPress themes to pick from. You can scan through the options here. If you’re looking for a premium theme (which we recommend) then check out these options:

• The Thesis Theme – This was the first theme I ever used and it was an amazing starting point. I loved it and highly recommend it.
• The Genesis Framework – This is the framework I started off with a few years ago and its solid. Check out our review of the Genesis Framework.
• ThemeForest – ThemeForest contains a huge selection of WordPress Themes. I’d recommend starting here at the Popular WordPress Themes.

Writing Affiliate Content

Writing affiliate content is not as hard as it seems, or as many other affiliate marketers make out. If you love the topic and have a passion for educating people then you and affiliate marketing are going to get on like a house on fire.

Here is my top tip for affiliate marketing. Be genuine.

It really does matter if the reader feels your passion for a topic. If you care about what you are writing about then the reader will know instantly. So be genuine and you will succeed.

Adding Skimlinks

Now for the pièce de résistance. Skimlinks. This will transform your affiliate blog into a fully fledged affiliate marketing machine.

Here is a Skimlinks Review I prepared earlier so take a look and sign up. Join Skimlinks today.