Getting emails is always fun. It’s more fun when they’re hate mail, but the opportunity to slang some knowledge is also fun.
Below is an email answered from a person with the name Rockstar Traveler.
The email
Hello mate, You know I just saw your youtube video on niche sites vs authority sites.
I have an amazon niche site. We are finishing some designing stuff, then is the marketing. But what is the best marketing funnel strategy for my niche site?
Do u know any free methods? I mean, manual work, because is more affordable if we talk about the budget ya know. Do u know any?
Cheers!
Alright, based on the email I’m thinking he’s asking about an inbound marketing funnel and strategy. The thing with affiliate marketing, the funnel is usually only about 3/5 what a normal business funnel is.
The Niche Site Inbound Marketing Funnel
So, for the most part, out of the traditional five step inbound marketing funnel, only the first three steps apply to affiliate marketing.
Awareness/Content Creation
This is where you create your content. That includes anything from blog articles to YouTube videos to infographics or whatever else you’re making. Basically everything you’re doing to acquire people to your website.
I assume because it’s an Amazon niche site the content will primarily be blog posts and articles. Top 10 reviews of products, in-depth guides, repair articles, and whatever else you do.
Social Media/SEO
This is how you get those people to come to your website. Because you want free methods, social media is great but can be almost a waste of time in the beginning stages before there are loyal fans following.
Because of this, websites like Twitter and Facebook are wholly useless in the beginning without doing paid ads. Look at using Pinterest, which is essentially an image based search engine. That’s how I was getting most of my social media traffic for my last site and my current site.
Search engine optimization and search engine marketing can take months to become effective. You don’t get on the first page of Google overnight.
There are other free methods of driving traffic as well. Check out getting active on relevant forums and subreddits on Reddit. Make listings on Craigslists if it’s viable. There are so many options out there.
Taking Action
So you have your awesome article, and you have people coming to your website. Now what?
The next step in your funnel is getting them to click on whatever affiliate links you have. After you sell them to buy the product, your funnel is over with. Now it’s in Amazon’s hands.
And now it’s in Amazon’s hands, I say again. You have no chance to remarket to them, no chance to collect emails because honestly, who buys four blenders in one year?
Conclusion
That’s basically your marketing funnel when creating an Amazon niche website. Hopefully, once money is made you reinvest into the website for better content, hiring a virtual assistant, or going the paid route for advertising.
After all, advertising is an investment and not an expense.
Big dawgs gotta funnel