Monday, May 15, 2023 by Gemma Wilkins | Digital Marketing

Ah, the joys of being a music teacher. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of watching your students learn and grow, and seeing the joy on their faces when they play their first song. But let's face it, sometimes the pay can be a little lackluster, and you might find yourself wanting to diversify your income streams. That's where affiliate marketing can come in!

But wait, what is affiliate marketing you ask?

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing where a business rewards an affiliate (a person or company) for each customer brought in through their marketing efforts. Essentially, the affiliate promotes a product or service to their audience and earns a commission from the business for every sale or lead that is generated from their referral.

For example, let's say you are a music teacher and you join an affiliate program for a company that sells digital sheet music. You would then receive a unique link to their website that you could share with your students, followers or anyone else interested in purchasing sheet music. When those people click on your link and makes a purchase, you would earna commission from the sale.

Bonus dollars

Affiliate marketing can be a great way for music teachers to earn extra income by promoting products or services that align with their teaching style or the needs of their students. It allows you share resources you find helpful and earn a commission in the process.

Affiliate marketing can be a fantastic way to supplement your income as a music teacher. It's a way to promote products and services that you love, and earn a commission for each sale that comes through your unique affiliate link. 

But where do you start? Here are some tips for getting started with affiliate marketing as a music teacher.

Find a niche

The first step to becoming a successful affiliate marketer is to find your niche or specialty. As a music teacher, you might want to focus on promoting products and services that are related to music education, or you may have other passions and interests that woud want to pursue. 

In the music niche it could include online courses, sheet music, instruments, or even software that helps with music composition. By narrowing down your niche and passion, you'll be able to create content that speaks directly to your target audience and builds trust with your followers. 

Research your competitors and see what niches they are targeting. Look for gaps in the market that your competitors are not addressing, and consider targeting those.

Choose the right affiliate program

Not all affiliate programs are created equal. It's important to choose an affiliate program that aligns with your values and provides high-quality products or services. You should also look for programs that offer competitive commission rates and provide marketing materials to help you promote their products. Some popular affiliate programs for music teachers include Amazon Associates, Musician's Friend, and Sheet Music Plus.

You want to choose something that you trust and that you feel 100% okay with associating yourself with. Promoting someone elses product means that the customer support will be provided by their company, not you. So you want to make sure it is reliable and of value. 

One simple way to search for affiliate programs is to use affiliate program directories or networks. These websites allow you to search for affiliate programs by category or keyword and provide information about commission rates, payment options, and other program details. Some popular affiliate program directories and networks include:

ShareASale

ClickBank

Digistore24

Partnerstack

Another way to find affiliate programs is to search for them directly on the websites of companies or brands that you are interested in promoting. Look for a link in the website footer that says "Affiliates" or "Partner Program" to see if they have an affiliate program that you can join. You can even type into google "company name affiliate program" if you have a certain company in mind. 

It's also worth noting that some niche-specific affiliate programs may not be listed on directories or networks, so it can be helpful to do some online research to find out if there are any relevant programs in your industry or niche.

Free distribution method - Build a following

Once you've found your speciality and the right program, it's time to start building a following. You may already have a nice data base from your teaching experience and you want to look to build it with those interested in your specialty. This can be done through social media, email marketing, or your own website. 

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok can be great for building an audience, but it's important to remember that these platforms can be fickle. Algorithms can change, and your content might not always be seen by your followers. That's why it's important to also have an email list or your own website that you can use to communicate with your audience directly.

Create valuable content

This could be blog posts, social media posts, videos, or even podcasts. The key is to create content that provides value to your audience and establishes you as an authority in your niche. For example, you could create a video review of a new instrument or a blog post about the benefits of learning music theory. By providing valuable content, you'll be more likely to earn the trust of your audience and increase your chances of earning commissions. 

Take time to research how others are displaying their content and in the beginning consider mimicking that style, with your own touches until you gain confidence in your own strategy. 

Be transparent

As an affiliate marketer, it's important to be transparent with your audience about your affiliate relationships. This means disclosing that you will earn a commission if they make a purchase through your affiliate link. I disclose it here in my privacy policy and in every email that has an affiliate link. Being transparent builds trust with your audience and ensures that they don't feel misled.

In conclusion, affiliate marketing can be a fantastic way for music teachers to supplement their income. By finding your niche, building a following, creating valuable content, choosing the right affiliate program, and being transparent, you can start earning commissions and building a successful affiliate marketing business. So go forth and promote those music-related products and services with pride!

To learn more about implementing these steps, then I highly recommend downloading my free starte guide resource, available here.