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Make Money with Art Affiliate Marketing
This article is a beginner’s guide to digital art affiliate marketing.
If you’re a digital artist looking for ways to make some extra cash, then you should try affiliate marketing. You’ve probably heard the term before. But it’s easier to get into than you might think. Basically, it’s all about recommending products or tools you love and earning a commission when someone buys through your link. The best part? You don’t need to sell anything directly. You just share what you already use and believe in, and get paid for it!
Related Post: 6 Different Ways to Make Money as a Digital Artist
It’s perfect for beginner digital artists, especially if you’re already creating content or sharing your work online. Let’s break down how to get started!
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is quite simple. You partner with a company, promote their products, and earn a percentage of the sales made through your referral link. The best part? You don’t need to create or ship anything! Your job is simply to connect your audience with products you already know and love, helping them discover tools that will benefit their own artistic journey. As a digital artist, you can focus on promoting software, digital brushes, art supplies, and more. The key is to ensure you’re choosing products that align with your audience’s needs.
Affiliate Marketing step-by-step
At its core, you earn money by promoting products or services and getting a commission whenever someone makes a purchase through your unique affiliate link. Here’s a breakdown of how it works, step-by-step:
Step 1: Find an Affiliate Program
First, you need to sign up for an affiliate program. Many companies offer affiliate programs, especially those in the art world. You can join programs for art supply stores, software companies, or online courses. A few popular platforms to explore include Amazon Associates, Skillshare, and Adobe’s affiliate program.
Step 2: Sign Up and Get Your Unique Affiliate Link
Once you join an affiliate program, they will give you a unique link (called an affiliate link). This link is special to you and lets the company track when someone clicks on it and makes a purchase. Every time someone buys something using your link, you earn a small commission. Make sure you always use this unique link when sharing the products!
Step 3: Choose Products You Love and Believe In
Now, it’s time to pick the products or services you want to promote. Choose items that are useful to your audience and ones you genuinely love. For example, if you’re a digital artist, you might recommend drawing tablets, digital brushes, or online art courses that you use in your own work. Authenticity matters—people are more likely to trust and buy products you actually use.
Step 4: Share Your Affiliate Links
Next, start sharing your affiliate links with your audience. Wherever you have an audience, you can recommend products using affiliate links. You can add them to your blog posts, YouTube video descriptions, social media profiles, or even send them through emails. For instance, if you create an art tutorial on YouTube, you can link to the drawing tablet you used with your affiliate link in the video description. You can also include affiliate links in social media posts by explaining how the product helps you create your art.
Related Post: Start an Art Blog to Promote Your Digital Art!
Step 5: Earn a Commission When Someone Buys
When someone clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission. The commission can vary depending on the product or service you’re promoting—some programs offer a percentage of the sale, while others provide a fixed amount per sale. The money earned from affiliate marketing can build up over time, especially as more people use your links.
Step 6: Track Your Progress and Optimize
Most affiliate programs have a dashboard where you can track how many people clicked on your links and how many made a purchase. This is super useful for seeing which products are performing well and which aren’t. If certain links are getting more clicks or sales, you might want to promote those products more often. If others aren’t doing as well, you can test new strategies or switch products to find a better fit for your audience.
Why Affiliate Marketing Works Well for Digital Artists
Why does affiliate marketing work so well for digital artists? Simple—your audience is already looking for the right tools, platforms, and products to fuel their creativity. They trust your recommendations because you have the experience and knowledge they need. By sharing products you genuinely use and believe in, you not only help your followers but also earn a passive income stream. Whether you’re recommending your favorite drawing tablet, or the digital software you use daily, affiliate marketing can naturally integrate into your existing content, simply tell your audience what you are using.
Choosing the Right Affiliate Programs for Artists
Choosing the right affiliate programs can make or break your success. You want to pick programs that not only offer fair commissions but also align with your audience’s interests. Look for programs in the art and design industry that provide products you truly believe in and would use yourself. Popular options include art supply stores, digital software platforms, or even print-on-demand services.
Start with the tools you use every day to make your artwork. Find affiliate programs for those tools. If you are using an affiliate network you can find multiple partners on one platform and get ideas for several other products you can recommend to your audience. Finding that perfect match ensures that your audience gets value, and your promotion feels authentic.
Art Affiliate Marketing: What to Look For in a Program
When considering art affiliate marketing programs, pay attention to the details. What’s the commission rate? Is it recurring? Does the product fit within your niche? Look for programs that offer high-quality products and services that you’d happily recommend to a fellow artist. A successful affiliate partnership starts with products that resonate with your audience, so ensure your choices are both relevant and reliable.
Creating Content that Attracts an Audience
To make money through affiliate marketing, you need an engaged audience that trusts your recommendations. Creating valuable content is key to building that trust. Whether it’s blog posts, social media updates, YouTube videos, or tutorials, your content should educate, inspire, or entertain. The more valuable your content, the more likely your audience will use your affiliate links. Focus on consistently providing value, and your affiliate marketing efforts will naturally fall into place.
As a beginner digital artist, the story of how you learn is valuable content. Make videos and posts about the art you are making and affiliate the courses or books you used to learn.
Art Affiliate Marketing on Social Media Platforms
Social media is a fantastic way to promote affiliate products to your audience. Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even Pinterest are highly visual, making them perfect for showcasing your art and the products and tools you use to create it. You can share product reviews, behind-the-scenes peeks, or even “how-to” content featuring affiliate links.
Instagram for Art Affiliate Marketing
Instagram’s visual focus makes it ideal for digital artists. By consistently posting your artwork and engaging with followers, you can build a dedicated audience that values your recommendations. Use Instagram stories and reels to give quick tips or product demos, and include affiliate links in your bio or captions to direct followers to the products you’re promoting.
YouTube for Art Affiliate Marketing
YouTube is a powerhouse for affiliate marketing, especially if you’re creating art tutorials, reviews, or speed paints. It’s important to disclose that you’re using affiliate links, but as long as you’re recommending products you believe in, viewers will appreciate your honesty.
Look How I Promote Affiliate Links on YouTube!
How to Integrate Art Affiliate Marketing into Tutorials
Art tutorials are one of the most effective ways to engage your audience and promote affiliate products. When you’re teaching someone how to draw or paint digitally, the tools you use are essential. Your audience will naturally want to know what you’re using, so you can seamlessly incorporate affiliate links to your favorite products.
During your tutorial, casually mention the tools you’re using and why you love them. For example, if you’re showcasing how to blend colors, you might mention your favorite brushes or software, linking to them through an affiliate link. It’s a natural way to promote products while offering helpful advice to your audience.
Blogging to Promote Art Affiliate Marketing
Blogging is another way to leverage art affiliate marketing. You can write in-depth reviews, create how-to guides, or compile lists of must-have tools for digital artists. Sprinkle your affiliate links throughout these posts naturally. For example, if you’re writing a tutorial on “How to Get Started with Digital Art,” you can link to the software and tools you use, offering value to your readers while earning affiliate commissions
Unique Practices for Promoting Art Affiliate Products
- Leverage Email Newsletters: Use your email list to promote affiliate products in a more personal way. By sharing product recommendations directly to your subscribers, you can offer exclusive insights or deals, which feels less promotional and more like friendly advice.
- Bundle Recommendations with Free Resources: Create downloadable freebies like art tutorials, templates, or guides, and include affiliate product recommendations within them. This adds extra value and integrates the affiliate links more naturally into helpful content.
- Host Giveaways Featuring Affiliate Products: Partner with companies from your affiliate programs to offer giveaways. Not only does this create excitement and engagement, but you can also include your affiliate links in the giveaway details, directing people to the products.
- Create Comparison or “Versus” Content: Instead of just promoting one product, try comparing two or more similar products. For example, comparing two drawing tablets and linking both through your affiliate programs gives readers more options, showing that you’ve thought critically about their choices.
- Collaborate with Other Artists: Team up with other digital artists to share each other’s affiliate products in your content. Cross-promotions can help you tap into new audiences while maintaining authenticity.
- Utilize Time-Limited Promotions: Take advantage of special deals or discounts available through your affiliate programs. Promote these limited-time offers to create urgency, encouraging your audience to take action sooner rather than later.
- Use Affiliate Links in “Behind-the-Scenes” Content: Share your creative process through behind-the-scenes content and casually mention the tools you’re using with affiliate links. People love to see how things are made, and this type of content naturally encourages clicks on the products you’re using.
PRO TIP: When promoting art affiliate products, transparency and honesty are key. Always disclose that you’re using affiliate links, and make sure to only recommend products that you genuinely believe in. It’s also helpful to engage with your audience, answering any questions they have about the products and offering additional insights to make their purchasing decisions easier.
Scale Your Art Affiliate Marketing into Full-Time Income
To grow your affiliate income as a side hustle, you need to track your success. Most affiliate programs offer built-in tracking systems that show you how many clicks and conversions you’re getting. Pay attention to these metrics and adjust your strategies accordingly. If a certain product isn’t performing well, try promoting it through different content or platforms.
Once you’ve got the hang of affiliate marketing, it’s time to scale! Create more content, experiment with new platforms, and join additional affiliate programs. As your audience grows, so will your affiliate income. The more valuable your content, the more likely people are to trust your recommendations and make purchases through your links. Keep expanding your reach, and your affiliate marketing income will follow.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money passively, meaning you can make money even when you’re not actively working. It’s an easy way to turn your art passion into income by sharing products and tools that help you create and inspire others. Just remember to always choose products you believe in and be upfront with your audience about using affiliate links—it’s all about trust!
