If you’re a podcasting enthusiast, no doubt you’ve considered a variety of ways to monetize your passion. One way, of course, is via affiliate marketing – a way of earning money by promoting products and services you already use and trust while receiving a commission from resulting sales. But with so many different online products and services offering an affiliate program, how do you know which one to sign up with? Here at Blubrry, we’re proud of our affiliate program, which generously rewards authentic and helpful content creators who want to earn money while helping to connect other podcasters with top-notch resources. Here are success stories from two of Blubrry’s top-performing affiliates, as well as information about how you can join the program and what to expect once you’re a part of it.
Over $65K – From One Affiliate
“I jumped into the Blubrry affiliate program as soon as it started,” says Daniel Lewis of The Audacity To Podcast. “I was already recommending Blubrry’s premium podcast stats and hosting, so I loved the new opportunity to be rewarded for my recommendations.” In his award-winning podcast, Lewis regularly recommends podcasting resources he trusts and is confident will serve the needs of his audience. “I mention Blubrry’s services frequently in podcast episodes, blog posts, social posts, and email newsletters.” Lewis says he promotes both Blubrry premium stats and hosting, depending on the context of the discussion and the needs of his audience.
Besides knowing he’s doing his audience a real service in recommending a high-quality resource he himself trusts and uses, Lewis admits the financial rewards of Blubrry’s affiliate program is a huge benefit. “Blubrry is quite generous!” says Lewis. “I love that I’m rewarded not only for new customers, but also a bonus reward for customers who stay.” The numbers are impressive. “In 2016, I generated $65,573 of sales for Blubrry,” Lewis shares. “It amazes me that my relevant recommendations are basically generating someone else’s salary! Also in 2016, I earned over $7,000 from the referrals. About half of that is an annual, recurring bonus.”
If you’re inspired by Lewis’ success, look to his high-performing approach. “My audience is most eager to use Blubrry when I communicate the simple, WordPress-centered workflow,” explains Lewis, who adds that he makes these recommendations in a relative context, such as when he’s talking about managing a podcast with WordPress, responding to questions about podcasting and WordPress, or in referencing the companies he recommends to other podcasts.
It also helps to be a loyal user of Blubrry’s products and services. “I recommended Blubrry before I was getting paid for it,” says Lewis, who attributes the success of his affiliate relationship to genuine and relevant recommendations, and in offering a promo code incentive that his audience can use to get started with Blubrry for free.
A Significant Part of A Diverse Income Stream
For Colin Gray, Founder of The Podcast Host, the decision to join Blubrry’s affiliate program was simple. “I’ve been telling people about Blubrry’s services since I started using them a few years ago,” explains Gray. “We work with a lot of new and aspiring podcasters, and they tend to be starting out small. Blubrry’s entry-level packages are great for that.”
Gray explains that a large part of his job as an affiliate partner is to dispel myths for the new or would-be podcaster. “One of the most common questions is, where does a podcast live?” he shares. “To me, that demonstrates how confusing podcasting can be right at the start. Once you know, you know – it’s not that complicated. But, at first, everyone thinks you have to upload to iTunes.” Gray and his team educate their audience by writing about the whole process of getting started podcasting: where a podcast lives, where to upload it, how to distribute it, and so on. “That’s exactly the point when people need to sign up for a host, so we mention Blubrry at that point. It’s a natural place to mention the service, since we use it ourselves, and it helps out our readers in the process.”
Gray also attributes his team’s affiliate success in large part to the ease of publishing via the PowerPress plugin. “It’s the 10 minutes or so saved, every time, by not having to go off to the media host’s site, upload an audio file, set up the episode, copy an embed code and then take that back to your own site. I’ve not found anything to beat Powerpress in making self-hosted podcasting easy,” he says.
And when it comes to the math, Gray is happy with what Blubrry has to offer its affiliate partners. “It’s always great to find a program that offers ongoing commissions,” he points out. And while Blubrry is currently a smaller part of his company’s total commissions, it adds up as a part of the overall whole and is continuing to grow.
How To Get Started:
Excited to turn your passion for podcasting and love for Blubrry’s products and services into an income stream? The first step is simple: apply to join our affiliate program. You don’t need to meet a certain traffic level or download threshold, “but you do need a solid website that makes it obvious what you do and that you put some time and effort into it,” says MacKenzie Bennett, Services and Affiliates Coordinator at Blubrry. Bennett also points out that you don’t need to promote Blubrry on a podcast; a website works just fine.
How It Works:
Once you’ve been accepted into the program, you’ll be issued a unique code that tracks all orders that come through you. Using that code, the first month is free. After months 2 and 3, affiliates begin earning a commission. The great news? You’ll continue to earn commissions on that customer’s lifetime sales, and will be eligible for bonuses once annual sales reach $1501.
“We built an affiliate program that pays the affiliate beyond the initial sale, which is unique in the podcasting space,” says Todd Cochrane, CEO of Blubrry. With that kind of generosity and potential for long-term revenue generation, it pays (literally) to spread the word far and wide. “Our best performers promote their promo code on their show, website, social media, and any blogs or forums that they participate in,” says Bennett. “The more your spread your code and are knowledgable about the product, meaning people can trust your judgment on it, the better the results.”
So why wait? Apply to join Blubrry’s affiliate program now. You’re just a few clicks away from putting your passion for a podcast to work earning you money – all while helping other podcasters discover the best podcasting services there are!