When it comes to digital marketing, copywriting and affiliate marketing are two of the most popular ways to make money.
But which one should you focus on if you're just getting started? Which one is easier to learn?
This blog post will compare copywriting vs affiliate marketing so that you can make an informed decision about which path is right for you.
We'll look at the PROS and CONS of each, how long it takes to become proficient in each field, and some tips for getting started.
By the end of this post, you'll have a better idea of which option might be best suited for your goals.
So let's dive into copywriting vs affiliate marketing!
When it comes to copywriting vs to affiliate marketing, it depends entirely on the goals and preferences of the individual. Do you want to create passive income for ages or do you prefer to work for clients on different projects?
Copywriting may sound easier for people who prefer to have consistent income. Also, for people who like to write creative and persuasive words.
Affiliate marketers need to have an extensive understanding of customer behaviour in order to craft effective campaigns that will generate revenue, but can reap greater rewards as their skills increase.
Also, they need to be prepared to start from scratch. New website, new audience, new traffic method.
Ultimately, both copywriting and affiliate marketing require consistency, dedication, and skill development; which one is better for you will depend on your own unique goals.
Even though, you might want to find clear answer on the direction you should choose, there is also a middle way. Let me show you what I mean, in the paragraphs below.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate Marketing is the best business model for starters! (link)
Why?
You don't need to have stocks of products, you don't have to deal with customer service complaints, nor you need to create a product yourself.
Additionally, you can start with almost no budget, no experience and no writing background.
But what actually Affiliate Marketing is?
First of all, it is performance based marketing.
In other words: you need to make a sale to earn a commission.
Secondly, Affiliate Marketing works like this: you recommend a product, to a person and when they make a purchase, you earn commission.
As it is commission model, the product owner will pay you certain percentage from the product price. This percentage varies from type of the product.
Digital Products will often guarantee you anything between 20-40%, while physical products pay up to 10%.
Occasionally, there are to affiliate networks, they pay you 50% commission.
How to start affiliate marketing?
After you choose how you will learn the skill of affiliate marketing, there are several steps you need to follow.
Firstly, choosing the niche, meaning which products you are going to promote.
Secondly, where you will find those products.
You can choose to affiliate networks like ClickBank, Commission Junction or Amazon Associates.
Lastly, you'd need to choose a way, how you will "drive traffic", to those products.
You can go the standard way and write blog posts, but you can also avoid them and go for YouTube videos. Social Marketing is also another way of driving traffic to your affiliate offers.
Affiliate Marketing PROS and CONS
PROS
- You Can Start With No Budget/No Experience/No Technical Knowledge
- Learning To affiliate Marketing Doesn't Take Much Time (if you learn it from proper training)
- You Can Choose ANY NICHE, PRODUCT OR SERVICE to Promote
- Once Set-Up, You Create Passive Income for Lifetime
CONS
- You Get Paid Only, When You Make a Sale
- No Traffic=No Sales
- Lot of "Fake Gurus" Make it Harder to Learn The Skill
What is Copywriting?
Unlike to affiliate marketing, copywriting is solely written text.
Copywriting is process of writing a text that's persuasive, compelling and makes people take certain action.
This action can be whatever from signing up for an email list, to attending your webinar or to buying a product.
Even though, copywriting is relatively old profession, the principles stay the same from decades.
Great copy needs to inspire people to do certain action.
In the present times, you will find copy everywhere.
Blog posts, emails, landing pages, video descriptions, etc.
Even Instagram post can consist of clever written piece of copy.
The purpose of the copy changes as well as the content. Sometimes, it can be a long sales letter, where the desire action is the purchase.
While, another time, it might be a short, one line call-to-action button encouraging people to sign up for emails.
Similarly to to affiliate marketing, you can choose a niche, you have affinity with and therefore you'll write easier.
You can also, choose to stay "niche-free" and build your portfolio writing in several topics. Watch out that you will not misplace the niche with specialisation.
While niche is an area of market you want to focus on, specialisation is the type of the copy you want to write.
One important thing to remember, copywriting is persuasive writing.
So, unlike content marketing, where the purpose is to educate audience, copywriting's purpose is to convince people to do certain action.
How to start copywriting?
Likewise as with to affiliate marketing, you have to start gaining knowledge from a course. Eventually from a book.
(There isn't traditional copywriting education on university)
Subsequently, you can choose a specific niche and specialisation.
Technical writing, SEO copywriting, conversion copywriting, Ads, Emails are all examples of specialisation.
Health, earning money online, traveling are all examples of niches.
Secondly, you might want to choose the type of copywriter you want to become. In nutshell, you can choose to be in-house copywriter, with sort of employer.
The second option is to be freelance copywriter.
Lastly, the most enjoyable part of all: practicing.
Hahaha ,I've got you!
Seriously, huge part of becoming professional copywriter is to write, write and write.
Then ask for feedback and write again. However, after learning the skill...you should become more than able to get jobs!
Copywriting PROS and CONS
PROS
- Relatively Huge Earning Potential
- Flexibility in Choosing Your Niche/Specialisation
- Possibility to Work for "Fixed" Hourly Rate
- Consistent Income
CONS
- Highly Competitive
- More Complex
- Need to be an Expert in The Chosen Language
Which is Easier, Copywriting or The Affiliate Marketing?
Seeing it from Perspective that Copywriting is a part of The Affiliate Marketing, there really isn't easy way.
You should learn a both of them.
Unless you are gazillion % sure you are going to be copywriter.
Then you don't really need to learn to affiliate marketing, although you still can.
Who wouldn't want to pick extra $$$ if they are on the table?
However, just to see it from the pure perspective of which one is easier, I don't think there is a clear answer.
Let me show you why.
Firstly, we can see it from the view if affiliate marketers, they might say, COPYWRITING IS EASIER.
Copywriting requires basic writing skills and a willingness to learn more, but does not require any specialised training or technical knowledge like affiliate marketing does.
Copywriting also relies heavily on creativity and storytelling ability, which can be developed quickly with practice.
On the other hand, affiliate marketing takes longer to understand and master due to its reliance on customer behaviour, data analysis, and the ability to craft effective campaigns that will convert customers into paying customers.
Far away are the times, when writing a blog with keyword, link, and one picture was enough. You need other, more sophisticated ways to rank and to reach out to people.
But taking it from the copywriters point of view, they might say AFFILIATE MARKETING IS EASIER.
Why?
In case your headlines or lead will not be read, you failed as copywriter.
So, you have just those couple of lines, for convincing the readers, to proceed to next lines.
Will you achieve it?
Great you are onto next level, but will you not...you have no work.
Then there is a content.
Affiliate Marketers can choose video marketing, and they don't need to WRITE A SINGLE TEXT LINE.
Copywriters have to write. Not only this, but they have to write in super creative, original and unique way.
Therefore, it depends on what personality you are.
Creative or business oriented? Do you like written text or video content?
As mentioned previously, the best way is learn a both of them.
Then you can see by yourself, which one is easier.
Copywriting vs To affiliate Marketing, Which One is More Lucrative?
I hope it is more that obvious that you can earn 6-7 figures with both.
So, there is not a clear answer to that.
In both, there are several factors that will define your earnings.
Some factors are same for both, such as: your level of experience, what you write about and what you promote, and your audience.
For instance, if you are copywriter and you write for huge corporate, and in addition to this you are experienced, you will earn much more that starting copywriter, writing for solopreneurs.
Also, if you are affiliate marketer and you spent enough time to learn SEO writing, can drive tons of traffic to your offers and you promote high-ticket products, chances are you will earn much more that affiliates without huge audience, and with low-ticket offers.
My advice would be thought : don't focus on the amount you can earn, rather what you will like doing on longer term.
Before, the money would come, you need to learn the skill.
Usually, you will learn easier, something you like, that task that's boring and you are doing it pure, because of money.
Lastly, learning both skills can offer you higher earning potential over the longer period.
Do I Need to Know Copywriting to be an Affiliate Marketer?
One Question to all alibi writers out there saying you don't need copywriting as an affiliate marketer: Tell me how you write your headline?
Not just headline, but they should tell how they would write their leads.
80% of readers won't come further that your headline and lead.
Why?
Because, the headline is not competing, engaging, unique...it is safe to say, that if people landing on your page, won't read further that headline or lead, you lost them!
Writing captivating headlines and engaging leads, is one of many copywriting tasks!
Yes, you should know basic to advanced copy principles, should you want people be reading your blog posts.
Does your traffic come from other source that blog posts, for instance from YouTube or Pinterest?
Then it is the same story.
You need that visitors will click on your video, on your social post and so on.
In the present, high competitive era, you need to stand out!
And learning some basic copywriting, won't hurt you as an affiliate.
Contrary, to that, it will help you to drive more traffic.
Moreover, it will help you to convert this traffic into customers.
Copywriting vs Affiliate Marketing- Summary
Should you decide to pursue only one of those two, then you need to answer the question: What do I like doing?
Is creative, but persuasive writing, your coup of tea? Then you have a clear winner!
In case, you prefer to use various business skills, with intention of earning passive income, then you have to give affiliate marketing a try.
In both scenarios, you can earn great money.
Hence, you have to posses certain qualities. Patience, willingness to learn, find time you can spend on research.
Also, do you like to start from scratch (like new audience, new website, new traffic method)? Then affiliate Marketing will be something you will enjoy doing more.
Do you prefer consistent income and do you want to jump in project that already exists? Copywriting will suit you better.
But...
I would still encourage you to learn a both of them.
Hopefully, you could see how beneficial is copywriting for your affiliate marketing blog posts.
On the other hand, if you master copywriting, I can imagine, the next step could be, using your writing skills to create passive income sources, so you become much more FREE.
I hope you liked my blog post on copywriting vs affiliate marketing.
As always, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section.I would be more that happy to help you out.
Julius
Nice comparison between copywriting and affiliate marketing! Both are common ways to make money in digital marketing, but they are approached differently and demand distinct skill sets. The article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy.
Also, the article underlines the need to seek adequate training and be wary of fake gurus in copywriting and affiliate marketing. To achieve success in these sectors, investing in dependable materials and learning from credible sources is critical.
Whether you pick copywriting or affiliate marketing, it is critical to choose a path that matches your interests and talents to reach your goals in digital marketing.
In your opinion, what are the main distinctions between copywriting and affiliate marketing in terms of developing skills and making money?
Hey there, Miki!
Happy, you liked the comparison in my blog post. I think, they both require time to learn the skill. Some might see affiliate marketing easier, especially those who use “just” blogging as their main traffic source. On the other side, copywriting might seem easier, because you are using “just” words, while people doing more than blogging, will also see the complexity affiliate marketing has, when it comes to driving a traffic, keyword research, and competition research. As for difficulty, also the height of the earnings isn’t easily defined. Would you work for big clients then copywriting can be super interesting. Vice versa, small client won’t be paying a lot. Affiliate Marketing is hard to get on track, but when you achieve constant traffic on your site, the sky is the limit. Also, affiliate marketing creates passive income and that’s the best that it can be. So, therefore many people prefer affiliate marketing.