Want to quit your job & go pro on social media? You’ve gotta establish a steady stream of income, first. Professional influencers diversify earnings sources, but concentrate on earning commissions through ad revenue and affiliate links. Ad revenue comes & goes, but an affiliate link with a long cookie duration earns for a lifetime.
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Have you ever binged a creators’ videos for hours – and clicked through to buy that holy grail mascara in a Monthly Favorites video? Even if that video is years old, if the creator uses affiliate link, they just earned a commission. That’s precisely why monetizing YouTube (and your other channels) with affiliate links is essential.
Rihanna is a pro revenue generator: She diversifies her revenue with different merchandise lines, ad revenue on videos, music, sponsorships, affiliate links, and more! (Image via Giphy)
The highest-earning, highest-viewed period for content is typically the first 72 hours after publication. But (and you knew there was a “but” coming, didn’t you?) what if your fans click, but don’t purchase right away? Meet your new BFF: Cookie Windows.
What Is A Cookie?
Cookies, tracking codes embedded in links, tell a retailer where the sale came from (aka, who influenced the sale). When your fan clicks your MagicLink, the retailer’s cookie is embedded in their browser.
What Is Cookie Duration/Cookie Window?
Tracking cookies, like real cookies #nom, don’t last forever. Each retailer sets their preferred cookie duration with their affiliate network, usually lasting between 1-30 days.
So: If a fan clicks your MagicLink to a brand with a 30-day cookie window, but doesn’t make a purchase that day, your commission isn’t lost yet! Provided the fan a) goes back to the brand’s website & purchase before the cookie window expires, and b) doesn’t clear their browser’s history & cookie cache, you are credited with influencing the sale. If your fans engage with your content a lot, they’ll continue to see you using the same products, which makes them trust your recs more – and buy more!
Translation? Trust = Sales!
How Can I Get My Fans to Purchase *NOW*, So I Don’t Have to Worry About Cookie Windows?
Around 68% of all online shopping carts end up abandoned & unpurchased, languishing in Shopping Purgatory. Fortunately, MagicLinks’ data proves that creators can turn cart abandonment into sales.
Use this three-step mantra: Choose, Create, Fuel.
- Choose brands with the best mobile shopping experience
Humans are lazy: We want the quickest, best results, with minimum effort. It’s an evolution thing.
40-50% of all online purchases are made on mobile devices, and a streamlined, easy mobile shopping + checkout experience increases impulse buys… and DECREASES shopping cart abandonment.
- Create ObsessedWith.It pages for every post & video
Again, mobile shopping is advantageous: With ObsessedWith.It, every product you recommend is at your fans’ fingertips, which unconsciously causes them to keep scrolling, tapping, and purchasing.
- Fuel a sense of urgency in your fans
A one-day sale, a limited-edition product, being at the forefront of the latest trends, etc. Use lots of CTAs (Call To Action) in your content to call out your shoppable MagicLinks + ObsessedWith.It.- “This is THE bag of the summer, and Nordstrom is the ONLY place carrying it, so grab yours before they’re all gone!”
- “Tap the link in my description to shop Urban Decay’s newest foundation at Sephora!”
- “Swipe up to shop my look & get it in time for New Year’s Eve parties!”
Can Cookies Be Overwritten (or Stolen?)
Unfortunately, yes. If a fan clicks your MagicLink, but during the shopping process, clicks through a coupon or cash back website to find a deal… The cookie code in that site’s affiliate link can override your MagicLinks’ cookie. The same goes for coupon browser extensions & apps.
How Do I Keep The Cookies – and the Cash?
Use MagicLinks Retailer Ratings factors like Cookie Duration, Sales Funnel Solution, and Cashback & Coupon Commission Loss to determine a brand’s dedication to awarding commissions to the channel (YOU!) that influenced the sale in the first place. The higher the score (on a scale of 0 – 5), the better. We give you the best, most transparent performance reporting, so you can focus on creating content!
If “earn money on YouTube” is your New Year’s Resolution for 2021, partner with us. Apply now for access to Retailer Ratings, the highest commission rates, brand sponsorships, and more!
*Cover images courtesy of MagicLinks influencers (and conversion pros) Ashley Parke and Farina Aguinaldo
