Hey there Sea Changers. As you may or may not be aware, this is my site aimed at assisting those of you looking to get yourselves set up with an online business. Today we will take a look at what we mean by high ticket affiliate marketing and how we can make some good money with it. So what is high ticket affiliate marketing? Let's check it all out below…
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Ok, just so we are all starting on the same page, Affiliate marketing is the process in which you, as a marketer, refer customers to websites where they can purchase products based on your recommendations. The website that takes the sale then pays you a commission for the referral sale. These referrals can be done in a number of ways including:
- Website links
- YouTube
- Podcasts
- Social media campaigns
Affiliate programs are setup directly by companies or marketplace platforms (Amazon, Ebay etc.) that allow you to join and then refer traffic to them via customised affiliate links. The real advantage here is that you can promote and sell items without you having to hold inventory or organise shipping meaning you can also promote the latest and greatest (and more expensive) products as well.
High Ticket Affiliate Marketing Meaning
So, what is a high ticket affiliate marketing program? Well in short, the term ‘high ticket' in affiliate marketing simply means that you are discussing and promoting items that fall into one of two categories. These are:
1. Promoting programs that sell higher cost or expensive items.
The theory is that by selling higher cost items, you will earn higher commissions on the sale – i.e. 5% of $2000 is better than 10% of $100. In this option, you are making commissions on once-off sales of expensive items such as:
- Coaching/personal development courses
- Tours and charters
- Designer products – handbags/watches etc.
- Houses, cars, boats and so on
- Financial/investment packages
- Electronics/home entertainment
2. Selling products that offer recurring income over time.
Our next option is one that is not always considered when it comes to high ticket affiliate marketing in that some great money can be made out of recurring commissions. Recurring Commission affiliate programs are those that pay out over a number of months based on buyer behaviour. This is generally specific to subscription or membership based programs or sites such as:
- Online platforms (Wealthy Affiliate, ClickFunnels etc.)
- Web hosting
- Online services (VPNs, Security etc.)
- Autoresponders
Some will pay an upfront commission and then recurring as well. Others pay higher amounts for initial signup – up to $500. Obviously you will not earn commissions as high as the first option above here, however over time these recurring commissions can certainly add up.
That's right! Wealthy Affiliate provided me with all of the tools and training I needed to get this post in front of my audience - a.k.a YOU!
You too can start your very own online business here that can make you money from anywhere in the world!!
How do we sell high ticket items?
In reality, the sale of high ticket items should not be any more difficult than general prices options. Posts still focus on the benefits and problem solving abilities of the product however the target market you choose may differ – you will just need to do some research before you begin. It all comes down to cost in that you are asking your readers to spend more on a product than they may have considered when they set out on their buying journey.
Think about:
Your target audience
The readers you target for high ticket item posts may differ to others on your site. The way you outline your products may be worded differently. Are they purchasing for the features and benefits, the prestige or simply a once in a lifetime dream purchase.
Features and benefits
This is the ‘why?”. Why would a reader want to pay a higher price for an item than other options? What you outline here will flow on from the needs of your target audience above.
The market
The other thing to consider here is that in some cases, the reader is already looking to purchase a high ticket item – especially those looking at hobby based options such as motorbikes, boats etc. And don't neglect the accessories here – remember, a good set of motorbike leathers can go for $1000s. In this case, you don't need to convince them, you need to provide information to assist them in their purchase.
What posts should we write?
Based on the above, below are some post types that I think could be very effective when it comes to selling high ticket items:
Reviews
These are an extremely powerful post type for high ticket items, especially if you are trying to promote a product or service. The trick here is honesty, if you like a product, tell your readers from the start and clearly outline why. If not, be clear on why from a practical perspective – don't just say “this is a great option because it costs more”. People will spend money on high ticket items online however they need to know what they are getting is really worth the extra cash.
Instructional guides
Although normally reserved to assist those who already have the product or are using the service, these can also work well in the high ticket arena as they highlight the extra features and/or benefits that these products include. Those looking to purchase often look at these guides to see if a product can do exactly what they are looking for. YouTube videos are a great addition here too.
Stories
Everybody loves a good story and these posts help to humanise you, as the owner of the site. People relate to a good story, especially if there was a problem involved. In these post types, bloggers will generally tell a story about a problem and then highlight the solution that they have used. It can also help here to explain how the higher priced option could solve your problem when the cheaper products could not.
Interviews
These posts follow the same lines as the story post except told in interview fashion. This brings credibility to the post as the person you are interviewing can be seen as an expert in their field or subject. A problem solving interview will usually work best with someone well-known or a professional within that industry. This way you can promote the “well the pros use it so it must be good” angle.
Opinion/Controversy
If you can hit the right market, these posts are gold when it comes to attracting interaction and opinion in regards to high ticket items. When an opinion is given (say for example you question whether the new $9,000 5K UHD TV is really worth the price tag), many readers cannot help themselves but respond with their own thoughts. This is a great option for sites that work within the hobby niche as there are always differing opinions here. However, you do need to be careful here – these posts can attract negative, emotional or even abusive responses which you will have to deal with.
Ask for help
This is another good way to harness the power of comments and interaction to sell high ticket items. Your post can start with something along the lines of “Hey guys, I have a problem…I need to know what the best option is for…” and then outline the problem and what products you feel might rectify it. Again, this process can assist to humanise you and also build a rapport with your readers who are then more likely to purchase based on your discussions.
Conclusion
So there you have it… my take on what is high ticket in affiliate marketing. As discussed, it is not necessarily harder to do, you may just need to slightly adjust how you work it.
I hope this has been helpful and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share.
Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own high ticket affiliate marketing website?
Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to ethically develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO, post ideas, social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.
Until next time
Have fun
Paul
Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate or ClickFunnels.
High ticket affiliate marketing can definitely be a very profitable endeavor. I was reading an article a while back about a super high commission affiliate marketing that dealt with people who buy gold. I think probably one of the best ones would be to find affiliate opportunities that pay for monthly memberships.
Finance is definitely a good niche for high commission opportunities!
Hey, Paul,
Great post! I learned about this high ticket scheme not too long ago. As I searched for some options to make money online, I came across many platforms that promise you will make money. I must confess I’m a little bit skeptical as we have all heard horror stories about affiliate marketing.
I’d like to try one of these programs, but I need to think about my niche thoroughly. There are too many MMO sites already, so looking for something with less competition would be ideal.
Thanks for sharing.
That’s definitely a good way to go I think – Sadly the MMO field has a lot of programs that promise high ticket commissions but fall flat too. Thanks for your comments – let me know how you go. Paul
I feel like I currently am doing high ticket affiliate marketing. I sell protein shakes and this is a product that people tend to purchase on a monthly basis. So that means that I will be having a recurring monthly income. Is that how it works? I don’t think I will sell expensive products, those items are difficult to sell, especially if you are new to the business.
Hey Daniel – recurring monthly income is definitely worth it without having to sell expensive items! Hope all is going well with it.
Paul