564: How to Monetize Your Blog Using Affiliate Marketing and Brand Partnerships with Anjali Shah

In episode 564, Megan chats to Anjali Shah about a unique affiliate marketing strategy bloggers can use to earn additional revenue by negotiating directly with brands they truly believe in. Anjali Shah is a food writer, best-selling author, board certified health coach, nutritionist, mom of two, and an advocate for healthy, clean eating for individuals and families. Her work has garnered nationwide attention as she has been featured on Oprah.com, Women's Health, Cooking Light, Reader's Digest, CNN, Food Network, and more. Anjali grew up a "whole wheat" girl, but married a "white bread" kind of guy. Hoping to prove that nutritious food could in fact be delicious and desirable, she taught herself how to cook and successfully transformed her husband's eating habits from a diet of frozen pizzas and Taco Bell to her healthy, yet flavorful recipes made with simple, wholesome ingredients. After becoming a mom, Anjali expanded her work to include strategies and techniques to combat picky eating in kids of all ages. Anjali started The Picky Eater in 2011 to make healthy food accessible, tasty, easy to make at home, and picky-eater proof. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. In this episode, you'll learn what commission to expect from brands, how to pitch brands without coming across as salesy and how to approach SEO in sponsored posts. Key points discussed: - Affiliate marketing can be a significant revenue stream for food bloggers: It could make up as much as 70% of your income over time. - Reaching out to brands directly can be an effective affiliate marketing strategy: Contact brands on Instagram to pitch collaboration opportunities rather than using email templates to make it more personal. - Negotiating fair compensation is important: Ask for sufficient commission - around 20% - from affiliate programs, and be willing to negotiate for higher rates. - Authenticity is key when pitching to brands: Focus on products she already uses or believes in, making the pitch feel more like a conversation than a sales pitch. - Building long-term partnerships with brands can be beneficial: If you start now, you can establish potentially beneficial long-term affiliate partnerships. - Keyword research for affiliate marketing content should target high-intent keywords: Look for keywords that indicate a user's intent to purchase, rather than just general category searches. - The changing Google landscape may require adjusting affiliate marketing strategies: You might need to adapt your SEO-focused affiliate marketing approach due to recent changes in Google's search results. - Asking to be paid for your work is important: Bloggers should ask for fair compensation, rather than accepting product as payment. Connect with Anjali Shah Website | Instagram