An Affiliate Marketer from the Ground Up

Affiliate Marketing: How to Get Started
By Jinger Jarrett

Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to start a business online if you don't have any specific area of expertise you can sell.

There are many reasons, but here are three reasons I would start market affiliate programs:

1. You don't need to create your own products,

2. You don't have to deal with customer service very often, and

3. You can create a business on just about any topic you want, including a hobbie.

Affiliate programs generate billions of dollars every year in revenue. There is plenty of room for growth, and so anyone can make money. If you're looking for an easy way to start a business online, affiliate programs are your answer.

When starting an affiliate business, there are three things you need to do to get started:

1. What will your topic be?

The first thing you need to do is write down several topics you're interested in. This can be anything. Don't limit yourself in this stage of your business. You're just getting started, so right now is the time to let your imagination run free.

Once you've chosen several topics, you want to do keyword research. Look for what's called "Long Tail Keywords". These are usually keyword phrases that have three or more keywords. Some of these you will be able to use. Others you will need to discard.

Then compare the amount of searches to the amount of results you find in the search engines. If a keyword phrase is really competitive, you may want to discard it.

What's important here is that you remember there must be an audience for whatever you choose to market. Also, since you're starting an affiliate business, you're not limited to the number of topics you can promote. It's a good idea to find three to five topics you are interested in and then diversify.

(Free keyword research tools are readily available throughout the internet. Do a search in your favorite search engine for "free keyword research".)

2. Will you build a website?

Although some would tell you that building a website is absolutely crucial to your affiliate marketing success, it really isn't. There are plenty of marketers who send traffic directly to the merchant using pay per click, or some other marketing technique that doesn't require a website.

The purpose of your website is what's critical here. You can build a site as simple as a one page lead capture page to capture email addresses. Give your visitors a free report or some other bonus for joining your list.

Personally, I've found that building content sites work much better for affiliate marketing because you can offer your visitors multiple products related to a topic. You can also add a subscription box to your website to build your list at the same time.

3. How will you promote your new business?

How you promote your affiliate website depends on several factors. Do you like to write? Does the technique you have chosen require a lot of time? Do you have some spare cash you can use to promote your new business? If you do, then you can combine your

marketing with simple websites and earn your first commissions in days.

Internet marketing techniques to consider are: search engine optimization, forums, article writing, pay per click, and free classifieds. These work well with affiliate marketing. Choose one and try it for awhile. When you feel comfortable, choose another and add it to your marketing plan.

Before starting an affiliate business, you should consider these factors. After all, if you're

looking for an easy way to start a business online, and you want to start earning quickly,

affiliate marketing is the way to do it.

Article Source: http://www.affsphere.com/Internet-Marketing/Affiliate-Marketing-Income/Affiliate-Marketing-How-to-Get-Started.html

Recently I've gotten into article marketing. Actually I should say that I'm just getting into article marketing. I've yet to publish many articles, but I do realize the power in it, and I do plan to continue submitting articles to the directories.

In reality I'll be submitting primarily to only one directory now. In case you haven't heard of 'AffSphere.com', you've got to check these guys out. You talk about a fantastic idea, here is a good idea made great.

Probably most have heard of 'eZinearticles.com' and some of the other many article directories around the web. I think we'd all agree it's a great way to get backlinks, and also just a good way to have your work read and generate traffic (traffic=$$$).

AffSphere has taken it to another level though. Most directories won't allow affiliate links in your articles...AffSphere encouages it!! AffSphere is the brainchild of Anik Singal, the brilliant mind behind AffiliateClassroom.com, an outstanding resource and training site for the aspiring affiliate marketer that I've mentioned here before. I'm a member and I can honestly say that there's a ton of information there. Much of it downloadable in the form of ebooks, audios and videos, tutorials and guides.

Not only does AffSphere encourage affiliate links, they have devised a fantastic setup for the affiliate/writer to earn some very good commissions. Through the marvel of viral article marketing, it's possible to get untold numbers of signups in your downline. Although it could take a little while to get a good commission coming regularly, if you only write articles occasionally, you could also put out a good article or two, have it downloaded to several sites, and have it take off for you.

If you're interested at all in writing articles, take a look at AffSphere.com. There's nothing else that comes close to it as far as rewarding the article writers.

I doubt that many of us would want to sit and write articles all day, but even if you can write one a day, in a few months time there's no telling how many backinks and sales commissions you could earn. I truly believe this may be one of the best, easiest, and least expensive (it's free!!) methods to earn an online income.

I won't try and explain the 8 methods of earning at AffSphere, just go here and watch the video that explains it in detail. Then signup, it's free so there's obviously nothing to lose and untold rewards to gain!!

Good Luck.

I've only been involved in affiliate marketing for several months now. However, it has been long enough that I should have started to see some significant profits, at least I believe I should have anyway.

I have make a little money, as I've posted here, but nothing close to where I would have hoped to have been by now. My technical skills suck, that's a given, but what really bothers me is that I've yet to really find the basic, necessary training information that I was looking for. Don't get me wrong, there's many, many great forums, blogs and other sites aroung the Internet, but I was wanting one site that would take me, a beginner, step-by-step through the process.

Finally, today, thanks to an email from Pepperjam Network, I found out about AffiliateClassroom.com. It's creator, Anik Singal is a very successful affiliate marketer, and has set up this great site for those of us like me, in need of HELP. Read his story in Businessweek here, he's a finalist in the '2008 America's Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year'. Sir Richard Branson is also involved, and he's a name that people stand up and take notice of.

I won't drag this out, just read about Anik, in case you don't know who he is, then check out the AffilateClassroom here. There's a $1 (14)-day trial offer, so I don't see how you can go wrong. Also, if after the trial period you decide you don't like it for some reason, they will give you a full refund (within 30 days). You can also cancel at anytime...no questions asked. I've just signed up and it looks to be GREAT.

I just finished reading some posts over at NickyCakes.com. That guy is funny, not to mention he tells it like it is...no BS. I won't go into details about whom he was talking, but I just read a post that really opened my eyes. A guy/blog that I really thought 'had the goods', is nothing more than a little fish in a huge pond. Not to mention, according to what I read, a little less than honest.

I've mentioned here in the past that, as of this post anyway, I'm still new in the affilate marketing industry. I don't claim to be some super affiliate or an expert in any field. If I mention a compamy, product, ebook or anything else, it's because I've either bought and/or used it, or I know for a fact that it's not a scam.

If you look on the home page of my site, presently I have neverblueAds and PepperJam NETWORK affiliate network banners. I've been signed up with both for a while, and although you probably don't need me to tell you, they're both top-notch companies in the business. I know I can put those banners there and there's no chance of someone emailing me one day saying 'those jerks ripped me off.'

I also have a TigerDirect banner there. Last year I probably spent around $2,500 (at least) at TigerDirect, mostly in parts building (2) new PCs, (2) LCH displays, (2) MP3 players, software...man, that might even be higher. I know, for a fact that their prices, service and everything else is the best. Believe me, I wouldn't part with that much money without doing my homework.

I mention Blue Host and HostGator in my blogroll, but you what ? I've got accounts with both of them. I

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By now I would think that anyone that has Internet access, and especially those involved in affiliate marketing, have seen the news that Shawn Hogan, Brian Dunning, and Todd Dunning are being sued by eBay for cookie stuffing.

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Three men defrauded eBay in a "cookie stuffing" scheme that made it appear the men's companies should be paid commissions, eBay claims in Federal Court. It sued

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