Would you like some help…
We don’t have all the answers…
We’ve made a lot of mistakes…
We’re not all millionaires…
We love what we do…
We’ll help you learn from our business mistakes…
Recently I was a guest on an associate’s webinar series.
We discussed internet marketing, online businesses and affiliate marketing, and then took questions.
I enjoy participating in these types of discussions because I find that the majority of the participants are hardworking entrepreneurs looking for real answers to business questions and they love to learn new things and share ideas.
I learn something from every session. Really. These folks are savvy, business people with lots of energy!
One of the most frequent questions I receive is, “I don’t have my own product to sell online, so I would like to be an affiliate marketer, how do I get started?”
Great question
Let’s talk…
First of all let’s agree that an affiliate marketer is someone marketing someone else’s product or service on the internet.
Most new internet entrepreneurs have the energy and the desire but lack their own product in which to sell.
The easy answer:
Bassproshop.com, Homedepot.com, Amazon.com, etc. (just scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘Affiliate Program, or Become an Affiliate’) are just three of the hundreds of name brand retailers that will allow you to advertise and sell their products on your webpage and receive a commission.
You’ll probably be surprised at the number of products you use every day, and recommend to others, that have an affiliate program to earn commissions.
But let’s dig a little deeper:
There are thousands of successful affiliate marketers and thousands of affiliate products for you to sell. Relax
So where do you start?
‘Affiliate Networks’ would be my first suggestion. Here are a few networks that are well established with trustworthy reputations: (in alphabetical order)
Each of these networks (and there are many more) offer a host of companies with products that you can market, and receive a commission i.e. affiliate marketer. Simple enough!
I use some of these networks in my own business. They’ve been around a long time. Their networks have grown right along with the affiliate marketing industry and they offer a whole range of marketing tools, customer lists, management software, and analytics to help you. They process the transaction, record your sales and send you a commission. Pretty much hands-free after you set it up. Do as many or as few as you wish. Pretty safe place to start
These networks have extremely sophisticated and efficient electronic systems that manage the sales, recording, and commission payments for the thousands of vendors and affiliates in their network. For this service they take a cut of the profits. That’s fair. The down side is that many have ‘rules’ by which you must abide, and even with their sophisticated technology, payments are slow.
Other affiliate networks offer e-Products:
These are electronic products like eBooks, graphic packages, data, etc. I wouldn’t recommend that a new affiliate entrepreneur launch their business here. To offer and sell an eBook for example, you would want to review/read the product you’re selling. You’d have to buy and read a LOT of eBooks. Additionally, because e-products are so easy to market and sell they have a reputation for promoting a ton of garbage along with their products. Just too much work and risk for the return right now.
NOTE: Because you are a ‘middleman (woman)’ selling a product, you never actually touch the product…just promote it to your List. Affiliate marketing is based upon trust. Trust that the products you are promoting are what they say they are, that they will be delivered to the buyer after the sale, and that you will receive your commission in a reasonable amount of time. There are many no-name networks out there that will offer you products just like the big networks, and the benefits, commissions, etc., will be much more enticing. Be careful, you may never see your commissions; your customers may never get their product…….and your webpage/business name will be trashed with bad publicity; i.e. change your name and webpage!
How’ bout an Indy?
Another very popular source for affiliate products, and one I use frequently, is what are referred to as’ Independent Networks’ (Indys). These are for the most part very reputable internet marketers just like you and I that have a product to sell and will pay you a commission every time someone on your list makes a purchase.
These can be large networks (Amazon.com) or a mom & pop business selling homemade Montana blackberry jam. You’ll be surprised with the amount of technology they have available to process the sale, deliver the product and send you a commission. Generally commission payments come very quickly to encourage you to continue promoting their product.
Where do you find Indys?
Do a Search with a keyword from your niche and add the word(s): affiliate, affiliate program, become an affiliate, etc.
A good Indy is like a good business partner. They want you to be successful selling their product.
Email, Skype, even a telephone call to an Indy is acceptable, welcomed, and recommended. Talk to the owner of the business! Indys know how best to sell their product so they’re anxious to give you a lot of great information.
Most will offer you professional graphics, banners, coupons, sales pages, pics, etc. for your blog, webpage, newsletter, etc. PHREE!
As always, buyer beware. Research the network, the product, the company, the people in charge, before you join ranks.
I hope this was helpful to get you started in affiliated marketing, and to open your eyes to some precautions.
There are a LOT of people making very good money in affiliate marketing. For some it’s a part time job. For others it’s become a very lucrative full time job.
If you’re a regular to this blog, you know I’m not going to tell you that online marketing is easy.
There’s no ‘click here’ to get rich. It’s WORK.
Life is full of choices…you decide.
Talk soon,
-Jonathan Right
Hey, thanks for all the replies. Appreciate your comments.