Getting Started With Affiliate Marketing

[Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you. For more information check out our Affiliate Disclosure page.]

When most people start looking for ways to make money online, affiliate marketing is the first and most regular solution that comes up.  One of the reasons for this could be the large number of people who are making a living from affiliate marketing.  So, since you are thinking about making money online, you need to know what you should be doing to start making money from affiliate marketing.

• What Is Affiliate Marketing?
• How To Find Products
• Choosing The Right Product
• How To Make Sales
• Is Affiliate Marketing Right For You?

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Now, before you start running into affiliate marketing head first, you need to know a bit about this.  Having a basic understanding of the principles behind affiliate marketing will help you strategize and ensure that you know what you need to do.  It also helps you determine whether or not this is the right method for you.  It is very important to note that affiliate marketing is not right for everyone and that many people who start do not end up making the amounts that ‘gurus’ tell you about.

With that disclaimer out of the way, it is time to focus on what affiliate marketing is all about.  Affiliate marketing is technically acting as the middleman between a consumer and the product owner.  You will promote someone’s product to the customer and when the customer buys the product you get paid a commission.  In this case, you are essentially a salesperson earning commission for every sale that you make.

How To Find Products

Now that you know the basics of affiliate marketing, you might be wondering how you find the products you are going to be promoting.  There are a number of ways that you can go about finding products to promote.  The route you use will be based on what you want to do and what you want to promote.

The first step that you have to take when looking for products is determining the niche you want to focus on.  There are a lot of different methods that you can use to determine which niche you want to look at.  Some people say that you should start with something that you are interested in, but you can also look for something that is popular and start promoting a product in that niche.

Once you have determined the niche you want to work in, or if you are still unsure about the niche, you should head to ClickBank.  ClickBank is one of the oldest affiliate marketing portals on the internet and allows product owners to list their products for affiliates to find.  The products are divided into the different niches which make them easier to find.  You can also filter them using a range of filters that ClickBank has to offer.

ClickBank is not the only affiliate marketplace that you can use.  Another big one is JVZoo where you can find products to promote.  With JVZoo, you will generally have to apply before you can promote a product.  There are a lot of other marketplaces that you can use, but these are the 2 biggest.

Of course, you do not have to work through these marketplaces if you do not want to.  It is also possible to go direct to the company or seller and sign up for an affiliate program.  The best way to find affiliate programs this way will be to use our friend Google.  All you have to do is Google the product you want to sell or the niche and add affiliate program.

Choosing The Right Product

Now, choosing the right product to promote can be very difficult or very easy depending on what you are looking at.  There are some products that simply sell themselves and you will want to get in on these ones.  Of course, you will be competing with all of the other affiliates for sales with these items, but if you work at it you will make money.

The process of choosing a product will vary depending on how you have found the product.  If you are looking at ClickBank, you have to consider the commission as well as the gravity.  You also need to consider what the product is offering your visitors and the quality of the product.  You do not want to be affiliated with a poor quality product because you will not sell a lot and your brand will be linked to poor quality.

How To Make Sales

Most affiliate products will pay you a commission for every sale that is linked to your affiliate ID.  The problem that most people have is knowing how to actually make a sale.  The truth is that there is no strategy that you can use which will guarantee a sale.  It is all a bit of trial and error which can be frustrating, but will work out in the long-run.

The way to make sales will vary depending on the industry you are targeting and your target market.  Pitching to dog owners will be very different to pitching to fitness enthusiasts.  This is why you need to do a bit of research into your market and into your target audience.  Find a message that resonates with them and you will be more likely to make a sale.

Is Affiliate Marketing Right For You?

While affiliate marketing is the go-to for many people who want to make money online, it is not the right choice for everyone.  Some people thrive at selling products to other people and some people can’t seem to get their pitch just right.  This is why you need to take the time to consider if affiliate marketing is really the right option for you. Just because it is easy to get into, it does not mean that it is easy to master or to make a living from it.