If you are a business minded individual, you will have realized by now, that the internet is the next frontier. This is where everybody, with the right set of skills, can make a killing. Even an average Joe with a laptop and an internet connection can transform himself from a broke individual to a dot com millionaire by practicing making money from home strategies. One of the best and most profitable ways to go about making your dreams a reality is through affiliate marketing. If you typed in, what is affiliate marketing, best affiliate programs, affiliate marketing tips, or benefits of becoming an affiliate marketer, you will find millions and millions of search results that paint a beautiful picture. Many people have made their online fortune through affiliate marketing. But as great as this business model is, it is not all rosy! It takes a great deal of work and some smarts to be among the best affiliate marketers out there.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Quite essentially put, affiliate marketing is a business format that allows you to make money by referring people to make online purchases. For example, if you have a website that has a good following. If your following is comprised of buyers, then you can recommend certain products for your audience to buy. Should anyone from your site buy any product, the company will give you a commission.
Many big brand names have realized that this is a very cost effective model of business. It brings in a huge amount of traffic to their site and they only pay commissions on converted sales. It is up to you, as the affiliate marketer, to make sure that your audience buys the product through your link. By marketing websites, you are basically acting as a sales person for these big brand companies, but with all the perks and none of the walking around.
The commission percentage varies from company to company. Some pay out 1%, while others payout as high as 75% in commissions. Digital products, electronics and beauty products are some of the most popular industries with many affiliate marketers. Overall, you will discover that there are numerous money making ideas out there.
The Best Affiliate Programs
Of course, with such a huge potential to make money, affiliate marketing has developed a great following over the years. But, just because affiliate marketing makes money, it does not mean that every affiliate marketing program is created equal. There are those programs or networks that tend to stand out. Either because of their wide reach, or the platform’s capabilities to deliver results for the affiliates associated with it. Here is a short list of some of the best affiliate marketing programs in the market.
Clickbank: Here you can find some of the hottest selling digital products online. This is a high traffic e-commerce platform.
Linkshare: This is one of the most popular affiliate marketing programs in the market today, With a network reaching into the tens of millions, Linkshare allows you as an affiliate to either manage your own line or have it completely managed by Linkshare.
CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction): This is one of the largest affiliate platforms in North America. It operates globally and it offers tracking services to its affiliates in addition to either a self or company managed account
ShareAsale: This is one of the biggest affiliate programs in the market. It has well over 2,500 merchant programs and carries some of the best and most recognized brands.
Amazon Associates: The name says it all. Amazon, which is a subsidiary of the mega online store, is an affiliate program that has something for everybody. This is due to the variety of products that can be found on its mother company, Amazon.com
Affiliate Marketing Tips
So, how exactly does one become a successful affiliate?
1. Choose your niche carefully
This is the road to money making ideas. Most of marketing is driven by a passion for something. Many successful affiliate marketers enjoy the products they recommend immensely. Although, this is not a requirement, it only goes to lower your chances of getting bored and giving up the sales pitches. Choose a niche that you know and one that converts well.
2. Find the right affiliate program
Simply going for the best and the ones that give out the most commissions will not always work out. You need to choose a program that carries the kind of brands and products that you are passionate about; programs that communicate well and programs that are well managed.
3. Find a mentor
There is a great deal to learn before your affiliate marketing business can reach its full potential. The learning curve is very steep and finding a mentor, preferably through your chosen program, can go a long way in making you a success.
4. Join affiliate forums
It only goes to strengthen your resource pool. You will need a lot of advice from like minded people. Joining a community or affiliate forum will ensure that you have a wide range of opinions when you need advice.
5. Get yourself a platform
Although, affiliates are making money from home without owning a website, getting a platform, such as a free WordPress blog is one of the best ways to ensure that you have an audience to sell to. These blogs take just a few minutes to set up. You can also look at the idea of marketing websites or selling websites and making profit from them. However, you need great content to bring in the traffic.
