For affiliate marketers, many have woken up to 2010 to a big slap from Google.

Many have even had their accounts shut down.

Some markets have seen the number of active advertisers drop from 50 to 5 overnight.

So what’s all the fuss about and how can you make sure that you’re not one of the ones taking a stinging shot to the cheek ??

This article from Perry Marshall at perrymarshall.com will get you pointed in the right direction,

The Death of Affiliate Marketing on Google

cheers,

Rich Paylor

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How About A Free 10 Day Affiliate Marketing Course Giving You What We Think Is One Of The Best Methods To Make Money Online As An Affiliate ?

Affiliate Marketing is probably the quickest and simplest way to get started making money on the internet.

So much is already taken care of for you.

Normally you won’t have to worry about a website, or enquiries, follow up, sales, fulfillment, customer support,

actually it sounds like there isn’t much at all TO worry about.

But obviously it isn’t all as easy as joining an affiliate program and the next day sit back and watch the money roll in, although we all wish it was

There are many decisions to be made about how you are going to go about promoting your affiliate program.

Are you going to use the landing page or website you are given by your affiliate partner or are you going to build your own?

If you decide to build your own are you going to build a landing page, a content site or a blog ?

Are you going to advertise primarily through PPC and banner or paid advertising ?

Are you going to focus your advertising efforts on content creation and Search Engine rankings ?

Are you going to focus on social media and things such as blogs and forums to promote your product ?

Now there is no one correct answer to this question.

It will depend on the product, the market you are in, your areas of knowledge and skill, and what you enjoy to do and what you don’t.

All of these methods and combinations of these methods can and do work .

So what is the right method for you ?

Well below is a free 10 day affiliate marketing course called ” The Affiliate Masters Course.”

It focuses on the method of developing a real business by creating a theme based content site that you can use to promote any affiliate products you choose, or even developing your own product.

It is a method i like because it puts the power in your hands as opposed to your affiliate partner and leaves you free to switch products and not be tied to any one affiliate partner or product.

Because products go in and out of fashion as do affiliate partners.

You want to be the one in control of your business, not your affiliate partner.

By building a theme based content site you can pick and choose who you want to work with and really take control of your business.

The Course is 100% free and focuses on everything from

” … developing a site concept

… to brainstorming hundreds of profitable, related keywords

… to building that themed site full of money-earning keyword-focused content pages

… to attracting targeted, motivated traffic that clicks on your recommendations, and buys from the merchants you represent. ”

It is a course I have used myself and highly recommend to anyone wanting to know how to build an affiliate business that puts YOU firmly in the drivers seat.

Check out the Affiliate Masters Free Affiliate Marketing Course.

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How To Choose An Affiliate Marketing Program and Product That Is Right For You.

Affiliate Marketing can be one of the quickest and easiest ways to get started with your own internet business.

With an affiliate link and an Pay-Per-Click account , you can literally be up and running in minutes.

But that;s not necessarily a good thing. You can waste a lot of time and money pretty quickly if you don’t choose the right product or products to affiliate with.

A little brain work and research before you can get started can keep your bank balance intact and save you months of frustration and wasted time.

Lets have a quick look at some of the things you must consider before heading to somewhere like Clickbank or Commission Junction and picking an affiliate program, partner or product.

Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.1

How are you thinking of marketing it ?

Certain products will lend themselves to certain methods of promotion.

A lot of potential affiliate partners will produce landing pages for you that may lend themselves to Pay Per Click advertising.

Some won’t.

You don’t really want to be advertising a product using Pay Per Click if the site they have given you is a big brochure site with a million different options for the customer to figure out.

A simple e-mail capture and follow up sequence has proven very effective for Pay Per Click.

That’s not to say the brochure site won’t work.

Just think in advance how you are planning to market your affiliate program and then see which affiliate programs lend themselves to your preferred marketing methods.

Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.2

What’s the cost ?

It seems an obvious point but in general the higher the cost of the product, the more commission you will make.

And remember the margins with affiliate products can be small, once you take into account your advertising costs, if you have any.

A big ticket item can mean much bigger pay days for you. If you know the market you are working in.

Don’t be afraid to promote big ticket items if you know your market and your prospective customers.

Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.3

What’s Your Percentage ?

Again these vary depending on your affiliate partner.

Anywhere from 1% to 75% depending on the price of the product and the company you are dealing with.

You may absolutely love a product but if the company only wants to pay you 1% of the sale , when you are the one bearing all the advertising cost and doing all the leg work, it might not be worth it.

Again it depends on the cost of the product. 1% of a villa in dubai and 1% of an e-book are not the same thing so judge each opportunity on it’s merits.

At the end of the day you want an affiliate partner that will play fair and do right by you. Someone who values their affiliates and the vital role they have.

And there is a lot of variation good and bad.

Also check to see what the recurring payments are.

I affiliated once with a nutritional supplement that was a monthly shipment, yet they only wanted to pay a percentage of the initial sale, and keep the rest for themselves.

That is not the kind of company you want to be in business with.

Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.4

Reputation.

It is not hard to find out which affiliate programs affiliates recommend and which you should stay away from.

There is no hiding place for companies that do not respect or play fair by their affiliates.

There are hundreds of affiliate and internet marketing forums where affiliates discuss the pros and cons of each affiliate program and product.

Do a little research before you begin and see what some of the full-time affiliates are saying.

It’s probably a good place to start.

Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.5

Product, Product, Product

If you have an affiliate product that stands out in it’s marketplace, that is clearly the best, that is unique, that is the standard for that particular industry, that should make things easier.

As do brand names that people trust and recognise.

It will all come down to the product at the end of the day.

No-one wants to buy a poor product, no matter how good their commission structure is for you.

The product needs to be top quality, something you preferably use yourself or have at least used yourself.

You can also see on places like Clickbank which are the top performing products in a given marketplace.

Make sure you start with a bit of research before you jump in.

It will save you time and money in the long run .

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How Affiliate Marketing Could Be The Quickest and Easiest Way To Get Started Online.

One of the main problems with an  internet business is where to begin.

Especially if this is your first time and you are wanting to get your feet wet and find out what this internet marketing and home based business stuff is all about.

There are literally hundreds of ways you could choose to get started, with one not necessarily being better than another.

However, I personally feel that affiliate marketing can be the quickest , simplest and easiest way to get started with your own affiliate business and here’s why :

Why Affiliate Marketing. Reason No.1

You can work in an area you know and are passionate about.

Whatever your area of expertise and passion is , chances are there is an affiliate marketing program or product that you can promote. Chances are that there are hundreds.

And don’t say you don’t have any area of expertise or knowledge because you do. It might just take a bit of brainstorming and research to decide if it’s the basis of a home internet business.

Once you have decided one the market you want to work in , research the affiliate products and programs in that area and find the ones you would like to promote.

Work in an area you already know and are enthusiastic about and you are already ahead of the game. And you will want to get up in the morning and get to work.

Why Affiliate Marketing. Reason No.2.

No fulfillment, customer service, after sale service, guarantees etc….

Although having your own product can ultimately make you more money. Along with that goes a lot of things.

You have to make the sales, answer customer queries, ship  and fulfill the orders, deal with refunds and guarantee’s, you may need telephone support , you will probably need employees and everything that goes along with that.

Affiliate marketing takes away all this for you and just leaves you with the task of pointing people at the sales system that has already been set up for you.

They give you the website, all set up to answer enquiries and take orders.Many have phone support and sales people to close the deal for you.

They ship and fulfill the products, take care of any queries and issues, any refunds and problems.You never get bothered with any of it.

You are totally free to spend your time marketing the product.

Why Affiliate Marketing. Reason No.3.

All the guesswork is taken out of it.

When you are advertising online there is a lot to test and optimise.

Different ads, text, headlines, calls to action, banners, landing pages, follow up. Which perform the best ?

This alone can take months and months to find out , before you start making any money.

With affiliate marketing a good marketing partner will have done all this for you and will just present you with the end results to market for them.

Text ads, banner ads, landing pages, all just given to you, ready to go. And more often than not these will be the best performing ones.

It can take  months, even years off your learning curve and get your internet business up and running a lot quicker than if you had to do it yourself.

Why Affiliate Marketing. Reason No.4.

Freedom and Flexibility.

You are paid by your results. Which means you can work when and where is best for you. All you need is an internet connection.

No boss, set hours or sales targets, except those you set for yourself.

You have the freedom and flexibility to change products as you see fit. If one is not bringing you the results you think it should, there are plenty more to choose from.

Affiliate marketing is as free and flexible as you can get with a home based internet business.

Why Affiliate Marketing. Reason No.5.

You can become an authority.

The idea with affiliate marketing, and the way you can stand out from the crowd and set yourself up as an expert in your field is by positioning yourself and not your products.

What I mean by that is by adding your own expert commentary and recommendations in your market you can have people following you and not your products.

Most affiliates will just point people to their product pages.

But by creating a review site where you compare 3 or 4 competing products you can position yourself as an expert and advisor in your field rather than a salesman.

Add your knowledge, try the products, give your recommendations, establish your position in your market.

Give added value, set yourself apart from the crowd.

Then you are not tied to any particular product.If you are establishing yourself not your product , you can try all kinds of products and give unbiased reviews that will have people following you and your recommendations.

Think about it , what are you more likely to respond to , an unbiased recommendation from an authority in the field who doesn’t seem to mind which product you get but has taken the time to show you the positives and negatives of each one ,

Or a blatant sales pitch for a particular product ??

Position yourself and not your product and create a reputation and long term business that is not tied to any particular product.

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And No I Don’t Mean Girls With Home Internet Business T-Shirts On, Although That Does Sound A Good Idea For A Promotion….

I mean the many different models you could choose to start your own home internet business. And there are loads.

If you read my post on choosing the right internet business opportunity for you you will know that I am a big advocate of sitting down and firstly, writing out what your ideal home internet business would look like.

The industry you would like to be in, the products you would like to sell and promote, the kind of people and partners you would like to work with.

Because once you have this blueprint, then it’s just a matter of finding the right home internet business model to apply to your particular plan.

Lets look at a few of the different models that could work for your internet business :

Home Internet Business Model No 1. Affiliate Marketer

No product of your own to sell? No problem , affiliate marketing lets you promote other people’s products for a % of the sale. Usually from 10 % to 50%.

Just find a product you would like to sell and ask about their affiliate program. Nearly all companies have them these days.

Or go to the big affiliate networks like Clickbank or Commission Junction and scroll through the thousands of products you could promote.

Sounds great… and the “affiliate model” has exploded since Amazon.com first brought it into public prominence in 1997. Millions of affiliates send billions of visitors to tens of thousands of companies in return for a payment. And major research houses like Forrester Research project the affiliate model to grow massively over the next few years

Word of warning though, stick to your marketplace that you have decided on.It’s easy to get your head turned by all the offers to promote people’s products. Find the best products and offers in your marketplace that you know about and speak with authority.

Home Internet Business Model No 2. Referalls / Finders Fee’s

Very similar to the affiliate marketer model.

Get paid a referrer or finder’s fee by an offline business for finding a customer (or a “lead”) for it. This home internet business model is as classic as business itself. The internet, though, makes it far more cost-effective.

The right “middle man” can make all kinds of money by bringing two sides together.

It can be as simple as referring people to a restaurant that you always eat at, and asking the manager for a % for every customer you bring him in.

There are hundreds of ways you could apply this to your marketplace. Just get your thinking cap on !

Home Internet Business Model No 3. Information Products

Think you have sopmething to say about your marketplace. An E-Book or special report is a quick, simple and efficient way to show people you know what you are talking about.

And the beauty of them on the internet is that once you have written it once, that’s it. No more printing or publishing costs, no more expenditure of time and effort.

Once it’s done, it’s on autopilot.

And then you can use the people thay buy your e-book as a very targeted list of customers for any of your recommendations.

Whether it be dog training tips or investment advice, everyone has some knowledge that is worth something.

Then it’s just a matter of finding the people that are searching for what you have got.

Home Internet Business Model No 4. Your Own Hard Product

Whether it be shoes, candles or badger biscuits, if you have a hard product, you can sell it over the internet. Maybe you know someone in a different country that wants to export some things. maybe you want to import somethings.

The internet provides you with an instant shop front to sell your products.

Importing and exporting is as old as houses, what sells for one price in one country often sells for a completely different price in another. If you can bring the product over and sell it at a profit, you are on to a winner.

Just get researching.

That leads us to……

Home Internet Business Model No 5. Dropshipping / Wholesaling

You don’t even have to handle the product with dropshipping. The company you buy from will send the goods directly to your customer for you. How simple is that.

Works well with another buisness model thats been around since ancient times, wholesaleing.

Wholesaling is simply buying something in bulk, breaking it into smaller units and selling the units individually at a profit.

This works in absolutely any industry. Lets say a pair of armani jeans costs £45. You arrange to buy 10 pairs direct from a wholesaler at £35 each.

You sell them over the internet to individuals for £40 each. Again, old as houses. just look at the big sports shops like JJB and Sports Direct. Pile them high and sell them cheaper than anywhere else can.

There are a million variations on these home internet business models. Which ones appeal to you ?

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