What is Affiliate Marketing?

An affiliate marketer is simply someone who refers visitors to a merchant website. In return the affiliate is paid a commission. As an affiliate you can be paid in one of three ways:

1. Pay Per Click (PPC)
The most obvious example of PPC are Google Adsense. You place small adverts on your website or blog. When a visitor clicks on the adverts then both you and Google get paid. There are many websites set up to generate thousands of visitors and earn purely from PPC

2. Pay Per Lead (PPL)
You pass visitors to a website (eg. finance or mortgages). For every person you refer who gives their personal (contact) details to the company you get paid.

3. Pay Per Sale (PPS)
You refer visitors to a Merchant site who you have an account with. For ever visitor who buys a product from that site you will receive a percentage. The commission percentage can be any where between 5% and 75% of the value of the product. One of the best know affiliate companies is Amazon. For every person you refer to Amazon who purchases a book you will receive a percentage.

Sounds easy? But how do you get started? How do you set up PPC? How do you refer visitors to a Merchant site?

First - you have to have a product
When you choose a product you can either go for the money and pick an affiliate program that pays the most or you can pick a subject you have experience in. It could a Car Navigation system or an eBook on confidence building. Clickbank are a favoured source of affiliate programs.

Second - you have to get visitors:
Millions of people use Search Engines to find solutions to their problems and answers to their questions. Your first task is to be one of the people who answers that question. Whilst a website is great, it is not essential. That can come later (or not at all). There are a number of free blog sites (like this) and websites you can post articles on to capture an audience.

Now imagine you write a review on a particular Car GPS systems that retails at $100 with 50% commission. People search to find the best GPS system, read your blog and think "that sounds good".....

Third - you have to bring the product and visitors together:
This is the easy bit, the monetization process. You have found a product, created an audience and pre-warmed them to it. Now your bring the two together. When you sign up to Clickbank and pick a product you are given a url. A web address. You simply add this address to your blog or article with some text to generate interest. Before signing off from your blog or article you might write "To discover the truth on how you can make incredible money online Click HERE"

And that is it, you have brought your visitor to your merchant. My only tip.. Do not try to sell. Only provide the information, lead the visitor by the hand and introduce them to the product. Leave the selling to the affiliate site, they have the expertise there.

I told a lie... I have one more tip!!

Take ACTION - it is the key component, the only true secret in becoming a Super Affilate like Rosalind Gardner. If you want to find out how she earns $435000+ per year online selling other peoples stuff... go no further.

Good luck, Make it Work!
Aaron