Affiliate Marketing remains one of the quickest and least expensive models to follow to get started in an online business and provide long term results.
But, it is still one of the most misunderstood business models as well.
In basic terms, affiliate marketing is a co-operative effort between a product owner(merchant) and affiliates(you) to provide the products or services needed to satisfy the needs of a particular market.
One of the most common misconceptions of affiliate marketing is the 'selling' aspect.
It is important that you should 'pre-sell' the product or service to prospects.
However, the actual selling process is in the hands of the merchant.
So, how do you pre-sell to prospects? There are several ways actually.
You can set up a lead generation page of your of your own that briefly describes the product or service and has an optin to a free gift that you offer and the download page has a redirect to the product sales page.
With you affiliate link, of course.
Another method is to provide a review of the product or service on your website or blog.
For instance, when you are in the article writing mode.
Create an article that talks about a particular need of your market and in your signature box, provide a link to your site for the reader to obtain additional information.
And there have posted your review with your affiliate link to the product or service.
These methods serve two purposes.
First, if you are generating the traffic to a product or service, should you just give away all of those prospects contact information? Certainly not! This gives you chance to stay in touch with the prospects and perhaps suggest other products or services.
Would someone who collects and trades comics be interested in a product that details the finer points of selling on eBay? Also, it gets people used to the idea of seeing and clicking on links to your website.
Not only building your brand, but positioning you as the expert in your field.
You are saving your prospects the work of researching and finding their own solutions.
Another is the aspect of advertising.
Advertising is an important part of the marketing process and is not left solely to the merchant.
Notice the second word in 'Affiliate Marketing'.
Without marketing, you don't have a business.
You have a hobby! As an affiliate, advertising is just another part of your business.
And use every available means to do this.
Social networks, forums, chat rooms, articles, ads, etc.
Put yourself out in front of the market with your own 'unique' methods.
Forget all the 'me too' marketing you see so much of and create your own unique marketing methods.
You don't need to re-invent the wheel.
Just be decidedly different.
Remember, unless you are selling your own product or service, many others will be trying to get your customers.
Create your own unique style.
Just do your research, set up your system and work it.
Tweaking things as you go along.
Don't wait until you have everything done perfectly, just put something up and start driving traffic.
The main objective of the affiliate, 'Do it once and get paid forever!'