Affiliate Programs

Since the internet became a pandemic both in the U.S. and around the world, one of the main objectives of just about anyone on the web has been to try and earn some money from using it. As simple as that may sound, making it work is not all that easy. Last year one industry was said to have had over 13 billion dollars – yup, billion, as in bailout’s – both spent and earned in it.
This is the world of affiliate marketing. For those of you that have been on Mars for a bit, affiliate programs are where you join a program, some free – most not, which provides you either with a digital or material product that you then sell on to other individuals or groups for a profit. That’s it. Basically when you’re an affiliate you become a salesperson for that organization. For the amount of money involved, I’m sure we can all understand why these programs are so attractive for product producers, as it takes the lion’s share of sales, production and distribution costs away from the companies themselves and into the hands of ordinary Joe Plumber’s in the street. Lots can be said to knock these affiliate programs, and yet I know (personally) people who have made fortunes with them. It’s definitely not something for everyone, but if you have a large group of contacts (like MySpace, bebo etc.) socially and you don’t mind being seen to be working in sales, this could be a great way for you to make some extra cash. The main things to remember with affiliate programs are that they ARE out to sell you on the product. There’s definitely no free lunch when it comes to these programs, but again, if you’re willing to work at it you will see the rewards – probably not for a couple of months, but it will happen.
Main things to be aware of and to avoid with affiliate programs are those that promise to do it all for you. “We supply your leads” “You never have to speak to anyone” “ We do all the selling for you”. Lines like these scream DANGER to me, because if they do it all for me, what the frak do they need me for? As a tax write off when I fail or what? Other than that, there really are some excellent programs out there that do work – look for digital e-books that you can download and set up to sell automatically on online markets such as Amazon and eBay. Make sure you have an address for the company and like any investment, try and get to speak to someone who’s done this already, so you can quiz them on results, timeframe to make money, etc..
Most importantly, have some fun! It can be.