This article gives just a broad overview of the subject. In other issues we will cover areas such as the business wishing to set up an affiliate programme to include resellers of their goods and products, affiliates partnerships for the reseller,  what to look out for in successful affiliates etc.

The Concepts of Affiliate Marketing

Companies need people to visit their sites and one way they can drive extra traffic is to create affiliate programs. Affiliate marketing on-line is becoming the most effective way for some businesses to sell their products. Reselling as an affiliate is also a way of starting a home based on-line business or adding extra income.

Let's look at the concept of affiliate partnerships as part of a marketing strategy. Successful business operates on many levels and the marketing concepts of the 4 Ps - Product, Price, Physical Distribution and Promotion are vital. Each are integral to running a successful business and equally important.

So for the purpose of this article we will look at some of the aspects of marketing through promotion. These three elements all come into play when a producer or business person decides to trade:

What made Amazon so well known? Over time the three elements of marketing, advertising and branding came into play for them so that now they are probably the most well known of all the affiliate programmes.

Expanding Your Business with Affiliates

This idea of affiliate marketing has opened the door to business as a very successful way of selling their goods in a wider market place. But also as a successful way for the home-based business person to participate in this global market place as a reseller.

The three elements of marketing, advertising and branding combined mean being seen and remembered by the buyers. So the more people who see a brand label the better the advertising strategy. Using affiliates allows companies to place their brand name before millions of people through the web sites or email of their affiliates.

If your business is one that would benefit from having affiliates but is not yet set up with the necessary software check out:

It will give you some idea of what you require in order to get your business up and running for you with affiliates as resellers.

Affiliates for the Reseller

So how does this relate to someone who wants to make money selling other people's goods and services? First we need to understand how affiliate programmes work for the reseller.

In a nutshell, once someone signs up as an affiliate they are given a tracking number. That number is placed as a link or linked logo from a web site. Every customer who goes to the company's site from your site and purchases, that purchase is then recorded as your sale and your percentage is allocated to you.

It is also possible to place the linking URL in email as a signature file so that interested folk can follow the link directly to the affiliate web site, which of course has your tracking number in the URL.

Many affiliate programmes provide a free web site containing the tracking code in order to record every visitor and purchase made. So for those without their own web site this can prove a way of offering a URL to your potential buyers.

This is a huge topic all of its own and there are many questions that need to be answered for someone stepping into an affiliate partnership as a business for the first time. I will cover it much more in-depth in future articles.

The Correct Criteria

It is important to:

• be selective in the programmes chosen. 
• feel comfortable with the product or service being promoted.

Don't just jump in with any affiliate which happens to come along, investigate it thoroughly. Check out the full contract between both parties. Try not to overload  web pages with a whole bunch of non related affiliate programmes. This only confuses site visitors and makes the site less effective.

"For you, the affiliate, the allure of affiliate programs is seductive and simple: "promote for us and earn big bucks!"  But can we believe all the hype?  Is there really money to be made out there with all of this revenue sharing?" - this statement from Mark Joyner.

The Affiliate Assistant allows you to organize all of your affiliate program efforts and analyze your affiliate program advertising campaigns. Hit the logo to check it out.

It isn't necessary to have a web site to be an affiliate but it sure does help. If you already have a web site its theme may lend itself well to some of the affiliate programmes available.

For instance if you run a dating agency then what better affiliate to promote than flowers. Amazon is a good example as a broad spectrum affiliate. Promote books/music/videos related to your web site content through them. If your site speaks of home improvements include a gardening affiliate.

Hear What the Experts Have to Say

For anyone really interested in Affiliate Marketing, Declan Dunn has much to say on the subject and this might be your best dollar spend. If you are looking at either becoming an affiliate as a reseller for an established company, or setting up your own business for affiliates to sell your product or promote your service, see what Declan has to say on the subject first. Get  a FREE excerpt of his book HERE

Winning the Affiliate Game.

Glen Sobel's site, AffiliateAdvisor.com, is a great reference source if you want to learn more about some of the good affiliates available. 

Affiliate programmes can prove to be a nice little earner, but like any business it all depends on the effort put into it. Be prepared to promote your 'partnership' as you would any other business - by registering your web site with the directories and search engines, as a signature file in your email and making the best use of every marketing technique available to you. 

Use the marketing strategies we discuss in the various sections of this site - opt-in email lists, FFAs, Classified Ad sites, banner advertising etc. 

The following two web sites offer great articles and newsletters about managing affiliate programmes:

Associateprograms.com

ClickZ

Now off you go and do some thinking and planning and the best of luck with your ventures.

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