Affiliate Marketing 101

If you’ve been researching online moneymaking ventures, you’ve probably come across the term ‘affiliate programs’ or ‘affiliate marketing’.  It’s also likely you’ve seen those really long sales letters with boldface type, testimonials, promising thousands of dollars while you sleep, and starts with “Dear Friend,”

The bottom line is that there are several misconceptions surrounding affiliate marketing, especially for Pinoys who are just getting into making money online.  Because of this, I’ve decided to answer some of the basic questions I hear when friends, classmates, and acquaintances ask me about affiliate marketing.  If you’re already a pro, you probably don’t need to read this, but if you’re new to making money online, it’s important to get your ideas and expectations straight before you try it.

What is online affiliate marketing?

Basically, this means you’ll be selling other people’s products online and getting a small percentage of commission for each sale you make.  The products can range from physical products such as books or CDs, or information products such as memberships to websites, ebooks, or online courses.  The advantages of affiliate marketing over other business models is that you don’t have to ship or make the product yourself - you just have to sell it.

Is it true that I can make money while I sleep?

Yes and no.  Although you can make a good amount of money passively, there’s still the initial setup you need to do.  This includes signing up for an affiliate program and marketing the product.  More experienced marketers merely pay for advertising and watch their sales go up.  However, newer affiliate marketers who don’t have much capital tend to do more guerilla marketing - which can be time consuming.

Do I need a website?

Not necessarily, but having a website or a blog might help a lot - even if you’re just hosting it in Blogspot.  Having your own website for an affiliate product can improve your credibility, but with some affiliate programs, you’re given your own website.

I’m not a techie, how do I do this?

If you read articles about affiliate marketing, you might be faced with terms you don’t understand (or you might think you understand them, when you really don’t).   In this case, remember that Google is your friend. Just do your research online.

In any case, I am personally always willing to give advice, simply leave your question in the comments section of the blog or go to the “Contact Us” page.

How do I get my money?

Before you even sign up for an affiliate program, you need to know if international affiliates such as yourself are welcome.  You need to do this first because it’d be such a waste if you already earned a few hundred dollars only to find out that the programs you signed up for are for US or UK residents only.

How do I know I won’t be scammed?

Look for comments from other affiliates and ask around.  One of my favorite online hangouts when I was just starting was the Sitepoint Forums.  Simply register there and you’ll find that many people will be happy to give you feedback on any of the affiliate programs they’ve joined.  This helps you avoid programs that don’t pay or that generally don’t perform well.

What are good online affiliate programs that have worked for you?

I make some money from affiliate programs in E-Junkie, as well as my shirt designs from Zazzle. I’ve also just joined the Facebook Payday affiliate program (the owner was a client, and the link is an affiliate link), but I haven’t worked on it yet.  However, I found that selling to an international audience tends to be more effective than selling to a Filipino audience - something that Marc Macalaua also observed.

Where can I learn more about affiliate marketing?

Here’s a list of some resources for affiliate marketing newbies:

WebsitePublisher .net Affiliate Programs Section

Uber Affiliate Marketing Guide

and this article from StartupNation.com