When I first started in the Internet Marketing industry, about 4 years ago, I had no idea the difference between a CPC and a Cost Per Click (to my embarrassment I found out later that it was one and the same). Suffice it to say, I was a complete newcomer to this vast world. One of the most difficult concepts I had to grasp was the relationship between an Affiliate and an Advertiser, and what was happening in between them. As I was, and still am, working at a pretty large online advertising network, I had to figure out fast which side does what.
Of course, fast forward to now, I've understood a lot more about what affiliates are, what is affiliate marketing, and have even picked up some tips and tricks that might be helpful to you. With that in mind, let's clear up the confusion of what is an affiliate, how do they work with advertisers, and finally how does it all tie into affiliate marketing, and where you earn money.
So first off, what is an affiliate?
An affiliate is a person that is associated with a business and helps them promote their offers. It's that simple. They usually get paid on a commission basis and is usually based on the number of sales or leads that they generate. In terms of the online world, they usually promote offers from Advertisers (or Merchants).
Okay, so affiliates help Advertisers get leads, and they get paid for it. Where's the money-earning aspect?
Glad you asked. Affiliates, knowing that the Internet is where most people spend their time at, do a lot of their marketing nowadays online. With the spread of mobile devices and Internet being accessible almost everywhere, it opens the door for anybody to become an Affiliate. Plus, Affiliates are able to work anywhere they want; at home, in the coffee shop, wherever there is WiFi, making it very convenient for a lot of people. With businesses knowing that there is a huge untapped market out browsing online everyday, the demand for affiliates is huge as well.
Okay, so you got me sold on wanting to become an affiliate. But I don't know anything about affiliate marketing in general.
That's okay. Like I mentioned above, I had the pleasure of working in the industry for a couple of years, and so I'll be here to guide you.
Most Affiliates usually start off by signing up with an affiliate network, where Advertisers and Affiliates can come together. Usually, Affiliates need to sign up for an account, and once they have, they can browse the offers that Advertisers are looking for Affiliates to promote. Affiliates usually need a website to get started, and most likely already have an audience for their site, which would help them promote whatever offers that suits the audience.
Of course, the first thing you should do is start by finding a niche (a sector of the market, or a specific product or service) that you are interested in promoting for, and is profitable, and start creating a site from there. Then, comes the marketing and the earning.
Ready for some tips and tricks on how to quickly get started? Make sure to keep track of my next article where I'll explain how you can boost your traffic easily with your site.
By Shane T W Lee
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