People can really make money with marketing affiliate programs and it is a good solution for ‘work at home’ dreams. If you are a webmaster or blogger, you can promote affiliate products and get paid by affiliate marketing companies. It is a big market and Clickbank, Commission Junction, Link Share and some other big companies are working on the internet, because of popularity of this business.
This is the way to make money through promoting other’s products. Affiliate marketing programs are working as the middleman between the affiliate and online merchants. As an affiliate, you can put their advertisements on your website or blog. When someone followed those links and buys a product (or other specified action) from merchant’s site, you will be able to get a commission based on their payment scheme.
Many affiliate programs are working on the internet and most of options are providing good opportunities to earn income through following referral programs. Clickbank, Commission Junction, Linkshare are few examples. They are providing recourses and training to affiliates and popular affiliate programs are free to join.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
On the internet, so many companies are doing their business. All of these businesses are needing customers. There are many ways to turn customers to websites. Almost big business websites are expensing money to get visitors. Affiliate marketing is an option that used by merchants and advertisers can earn money through promoting these products. Simply, if you can sell their items, they will pay you.
What Affiliate marketing Programs are doing?
Affiliate programs have a partnership with companies that offering referral programs. Based on this partnership, these programs (websites) working as the middleman between affiliates and merchants. Anyone can sign up with this kind of website and promote products included in their stores. Based on their merchants, products are varying and digital products are mostly available.
Without brokers, affiliate can directly join with merchants. But, most of the companies are offering their affiliate products through affiliate marketing websites. Because, these websites are handling referral sales, payment and everything related to affiliate business. It is easy for merchants and affiliates both.
Type of Affiliate Programs
Based on compensation models
Almost affiliate marketing programs are doing same process. However, we can divide these programs based on their payment calculation methods. It has also known as Compensation Models and several types of affiliate marketing Compensation Models are available on the internet.
01. Pay-per-sale (PPS) / Cost-per-sale (CPS)
02. Pay per lead (PPL) / Cost per action (CPA) / Cost per lead (CPL)
03. Pay per click (PPC) / Cost per click (CPC)
04. Pay per Impression (PPI)/ Cost per mil (CPM)
If we consider popularity and availability of above Compensation Models, Pay per sale and Pay per lead models are essentially functioning on the internet. Other methods are same as online advertising method and not well structured affiliate programs.
Based on payment levels
According to selected program, affiliate can receive different benefits. Normally, affiliate can get paid when a user generate a sale or complete any other action using affiliate’s affiliate’s link. Other than this one time commission, some affiliate marketing companies are paying commissions for sales that generate after the first sale. Generally, two types of payment levels (tiers) are there.
01. Multi-tier Affiliate programs.
02. Lifetime commission/Residual commissions
In multi-tier programs, affiliate can receive commissions from every user belongs to his affiliate link, under his level. With ‘Lifetime commission’, Affiliate can receive commissions for every sale of customer, who send by affiliate to merchant’s site first time.
How to Become an Affiliate
Most of the popular affiliate programs are free to sign-up. Because of this affiliate marketing is a free way to make money online. You can go to merchant’s site or website of affiliate marketing network and fill out their online application form for sign-up.
You have to submit your personal information. You will also be asked information about your website or blog and some other information. In addition, you have to read and accept their terms and condition.
Once your application approved, you can generate and publish affiliate banners on your web pages using your affiliate link. It is not a difficult task. Just you can copy and paste the code generated.
Many affiliate providers are providing marketing materials and training to affiliates. If you don’t have marketing knowledge, you can learn something using these guides.
Affiliate Networks
So many online affiliate marketing networks are working on the internet. Commonly, affiliates are doing their business through these networks. However, if you don’t want work through a middleman, you can search merchants who offering affiliate programs directly. Here are some popular affiliate networks are on the today’s internet.
- ClickBank http://www.clickbank.com
- Commission Junction http://www.cj.com
- Linkshare http://www.linkshare.com
- Amazon Associates https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Google Affiliate Network http://www.google.com/ads/affiliatenetwork/
- PayDotCom http://paydotcom.com/
- Affiliate.com http://affiliate.com/
- Casino Coins Network http://www.casinocoins.com
- Casino Rewards http://www.casinorewards.com
- ClickxChange http://clickxchangemedia.com
- ClixGalore http://www.clixgalore.com
- Commission Soup http://www.commissionsoup.com
- Dark Blue Affiliate network http://www.darkblue.com
- Sharesale http://www.shareasale.com/
- ReferBack http://www.referback.com/
- WebSponsors
How to Choose an Affiliate Program
Select an affiliate program is a little difficult task. As other online jobs, many scams are attached with this field. If you’re careful, you can select legitimate programs and start making money online.
Generally, you have to consider the history of the company. In addition, agreement, joining fee, program type, commission percentage and lifetime commission status, products, payment methods, the minimum payout amount also you have to consider. This is not a quick process and affiliate has to do some research to select a real affiliate program.
Online reviews, forums and blogs are good places to get an idea about merchants and affiliate programs. But, some paid reviews are not providing independent information. Besides, most internet based details are useful for get an idea.
Reasons to Make Money as an Affiliate Marketer
Actually, why we are providing this information and why you’re willing to make money from affiliate marketing job? Many reasons are there. That’s why people are working as affiliate marketers and affiliate marketing business are widely functioning on the internet.
It is easier than regular businesses. No production costs or license costs are there. Mostly, it is free and easy to join. No need to worry about order processing, inventory or shipping and handling. It is a one profitable way to earn money with minimal risk. These are common reasons to become an affiliate marketer.
