Affiliate Marketing is a Form of Internet Marketing

Affiliate marketing is where a lot of new Internet marketers get their start. Affiliate marketing is when you sell other people’s products. Many people who want to be Internet marketers don’t want to write or otherwise create products of their own and they don’t have physical inventory to sell so they sell products that other companies develop and then take a percentage of the profits as commission.

How to get Started as an Affiliate Marketer

You can quickly and easily get started with affiliate marketing by signing up with affiliate programs. Even if you don’t have a website of your own you can still market these products on the Internet. Some affiliates have several websites, some have only one, and still other affiliate marketers don’t have a website of their own. Sometimes, affiliate marketers get started without a website and as soon as they have made a little profit, they get their own website. While it is possible to make money in affiliate marketing without a website of your own, it is far better in the long run to have your own site.

Affiliate Networks

One of the easiest and quickest ways to get started in affiliate marketing is to sign up as an affiliate at affiliate networks. These networks manage affiliate programs for hundreds or thousands of different companies and affiliates can choose which companies or products to represent.

Other Affiliate marketing Opportunities

Affiliate marketing opportunities are everywhere and affiliate marketing has been around long before the Internet was ever thought of. Try this. Go to the website of one of your favorite brick and mortar retailers and scroll down to the bottom to see if they have an affiliate program. Look for the word “affiliates” or “associates.” You might be surprised to discover how many stores you are already familiar with have affiliate programs. Even Walmart has an affiliate program!

Affiliate marketers promote their products in a variety of ways. Some of them have their own websites where they place a link to the retailer’s site. When this link is clicked and the customer makes a purchase, the affiliate gets a commission. Other affiliates visit online discussion forums and participate in discussions, which may or may not be related to the products they are promoting. When they do post a message, though, they include a link at the bottom of their message. When this link is clicked, the visitor will be taken to the product’s sales page or to the website of the retailer. If the person makes a purchase, the affiliate receives a commission.

There are as many ways to participate in affiliate marketing as there are for other types of Internet marketing. Fortunately, the Internet is full of useful information for the aspiring Internet marketer who wants to be an affiliate.