By: Ashley Moore
Let me first start by defining what an affiliate is. An affiliate is the middleman for buyers and sellers. Affiliate marketing runs in the same manner as a car dealership. Just as the salesman makes a commission for every car he sales you will make a commission for every sale you create. The amount of commission depends on the seller. You can see commission percentages as low as 1% or as much as 95%.
The best part of affiliate marketing is that you do not need to have a website, product (provided by the seller) and in most cases little to no investment. The process of becoming an affiliate for a seller is simple you fill out a form which includes you name, address (so you can be sent a check) and a in some cases you social security or Tax ID number.
Once you have completed this process, depending on the merchant’s process, you will be given what is called an affiliate link. This is a special link that includes your unique affiliate name. This link is what you will market. When a potential buyer clicks on your affiliate link he/she will be linked to the merchant’s website and if they make a purchase through your affiliate link then you are given credit for that sale and make whatever the commission rate is.
There are many ways to market your affiliate link. The first thing you can do is place classified ads. Whether they are free or paid this is up to you. If you choose to place a paid classified ad you must keep in mind that you are responsible for that payment, not the merchant. Another great way to market your affiliate link is through your signature in all the emails you send or in the forums you frequent. You may choose to create a free blog as well. This works well if you are doing a review of a product.
Becoming an affiliate is perfect for anyone who hates to sell because your job is not to sell it is just to lead the buyer to the merchant’s site, where the selling is done. Another great pro about being an affiliate is that once you place an ad or make a post in a forum or send out an email you can be paid for sales that may take place months or years after you do those things.
To learn more about working from home visit http://www.myworkfromhomeguide.com.
Ashley Moore is a WAHM of three. She owns and runs http://www.myworkfromhomeguide.com. To learn more about the author and her work from home businesses visit: http://www.myworkfromhomeguide.com/AboutMe.htm
