Most people get into Affiliate Marketing for one of three reasons: it’s their main source of income online, they want to make extra money on the side, or they want to use affiliate profits to add to revenue generated from their own business. If you want to successfully make affiliate sales you need three things: affiliate products to promote, people to promote to, and a marketing strategy.

The Products

I am assuming you already have products. You are probably a member of my affiliate program and/or you’ve joined my EasyProfitProjects website to get the scoop on affiliate products that I promote.

The People

Business owners have a list of customers. Affiliate marketers have a list of prospects. What’s the connection between the two? They both have list. You might have a list like the two I just mentioned or even a list of blog subscribers. If you are just starting out, your starter list could be your list of Facebook friends or twitter followers.

The important point here is that you need a list of people to promote to and the people on your list have to have one thing in common – “a general interest in the kinds of affiliate products you want to promote”. You can try your luck throwing up affiliate banners on your website or sharing affiliate links with every random person you meet, but you won’t get main sales that way.

You have to pick a target audience and build your list of people in that group. My affiliate products are designed for entrepreneurs, with a special focus on Women Entrepreneurs of Color. If your Facebook circle or newsletter is geared towards business women and online entrepreneurs, then the people on your list will have an interest in my products. If you are starting off with a list of old school friends and relatives, chances are this isn’t the right list of people to share your affiliate links with.

Another example: If you are a mom blogger and you join an affiliate program for diapers that makes sense. Chances are your readers will want to know about the diaper company you are promoting. If they are work-at-home mom bloggers, they might even want to know about my marketing eBooks. BUT if you run a celebrity blog, do you think they want to see an AD for staples? You have to pick an audience AND you have to make sure your affiliate products match your target.

The Promotion | Basic Affiliate Marketing Techniques

Most people promote Affiliate Products in the following ways:

1. Text Links
2. Graphic Banners
3. Reviews and Recommendations

Most people Promote Affiliate Products via:

1. Website: Adding a Links or Resources Page
2. Blog: Posting Reviews or Including Ads in Sidebar Navigation
3. Social Media: Social Networks, Forums and Newsgroups
4. Email Marketing: Auto-responders and Newsletters
5. PPC: Pay Per Click Advertising on websites like Google Ad Words

If you are just starting out, you probably haven’t built your own marketing list yet, which is basically a list of people that you can promote your products or other people’s products to. If you don’t have a list yet, the best starter marketing techniques are:

1. Share your affiliate links on social networks
2. Start a Blog for your Target Audience (review my blogging for beginners video series)
3. Join social groups and networks that match your target audience

Adding Banners + More

Graphic banners are great visuals. With the right banner placement, you can attract your viewers attention. BUT when your website is on banner overload, viewers tend to gloss over everything, which then makes banner promotion less effective. The key is to designate a small number of spaces on your website or blog where your promote banners BUT you can’t stop there.

The most effective way to share affiliate links with strangers is through writing. You have to be honest, helpful, and transparent. Lazy affiliates just post banners and affiliate links and they make NO MONEY. Affiliates who make money take the time to write honest reviews, share feedback, answer questions and provide value to the people they are targeting.

If you are my affiliate and you’ve tried my products, read my eBooks. Post one or two things that you learned. Share one question that you couldn’t figure out, but now you know the answer to. Peaking people’s interest with real information is the best way to turn clicks into cash.