What is Affiliate Marketing?

What is Affiliate Marketing?

As an online marketer, there are times when you will come across the term affiliate marketing. The concept of affiliate marketing is one of the most misunderstood concepts in internet marketing, especially by beginners. In this article, I’ll try to explain what affiliate marketing really means and how it works so that you can use it to its fullest potential to increase your revenue as an online marketer!

The definition of affiliate marketing

affiliate marketing, or associate marketing, involves partnering with a company (becoming their affiliate) to receive a commission on a product. This method of generating income works by having companies pay you for each sale that you bring them through your own marketing efforts. In return, these companies will sometimes give you leads to call on in order to generate sales for them. Typically an affiliate is paid per lead generated; however, not all affiliates are paid using such methods.

How it works

To get started, you sign up for an affiliate program (some are free), then select a product to promote. If a visitor buys that product through your link, you receive a commission as part of your affiliate program’s compensation. Some of these commissions are based on products sold, or referred sales—other programs pay for every visitor who clicks on your site from their links.

The benefits and pitfalls

Affiliate marketing is an ideal way to make money online because it enables you to work as a freelancer and set your own hours. But before you get started, there are several important questions you should ask yourself: What do I really want from affiliate marketing? Is making money my number one priority or am I just trying to build authority for my niche site or YouTube channel?

A quick guide on how to get started

If you are ready to give affiliate marketing a try, don’t waste any time. If you plan on being successful, it’s important to understand what affiliate marketing is and how it works. In order to get started, create an account with your favorite affiliate network such as Amazon or Share-A-Sale and then search for products in your niche (or related niches). You may be surprised by how much money you can make from only one product if it sells well.

Best resources for getting started

It’s not always easy to get started in affiliate marketing, and in fact many people choose a different career path than they originally intended when they first signed up for an affiliate program. It can be especially difficult if you’re doing it on your own, with no guidance from someone who has been there before. Luckily, there are some great resources for learning more about affiliate marketing that should help you hit your goals faster.