Working from Home using affiliate marketing, can you really make any money?
Copyright © Neil Mansley
http://www.NeilMansley.com
If you are looking for a way to bring in some extra cash by working from home then affiliate marketing is often seen as the quick and easy way. As you go into more depth you may learn to your cost that it is not necessarily as easy as those people selling you their products make out!
There are a few key factors that you need to bear in mind before you jump headfirst into this fast and competitive business:
Firstly, you need to decide if it is really for you, what I mean by that is, by its’ very nature, affiliate marketing is about advertising, people pushing products trying to get other people to buy those products via their links. If you are not prepared to spend time learning about different ways of advertising and then implementing what you learn, then stick with the day job. Too often people forget that this is a Work at home business. If you are not prepared to work at it, it will fail.
Secondly, do your research. Both of the product you are considering advertising and of the person/company selling the product. When you first start looking you will find there are so many wonderful items out there for all sorts of niches. Make sure your credit card is locked in a draw in another room! It is very easy to get carried away and buy everything. DON’T! Unfortunately there are still scams out there that will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, a hole in your wallet and a feeling of giving up. If you research each potential purchase thoroughly you should be able to avoid the scammers.
Thirdly learn what tools you will need to enable your business to work. It is possible to make money without a website just by advertising your affiliate links but everywhere you look you will be told or you will read that, “The money is in the list!” to the “newbie” this means nothing because they do not have a list. If you want to make money over an extended period of time, and you want to earn money without having to work too hard then having the right tools at the outset will make your life so much easier in the long run. In my opinion you should budget for buying a domain name, a web hosting package (for your website) and an autoresponder. In my mind these are the key elements to building a successful online business.
If you can find a product or package that provides all of these then I would suggest you buy it as well as market it because it is the perfect start point for any “newbie”. Having set up your website and your autoresponder, you drive your potential customers here, getting them to opt-in to your list before you redirect them via your affiliate marketing link to the product they were interested in. This way even if they do not buy the product you have got them on your list, where everyone keeps telling you the money is!
About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To find the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home visit:
http://www.NeilMansley.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Continuing the story
So, I followed the instructions in One Very Simple Idea, I paid for web hosting via Mid Phase and I set up an Adwords campaign exactly as described in the instructions and do you know what?
It WORKED! so far I've spent about $600 in marketing my Adwords and Ive earned about $1000 from commissions so I'm $400 up at the moment! and it's still going!
Then I ran into a few problems. I was using a Capital One credit card and they are a little over Zealous about purchases on the internet so they froze my card whilst I was attempting to purchase my next products.
This took about a week to sort out and then I went on leave for a week and then work got really hectic.
Finally things calmed down enough for me to go on to the next level. Firstly I bought SEO ELITE to enable me to optimise my website for search engines. Next I bought Keyword Elite so that I could analyze what keywords were the best for me to use and allowing me move higher up the search engines.
Finally in this phase I bought Affiliate Elite if I am going to be an affiliate marketer I want to know what my competition is doing and how they are doing it!
It was time to rest on my laurels and read the manuals for the products I had purchased.
I was making money using PPC advertising (though I was sure I could make more) enough to make the minimum payments on both my credit cards anyway and I was looking for my next purchase. More next time........
It WORKED! so far I've spent about $600 in marketing my Adwords and Ive earned about $1000 from commissions so I'm $400 up at the moment! and it's still going!
Then I ran into a few problems. I was using a Capital One credit card and they are a little over Zealous about purchases on the internet so they froze my card whilst I was attempting to purchase my next products.
This took about a week to sort out and then I went on leave for a week and then work got really hectic.
Finally things calmed down enough for me to go on to the next level. Firstly I bought SEO ELITE to enable me to optimise my website for search engines. Next I bought Keyword Elite so that I could analyze what keywords were the best for me to use and allowing me move higher up the search engines.
Finally in this phase I bought Affiliate Elite if I am going to be an affiliate marketer I want to know what my competition is doing and how they are doing it!
It was time to rest on my laurels and read the manuals for the products I had purchased.
I was making money using PPC advertising (though I was sure I could make more) enough to make the minimum payments on both my credit cards anyway and I was looking for my next purchase. More next time........
Saturday, December 22, 2007
In the Begining
Firstly I'd like to apologise for the delay, I said early December and now it's nearly Christmas! sorry for that, things happen you know?
Anyway, Here's how It happened for me.
I received Income4Beginners in an e-mail, I didn't buy it but I read it. I thought, "Hey, that's a really clever idea. I wonder if it works?" I had heard of Paypal in the past and knew they were respected and reliable so I decided to set up an account.
Let me tell you that takes about 2 minutes, it's the verifying that takes the time because you have to wait for Paypal to make two small payments into your bank account. Then you have to enter the values of those amounts into a form on the Paypal site and your account is verified.
Not being verified does not stop you using your account, it just puts a limit on the amounts that your account can handle every month.
I then began about 2 solid weeks worth of research, trying to learn all I could for free about info products and affiliate marketing, as well as multi level marketing. It's a huge database out there and there are hundreds of people trying to tell you how to "get rich quick."
Now like everyone else I'd love to get rich quick, but hey let's be honest with each other here, it's not likely to happen is it? If it was, everyone would do it and the world would be full of internet millionaires!
So cutting through all the hype, which is designed to get you really excited and part with your money before you ask any sensible questions, I came to the conclusion that internet marketing is exactley the same as real world marketing.
First you need a product that people will want to buy
Second you need to advertise that product where the people who want to buy it will see it!
Then I thought, "I don't really want all the email to do with advertising and products to go into my usual account." So I set up a new email address on Google (where else!)
Having hunted arround for products I discovered ClickBank which boasts one of the largest collections of affiliate products anywhere on the web. I opened an account (which is free) and trawled through a list of the products they had on offer.
I eventually chose A Very Simple Idea Which proposed to be a step by step guide in how to set up a viable internet business and actualy make some money.
Anyway, Here's how It happened for me.
I received Income4Beginners in an e-mail, I didn't buy it but I read it. I thought, "Hey, that's a really clever idea. I wonder if it works?" I had heard of Paypal in the past and knew they were respected and reliable so I decided to set up an account.
Let me tell you that takes about 2 minutes, it's the verifying that takes the time because you have to wait for Paypal to make two small payments into your bank account. Then you have to enter the values of those amounts into a form on the Paypal site and your account is verified.
Not being verified does not stop you using your account, it just puts a limit on the amounts that your account can handle every month.
I then began about 2 solid weeks worth of research, trying to learn all I could for free about info products and affiliate marketing, as well as multi level marketing. It's a huge database out there and there are hundreds of people trying to tell you how to "get rich quick."
Now like everyone else I'd love to get rich quick, but hey let's be honest with each other here, it's not likely to happen is it? If it was, everyone would do it and the world would be full of internet millionaires!
So cutting through all the hype, which is designed to get you really excited and part with your money before you ask any sensible questions, I came to the conclusion that internet marketing is exactley the same as real world marketing.
First you need a product that people will want to buy
Second you need to advertise that product where the people who want to buy it will see it!
Then I thought, "I don't really want all the email to do with advertising and products to go into my usual account." So I set up a new email address on Google (where else!)
Having hunted arround for products I discovered ClickBank which boasts one of the largest collections of affiliate products anywhere on the web. I opened an account (which is free) and trawled through a list of the products they had on offer.
I eventually chose A Very Simple Idea Which proposed to be a step by step guide in how to set up a viable internet business and actualy make some money.
Monday, November 26, 2007
My Blog- Affiliate Marketing
Ok, early this year I was forced to take a rather large paycut or lose my only line of work. Being pragmatic I took the cut thinking, "it will be ok" and "We'll make some cuts but we'll be fine."
Well here I am now in November and yes we are ok and we made some cuts and we are fine but it isn't comfortable.
So I started looking for ways to earn a small amount of extra income to try and boost the salary back to what it was. I've looked at just abouyt everything and most things seem to me to take ages to set up or require your input as often as if you were working full time.
I, like so many before me and many who will come after, fell for the old "no lose roulette" scam! that hurt, £200 down the swanee and nothing to show for it.
That was when I suppose I discovered Affiliate Marketing. On the surface it looks like the answer to my prayers. I should be able to setup a website or two advertising various items I am affiliated to and earn commission on each sale.
Now I've spent a fair while researching the arena and there is a lot of BS out there about how to get rich, so I thought I'd start this blog and list exactly what I do and what happens to me along the way. There will be no hype, no BS and no lies in this blog. If I make money I will tell you how much and how I did it and if I lose money I will do the same.
Now, I started dabbling back on the 5th of November then I was off for a week, on holiday with my misses and now I'm going to be busy for a couple of weeks with work. If I can get access to a laptop I will keep this updated otherwise there will be a delay until early December...Sorry all but thats life. I need to get my notes in order from those beginings so I can tell you all in what order things happened!
I hope you like what I'm writing, feel free to comment. I would be very interested in other peoples experiences too.
Well here I am now in November and yes we are ok and we made some cuts and we are fine but it isn't comfortable.
So I started looking for ways to earn a small amount of extra income to try and boost the salary back to what it was. I've looked at just abouyt everything and most things seem to me to take ages to set up or require your input as often as if you were working full time.
I, like so many before me and many who will come after, fell for the old "no lose roulette" scam! that hurt, £200 down the swanee and nothing to show for it.
That was when I suppose I discovered Affiliate Marketing. On the surface it looks like the answer to my prayers. I should be able to setup a website or two advertising various items I am affiliated to and earn commission on each sale.
Now I've spent a fair while researching the arena and there is a lot of BS out there about how to get rich, so I thought I'd start this blog and list exactly what I do and what happens to me along the way. There will be no hype, no BS and no lies in this blog. If I make money I will tell you how much and how I did it and if I lose money I will do the same.
Now, I started dabbling back on the 5th of November then I was off for a week, on holiday with my misses and now I'm going to be busy for a couple of weeks with work. If I can get access to a laptop I will keep this updated otherwise there will be a delay until early December...Sorry all but thats life. I need to get my notes in order from those beginings so I can tell you all in what order things happened!
I hope you like what I'm writing, feel free to comment. I would be very interested in other peoples experiences too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
