Affiliate Marketing – Is It The Best Home Based Business?
As far as legitimate home based businesses go, affiliate marketing is probably the easiest to get started with.
So let’s talk about what affiliate marketing is, how it works, and what you need to know before you decide to go this route in starting your home based business.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is really just a new word for something that has been around for about as long as selling itself – the referral.
Let me give you an example that usually makes the whole thing pretty clear. Let’s say you went and saw a great movie. It was really good. The plot was perfect, the acting was top notch, heck, even the score was great. So naturally, you do what everyone else who sees a great movie does, they tell everybody they think is interested.
Naturally, you probably aren’t going to tell a bachelor who is only into action flicks about the romantic comedy you just saw and how he needs to see it. You already know what kind of look he’d give you. But you will certainly tell girls who like that kind of movie about it and probably guys with girlfriends who want to earn a few extra brownie points.
You with me so far?
Good.
So because of your recommendation several people go see that movie. Your friends thank you for recommending a great movie.
But how much did the movie theatre send you for getting them more butts in their seats and the extra money you earned them?
Nothing!
But what if the movie theatre did send you a check every month for all the people who went and saw a movie because you recommended it?
Well, then you’d be an affiliate marketer!
You make money recommending other people’s stuff!
How Does Affiliate Marketing Work Online?
Unfortunately, movie theatres don’t offer those kinds of rewards for getting people to watch movies. However, companies like Amazon and eBay will be happy to pay you a commission if you recommend a DVD to someone and they purchase it through a specially coded link from your website or blog (or Facebook profile, etc, etc)
And really, there are millions of products online that you can earn a commission off of. Sometimes you’ll only earn 4% or so, but some products will give you a cut of up to 75%.
Heck, some companies will pay you $40 or more just to get somebody to take a free trial of a product, so you get paid money just for giving stuff away. But that’s a topic for another day.
The cool thing about affiliate marketing is you don’t need to develop your own products. You don’t need warehouses to stock inventory, and you don’t have to deal with any customer service. And since the Internet never sleeps, you can truly make money while you sleep.
Your startup costs are minimal so you don’t have any big hurdles to getting started.
Is Affiliate Marketing Right For Me?
For a lot of people, affiliate marketing is going to be the best way for them to get started with a home based business. That’s why I made it the focus of my “how to start a home based business for less than $25” DVD that I give away on the homepage of NoPantsMarketing.com (if you don’t already have it, you should get it – it’s free! And it’s really damn good info.)
However, I’m not going to say it’s right for everyone. I realize there are a lot of programs out there that promise to teach you how to earn millions of dollars online every year. And while it’s possible for you to get that kind of success, it’s not going to happen overnight.
If you think that affiliate marketing is some kind of magic bullet to getting rich quick, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re not being realistic.
That being said, for those who are willing to learn and put in consistent time and effort, it’s almost a sure thing that you’ll see results.
The best way to get started? Get my free DVD – How To Start A Home Based Business For Less Than $25.
