So this is very basic. If you already know all about it, great, I’ll have more for you another time. I’m sure you’ll appreciate I want to help folks at all levels.

So what is affiliate marketing? And why do we make such a fuss about the potential for ordinary people to make extra-ordinary amounts of money?

The principle of affiliate marketing isn’t really new. It isn’t really an internet thing at all. Affiliate marketing is a new name for something that has been going on for at least a couple of hundred years – selling stuff on commission.

There have always been two kinds of sales people. Those that work for a company and get a salary, and those that have a bit more ingenuity, a bit more drive, a bit more independence of spirit. This second lot sell things on commission. The more they sell, the more money they make.

Some people buy at wholesale and then make what they can, some work as agents and don’t pay anything up front but make a percentage of every sale.

That, in a nutshell, is a definition of affiliate marketing. Except there are one or two slight differences with the internet.

• As an affiliate, you promote the products or services of another company or companies. Your commission can be anything from 5% to 75%, occasionally even more.
• Your job is to attract people to your website or blog, then provide a specially coded link to the company’s website. That code tracks you as the referrer.
• Some of the people who visit your site will visit the site of the company you are working as an affiliate for.
• When some of those people buy something, you get a cut.

It is an ideal business arrangement. The company with the product or service for sale has no need to employ salespeople – with all the associated overheads of holiday pay, sick pay, pension provision, tax, etc. They don’t pay any commission until a sale is made.

You never need to buy, or stock, the products you promote. It costs nothing to join an affiliate program. Your only costs are those associated with setting up a blog or website – which are peanuts really. By comparison with setting up a traditional business the investment is laughable. Pizza money.

Your earnings potential – if you are prepared to work at it – is virtually limitless. There are six and seven figure earners who do nothing more than affiliate marketing. Not one or two either, dozens.

As a way of making money from writing online there is probably nothing that will make you more cash – unless you write like Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling!

It’s a simple concept – but it isn’t easy. If it was, everyone would be millionaires and clearly they ain’t! It takes work and persistence. There are a few tricks of the trade that can make things easier and we’ll look at them in future posts.

If you want to get started straight away, working with one of the few guys I reckon is an absolute solid-gold expert on affiliate marketing, then have a look at Chris Rempel’s Affiliate Genie. Chris is a straight-forward kind of guy, tells it like it is.

He’ll want to take a few bucks off you for the teaching and software he provides. It would be money well spent, but if you do nothing else have a look at the free video he’s got first. He’ll explain the core principles of what he sees as successful affiliate marketing.  He knows what he’s talking about.

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Sorry – been busy. I know, I know, not a good enough answer really but there you have it. I’m not prone to bull. Fact is I’ve been busy with other writing and associated projects and I just haven’t had the time.

But those projects are finished and handed off now – or at least in a manageable state – so I’m back. Did ya miss me?

No need to be honest about it – you could lie to me and make me feel good

Anyway, enough of the pleasantries, time to get down to work. If you’re in the US this won’t effect you but if you live elsewhere have you heard that the Kindle ebook reader is now available all over the place? I live in France and I can’t wait to get mine. Size of a paperback but stores 1500 books. Download books straight to it, anywhere you can get a mobile phone signal – stunning.

It will change things for a lot of non-US writers too. Now we’ll all be able to write for it. Could break open a whole new market. Details here.

That’ll do for now. I’ve got a few finishing touches to a freebie I want to get out to you early in the new year so stay tuned, I’ll be back soon!

No honestly… this time I will be.