Alveena Ahmad
History:
If you were born around the mid-90s, you could have experienced affiliate marketing firsthand. Affiliate marketing has a history that goes all the way back to 1994. It started with the BuyWeb Program that was launched by CDNOW.
At that time there was no streaming content available; CDNow.com was the online store to buy music and movies in the form of CDs, Tapes, or DVDs. The basic idea behind this concept was that other websites could join the BuyWeb Program, link to their content, and get a commission from the purchases made on their site. Payments could be made with checks or as compensation for buying products from the website.
Definition:
The basic definition of affiliate marketing is,
“It is a way for a company to sell its products by signing up individuals or companies who market the company’s products for a commission”.
How it works:
Most of online companies nowadays are associated with Affiliate Marketing; these companies sell products and services. To get money from the affiliate program, you will simply have to sign up for that program. You will get a unique tracking link. When you will write about that product or service, by using that link you can recommend the company’s site to your readers. If the readers purchase anything from that site then you are rewarded with a commission.
Every affiliate marketing program is associated with a set TOS. It means that a 60-day cookie period is offered for every program which entitles you to the commission. This entitlement is based on the purchase of the product within a time period of 60 days through your special affiliate link.
Affiliate marketing is an easy way if you seriously want to earn money online as every major company today has an affiliate program such as Amazon, eBay, Target, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Apple, etc.
www.cj.com is one of the biggest affiliate marketing websites which offers affiliate programs from different websites/partners all over the world from diverse categories. These multi-billion dollar corporations would have not been associated with CJ for years if it didn’t work. These companies do all the hard work, from creating a product and letting affiliate marketers do the selling for them and earn a commission.
All that is required to do is signup for any program, put the link on your website, and if someone clicks on the banner link and purchases, you earn a commission. For example, personally speaking, I was once an affiliate of www.fatcow.com. I used to get US$100 per new hosting registration/signup refereed from my website.
Here are answers to a few of the common questions that are raised when it comes to working for affiliate marketing programs.
Is it legal?
There is nothing illegal or harmful regarding affiliate marketing, you are just given a link that either connects the reader directly to that site or to a link to another website.
Can affiliate marketing and Google AdSense be used together?
Affiliate marketing and Google AdSense can be used together at the same time. This is because nothing regarding affiliate marketing violates any of the AdSense TOS.
Is there a qualification required to work as an affiliate marketer?
That’s the biggest advantage when it comes to affiliate marketing; you are not required to submit any degrees or certificates. Rather your command over copywriting and marketing skills will prove as a greater advantage.
How much can be earned through this process?
The amount of earning money through affiliate programs depends upon the programs you promote and the conversions you make. Starting from $47, you can earn $4K-$5K/month.
Affiliate marketing can be done when you have a complete understanding of your audience. It depends upon how effectively you provide a unique perspective to your audience and connect with their inner desires. You can become a successful affiliate marketer when you focus on helping your audience by giving them good options rather than just trying to make a sale.
