Affiliate marketing proves itself times over to be a stable source of income for affiliate marketers and likeminded online marketers. Making money from affiliate programs is not as hars as most people think.
Get started and succeed in affiliate marketing with these key ingredients for success:
1. A willing mind to be in this line of work for the long run (you will not make money overnight).
2. Willing to spend money to acquire a domain name and web hosting to start a blog or website (good for branding yourself).
3. Create "lots and lots of content" daily based on a niche you decide to discuss on your blog or website.
4. Create and add feedback on meaningful discussions on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Del.ici.o.us, Twitter, App, and other networks (this helps increase organic exposure to your site and motivates people to click your ads and buy).
5. Willing to spend a few dollars from time to time on Bing, Google AdWords, or YaHoO! PPC advertising services (pay-per-click) in hopes to driving traffic back to your site (this also helps increase sales).
Affiliate marketing allows anyone from anywhere with a PC and internet connection to get started working on generating income from affiliate programs in their spare time.
While affiliate marketing is a performance-based industry and requires effort on the internet marketer's part in hopes of earning good money from affiliate programs, you don't have to quit your day job in order to make good money from being an affiliate. If you're 20 years in on your job and only have 5-10 more years to go and you earn your first million in affiliate marketing 2 years after getting started online as an affiliate, why quit your job when you only have 3-7 years to go working until the majestic day of retirement arrives? Keep working that job and retire with a sweet pension. There's nothing wrong with working and doing affiliate marketing as a side hustle.
eBaY says the following concerning online retail sales:
"More than three-quarters of surveyed retailers expect 16% growth in digital revenue during the coming holiday season over last year according to a PwC survey. Last year holiday online retail sales grew 15%, according to comScore Inc., which tracks consumer web activity.
Top retailers in certain categories will see much bigger online sales increases, says Steven Barr, PwC's U.S. retail & consumer leader. "While we expect to see digital revenue increases in the mid to high teens on average, we believe the leading retailers can expect a 40% to 50% increase in digital revenues this holiday season,†Barr says. “There will be clear winners and losers, and those winners will be focused on health and wellness, athletic leisure and innovative products in the consumer electronics space."
In the consumer portion of the survey, 15% of respondents says they plan to shop exclusively online on Thanksgiving Day, while 20% will venture out to stores. Shoppers expect to make some 79% of online purchases on a PC and 12% on smartphones or tablets during the holiday season.
Overall the report suggests consumers are cautiously optimistic heading into the holiday season. 53% plan to spend the same amount as last year and 32% plan to spend more. Price is the primary driver of shopping choices followed by sales and promotions. Online shoppers remain resistant to paying for shipping, as 83% in this survey say standard free shipping would make them extremely likely to make a purchase."
The best part about making money year round from affiliate marketing is the holiday sales. You can work your day job and promote either your site with affiliate advertisements on it, or specifically promote individual affiliate programs on PPC ad services like Bing, AdWords by Google, or YaHoO! and drive traffic to your affiliate links (see advertiser's terms for rules regarding direct promotion of affiliate links for more information before spending your money on any PPC advertising network).
If you're starting to feel excited now about getting in affiliate marketing, just know it's very possible for you to succeed. Get out of that small minded way of thinking (oh it's only for certain people), create and retain a long-term vision for your online marketing success, and build your business on the web from the ground floor up. It takes time. Be willing to go the extra mile. Most importantly, be yourself when interacting with people on social networks. People love to see sincerity and a down to Earth approach in a business person. People want to know you're approachable online and offline. Be that person. Put some creativity in your business, making you stand apart from the average. Lastly, when making those big buckaroos as an affiliate marketer, give back to your community and those who helped you when you were starting from nothing.
Now that you're inspired, it's time to get started and imagine the infinite possibilities of creating a future of financial stability for you and your family.