First, if you're new to affiliate marketing, some
preliminary explanations may prove helpful in your
quest for becoming a part-time or full-time affiliate
marketer.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is quite simple to explain:
you promote and market a product or company in
return for a commission if a sale or lead is made
from your marketing efforts. With online affiliate
marketing you simply place your affiliate ID embedded
links on your web pages and if a customer clicks
your link and proceeds to that designated company's
site and makes a purchase or signs up for a service,
you earn a commission.
Affiliate marketing, if done right, can prove to be
a very lucrative venture. Commissions can run anywhere
from a few pennies to thousands of dollars for just
one click or sale. Professional marketers develop
affiliate relationships with hundreds of companies
and build sites to promote these companies and products.
Needless to say, the advent of the Internet has been
a golden opportunity for affiliate marketers to really
expand their promotions and marketing. As more as more
customers choose to buy online, advertising and purchases
keep increasing at a maddening pace.
To accommodate all this online ecommerce we have seen
the birth of large affiliate networks, operated by
large corporations. Make no mistake, affiliate marketing
is big business, accounting for billions in sales and
commissions.
What is an Affiliate Network?
An affiliate network is a third party facilitator
which brings affiliates and companies together.
It connects Advertisers (companies with products
or services to sell) together with Publishers (those
who display and promote these products or services)
so they can do business. The affiliate network does
all the tracking, accounting and payment of commissions.
The following Top 10 list of the best Affiliate Networks
is compiled by an actual full-time affiliate marketer
who has worked these programs for over five years. This
list is subjective and based on first-hand experience.
It should be seen in this light and every marketer probably
will have a different list or have these in a different
picking order depending on the type and nature of their
marketing.
But this list of the 10 Best Affiliate Networks will
give you a general rundown on these affiliate networks
and how they operate.
1. Commission Junction (www.cj.com)
Now owned by ValueClick, Commission Junction was one
of the first affiliate networks. It is also one of the
most important with many of the Top Fortune 500 companies
listed here.
CJ is an international network with excellent stats and
tracking (some of the best you will find), along with
regular monthly payments makes this the obvious first
choice for anyone wishing to try affiliate marketing.
For those new or old at affiliate marketing, CJ also holds
regular seminars and training sessions.
Most merchants offer pay-per-lead or pay-per-sale, one
of the best features is the performance bonuses and
incentives. As most experienced marketers will know,
selling 50k to 100k each month for merchants will bring
in the big incentives or bonuses.
Commissions run as high as 50% but most are in 3% to 15%
range. You have the option of direct deposit for your
payments. One major plus, CJ will tell you which merchants
and ads are earning the most revenue for affiliates so you
can easily choose which merchants are worth promoting.
2. ClickBank (www.clickbank.com)
ClickBank is another professional affiliate network with
excellent stats and tracking. Easy to use and pays every
two weeks.
ClickBank is slightly different from the other networks
in that it deals mainly with digital download products.
The commissions from ClickBank are usually much higher
than the other networks, around 40% to 50% or more.
ClickBank has over 10,000 products but keep in mind,
info-marketing products will have stiff competition from
all the savvy and well established Internet marketers
promoting these same products. Consider youself warned!
The most successful marketing tactic here is to first
dominate your targeted niche with your blogs and sites,
then find affiliate products to match your content or niche
subject matter, whether it be gardening equipment, gaming
laptops or Mediterranean cruises!.
3. LinkShare (www.linkshare.com)
LinkShare is another excellent affiliate network. It
is one of the oldest affiliate networks on the web.
LinkShare was recently acquired by the Japanese Portal
Rakuten, with a price tag of $425 million.
Very good stats and reporting with their Synergy Analytics
system. Many Top Fortune 500 companies are presented here so
you will no trouble finding products and services to promote.
LinkShare pays commissions as they receive them from merchants
- monthly checks.
4. Affiliate Window (www.affiliatewindow.com)
Affiliate Window is an UK based affiliate network which
offers top brand companies and good commission rates.
Pays once a month and has excellent stats.
Savvy affiliate marketers know promoting in other
countries can be much easier than promoting in the
American market place. Mainly because these other
countries haven't become saturated with online marketers,
little competition means more sales.
5. Amazon (www.amazon.com)
Amazon is another excellent affiliate network to join
if you want to sell products from your site or blog.
Amazon has excellent stats and the links are very
easy to create and place on your web pages.
You also have the option of creating your own
store with Amazon aStores. Amazon also now has
context link ads and Widgets!
Commission rates are somewhat lower than the other
networks but making sales thru Amazon is much, much
easier. You will make more sales mainly because Amazon
is a well known and trusted online company. Amazon
now pays monthly.
6. Shareasale (www.shareasale.com)
Shareasale is yet another easy system to work with
good stats and simple to create links. With 1,700+
merchants to choose from, Shareasale is another
good affiliate network to promote.
The control panel is easy to use and the reporting
is very good. Usually pays the month following your
sales.
7. Google (www.google.com/adsense/)
Many won't think of Google as an Affiliate network but
it does run affiliate products thru its Adsense program.
Very few products but like everything from Google it
is professionally run and top caliber all the way.
Please note, top marketers know affiliate links/products
on their content pages will return 10 times what Google
Adsense will give them. However, these marketers will also
know using Google Adsense on less targeted pages throughout
your sites or blogs will give you a healthy return.
Besides receiving that monthly check from a multi-billion
dollar company like Google will put a smile on your
face every time.
8. LinkConnector (www.linkconnector.com)
LinkConnector is a relatively new affiliate network
which launched in 2004. It has Pay Per Click, Pay Per
Sale and Pay Per Lead. Good stats and reporting.
Worth checking out for their different types of new
affiliate technology such as Direct Linking which
passes pagerank along to the merchant's site.
9. CPA Empire (www.cpaempire.com)
Great CPA (Cost Per Action) network especially if
you do a lot of email marketing and promotions. Geared
towards acquiring leads and sign-ups but does offer other
merchants as well. Good stats and reporting.
10. Independents
Individual affiliate deals with different companies which
may or may not be listed with the major networks above.
Your independent affiliate deals will be some of your most
lucrative since you can sometimes work out separate private
commission rates and bonuses. Aim for residual income here.
Don't ignore this aspect of affiliate marketing as it will
pay the highest dividends.
Keep in mind, all the above affiliate networks are middlemen,
they come between you and the merchant you're promoting.
For affiliates with a proven track record, who have shown
they can deliver the customers and sales, a private deal
cutting out the middleman/fees can prove very beneficial
for both parties. If you're fortunate enough to become known
as a super affiliate, these private deals will become more
common and more profitable.
Professional affiliate marketers use all of the above
networks to create multiple income streams from their
marketing efforts. In the process, they build a healthy
monthly income for themselves and their families. There
is no reason why you can't do the same.
...
The author is a full-time online marketer who has numerous websites,
including two sites on Internet marketing. For the latest
and most effective web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools
Or why not try these excellent free training manuals and videos:
Free Marketing Courses
Copyright © 2007 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed
if this resource box stays attached.
preliminary explanations may prove helpful in your
quest for becoming a part-time or full-time affiliate
marketer.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is quite simple to explain:
you promote and market a product or company in
return for a commission if a sale or lead is made
from your marketing efforts. With online affiliate
marketing you simply place your affiliate ID embedded
links on your web pages and if a customer clicks
your link and proceeds to that designated company's
site and makes a purchase or signs up for a service,
you earn a commission.
Affiliate marketing, if done right, can prove to be
a very lucrative venture. Commissions can run anywhere
from a few pennies to thousands of dollars for just
one click or sale. Professional marketers develop
affiliate relationships with hundreds of companies
and build sites to promote these companies and products.
Needless to say, the advent of the Internet has been
a golden opportunity for affiliate marketers to really
expand their promotions and marketing. As more as more
customers choose to buy online, advertising and purchases
keep increasing at a maddening pace.
To accommodate all this online ecommerce we have seen
the birth of large affiliate networks, operated by
large corporations. Make no mistake, affiliate marketing
is big business, accounting for billions in sales and
commissions.
What is an Affiliate Network?
An affiliate network is a third party facilitator
which brings affiliates and companies together.
It connects Advertisers (companies with products
or services to sell) together with Publishers (those
who display and promote these products or services)
so they can do business. The affiliate network does
all the tracking, accounting and payment of commissions.
The following Top 10 list of the best Affiliate Networks
is compiled by an actual full-time affiliate marketer
who has worked these programs for over five years. This
list is subjective and based on first-hand experience.
It should be seen in this light and every marketer probably
will have a different list or have these in a different
picking order depending on the type and nature of their
marketing.
But this list of the 10 Best Affiliate Networks will
give you a general rundown on these affiliate networks
and how they operate.
1. Commission Junction (www.cj.com)
Now owned by ValueClick, Commission Junction was one
of the first affiliate networks. It is also one of the
most important with many of the Top Fortune 500 companies
listed here.
CJ is an international network with excellent stats and
tracking (some of the best you will find), along with
regular monthly payments makes this the obvious first
choice for anyone wishing to try affiliate marketing.
For those new or old at affiliate marketing, CJ also holds
regular seminars and training sessions.
Most merchants offer pay-per-lead or pay-per-sale, one
of the best features is the performance bonuses and
incentives. As most experienced marketers will know,
selling 50k to 100k each month for merchants will bring
in the big incentives or bonuses.
Commissions run as high as 50% but most are in 3% to 15%
range. You have the option of direct deposit for your
payments. One major plus, CJ will tell you which merchants
and ads are earning the most revenue for affiliates so you
can easily choose which merchants are worth promoting.
2. ClickBank (www.clickbank.com)
ClickBank is another professional affiliate network with
excellent stats and tracking. Easy to use and pays every
two weeks.
ClickBank is slightly different from the other networks
in that it deals mainly with digital download products.
The commissions from ClickBank are usually much higher
than the other networks, around 40% to 50% or more.
ClickBank has over 10,000 products but keep in mind,
info-marketing products will have stiff competition from
all the savvy and well established Internet marketers
promoting these same products. Consider youself warned!
The most successful marketing tactic here is to first
dominate your targeted niche with your blogs and sites,
then find affiliate products to match your content or niche
subject matter, whether it be gardening equipment, gaming
laptops or Mediterranean cruises!.
3. LinkShare (www.linkshare.com)
LinkShare is another excellent affiliate network. It
is one of the oldest affiliate networks on the web.
LinkShare was recently acquired by the Japanese Portal
Rakuten, with a price tag of $425 million.
Very good stats and reporting with their Synergy Analytics
system. Many Top Fortune 500 companies are presented here so
you will no trouble finding products and services to promote.
LinkShare pays commissions as they receive them from merchants
- monthly checks.
4. Affiliate Window (www.affiliatewindow.com)
Affiliate Window is an UK based affiliate network which
offers top brand companies and good commission rates.
Pays once a month and has excellent stats.
Savvy affiliate marketers know promoting in other
countries can be much easier than promoting in the
American market place. Mainly because these other
countries haven't become saturated with online marketers,
little competition means more sales.
5. Amazon (www.amazon.com)
Amazon is another excellent affiliate network to join
if you want to sell products from your site or blog.
Amazon has excellent stats and the links are very
easy to create and place on your web pages.
You also have the option of creating your own
store with Amazon aStores. Amazon also now has
context link ads and Widgets!
Commission rates are somewhat lower than the other
networks but making sales thru Amazon is much, much
easier. You will make more sales mainly because Amazon
is a well known and trusted online company. Amazon
now pays monthly.
6. Shareasale (www.shareasale.com)
Shareasale is yet another easy system to work with
good stats and simple to create links. With 1,700+
merchants to choose from, Shareasale is another
good affiliate network to promote.
The control panel is easy to use and the reporting
is very good. Usually pays the month following your
sales.
7. Google (www.google.com/adsense/)
Many won't think of Google as an Affiliate network but
it does run affiliate products thru its Adsense program.
Very few products but like everything from Google it
is professionally run and top caliber all the way.
Please note, top marketers know affiliate links/products
on their content pages will return 10 times what Google
Adsense will give them. However, these marketers will also
know using Google Adsense on less targeted pages throughout
your sites or blogs will give you a healthy return.
Besides receiving that monthly check from a multi-billion
dollar company like Google will put a smile on your
face every time.
8. LinkConnector (www.linkconnector.com)
LinkConnector is a relatively new affiliate network
which launched in 2004. It has Pay Per Click, Pay Per
Sale and Pay Per Lead. Good stats and reporting.
Worth checking out for their different types of new
affiliate technology such as Direct Linking which
passes pagerank along to the merchant's site.
9. CPA Empire (www.cpaempire.com)
Great CPA (Cost Per Action) network especially if
you do a lot of email marketing and promotions. Geared
towards acquiring leads and sign-ups but does offer other
merchants as well. Good stats and reporting.
10. Independents
Individual affiliate deals with different companies which
may or may not be listed with the major networks above.
Your independent affiliate deals will be some of your most
lucrative since you can sometimes work out separate private
commission rates and bonuses. Aim for residual income here.
Don't ignore this aspect of affiliate marketing as it will
pay the highest dividends.
Keep in mind, all the above affiliate networks are middlemen,
they come between you and the merchant you're promoting.
For affiliates with a proven track record, who have shown
they can deliver the customers and sales, a private deal
cutting out the middleman/fees can prove very beneficial
for both parties. If you're fortunate enough to become known
as a super affiliate, these private deals will become more
common and more profitable.
Professional affiliate marketers use all of the above
networks to create multiple income streams from their
marketing efforts. In the process, they build a healthy
monthly income for themselves and their families. There
is no reason why you can't do the same.
...
The author is a full-time online marketer who has numerous websites,
including two sites on Internet marketing. For the latest
and most effective web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools
Or why not try these excellent free training manuals and videos:
Free Marketing Courses
Copyright © 2007 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed
if this resource box stays attached.
Author Info:
Titus Hoskins is a full-time Internet Marketer. His main site is an online resource center for Internet Marketing Tools & Strategies. www.bizwaremagic.com
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