How many surveys can one person take?

Thankfully, not all survey sites focus solely on surveys. If that were the case, I wouldn't be making any money with them. Surveys alone are soporifically boring. Not to mention you may not qualify for all of them. Personally speaking, I like to see a survey site that puts a lot into their site. In other words, how do they reward people for being part of the experience? I'm not going to go into great detail on each one so as not to bore you. Feel free to look them over individually.

As you can see from the banners above, I have placed InboxDollars first. In my humble opinion, they are the best site I have found thus far. Offering a $5 sign up bonus was a no brainer to plug in my info. Within just a few days, I shot up over $10. They offer a great referral percentage, also. So far I have one referral and have earned from their efforts. Not too shabby, I must say. If you are looking for a good survey site to make some side cash, but only want to stick with one, I would highly recommend this one, making the most out of it. Promote it to your heart's content. You never know, you may excite that one person who will be passionate enough to get others to join, which will add to your downline, in turn earning you more money. Oh, and their app rocks. It gives you the option to do little activities at stores to earn extra money. I have yet to do this, but I have looked at it on the app.








The next one on my list is CashCrate. As you can see, they offer a $1. This buck is paid by doing more than just signing up. Still easy, but a bit more effort than InBoxDollars. One thing I like about CashCrate is that every day they offer a few cents just by checking in. I suppose this is a bit of incentive to get someone to take a survey or to engage in some of the other things they have on the site that helps you to earn a bit more cash.








Moving on to the third banner on my list, ClixSense. Honestly, I had signed up a couple years ago on this one and quickly got bored with it. The site isn't clean like the previous two. The pages are rather cluttered. It just didn't work for me. Not to mention, it seemed to be a tad bit tedious and not particularly fun. They have a decent referral program, but if I don't really like the page, will others? I guess some things for some and not others. Feel free to look this one over. If it works for you, all the more power to you.

The last four I will discuss, I am going to lump together. A pet peeve of mine with affiliate programs is when they don't offer banners for promotion. Really? You can't take that extra step for your clients? At any rate, these four, EarnHoney, EarningStation, SurveySavvy, and MySurvey are certainly on the bottom of my list. MySurvey is at the very bottom of the list, quite frankly. They don't have banners nor a referral link that I can find. I haven't really spent too much time on these three. They don't spark my interest all that much. Okay, not at all. But, hey, if you find you like them, have at it! I'm just here to share my experience and the information for you.

That concludes a short look at a handful of survey sites. Choose the one that is appealing to you. But, don't be discouraged if you have signed up for one and it doesn't turn out to be that great for you. Finding the one that works the best may mean giving each of them a try. I wish you great success!

So, you don't play poker?

That's fine. Not everyone is perfect. Okay, okay, all kidding aside. Even if you don't play poker, there

may be someone who does and is on your site right now. Maybe they don't play poker, but they do follow sports and they have been toying the idea of getting into fantasy sports in order to win some cash. Who knows!?! Online gaming is popular. And with the laws loosening once again in the US, there is more room to breath and promote through affiliate sites that points people into these areas. I'm not sure what you niche is, but if you think you can make a squeeze play and get a few banners up promoting online gaming and sports betting, why not give it a shot.

And for those who it may not be a fit for on your site, and have toyed with the idea of playing poker, black jack, fantasy sports, or whatever you fancy, check out the sites and find the right one for you. Many sites offer freeroll poker where you can begin building a bankroll without having to put any money down. Some also have the option of playing with "play money". The choice is up to you. Personally, I've been playing on a couple and have built up a small bankroll for free. I enjoy the game of poker and I know there are millions of others who do as well. As I mentioned earlier, one of them may be on your site now, and if you find this type of affiliate program is a fit for you, then that one person may just sign up through your banner.

This is The Affiliate Network Hub, after all, and I want to provide you with all the helpful information as I possibly can. It puts us both in a win - win situation.

Above and below, I have provide banner links. Peruse at your leisure. I will be adding others as they come in. For the Poker Affiliate World program click here. Full Flush Poker also has an affiliate program. Check it out here. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me and I will do my best to get you the answers.

One more thing: For those who are new to the game of Hold em Poker and want to learn, here's a really great deal at Deuces Cracked. You can also become an affiliate with them.

What Kind of Employee Will Always Have a Job? An Entrepreneur.

I never really thought of it this way. 

And if you didn't either, that doesn't mean you lack an entrepreneurial spirit. I think for most people who have ideas on how to improve their work environment and or their job itself, the people the work for lack the openness to it. Okay, okay, you're probably thinking, "what the heck is this guy rambling about?" I ran across this article that is quite inspiring. It gives a different take on being an entrepreneur and adding value to your job. Not to be confused with being an innovator, although there are similarities. I'll stop my rambling and let you read the article.  

Published May 19, 2015 Entrepreneur.com

Do you want job security? Do you want to know that no matter what happens to the economy, you will always have a source of income? Then you need to become an entrepreneur.

Wait, isn’t an entrepreneur kind of the opposite of being an employee? No, that’s not the definition of entrepreneur I’m talking about. My favorite definition of the word “entrepreneur” is someone who moves an asset from an area of lower utility to an area of higher utility. In other words, someone who makes things better, or adds value.

You don’t have to start or own a business to do this, although running a business will quickly teach you why adding value is the most important thing you can screen for in potential hires. Running a business will also show you why, without the ability to add value, there is no such thing for you as job stability. Experiences I had 15 years ago drove this lesson home.

Back around 2000, when I was a college student, I wanted to work for a big tech company such as Microsoft, Dell or Intel. Those were the hot companies back then, and I thought the work would be exciting and rewarding. I also thought working at one of those companies would be safe and stable.

But by the time I graduated in 2002, I had given in to the siren song of business ownership and had my own company based in Provo, Utah. I had also just lived through the dot-com crash. It wasn’t the implosion of all those startups that changed my mind about job stability. It was what I saw happening at another company based in Provo called Novell.

Novell was "The Big Company" in Utah at the time. Novell had a billion dollars in cash on hand, a huge campus and everyone “knew” that Novell was a big, established company that would be around for the long term. My company didn’t do anything that Novell did, and whereas they had thousands of employees I only had a handful, but we still competed against each other for talent.

Time and again, I would try to hire someone only to see them reject my offer to go work at Novell. The reason was almost always the same -- stability.

But then a funny thing would happen. Novell would have layoffs, and the person who had rejected my offer would be out of work. The stability they thought they would find at the larger company didn’t exist. It was an illusion. Job stability isn’t based on working for a certain type of company, or in a certain industry.

Some of these people who were let go from Novell quickly found new work. Others struggled. One key difference to finding new employment fast was the ability to add value -- and show it.

I’ve interviewed and hired scores of individuals, and while there are lot of qualities I value highly such as integrity, kindness and hustle, I cannot hire or continue to pay an employee who doesn’t add value. The converse is also true -- I can’t afford not to hire someone who I know will add value.

For example, if you applied for an open position at my company, but you couldn’t convince me that my business was going to profit by hiring you, then you wouldn’t get the job. I’m all about charity, but I have better ways to do it than handing out jobs to people who don’t add value to my business.

On the other hand, if you were to approach me with a plan to help my business increase profits by 10 percent during the next 12 months, and it would only cost me 1 percent of those profits to do so, I would hire you on the spot. It could be for a position I’ve never even considered creating. You might not have a college degree. You might not have any certifications. You might be light on experience. But if you can present me with a convincing case about how you can add substantial value in my company, I will take you seriously.

This is why I’m keen to hire people who have an entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurs seem to be naturals at adding value. They can’t help but look around them and think “There’s a better way.” I need people who are constantly saying that, because if an employee only does what I tell them to do, my company is going to lose to the competitor who hires proactive team members.

When an entrepreneur loses his job or ends up in a job he hates, he’s never stuck for long. The entrepreneur knows that if his dream job isn’t being advertised, he can create it. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Identify the type of job you want.

Choose the type of work, what the job description looks like, what the working environment is, and a compensation package.

2. Identify the company you want to work for.

This company may or may not have an open position for a job like the one you’ve identified, but if they don’t then you can see that they need one.

3. Identify an opportunity to add value at this company.

If you were thinking of starting a new business, this would be “the idea.” You’re just doing the same thing but within an existing business.

4. Create a written plan as to how you would deliver this value.

Put together spreadsheets, tables, charts, a presentation -- you may never show them to anyone else, but it will be helpful for you.

5. Contact the right person.

Find the person at the company who would be interested in your plan, and customize it for them.

6. Get a meeting to present your plan.

This presentation may be a two-minute conversation, or a two-hour presentation in a board room. Be prepared for both.

Before going all the way to the sixth step, you may want to sit down for a few minutes with the person you plan to pitch and let them know about your plan and get their input. A few minutes early on could give you valuable insights into what challenges that person faces and what they value.

It’s rare that anyone is this proactive. That’s why going through these steps will make you stand out. You have very little to lose other than a few hours of your time. Even if your plan isn’t the right fit at this time, it shows intelligence, creativity and initiative, and you’ll be on the radar. By following these steps or some variation of them, almost anyone can create their own dream job at virtually any organization.

Have you ever created the job you wanted, or seen someone else do it? Share your story in the comments section below.

Traffic Exchanges: Are they worth the time?

The only way I can answer this question is by saying: It depends. It depends on various factors. I have found that Traffic Exchanges can take up a lot of time having to surf the exchanges to earn points and credits. Obviously, as a free member of TEs, you're going to have to work twice as hard as you would if you pay for some sort of subscription that gives you more of a range. What I mean is, when you plop some cash down, many TEs have different programs that allow you to give your site or product more exposure with less effort. Additionally, putting some cash down will also double your efforts when you do have the time to surf these exchanges. My suggestion is to make some cash surfing the exchange as time permits, then reinvest it on that particular exchange, thus giving yourself more of a reach. I have done this on one TE that I belong to and it has paid off. More traffic was driven to this site as a result.

Another aspect of TEs that I like is that you do get to see a wide array of online services out there. Of course you have to click through a lot of other TE adverts, but when you do, you'll find those little gems. I have landed on some useful tools having taken the time to surf through the Traffic Exchanges. I'm sure you will, too. As with anything worth anything, it won't come with ease; you will have to work at it. There's no such thing as a "get rich quick" program, which leads me to another point...

Don't always believe what they say on the surface. Dig a little. Look for the attached strings. When joining the TE site, are they lowering their price as you click through to get to the home page? These are simply marketing schemes. Old school ones, in my humble opinion. Honesty is the best policy. And desperation just looks cheesy. Now, I'm not telling you this to discount these TEs. I'm telling you this to give you a heads up. Getting through the gimmicks, and into the actual site, will still allow you to get traffic to your site as a free member. It will also afford you the opportunity to see those little gem sites I discussed earlier.

My final point for the day on TEs is referrals. All the Traffic Exchanges I have come across do offer incentives when you refer someone. This is often referred to as "building a downline" as many may already know. This can add a greatly to your marketing efforts. So, again to answer my initial question: Traffic Exchanges: Are they worth the time? It depends. It depends on you. Check them out and find what fits. You may enjoy them or you may not. It all depends on what you are looking for. If you would like to check out some TEs that I have come across and have joined, click here for the list. It doesn't hurt to look. If you don't find the one you're looking for, keep looking. If you find that it's a fit, give it a whirl and sign up and start surfing. But, don't forget to add your site so it gets the exposure it deserves.

Let Affiliate Marketing Software Do All The Labor

I'm not going to say a lot here as I don't want to bog down anyone who has landed on this page. I'll let the banners do all the talking. This I will say briefly. You are looking for help to advance your marketing needs, this software is chock full of tools in which to help you grow your online presence. They offer you the opportunity to demo the software. Click on any of the banners to learn more. See you on the other side of success!

Shopify Makes It Easy For All

Providing worthy information is important. And having a platform in which to do so is even more important. I mean, what good is having a product or a service or even an idea, if you can't put it in front of someone. I had been hearing a lot of great things about Shopify from people who have set up shop with them. They have grown tremendously in the ecommerce realm. Personally, I don't sell anything, nor do I wish to. My purpose is to get this information out to those who want to do one of two things, or even both: 1. Set up shop through Shopify. Or 2. Become an affiliate.

I am part of their affiliate program.

Shopify makes it easy for everyone whether you are wanting to operate an online store or you want to put this tool in someone's grasp to help them get started. Shopify is really the tool box filled with lots of help affording you the opportunity to put whatever it is you have to sell, in front of the people who want to buy. Click on any link to be brought to the Shopify page to learn more on how to sell your items. There is also a quick video at the bottom of the page you can review.

Below, you find verbiage from their site about the affiliate program. This is to give you an overview, a little taste, if you may, of what Shopify is all about. I hope to see you all, successfully on the other side. One last thing, for those who are looking to sell online utilizing there tools, you can sign up for a free trial here.


Affiliate Program

Make up to $358 per customer by joining the free Shopify Affiliate Program

When you sign up for the Shopify Affiliate Program we'll give you a special link to Shopify that you can share through an ad, Facebook post, on your blog, a tweet – however you choose! You'll earn income for every customer that signs up for Shopify through your link.

We offer two commission options

200% Per Sale
Per-sale commissions mean that you earn 200% of a customer’s subscription fee each time you refer someone to Shopify. You can make up to $358 per sale!

20% Of Each Bill
For each customer you refer to Shopify, you’ll get 20% of their monthly Shopify bill, including transaction fees – for as long as they are a Shopify customer. You can make more than $35 per month for every customer you refer

Anyone can be an affiliate

Are you a blogger?

Monetize your blog by adding Shopify banners or affiliate links to your posts. Why not make the most of your site traffic by promoting one of the strongest brands in the industry?

Are you a publisher?

Use any online marketing medium you can to refer customers: email, media buys, PPC, contextual, Facebook or Twitter. The sky’s the limit!

Hey Fellow Star Wars Fans...

Are you looking for posters and other trinkets to quench your never ending thirst? Missing that one poster to complete your collection? Or do you know someone who has been looking for something from the collection, but has yet to find it. Allow me to point you in the direction of a website that, yes, I am an affiliate marketer participant. I have looked over the site quite extensively, Star Wars was the first thing I searched for and whadya know, they seem to have it all. Well, not all, as I didn't find an actual, full scale replica of the Death Star, but they're pretty darn close. I encourage all of my fellow Star Wars geeks to at least check out the page. And hey, if something peaks your interest, whip out that payment method and get that Boba Fett poster on your wall. I'll make it a bit easy and post a few of my favorites here. I will also provide a link to the site so you can see what else they have. Happy hunting!!

Either click on the image or to go to the site directly, click here and search Star Wars.

Why Advertising Doesn’t Work for Bloggers

You might have heard that you can’t make money as a blogger.

A few bloggers can manage if they generate superhuman levels of traffic, like Perez Hilton or ICanHasCheezburger (the LOLCat blog).

For ordinary mortals like you and me? You’ll be lucky to pay your Chipotle bill from advertising. You need a model that works in the real world.

First, take a look at a post I wrote on exactly this topic, called Why You Can’t Make Money Blogging.

One of the things I talk about in that post is that, for those who aren’t seeing stratospheric traffic, we need to solve real problems in order to make a decent living.

Copyblogger, even though it’s one of the most popular blogs on the web, takes this approach. We don’t go the “blog celebrity” route, because that’s subject to fads and fashion, and we like to build our business on something more enduring than that.

Instead, we provide lots of solutions to real-world problems with our free content, and we offer additional solutions involving paid products, both our own and other people’s.

A lot of people associate affiliate marketing with sleaze, scams, and high-pressure sales techniques. But there’s no reason in the world to leave affiliate marketing to the bottom-feeders.

Affiliate marketing is one of the smartest ways to start monetizing
your high-quality content. But you have to do it right.

5 keys to better affiliate marketing

As you probably already know, affiliate marketing is the practice of finding new customers for an existing product or service that you didn’t create.

Even if you’re a product-creating rock star and you’ve got a fat catalog of great stuff for your readers to buy, none of us can keep up with our most passionate customers. They’re always going to want more than we can provide. This is where a smart, thoughtful affiliate program can fill the bill.

And if you don’t yet have a great product of your own to offer, you can still give your audience the information, physical products, and services they’re looking for, and make some money for yourself while you’re at it. It’s just cool all the way around.

Generally, the vendor does all of the “selling” for you — you’re just providing a lead. In reality, though, a little judicious pre-selling on your part can make affiliate marketing work better for you.

When you’re looking for an affiliate product to review or promote on your site, here are some of the guidelines that have worked well for us on Copyblogger:

1. Only promote products that are so good, you would promote them whether or not you were paid to. Many “gurus” will tell you to find a Clickbank product in your niche that’s doing well and promote that. While that’s a useful way to tell if a particular topic is viable, it’s also a great way to destroy your relationship with your audience unless the Clickbank product is terrific. Only promote great quality, whether it’s a $17 product or a $17,000 one.
2. Make sure you’re selling something your audience wants. This seems obvious, but it’s where a lot of marketers fail. You can’t just offer something people need or could benefit from. They also have to want it. Don’t be afraid to promote products that are already popular in your topic. They’re popular because there’s a strong desire. You’ll use your own relationship and content to make people want to buy with your link.
3. Look for high-dollar-value products. This is especially important if you don’t have tons of traffic. It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s true — you won’t necessarily sell more of a cheaper product. It’s not uncommon to find that a $197 product sells as many copies as a $19 one.
4. Give some background. Reviews tend to do very well for affiliate offers, because they give the buyer some additional background on the product’s strong and weak points. Never be afraid to honestly address flaws in a product you review.You won’t hurt sales, and you will build your trust and credibility with your audience.
5. Always disclose your affiliate relationship. Not only is it a good relationship-building practice to be honest with your readers, but the FTC also now requires bloggers to disclose that you’re receiving financial compensation for your endorsement. This can get you into some very ugly hot water if you ignore it, so don’t. (If you want a model for a graceful way to do that, scroll down and click through to the post on how to make affiliate disclosure into a selling point.)

More killer strategies for affiliate marketing

Brian wrote a terrific series on Copyblogger about how you can make more money with affiliate offers and improve your relationship with your audience while you’re at it.

Remember, relationships are the first pillar. Make them your priority, or the rest of your business won’t be able to grow and thrive.

The headlines speak for themselves. If affiliate marketing will be part of your income mix, each of these is a must-read.

• Three Killer Content Strategies for Affiliate Marketing
• Five Effective Copywriting Tactics for Affiliate Marketing
• How to Turn Affiliate Disclosure into a Selling Point

Can you still make this work if you aren’t writing about online marketing?

A lot of people believe that this affiliate marketing stuff is only for people writing about online marketing.

That’s actually one of the worst niches you could get into, so don’t go there unless you have a huge passion for it (and something new to add to the topic).

If you write a food blog, review kitchen gadgets, gourmet ingredients, and cookbooks. You can link to all of these with affiliate links from both Amazon Associates and Commission Junction.

Remember to talk about the bad as well as the good. If the $2400 espresso machine sucks and the $89 one is fabulous, tell the truth. And use an affiliate link for both. If someone’s going to saddle themselves with the crummy one after you’ve given all the information, there’s no reason for you to short yourself on the commission.

If you write a humor blog, take your best material and put it on t-shirts, hats, or bags with CafePress.

If you’re a mommy blogger, you can review toys, clothes, diaper bags, or even online parenting courses.

Blog about relationships? Find a great online course or ebook about becoming a better husband, wife, parent, adult child, friend, or just a happier, more fulfilled human being. There’s some great stuff out there just waiting for you to help get the word out.

Jennifer Michelle has a blog for pole dancers. She sells her own workout gear designed just for pole dancing (called “Pole Skivvies,” how cute is that?), and also offers dance poles on an affiliate basis. See? I told you anyone could apply this.

What’s the best way to score review copies?

Physical stuff you’ll probably have to actually buy. If your blog gets decent traffic, you can always ask for a freebie. But your credibility goes up a little if you pay for it.

For ebooks and online courses, you can nearly always get your money back if you decide the product isn’t worth a review, and you should definitely get in the habit of getting a refund if it isn’t any good. (Check the fine print before you PayPal to make sure, of course.)

Why you’re going to be better at this than most people

Remember, you have some gigantic advantages in this business over the more typical “make money now” system guys.

1. You’ve got a unique voice and point of view.
2. You care more about your relationship with your audience than you do about some affiliate commission. (Even a really sweet one on that expensive espresso machine.)
3. You’re building tons of high-quality content (not auto-generated or scraped junk) on your blog, that’s creating a content net to support buyers over the long run and keep them coming back. If this offer isn’t a good fit for them, the next one may be.

This means your “ads” for these products don’t look like ads. They look like honest recommendations from a friend. Which is exactly the way you should think about them.

Will there ever be affiliate offers in this newsletter?

Of course there will! 

As we come across really good stuff that we think will make your business work better, we’ll absolutely let you know about it. And if there’s an affiliate program for it, we’ll take our commission. Fair enough?

We’ll also let you know from time to time about products, tools, or services that we create. Sometimes, when we’re frustrated at not finding exactly the right tool to support our businesses, we make one. (The Genesis theme framework for WordPressbeing a great example of that.)

And when we do, we’ll share it with you.

Would we ever let you know about something we didn’t believe in? Of course not, because this is Internet Marketing for Smart People, not Internet Marketing for Clueless Idiots. The dumbest thing we (or you) could do is to promote garbage.

Your assignment for the week

Do some serious thinking about where you’re going to find really high-quality affiliate products that you could discuss and, when appropriate, recommend to your audience.

Clickbank is the biggest marketplace for information products — just be aware that there’s a lot of junk mixed in with the gold.Commission Junction is where to go for physical stuff — everything from collectible movie posters to gardening equipment to great coffee. And if you’re in the information and advice business, see if the better bloggers in your topic have anything you might promote.

Next up on the newsletter, we’re going to circle back to relationships, and talk about how to develop a persona that lets your readers and customers create a stronger connection.

Sonia Simone

P.S.

Did you find this page via Twitter or a link from a friend?

Click here to subscribe today (at no charge) and get instant access to over 100,000 words of proven marketing advice contained in 15 ebooks, as well as this 20-part course dripped out to you via email.

Of course, if it’s not for you, you can unsubscribe with just a couple of clicks. And we’ll never rent or share your information with anyone.)

Source: Copyblogger

Windows 7 mainstream support ends

Microsoft will end mainstream support for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 on January 13. Find out what that means for you.

by Tuong Nguyen 

What end of mainstream support means

For corporate users, it's business as usual.

For home users, free online and phone support are disappearing. Microsoft stopped distributing new licenses to manufacturers and vendors in October 2014, so don't expect to see many more new PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, or Ultimate.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 now enters its extended support phase. Microsoft will continue torelease security patches until January 14, 2020. Business PCs with Windows 7 Pro will still be available for sale, and so will OEM keys of the Pro version. Paid support will still be available.Downgrades will be honored for the business edition of Windows. For example, if you purchase a PC with Windows 8.1 Pro, you can still downgrade to Windows 7 Pro.

How the end of support affects you

Regular users will still get security fixes. You can still get Windows 7 Pro licenses if you're planning on purchasing a new system or if you're finally upgrading from Windows XP.

There's no news yet of Windows 7 Pro going off the market. Microsoft has promised to give at least a year of advance warning before cutting off sales.

Source: ZDNet

4 Myths About Affiliate Marketing You Need To Know

Author: Steve Olenski

There are lots of myths out there surrounding affiliate marketing, and these can frequently cause brands/businesses to pass on these kinds of programs. It’s important you understand some of these myths so you can make the correct decisions for the future growth of your business.

Whether you’re the brand manager at a Fortune 100 brand or the marketing director/everything else at a startup, setting up a solid affiliate program can open a revenue avenue without much of the hassle usually associated with setting up new marketing initiatives.

1. Affiliate systems are quick and easy to manage

An affiliate marketing program is a lot of work, and in most situations there’s a lot of competition so you’re not going to be bringing in money immediately. Business owners and entrepreneurs suppose that all you need do is setup a site and choose an affiliate to associate with and then just let it run its course. But according toThree Ladders Marketing, only 0.6% of affiliate marketers surveyed have been in the game since 2013. That means that affiliate marketing takes time and effort to build and make money.

Affiliate marketing myths busted. Source: tips.affiliatevote.com

The affiliate marketing business relies on fostering relationships. You foster these relationships by:

*Bringing the right partners into your program

*Seeking out better and more efficient partnerships

*Updating your content regularly to keep things new and fresh.

An affiliate program is only going to help bring traffic to your website or business; you are in charge of turning that traffic into conversions.

2. You need to work in a very popular and lucrative niche to make affiliate marketing work for your business.

A lot of companies do not even bother trying an affiliate marketing program because they think their market is too little. Some companies will try and break into bigger niches even if they don’t have any interest in the market niche.

It is true that popular niches do better with affiliate marketing, but that doesn’t mean you do not have a chance at success. Stay in line with the goals and mission statement of your company and find affiliates who understand the relevance of working in a market where you are comfortable.

3. Affiliate marketing is a strategy of yesterday

Due to Google’s new algorithms for SEO, link building is becoming outdated which can discourage affiliate activity. Even if this is the case, there are many new ways to use SEO and build your brand.

You might come across a couple of link problems with Google if you are not managing your program, but for the most part the entire notion of affiliate marketing still makes sense to Google –it offers another relevant and related resource to consumers.

4. Success in affiliate marketing comes from getting your product on as many sites as possible

The best way to think about affiliate marketing is quality over quantity. There are a lot of small websites that will promote your product, but the key is finding a small number of partners that will deliver conversions. For example, an equity management services firm has over 20,000 affiliates in its system, but only about 25 affiliates generate 85 percent of revenue.

The real deliverables will be dependent on locating the right affiliates, big or small, which drive results. According to the same study done by Three Ladders Marketing, the most traffic for affiliates were driven by SEO, 79% and social media, 60%.

Although studies show that affiliate marketing isn’t easy, as you remember to foster relationships, focus on your niche, focus on a few key affiliates, and create a system that generates performance for both the advertiser and the affiliate you can drive profit and conversions for your small business.

Affiliates Beware

There are caution flags, however when it comes to affiliate marketing. In a piece late last year, Affiliate Theft Could Be Costing You Millions, Forbes contributor Jabez LeBret wrote of unscrupulous affiliate marketers’ tactics which cost brands and businesses millions of dollars every year.

LeBret adds that affiliate theft”…could be preventing you (brands/businesses) from beating profit expectations while making it difficult for you to properly allocate your marketing budget to programs that are working.

Source: Forbes