Affiliate marketing (AM) is one of the most hassle free ways to make money online. However, getting started can be a pain. There are so many things you need to know in order to make it profitable. The best way to do this is to find an affiliate marketing system that works and stick with it. If you’re new, it will speed you on your way to success. If you’re advanced, it can help you learn new techniques to increase your profits.
1. It’s best to start at the beginning
So where is the beginning point of the yellow brick road? Google, of course! Start your search at Google’s search engine. In the search box type “affiliate marketing + forum”. You may wonder why I put the “+” sign in the search term. The plus sign ensures you’ll see all forums using this search term.
2. Search forums for great information
For a beginner, the best place to begin your search for a great system is a forum. It is true that forums are trying to sell you something. However, they are more transparent than a regular AM site. You’ll find many people giving unsolicited opinions or asking questions. Believe me, if something is wrong with a product you want to buy, you’ll hear all about it in a forum. Also, it’s a great place for beginners because you can get answers to all of your questions, you can read what’s already there or ask new questions of your own.
Look for a reputable forum. You want to look for a forum that has been around for a while. I would start with forums that have been around for 5 years or more. Look for forums that have many members. If a forum has 5 members and there have been no posts for the last 6 months, that’s a good indication you need to look somewhere else. People tend to participate in forums where they are getting good information that is useful.
Side note: Like I said earlier, forums are trying to sell you something. If you get on a site that makes you feel like you’re talking to a used car salesman, click away. If you get to the home page and there are more banners than helpful information, click away. You are looking for one thing only – a great affiliate marketing system. If you’re new, those kinds of sites will distract you from your main goal. You will get lost and frustrated clicking on useless banners. If you look at a site a feel a great sense of overwhelm, that is not the site for you – try another.
3. Perform your due diligence
Now is the time for you to check out the system that you have found. The first thing you want to find out is – what’s in it for me. One of the best signs that you have reached a great AM site is what they offer you before they ask you for anything. Check out the site to see if they offer you any useful, relevant information. Do you have to register to get the free information? Do they give you a lot useless fluff and then ask you to pay before they will give you anything of value?
Finding an AM course is just like getting into a new relationship. Generally, if the person is take, take, taking without give, give, giving anything that is beneficial, we tend to walk away from those relationships. The same is true of the system you want to sign up for. If they are asking you to give anything before you receive something of value, it’s not the program for your – find another.
Look around the forum to see what others are saying. Do you find that many people are complaining about the info in the forum? Do you find many people that are complaining in general? Remember that like begets like. You don’t want to join a system where there are a lot of complainers. First, they aren’t inspirational and you want people that will encourage you to push forward. Second, that kind of negative energy will drain you. You’ll find yourself giving up and you won’t know why.
Now that you know how to find an affiliate system that works – go find one! Above is a short video to take you through the process. Good luck and happy hunting!