Author: Rosamunde Bott
If you are new to internet marketing, and you are looking for an online business that you can start at home, you will find many advertisements and promotions telling you that their affiliate program is the best.
So how do you choose from all these programs? Which one is going to work for you?
Actually, this probably not the question you should be asking.
In fact, I would suggest you ask two questions.
The first is, “Which program will I feel motivated to work hard for?”
The second is, “How hard will my affiliate sponsor work for me?”
You see, it’s not about whether the program is a good one or a bad one. What makes a program work for you is a question of how hard you are prepared to work for it. And if you are new to this business, you will need a good sponsor to show you what you need to do.
When you sign up for an affiliate marketing company, or mlm, you will be signed up under someone else who is a member of the program. This might be the person who set up the advert, or you might be assigned a sponsor if you joined at the site directly.
This is where you need to be careful. There are a lot of sponsors out there who do very little to help their affiliates. Why this should be is a bit of a mystery. After all, by helping their own affiliates to be successful, they make more money for themselves. That’s what this business is all about. Any sponsor who does not communicate with their downline has either misunderstood this essential point or does not really give a damn.
If you are new to this industry, it can be very frustrating to have a sponsor who does not contact you, even when you email them. It can leave you feeling lost and discouraged.
So, how do you find a good affiliate sponsor?
You need to do a bit of research. Forget the adverts and affiliate home pages. Most serious internet marketers will have their own website. You need to look at these and find someone who you can feel a rapport with. They will usually have a newsletter that you can subscribe to for free. Sign up for this first and read the newsletter. Is it friendly, personal and does it have integrity?
You can find affiliate websites on social bookmarking and networking sites.
A good website will have a photograph of the owner, personal content (not just advertising copy that they’ve taken from the affiliate programs), pages with advice and reviews, and a blog and should make the reader feel that they have choice.
When you are on a website like this, you should ask yourself how it makes you feel. Do you feel that the webmaster is talking to you personally, or does he seem absent? Do his/her words give you a feeling of trust? Do they tell you anything about themselves? Can you contact them? Have a look at mine below for an example.
If you feel that this person is someone you would like to do business with, then you can then choose to join one of their programs. If they have free ones to offer, you might like to start here first, and then test out what they are like as a sponsor without it costing you money. If you don’t like them, you can then cancel your membership and go elsewhere. If, on the other hand, they seem to be helpful and willing to answer your questions, then you might want to upgrade your free program or join a fee-paying one, knowing that your sponsor will be there for you.
This is my personal affiliate marketing advice for anyone thinking of joining an online business.
Tags: Affiliate Marketing Advice, Affiliate Programs, Internet Marketing, Online Business