Start Affiliate Marketing In Mere Minutes!

Affiliate marketing was something I avoided for years, because I had no clue what it was. It was a mystery. I must admit I felt a bit intimidated by all the terms I saw. Terms like Google Ad-words, pay per click and search engine optimization just made me shudder and run.

Then one day I received a newsletter that caught my attention. I actually read the material, signed up for the free videos, and decided to go for it. After that first sale, I was hooked.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is basically leading people to someone else so they can sell their products. It isn't about selling at all. It's about getting people's attention, then keeping it long enough for them to click on the link you provide.

The four things you need to do to be a successful affiliate marketer:

1. You need a product to market.
2. You need to get the attention of the people who are in your target market.
3. You need to keep their attention long enough for them to click on the link you provide to the product's website.
4. You need a way to receive your commission payments.

That's basically it. Of course, you will need a computer and an internet connection. You need to access the internet daily to be successful.

Where can you find products to market? Click Bank is a wonderful source of items. It's also free, which is a big plus. There are other sources, but this one is easy to use in the beginning.

Click Bank will do all the accounting so you don't have to. For each product your referral buys, you receive a commission. The makers of the products are thrilled to pay you, because you helped them make more money.

Click Bank will take your user name and create a hop-link for you. A hop-link is a URL that goes to the product site, but it contains a code that links to your Click Bank user name. It tells Click Bank that when a sale is made, you will get he commission. Commissions usually range between 30% to 75%.

In order to start marketing, you will need a way to connect online to the people in your target market. You will need an e-mail address. You can market directly from your e-mail; or if you don't already have a huge list, you can sign up with free accounts at Twitter or Face Book. It's easy to get connections, especially through Twitter.

If you already have friends or followers online, you can go ahead and tell them about the products you found. Just be sure to include your hop-link in your communications.

And that's it! You're in the affiliate marketing business!

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to get people to click on the links you provide. As long as you suggest quality products to the correct market, you can make good money with your marketing business.

The basics are simple:
* Computer
* Internet connection
* Mailing address
* Product to sell
* Click Bank account
* E-mail account
* Twitter or other social account
* A place to deposit your checks when they arrive

Those are the basics. Of course, if you really want to be in business as an affiliate marketer, you'll want to know more than just the basics. But if you would like to start now, you will find that all the information provided in this article will be enough to get you started. See for yourself how easy it is.