How Do You Promote Your Passion / Money Talk

[Christopher Ryan]

I just read the sticky note thread 'newbie affiliate forum' and i just have a couple of questions concerning the business and could use some direction - finding your niche [understood]... Once you do find your niche, how do you relay that passion to others? People have mentioned a blog and then attaching affiliate sites, how is that facilitated? Do I need my own website? Do I need to attach a link to a blogspot account to my 5 star account profile? is there a blog function on 5 star?

Also, it is not a priority of mine but I do want to familiarize myself with how money is actually made through affiliate marketing and would be a nice reward (simple answer should get me started )... for example, just by attaching an affiliate website to my "blog" will earn income? I'm just a little confused in terms of things like that. Thanks for all the help!

Cheers!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Your questions are good ones but the answers are much more complicated than you realize. Why? There are a bunch of different strategies and directions you could go. I'll try to answer with the most simple straight forward route but realize this is not the only way.

Yes you could just start with blogspot - but eventually you will want your own blog on your own domain which is like buying your own house instead of renting a room at someone else's house.

Here is the most simple way to explain affiliate marketing on a blog. You blend the affiliate links right into your content. Realize the links need to be closely related and something people from your niche would be interested in.

Example: let's say your niche is dog training. You may blog about a great dog training book you read. That link would be an affiliate link that goes to Amazon. If people buy the book or anything else on Amazon that visit then you would get a commission.

In another post you may talk about pet carriers for traveling. The link would go to Petco or some other affiliate program you are affiliated with. Or you could post coupons for discounts at pet supply companies.

Also on the sidebar of your blog you could have links or banners to Amazon dog training books and a pet supply company like Petco.

So your niche is about dog training and OCCASIONALLY you give a tip or write a review about a product that has an affiliate program and you link to it.

Again this is just one of the most simple ways to start and ideally you want your own blog instead of being on blogger.

Does that help a little?

 

[Christopher Ryan]

Yes, absolutely. I realize the questions I proposed are far greater in size than what may be appropriate to post on a forum in terms of someone else's ability to answer them concisely. But, thank you it is a good foothold to start in.

So, how does the money come into your possession, say, if a sale is made on amazon which was found through a link you embedded on your blog? I know it is marked through a tracking cookie but as far as the personal information goes how is that done? I cannot imagine your commission just ends up in your mailbox the next week or month, to put it bluntly Do you need a paypal or clickbank, etc?

 

[Linda Buquet]

You have to join the affiliate program before posting links. You give all your contact info. Typically people mail you a check about a month and a half after you make the sale. (They need time to be sure the sale does not cancel or is not fraud and then processing time) Some pay by Paypal and some give you a variety of options are far as how you can get paid but the most common is ck in your mail box.