From the Inbox:
"I have made the decision to study and learn online affiliate marketing. Is there any great outlay in the beginning whilst am learning and building this from dot? This would be my only dilemma as am living day to day at present but am determined to be a success one day. I am so inspired by you, you can be my role model.
Thank you Lynn. Regards, Sharon"
Hi Sharon! 🙂 You can actually get started for around $10 a month. That cost is simply for your hosting account, which will host your affiliate site. I wouldn't recommend you invest in anything else upfront, or spend any money on products or services until you know exactly what you need and why.
And in most cases, you'll honestly need very little to operate online. Affiliate Marketing is a great method for making money online, as long as you know some of the basics upfront...
Fortunately I've been blogging about this topic for years, so you can learn just about everything you need to know to get started... right here at ClickNewz, for free! 😀
I'm also a Super Affiliate myself, so I'm going to shoot straight with you. Everything I share here is from personal experience as someone who has been successfully working online for more than a decade...
Since upfront cost is your primary concern, I'll explain the $10 first.
To start a successful blog or affiliate site you'll need a hosting account and a domain name. I use GoDaddy to register my domain names, and HostGator for hosting. See current HostGator coupon codes. A domain name is ~ten bucks, and hosting is ~$10/month - but using the coupon code you can get both for around $10.
Of course, you want to choose your topic before you register a domain name, but from there you're all set. You'll have everything you need to get started. You can install WordPress from within your hosting account, and use it to create either a blog or a traditional looking website. See:
How To Start A WordPress Blog (checklist)
I recommend you start here:
How to Make Money Online For Beginners
In this post I share a 10-step Checklist for getting started with Affiliate Marketing, with each step linking to a specific how-to tutorial for more help & ideas.
The checklist starts at the very beginning - choosing a topic.
Top 10 Problems Most People Have With Affiliate Marketing
These are issues brought up by other affiliates, some new to affiliate marketing just like you and others seasoned affiliates. I address each of the issues, and link to posts & tutorials that cover those topics. A great reference to keep handy (you can get that post in PDF format to download/print as well).
Don't Overwhelm Yourself!
Spending too much money - or too much time - upfront is what holds most people back when they first get started online. Affiliate Marketing is something that will always be changing, and is easiest learned by doing. You'll serve yourself best by digging in and learning as you go.
Never invest in anything you're not sure you need.
Only buy what you need, when you need it, to accomplish a specific objective. Too many people spend entirely too much money on things they're not even sure they need (or need yet). Don't make that mistake. Start with $10 and dive in - everything else can be figured out as you go.
If you have questions along the way, there are tons of communities where you can get help or advice. We even have one right here on ClickNewz! Click here to join our forum. We would love to see you there. 😉
Best,
p.s. I have a book coming out on Niche Affiliate Marketing that will teach you everything you need to know, step by step. It is due out in August 2011. To get on the priority notification list - to be the first to know when the book is available on Amazon - simply register at www.AffiliateStarterGuide.com.
You can also subscribe below to get email notification of new posts and tutorials here at ClickNewz. Simply enter your first name and email address:
About Lynn Terry
Wow what a great email to get.
Must make you feel successful to get this type of email from a new fan.
With hard work I hope to also get such a nice communication.
Thanks for all you do for all of us.
Lynn is right, the best advice is to just get started. Learn as you go. If you try to figure it all out before you start, you'll end up in that vicious cycle of not getting anything done. Believe me, I know from past experience.
Affiliate marketing is fun, WORK and always changing so go with the flow.
I wish more people would know that all you really need is hosting + domain, which is like $120 a year. So many friends of mine told me how they bought some SEO stuff and books, but actually learned nothing new. Affiliate marketing is great if you're willing to learn and test around a bit, but too many think money can come overnight without any work.
Hi Lynn,
Happy Easter to you and all here. Thank you for writing about affiliate marketing and the tips are awesome. Starting with $10 and learning from you is the best that anyone can get whole of internet. Your simple sharing very inspiring for all and me too.... Awesome!
Lynn is right in that you can learn all you need to get started and succeed on her blog. I've read much of it and love it. I've learned a ton.
My first decent affiliate money started when I wrote extensively about products in a niche I used and liked. This was a huge eye-opener, because I've tried niches I wasn't wild about and didn't earn much. When I don't care about a niche/product, I don't end writing about it and promoting it.
I know many people suggest choosing a niche solely due to the profit potential, but I found choosing on this basis simply didn't work. It works for some, I'm sure, but not for me.
Just get started with a website in a niche that (1) you like, and (2) is in a profitable market. Exhaust the niche with your website. Write great content. Get traffic and keep on building traffic. The more traffic you get, the more ways you can monetize your website. Affiliate offers are just the beginning.
I focus on building websites that are a market containing a few niches so I can build them up into large websites. This is one model. You can also build focussed websites dedicated to one niche, or a sub-topic of a niche. Both models work. I like large, broad websites because it offers plenty of monetization options and topic opportunities.
Take Lynn's blog for example. It's moderately broad. She writes on many areas within the internet marketing market. A sub-topic could be link building. That could be narrowed further to dofollow blog commenting. The model you choose really is up to you. Start small, and if you like your topic you can continually expand it within the market.
Another reason I like broader, larger websites is it's easier to promote 1 or a few sites than many small sites. By promotion I'm talking about backlinking, bookmarking, social media etc. You can turn your website into a brand (as I'm doing with B2Web and as Lynn did with ClickNewz). Once you're branded and you have loyal readers and subscribers, you'll hit paydirt big time. It's a long road, but not only is it profitable, but also very rewarding. I love feedback from regular readers. I put extra effort into every post I write because I know I have an audience that is reading it rather than random organic search engine visitors.
You may get frustrated with lack of sales in the beginning. I know I was. But keep testing different methods. I love the saying "people love to buy, but hate being sold to". I keep this foremost in my mind with all affiliate offers and articles I write. I aim for subtlety.
Just get super focussed on building traffic. Look at some of the successful websites in your niche and see what kind of traffic they get in Quantcast.com to see what's possible. This really motivates me knowing there are other sites in my niches getting 10,000 visitors every day. That means I can just keep building traffic. It's out there to attract.
Thanks for a useful website, Peter! 🙂 I'll keep my eye on it!
Thanks Satu. I appreciate your kind words. I really like your post at http://thegutsybiz.com/final-results-of-the-90-day-content-marketing-challenge/ where you break down your content marketing stats.
Some people think $10 may not be enough to start up and then voila, here's a proof that it's possible! Another investment which is very important but can be procured free is learning all about affiliate marketing or any money-making business online. There are articles, tips and techniques, ebooks out there that are a wealth to read/subscribe. Good luck to you Sharon!
This is the first post that I came across when I opened your site. Was just surfing around and found this blog. It is awesome. I really love what you have to say here. This is the whole conclusion that I recently came too. I have been thinking about trying to do this for a very long time. I finally just came to the thought one day, that I need to stop looking for the answers and just start doing. Thank you for re-enforcing that thought for me. This really is great advice.
Hi All
Just a brief note for any newbies.
Affiliate marketing definitely works, but like most things it only works if you work it and stay motivated in which case you can very successful. I say that with 7 years experience behind it 🙂
Matt Hunt
Lynn is right! You can find everything you need right here. When I am looking for an answer for my business, I look here first, and most often, I don't have to look any further. Spending money is not a good idea at first. That's a lesson I have learned as well. I now purchase things only when I need them.
Follow Lunn's advice and you will do just fine.
Lynn, I am impatiently waiting to get your book. I will be the first buyer when it's available on Amazon. And thank you very much for your valuable advices.
Definitely don't spend too much money. 🙂
You will want to be earning something first before you start spending.
And yes, waiting for your new book, Lynn. 😉
Oh yes, best way is to go and learn something along the way. Anyway, experience is always the best teacher.
Hi,
Going for online affiliate marketing is a very smart idea and strongly recommended if you want to make some really nice money working online. It will be hard in the beginning, 'till you learn how to do things, you will soon start earning money and step-by-step you will learn to work more efficiently in less time. Thanks for sharing!
Is Clickbank best site for affiliates? I am playing with health/wellness area as starter hearing that affiliate marketing is best and fastest way to gain income. Is Rosalind's book still best to learn and follow? Thanks. Time to make vs. spend like a faucet. Should I be watching youtube videos to gain further wisdom.
Dear Lynn-Hello! I am anxious to start an affiliate marketing site. However, I am having difficulty in decidinb on a main site to place the affiliate links. I really like the astore opportunity by amazon.com
Should I also consider starting a blog site?
Thank you for any advice and assistance.
Regards from Sal
Hi Sal,
You definitely need a blog or website in order to do Affiliate Marketing properly. See the two links in the post above. The first one has a 10-step checklist at the end that will help you get started - including deciding on a topic/niche. 😉