Ralph asks: I am a newbie and want to get started in affiliate marketing - Do you think affiliate marketing is saturated?
It seems every guru is selling an affiliate marketing program or have their own membership site to teach someone how to do affiliate marketing.
Do you think it is still possible for a newbie like me to get started?
Hi Ralph,
Affiliate Marketing is a method of online marketing and can be used in any niche.
As an affiliate marketer, I promote products online from backyard swings to bobbleheads - and everything in between. Most often physical or tangible products.
It's a common misconception to think that Affiliate Marketing is all about selling ebooks or info-products about Affiliate Marketing. But you actually have Affiliate Marketing as a niche, and then Affiliate Marketing as a method...
For more on that, see: What is Internet Marketing (wake-up call!)
Affiliate Marketing is very similar to commission-based sales jobs you may be familiar with in the offline world. You earn commission on every sale you make.
The commission can be earned on a digital OR physical product, a service, or even a free offer (often called CPA for Cost Per Action, or Pay Per Lead programs).
As an affiliate, your job is to either bring the product to the market - or bring the market to the merchant. The more value you can add to that process, the more successful you'll be as an affiliate.
Back to your question, Affiliate Marketing as a niche is quite saturated. It's covered by industry experts who have been successfully promoting affiliate programs for as long as 10 years and do a very good job of teaching it to others. Rosalind Gardner and her Super Affiliate Handbook is one example.
That said, if you have a unique angle or target a specific micro-niche, or perhaps have a flair for detailed case studies, you stand to do well in this niche over time. It's best to have your own experience and ultimately your own product to compete in the Affiliate Marketing niche.
But Affiliate Marketing as a model - that's wide open to anyone of any experience level that is willing to position themselves well within a specific niche market.
It's much easier than product creation, offering a service, or drop shipping even. As an affiliate you don't have to carry inventory, process payments or deal directly with customers. You simply focus on the marketing, and on serving your market.
If you look around, you'll notice there are affiliate programs available for just about everything you can imagine. Everything from Wal-Mart to Netflix to Elvis memorabilia. People are shopping online now more than ever, so this is a great time to get into Affiliate Marketing! 😉
Best,
About Lynn Terry
Lynn,
I love your distinction between affiliate marketing as a niche and a method. That is key. I think so many new people come online and think the only place they can make money is in the make money online niche. It is soooo much easier to make money from products and services that are completely unrelated to that. I wish it was as easy to convince new affiliate marketers of that. 🙂
I agree Jackie. I was actually shocked to hear so many people tell me this perception - especially this year. I've heard it a number of times. That is what inspired the original post on What Is Internet Marketing? as well...
The "make money online" niche is probably one of the toughest out there. A very volatile market. Selling crib bedding (or insert any other niche) is SO much easier and much more fun!
I've just gotten into affiliate marketing as a model and it's exciting how open it is! I've spent a lot of time doing keyword research in internet marketing type niches and the competition is usually huge. Compare that to physical products and it's exciting to see so many highly targeted keyword phrases with very little competition.
I came across a podcast the other day talking about drop shipping and I was wondering why anyone would even bother to do that anymore when it's so easy to become an affiliate so for many companies now.
Also, I find that physical products usually convert at a higher rate. Especially from brands or companies that are household names - Wal Mart, Amazon, Netflix, etc etc etc. Commission rate is lower, but marketing is easier and conversion rates are higher 😉
Absolutely Lynn,
I love to work with Amazon ~ you can capitalize on their credibility as a well known online retailer as well as their amazing ability to upsell. I rarely have people go in and buy only 1 thing. 🙂 I wish it was easier for people to believe they really can make money earning less than a 50% commission.
Amazon rocks! What I love is seeing the completely random items that someone buys after heading to Amazon through one of your links. Someone purchased a blender after visiting through one of my links and I have never, EVER, promoted a blender before (maybe I should!).
Amazon is great, especially for newbies, just because of their vast catalog of different items and how easy they make it to promote an item. The tools are awesome and are seamlessly integrated into the Amazon site. One of my favorites!
I totally agree with you about it being easier to sell things outside of the "Internet Marketing" niche. I'm doing some research to find other niches that interest me to start working in. I'll still keep my work from home sites and still promote those things. I do really like Amazon. It's even nicer when I can find something by someone I know on Amazon to promote.
Ralph's question is identical to what's going on in my mind. Where to start and how to do it. I'm thinking that getting the traffic is key. If no one visits your site, there is no one to click on any links. I'm still thinking that Affiliate Marketing has got to be easier than dealing with physical products.
Absolutely - definitely easier. The best starting point is the Super Affiliate Handbook. It's where I started myself, and I have an in-depth overview of the most current version of it here:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2074/super-affiliate-handbook-review/
I could have kicked myself for not having studied it sooner! Also, links to some of my best tutorials in this post, a great starting point:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2176/affiliate-marketing-tips-where-to-learn/
You might be a highly qualified person but there are strategies and tricks of the trade in marketing that you have to learn if you want to beat the competition.
Such as, John? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that!
Lynn, how did you come to the conclusion that Affiliate Marketing is saturated? Sure you're not going to rank easily in the top ten of Google for that keyword. It's competitive, yes, but that means it's a good niche. I would think because it is under the category of business opportunities which is like health or dating - it's huge! Break off a sliver for yourself and you will be doing quite well indeed. That's the key, do a little lateral thinking. It's not for newbies, of course.
It's definitely not for newbies. You need to have success as an affiliate marketer in another niche before you try to tackle THAT niche. Otherwise you have zero credibility.
That said, saturated simply equals competitive as you mentioned. That doesn't mean you can't go into that niche and do well with it, but you definitely need some experience DOING it before you TEACH it 😉
Thanks Lynn, I was in the same situation as Ralph, your article ahs helped me greatly, thanks again
Affiliate marketing isn't dead by any means. In fact I think with changes in Googles algorithim is making affiliate marketing more attainable by regular people like us. As long as you are ready to be in the game for the long haul, you will make money. It takes a lot of time and actual work to make money, but if you are persistent and you don't let dips and dives in the search engines affect your work ethic, you will definately succceed.
What would you say is the best niche research / kw research tool
Amazon is one of the most friendly site where a person can actually make an earning offering their products. Its credibility helps a lot for you to earn. Also, you can make use of free sites in which you could get your potential customers easily.