Choosing the right affiliate programs to promote to your list is something that will take time and thought. I like to think of my recommendations as ones that will be worth the money I am asking someone to spend. When I am deciding which products and services to promote I think about the person who is offering them, what my prospects want and need, and how the product or service fits in with what I have to offer.

I only promote what I have used and benefitted from. I think of this as recommending what I love, and it works out very well for everyone involved. Take a close look at what you have purchased over the past year or so, and then ask yourself which products, services, and people you would be proud to recommend to people you care about. Then become an affiliate for that person and get your affiliate links in place.

Whatever you promote must be a good match for your market. It will not make any sense at all to recommend something that someone could not use or benefit from. You know why your prospects came to you in the first place, so provide them with things that are a good match for what they want and need.

As you begin to create your own products and services it will become easier to decide what you will promote that belongs to someone else and what you will do yourself. I love the idea of making a product that is complimentary to what someone else has to offer. This way I can earn income from my own sales as well as what people purchase through my affiliate link.

A marketing strategy that I started last year is now becoming quite popular with many of my coaching students. It is one where you teach someone else’s program in return for your affiliate commission. I began doing this with the Incubator, an Internet marketing membership site created by Dr. Jeanette Cates.  This is a 12 module program, and I offered to hold a webinar once a week for 12 weeks for those who signed up through me.

Here we are, almost a year later, and I still hold a webinar every week for this group. Some people have left and many more have joined during this time. It is an excellent way to build your community while serving those who need additional help.

Take a look at what you are promoting as an affiliate. Is there a program you could offer to supplement the training that is already provided? You perspective will be different, and your community will get to know you better when you offer this service in the form of weekly or monthly trainings.

Adding value to what you promote as an affiliate will increase your income dramatically. I learned this very quickly, and have gone on to be a top affiliate for some of the biggest names on the Internet. When you are deciding what to offer as a value add to your affiliate promotion, remember to consider the cost of the product or service, the topic of the product or service, and what your prospects have come to expect from you. When you think of these things and address them up front, your bottom line is certain to increase.

If the product you are promoting is less than a hundred dollars, you may want to offer one of your own products that is in the same price range.  If you do not have any products that fit that category, you can always put together some private label rights (PLR) products that are complimentary to the topic of the affiliate product you are recommending. If the product or service is relatively expensive, more than about five hundred dollars, you may want to offer a thirty minute phone consultation to those who purchase through your link.

Also take a look at what your prospects have come to expect from you. If you have promoted products, courses, services, and other programs in the past, think about what you have offered them as a value added bonus. If you have never offered a bonus of any kind, start slowly and offer something small. This will give you the opportunity to see how this works with your list and to ask for their feedback about this. Marketing strategies work best when everyone is involved.

I have found that offering a thirty minute phone consultation works very well with my prospects. This gives me a chance to get to know them more, and they can see what it would be like to work more closely with me. Some of my mentees started working with me after one of these consultations. The know, like, and trust factor is always at play in business, whether online or offline. Speaking one on one on the phone with someone on your list will change your relationship with them dramatically.

Think about what value you can add to what you promote as an affiliate. The more relevant to what someone is purchasing, the better. We all like to receive a bonus gift when we make a purchase, so think outside the box and see what you can come up with that would make sense to your market.

Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to get started making money online. This was what I did when I made my first dollar on the internet in the spring of 2006. I was promoting a dog training course by writing articles, posting to my blog, and sharing the information with my list.

Take a look at what the people on your list want and expect from you. Did they sign up with you to learn how to write an eBook? Perhaps they joined you to learn how to get relief from foot pain. Whatever the reason, those are the affiliate products you will be able to tell them about over time.

Choose one product that you have used and benefitted from personally. That will make a huge difference when it comes time for them to make a purchase. This is just like telling a close friend about something that you know they would enjoy and benefit from.

Also, disclose that you are an affiliate for the product and that you will earn a commission if they decide to buy it. This way you are in compliance with the new FTC ruling that went into effect on December 1 of this year.

Give affiliate marketing a try. Choose just one or two products that you can give your personal recommendation for. Email your list with just one product at a time, and tell them how you have benefitted from it. Be specific and give details. As your list begins to know, like, and trust you more, you will do well as an affiliate.

I actually figured out this technique purely by accident. I was promoting Alex Mandossian’s Teleseminar Secrets course two years ago, and someone on my list wrote to me to ask if I would be holding a teleseminar to help people implement what Alex would be teaching. I responded by announcing my 6 week teleseminar training for everyone who signed up through my link.

This was a great idea, because many people signed up through me in order to receive this additional training. I have since done this by offering one on one consultations, previous courses I have taught, and links to my trainings archived in my membership sites. The trainings you do can also become a new product you can sell later on.

Take a look at what you can offer those who purchase through your links. Be creative with this. People on your list will be more than happy to tell you what they want and need from you.

Starting an affiliate program seemed like the last thing I wanted to do during my first year online, but once I did everything changed. I invited my list to sign up as my affiliates, and they began to send their friends, contacts, and people from their lists to sell my products and courses.

Even though all of us had very small lists, there was power in the numbers from everyone combined. My business began to take off, and I realized this was an excellent way to grow more quickly.

I use the affiliate program provided with my shopping cart service. You can also find smaller sites that offer affiliate programs as well. Just go to Google and do a search.

Even if you only have one product for sale online, start your own affiliate program and invite your list to sign up. It will increase your income and help you to find partners to do more business with over time.