Submitted by: Noleen R. Mariappen

Theres a lot of hype about affiliate marketing and there are countless people who sign up to programs with the belief that theyre going to make millions overnight. They start by placing a couple of ads on a few sites and expect that the money will come rolling in. Unfortunately, it doesnt quite work that way, and a majority of people quit if they havent seen results overnight. This article provides a simple but effective strategy that can make your affiliate marketing efforts worthwhile.

The simple truth is that the only way to make money with affiliate marketing is to have a well thought-out, and consistent marketing plan. This isnt a quick brainstorm, but a seriously considered plan, that you review and alter accordingly over time. When writing this plan, there are two things to bear in mind. First is to choose an affiliate program with a product that you actually have an interest in. Second is to determine the amount of time that you intend to spend working on these programs, daily or weekly, and how much time you will allow yourself to make it work. The amount of time you decide on for daily and weekly activity should be realistic, and the deadline you set for reviewing whether to continue marketing the product or not, should be enough to allow the system to start working for you. I would recommend approximately six months. When you decide on a timeline, you should resolve to stick to it. This can be a difficult thing to do, but is necessary because results are not immediate.

Try to think as broadly as you possibly can when working on your advertising plan, and think about options as far and wide as you can. Some of the options that you can consider are e-mail advertising, classified ads, e-zine articles, posting to forums, posting to Facebook and other social media, word of mouth, leaflets, print ads, webinars and networking meetings. There are numerous options to choose from when determining the detail of your advertising campaign and you can start with the ones that you are most comfortable with, and gradually expand to others outside of your comfort zone. Review the channels you use, and invest more time on the ones that offer a greater return. Generally though, the more you advertise, the more likely people will visit your page. I understand that it sounds like hard work, but once you break it down, have a plan and related actions, it becomes a lot more manageable.

An example of an activity breakdown that forms part of your plan could be to: spend half an hour in traffic exchange programs, posting ten classified ads a day to a variety of sites, posting to 5 active forums, submitting an article a fortnight to Ezine, visiting 2 relevant chat rooms twice a week, and going to at least one networking meeting each month. Realistically this could all be achieved on an average of 2-3 hours per day but in most cases this is only achievable if you have a plan.

A great advantage is being able to choose when you want to work, and how much, and once again, this should all be written into your plan. To keep you on track, have a daily checklist for all the tasks due that day. This will do wonders for keeping you focused and will allow for the feeling of being one step closer to your goal to become a lot more tangible. Keep in mind that the more you work, the better your results will be, and use this knowledge to spur you on.

In a nutshell, thats the reality of how you can become a successful affiliate marketer. If you decide to follow the guidelines above and make the commitment, do whatever you can to stick with it. Be realistic when creating your plan, and dont overload yourself with daily activities. Find someone who can be your motivator, who can help to keep you on track and who will prevent you from giving up. With the determination, motivation and a plan, your experience of affiliate marketing will be a positive and successful one!

A quick note from the author: I am committed to seeing others succeed, both in business and personally, and I hope that this article has been useful to you. I value your thoughts, so if you have any comments or questions, please send me a message on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/iamnoleen) or through my website contact page (http://www.noleenm.com), as I will continue to improve my resources based on your feedback. Dont forget to like my Facebook page and sign up on my website for e-book offers, free resources, articles and for information on consultancy services.

2015, Noleen Mariappen

About the Author: Noleen Mariappen’s career began as one of a management and business development professional, supporting the growth of individuals and businesses. Trained by some of the world’s best, Noleen is mentored by Johnny Lew Fratto, and divides her time between being an entrepreneur, author, consultant and philanthropist. For a full biography, check out the website

noleenm.com

.

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