affiliate marketing...good or bad idea?

[shejay1951]

is this some scam idea, or can you really make money...and is is something that could cost you money? Is it something to get into or to avoid?

[americanfreeman]

scam and rip-off are the two words that come to mind wen I here Affliate Marketing

[The Go-To Guy!]

That's like asking if fire is good or bad. When it is cooking you dinner, it's good. When it's burning your home and all your worldly possessions, it's bad.

I earn a nice steady income every month from promoting affiliate products. BUT, there are a huge number of bad ideas out there about how to do it and plenty of people who promise to make you rich overnight (run from them!) If the company you are considering promoting is asking you to pay them to become an affiliate, run even faster.

There are lots of very reputable affiliate programs out there. Linkshare.com and Commission Junction represent some major retailers. Plus, there are lots of other companies running their own affiliate programs directly (eBay is one.)

Amazon.com has been running an affiliate program since the beginning. It's called Amazon Associates. If you ever review or recommend a book, video, software, or nearly anything else you can think of on the web, setup a free associates account and add a link to the product in your post/web page.

Amazon's commissions are pretty small, but they add up over time. The more you write, the more chances there are for people to follow one of your links.

What you choose to promote and how you go about promoting it will determine whether it is good or bad.

[think]

Affiliate marketing is great.
But instead of doing it yourself.
Recruit more affiliates under you so you wont have to
do the legwork.
That is key.