When I originally posted my 2010 Agenda, one BBWO member said to me:

This is great LaShanda I missed your last big Promotion! This is really great of you!! Thumbs up you really are in it for the right reasons!! -Richetta

It was her response that has really pushed me to make my vision for 2010 very real and very clear. Second to being able to work at home with my son, I do what I do to help other women do it too! If at the end of 2010 I can say, I gave back thousands of dollars to women entrepreneurs via my affiliate program that will truly be one of my biggest web accomplishments to date!

That being said, I’ve got a hard task ahead, because I realize that I’m not just sharing my program with seasoned affiliate marketers. Many of you, my new affiliate friends, are very new to affiliate marketing, so I’ve decided to put together this very in depth post to get you started.

What My Newbie Affiliate Marketers Need to Know:

1. How Affiliate Marketing Works
2. How to Create and Use Text Links
3. How to get My Affiliate Links & promote on Twitter
4. Affiliate Marketing Essentials
5. Basic Affiliate Marketing Techniques

As I’ve said before, if you seriously want to make money online, even if its just to generate some extra cash, affiliate marketing is by far the easiest way to go. You don’t have to create a product, buy into a business (like mlm marketing) or spend a ton of money on advertising. BUT you do have to know how to sell to people and you have to HAVE PEOPLE TO SELL TO. No people … no marketing skills… means no real return on your affiliate projects.

When I originally posted my 2010 Agenda, one BBWO member said to me:

This is great LaShanda I missed your last big Promotion! This is really great of you!! Thumbs up you really are in it for the right reasons!! -Richetta

It was her response that has really pushed me to make my vision for 2010 very real and very clear. Second to being able to work at home with my son, I do what I do to help other women do it too! If at the end of 2010 I can say, I gave back thousands of dollars to women entrepreneurs via my affiliate program that will truly be one of my biggest web accomplishments to date!

That being said, I’ve got a hard task ahead, because I realize that I’m not just sharing my program with seasoned affiliate marketers. Many of you, my new affiliate friends, are very new to affiliate marketing, so I’ve decided to put together this very in depth post to get you started.

What My Newbie Affiliate Marketers Need to Know:

1. How Affiliate Marketing Works
2. How to Create and Use Text Links
3. How to get My Affiliate Links & promote on Twitter
4. Affiliate Marketing Essentials
5. Basic Affiliate Marketing Techniques

As I’ve said before, if you seriously want to make money online, even if its just to generate some extra cash, affiliate marketing is by far the easiest way to go. You don’t have to create a product, buy into a business (like mlm marketing) or spend a ton of money on advertising. BUT you do have to know how to sell to people and you have to HAVE PEOPLE TO SELL TO. No people … no marketing skills… means no real return on your affiliate projects.

The Products

I am assuming you already have products. You are probably a member of my affiliate program and/or you’ve joined my EasyProfitProjects website to get the scoop on affiliate products that I promote.

The People

Business owners have a list of customers. Affiliate marketers have a list of prospects. What’s the connection between the two? They both have list. You might have a list like the two I just mentioned or even a list of blog subscribers. If you are just starting out, your starter list could be your list of Facebook friends or twitter followers.

The important point here is that you need a list of people to promote to and the people on your list have to have one thing in common – “a general interest in the kinds of affiliate products you want to promote”. You can try your luck throwing up affiliate banners on your website or sharing affiliate links with every random person you meet, but you won’t get main sales that way.

You have to pick a target audience and build your list of people in that group. My affiliate products are designed for entrepreneurs, with a special focus on Women Entrepreneurs of Color. If your Facebook circle or newsletter is geared towards business women and online entrepreneurs, then the people on your list will have an interest in my products. If you are starting off with a list of old school friends and relatives, chances are this isn’t the right list of people to share your affiliate links with.

Another example: If you are a mom blogger and you join an affiliate program for diapers that makes sense. Chances are your readers will want to know about the diaper company you are promoting. If they are work-at-home mom bloggers, they might even want to know about my marketing eBooks. BUT if you run a celebrity blog, do you think they want to see an AD for staples? You have to pick an audience AND you have to make sure your affiliate products match your target.

The Promotion | Basic Affiliate Marketing Techniques

Most people promote Affiliate Products in the following ways:

1. Text Links
2. Graphic Banners
3. Reviews and Recommendations

Most people Promote Affiliate Products via:

1. Website: Adding a Links or Resources Page
2. Blog: Posting Reviews or Including Ads in Sidebar Navigation
3. Social Media: Social Networks, Forums and Newsgroups
4. Email Marketing: Auto-responders and Newsletters
5. PPC: Pay Per Click Advertising on websites like Google Ad Words

If you are just starting out, you probably haven’t built your own marketing list yet, which is basically a list of people that you can promote your products or other people’s products to. If you don’t have a list yet, the best starter marketing techniques are:

1. Share your affiliate links on social networks
2. Start a Blog for your Target Audience (review my blogging for beginners video series)
3. Join social groups and networks that match your target audience

Adding Banners + More

Graphic banners are great visuals. With the right banner placement, you can attract your viewers attention. BUT when your website is on banner overload, viewers tend to gloss over everything, which then makes banner promotion less effective. The key is to designate a small number of spaces on your website or blog where your promote banners BUT you can’t stop there.

The most effective way to share affiliate links with strangers is through writing. You have to be honest, helpful, and transparent. Lazy affiliates just post banners and affiliate links and they make NO MONEY. Affiliates who make money take the time to write honest reviews, share feedback, answer questions and provide value to the people they are targeting.

If you are my affiliate and you’ve tried my products, read my eBooks. Post one or two things that you learned. Share one question that you couldn’t figure out, but now you know the answer to. Peaking people’s interest with real information is the best way to turn clicks into cash.

The Products

I am assuming you already have products. You are probably a member of my affiliate program and/or you’ve joined my EasyProfitProjects website to get the scoop on affiliate products that I promote.

The People

Business owners have a list of customers. Affiliate marketers have a list of prospects. What’s the connection between the two? They both have list. You might have a list like the two I just mentioned or even a list of blog subscribers. If you are just starting out, your starter list could be your list of Facebook friends or twitter followers.

The important point here is that you need a list of people to promote to and the people on your list have to have one thing in common – “a general interest in the kinds of affiliate products you want to promote”. You can try your luck throwing up affiliate banners on your website or sharing affiliate links with every random person you meet, but you won’t get main sales that way.

You have to pick a target audience and build your list of people in that group. My affiliate products are designed for entrepreneurs, with a special focus on Women Entrepreneurs of Color. If your Facebook circle or newsletter is geared towards business women and online entrepreneurs, then the people on your list will have an interest in my products. If you are starting off with a list of old school friends and relatives, chances are this isn’t the right list of people to share your affiliate links with.

Another example: If you are a mom blogger and you join an affiliate program for diapers that makes sense. Chances are your readers will want to know about the diaper company you are promoting. If they are work-at-home mom bloggers, they might even want to know about my marketing eBooks. BUT if you run a celebrity blog, do you think they want to see an AD for staples? You have to pick an audience AND you have to make sure your affiliate products match your target.

The Promotion | Basic Affiliate Marketing Techniques

Most people promote Affiliate Products in the following ways:

1. Text Links
2. Graphic Banners
3. Reviews and Recommendations

Most people Promote Affiliate Products via:

1. Website: Adding a Links or Resources Page
2. Blog: Posting Reviews or Including Ads in Sidebar Navigation
3. Social Media: Social Networks, Forums and Newsgroups
4. Email Marketing: Auto-responders and Newsletters
5. PPC: Pay Per Click Advertising on websites like Google Ad Words

If you are just starting out, you probably haven’t built your own marketing list yet, which is basically a list of people that you can promote your products or other people’s products to. If you don’t have a list yet, the best starter marketing techniques are:

1. Share your affiliate links on social networks
2. Start a Blog for your Target Audience (review my blogging for beginners video series)
3. Join social groups and networks that match your target audience

Adding Banners + More

Graphic banners are great visuals. With the right banner placement, you can attract your viewers attention. BUT when your website is on banner overload, viewers tend to gloss over everything, which then makes banner promotion less effective. The key is to designate a small number of spaces on your website or blog where your promote banners BUT you can’t stop there.

The most effective way to share affiliate links with strangers is through writing. You have to be honest, helpful, and transparent. Lazy affiliates just post banners and affiliate links and they make NO MONEY. Affiliates who make money take the time to write honest reviews, share feedback, answer questions and provide value to the people they are targeting.

If you are my affiliate and you’ve tried my products, read my eBooks. Post one or two things that you learned. Share one question that you couldn’t figure out, but now you know the answer to. Peaking people’s interest with real information is the best way to turn clicks into cash.

1. Affiliate programs are incentive programs created by individuals and/or business owners who will pay you a percentage of the price of their product for every product that you sell.

2. Unlike MLM Ventures, affiliate programs are usually free. You don’t pay to promote the products, but you do have to spend time actually promoting the products and learning how affiliate marketing works.

3. Once you join an affiliate program (like mines for example), you will get unique affiliate links that you will share with people online via blogs, forums, twitter, youtube, etc. If you don’t know what a text link is or how to use one, I’ll explain it at the end of this post.

4. When you share your affiliate link with others and they click the link, that click is tracked. If they buy a product, you make a commission. For example: I give my affiliates 30% commissions per sale. Example: If you share your affiliate link to my $97 product, you will earn $29.10 for each successful sale made.

5. Depending on the guidelines of the affiliate program you joined, at the end of each month you should receive payment for any sales your affiliate links have generated. Some programs only pay when you make a certain amount or after a certain amount of time has passed. For example: Some programs only pay when you by check when you make over $100. Other programs will be you after 30 or 45 days to ensure there are no product returns, charge backs first. I pay my affiliates via Paypal, so even if you just make $1, I will send you an affiliate payment.

Paypal Side Note: Getting paid via Paypal. You may not be familiar with Paypal, so here is a quick crash course. Paypal allows people to pay for a product or service online with a check, credit card, or debit card. If you have a Paypal account, I can pay you online. How do you take money out of your Paypal account? Paypal has several withdrawal options. They can send you a check or you can directly deposit your money to your bank account.

Need help with text links? Click here: Creating HTML Text Links – A guide for Beginners
Related Post:

1. Affiliate programs are incentive programs created by individuals and/or business owners who will pay you a percentage of the price of their product for every product that you sell.

2. Unlike MLM Ventures, affiliate programs are usually free. You don’t pay to promote the products, but you do have to spend time actually promoting the products and learning how affiliate marketing works.

3. Once you join an affiliate program (like mines for example), you will get unique affiliate links that you will share with people online via blogs, forums, twitter, youtube, etc. If you don’t know what a text link is or how to use one, I’ll explain it at the end of this post.

4. When you share your affiliate link with others and they click the link, that click is tracked. If they buy a product, you make a commission. For example: I give my affiliates 30% commissions per sale. Example: If you share your affiliate link to my $97 product, you will earn $29.10 for each successful sale made.

5. Depending on the guidelines of the affiliate program you joined, at the end of each month you should receive payment for any sales your affiliate links have generated. Some programs only pay when you make a certain amount or after a certain amount of time has passed. For example: Some programs only pay when you by check when you make over $100. Other programs will be you after 30 or 45 days to ensure there are no product returns, charge backs first. I pay my affiliates via Paypal, so even if you just make $1, I will send you an affiliate payment.

Paypal Side Note: Getting paid via Paypal. You may not be familiar with Paypal, so here is a quick crash course. Paypal allows people to pay for a product or service online with a check, credit card, or debit card. If you have a Paypal account, I can pay you online. How do you take money out of your Paypal account? Paypal has several withdrawal options. They can send you a check or you can directly deposit your money to your bank account.

Need help with text links? Click here: Creating HTML Text Links – A guide for Beginners
Related Post:

Regular text online is just readable. Text is referred to as a text link when you can mouse over it, and click it to open a web page.

Regular Text: Blogging for Beginners Video Series
Active Text Link: Blogging for Beginners Video Series

In HTML text links look like this:
<a href=”http://ecourses.webtechgurl.com/blogging-for-beginners”>Blogging for Beginners Video Series</a>

Let’s break down the HTML Code Above:

• Every link in HTML Starts with: <a
• The Next part of the link code is: href=”website url”
  This code tells your web browser what website to link to. Put the webpage url inside the quotes above where it says “website url”
• Then you add a right arrow: >
• This is followed by any text you want to include to describe the link. In the example above I used the text ‘Blogging for Beginners Video Series’, which tells the viewer what they will see if they click that link.
• Then you add the closing tag: <a>

Advanced text links:
If you click on the text link above it will open the Blogging for Beginners webpage in this window. Sometimes you want to open a text link in a new window. Click this link to see what I mean: Blogging for Beginners Video Series

To open a new window when I link is clicked, you must add the target tag, as seen in the example below:
<a href=”http://ecourses.webtechgurl.com/blogging-for-beginners/” target=”_blank”>Blogging for Beginners Video Series</a>

If you have a blog try creating your own text links for practice. If you don’t have a blog, you can practice in a forum text box.

Regular text online is just readable. Text is referred to as a text link when you can mouse over it, and click it to open a web page.

Regular Text: Blogging for Beginners Video Series
Active Text Link: Blogging for Beginners Video Series

In HTML text links look like this:
<a href=”http://ecourses.webtechgurl.com/blogging-for-beginners”>Blogging for Beginners Video Series</a>

Let’s break down the HTML Code Above:

• Every link in HTML Starts with: <a
• The Next part of the link code is: href=”website url”
  This code tells your web browser what website to link to. Put the webpage url inside the quotes above where it says “website url”
• Then you add a right arrow: >
• This is followed by any text you want to include to describe the link. In the example above I used the text ‘Blogging for Beginners Video Series’, which tells the viewer what they will see if they click that link.
• Then you add the closing tag: <a>

Advanced text links:
If you click on the text link above it will open the Blogging for Beginners webpage in this window. Sometimes you want to open a text link in a new window. Click this link to see what I mean: Blogging for Beginners Video Series

To open a new window when I link is clicked, you must add the target tag, as seen in the example below:
<a href=”http://ecourses.webtechgurl.com/blogging-for-beginners/” target=”_blank”>Blogging for Beginners Video Series</a>

If you have a blog try creating your own text links for practice. If you don’t have a blog, you can practice in a forum text box.

For the last few weeks I’ve been buzzing about my new affiliate program, which has turned into a few people asking the question, “What program / service do I use to track my affiliates?”. After some searching, I decided to use 1shoppingcart. I was also looking at clickbank, but I’ll tell you why I chose the first option.

If you want to sell a digital product / information product and you are looking for a reasonably priced / robust affiliate management service, clickbank is a great option. They are affordable and they have network of thousands of experienced affiliate marketers looking for new products to promote, which means you don’t have to spend SOOO much time looking for affiliates trying to get them to signup to your program. Clickbank is practically perfect, but not completely. During my research I found that it’s not very flexible, as far as allowing you to really customize your pages like you want to. Now if you have no clue what I mean by that, then your clearly not in need of intricate customization and what clickbank offers just might be enough for you.

1shoppingcart costs more, but I think you get more bang for your buck as far as being able to control your money, your affiliates, and the design of your pages. Plus I was able to do a 30 Day Trial of 1shoppingcart for $3, so I got to play around with ALL the features for 4 weeks to really know if it was right for me. With all that control comes responsiblities, so you have to make sure you will pay your affiliates on time and that’s VERY important. You don’t want unhappy affiliates giving your program bad press. Also keep in mind that by law, you are required to have any of your affiilates who make over $600 fill out a w-2 from. The pro of starting your affiliate program via websites like glam, linkshare, or commission junction is that they do the payouts for you but you’ve got to have pretty large and lucrative businesses to be applicable to join some of those affiliate networks.

I’ve got a small and thriving operation and I wanted to be able to manage it on my own, so 1shoppingcart was the best choice for me. During my research I also came across ABESTWEB, which is an affiliate marketing forum great for chatting with other people who have and/or want to create their own affiliate programs. If I come across any interesting issues or highlights along the way I’ll be sure to let you know.

Related Articles:

• Paypal Vs 1Shopping Cart
• Building Your Brand Online
• The Best Email Marketing Service Around
• 5 Email Marketing Tips for Newbies

For the last few weeks I’ve been buzzing about my new affiliate program, which has turned into a few people asking the question, “What program / service do I use to track my affiliates?”. After some searching, I decided to use 1shoppingcart. I was also looking at clickbank, but I’ll tell you why I chose the first option.

If you want to sell a digital product / information product and you are looking for a reasonably priced / robust affiliate management service, clickbank is a great option. They are affordable and they have network of thousands of experienced affiliate marketers looking for new products to promote, which means you don’t have to spend SOOO much time looking for affiliates trying to get them to signup to your program. Clickbank is practically perfect, but not completely. During my research I found that it’s not very flexible, as far as allowing you to really customize your pages like you want to. Now if you have no clue what I mean by that, then your clearly not in need of intricate customization and what clickbank offers just might be enough for you.

1shoppingcart costs more, but I think you get more bang for your buck as far as being able to control your money, your affiliates, and the design of your pages. Plus I was able to do a 30 Day Trial of 1shoppingcart for $3, so I got to play around with ALL the features for 4 weeks to really know if it was right for me. With all that control comes responsiblities, so you have to make sure you will pay your affiliates on time and that’s VERY important. You don’t want unhappy affiliates giving your program bad press. Also keep in mind that by law, you are required to have any of your affiilates who make over $600 fill out a w-2 from. The pro of starting your affiliate program via websites like glam, linkshare, or commission junction is that they do the payouts for you but you’ve got to have pretty large and lucrative businesses to be applicable to join some of those affiliate networks.

I’ve got a small and thriving operation and I wanted to be able to manage it on my own, so 1shoppingcart was the best choice for me. During my research I also came across ABESTWEB, which is an affiliate marketing forum great for chatting with other people who have and/or want to create their own affiliate programs. If I come across any interesting issues or highlights along the way I’ll be sure to let you know.

Related Articles:

• Paypal Vs 1Shopping Cart
• Building Your Brand Online
• The Best Email Marketing Service Around
• 5 Email Marketing Tips for Newbies