What’s the Definition of Affiliate Marketing?

What’s the definition of affiliate marketing? Affiliate marketing is a business model where you bring buyers and sellers together in return for a commission, if a sale is initiated.

It’s one of the most popular strategies online because it allows you to enjoy several perks.

As an affiliate marketer, you’re only doing part of the tasks that a full time Internet marketer who is creating products has to master.

There are some tasks you both share, but many burdens that you don’t have to tackle.

Both you (as an affiliate) and the product creator will be working on generating targeted traffic.

You’ll both be developing content that attracts the right audience.

Both will ideally be building a list to become the go to person to advise them in the niche.

And both will be conducting keyword research and learning and sharing about the niche topic.

⬆️ If You Prefer a Different Format, Here’s a Video Version of this Blog Post with Added Commentary ⬆️

The product creator will be responsible for development of a solution.

They will work on the creation of sales copy, handle product delivery and follow up customer support.

Their investment will be much more significant in terms of tools (like automated delivery) and services (such as graphic designers for their mini site).

An affiliate isn’t going to have to mess with any of that.

You’ll still be researching the niche, because affiliates need to provide good guidance – and without research, you won’t be able to pinpoint problems and solutions.

Keyword research will be conducive to you getting ranked better in the search engines and understanding how your niche audience is looking for information online to get the help they need.

With the creation burden off your plate, as well as all follow up customer service, you’ll enjoy the process of connecting people with problems to the solutions that change their lives for the better.

As an affiliate, not only will you need to begin mastering niche research, but you’ll need to build your confidence in interacting with others as a leader.

Being a leader doesn’t mean you have to have a product of your own.

It simply means you’re a good guide who cares about your followers.

Some affiliates tend to stay behind the scenes, never wanting to put themselves out there.

But if you’re willing to brand yourself as the best guide in the niche, you can do very well simply recommending other peoples’ products.

Eventually, the expertise you gain from researching and reviewing products – as well as getting feedback from your followers – might boost you into the product creation category yourself.

That’s when you create an army of affiliates who will be sending a tsunami of customers your way – while you begin work on your next product!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day 🙂

To Your Success,

P.S.- Be sure to grab your free gifts below as a Thank You for visiting my website 🙂

About

Nicole Lynn

from

Resources for Online Success

My Online Journey

You don’t know me. I’m not some flashy internet marketer with my name and face all over the internet.

Nope. I’m actually way too introverted for that 🙂

I’m just an ordinary person that had to figure out a way to make money online when I lost my job in 2008, due to health issues.

In the offline world, I gained several years experience in Customer Service, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable and various other clerical type positions.

Much of it was drudgery, especially working in call centers.

I was good at my various jobs, but I did not enjoy being hostage to a cubicle and headset..lol 🙂

But, you do what soul sucking jobs you have to do, in order to make money to pay the bills.

As a free spirit, I always had the deep desire to break free from the cubicle-zombie-robot rat race world and have full control over my time, income and life, without having to have permission from a boss.

I was tired of being just another “number” that was expendable, no matter how dependable I was or how hard I worked (just to help build someone else’s wealth and make their dreams come true).

I wanted to create MY freedom…not just build it for someone else.

Unexpectedly in 2008, severe neck issues forced me out of the 9 to 5 corporate world rat race (before I was actually ready financially, which really sucked a lot and was pretty scary).

My neck issues got worse after years of being trapped at a computer, with little to no permission to get up and move around and stretch.

This is not good when you are suffering from old car accident injuries.

This was especially the case in call center jobs with low cubicle walls. They didn’t want you standing up, due to the noise while on calls.

And although losing my job and the paycheck was a less than pleasant experience, my goal was to be an online entrepreneur anyway.

But, I was forced to make it happen at that point…which was not ideal.

Wasted Time Dabbling

It’s better to have a 2nd income already coming in regularly before losing your main source of income, but I had no control over what happened.

I had already been “dabbling” in internet marketing, on the side, since 2004…basically wasting time.

I treated it as a hobby, instead of an online business.

I actually made a little bit of money with affiliate commissions and some advertising revenue, but it was nothing to write home about because I did not build it up.

If I had realized that my health was going to go sideways so badly in 2008, then I would’ve taken my online business “side gig” much more seriously.

I would’ve hustled, even while still working a full-time job, because 4 years would’ve been more than enough time to have built that online business into a full-time income.

Just an extra 1 hour per day consistently over that 4 year period…would have made all the difference.

So, after I lost my job in 2008, I was in a real bind for more than one reason.

I needed to get serious and stop dabbling and start hustling to make money online, but it takes time to build an online business that brings in consistent income.

I was out of time. My household went from two incomes to one and I needed to get moving.

The problem was my severe neck issues and the accompanying dizziness from nerve damage in my C1 Vertebrae, the Atlas.

So, this meant that I couldn’t exactly hustle like I needed to because being on a computer for hours each day at home is no different than doing it at a job.

I was no longer able to do this, if I wanted to not end up completely disabled or bed-ridden.

The years 2008-2011 were extremely tough in trying to heal, but with proper therapy, the worst of it got better, but it’s not 100%.

Even now in 2022, I still can only be on a computer so much each day, without causing flare-ups.

So again, if I had taken it all more seriously, then I wouldn’t have ended up with so many financial worries, when I lost my job.

I would’ve had something more substantial to fall back on during times that were difficult money-wise and health-wise.

Then, add in beating my head against the wall, jumping from one “program” to another and basically flushing more time and money down the toilet.

Losing my job made me act in desperation because I wanted to make something happen right now.

So, I ended up doing what a lot of people do, which is looking for a shortcut and something “quick” or “push button”…which is not realistic because it doesn’t really exist.

Then in 2012, I joined Wealthy Affiliate because it had the tools and resources I needed all in one place, to help me build an online business.

Fast forward to 2020, I joined The Home Business Academy to add even more great tools and resources to my online business arsenal.

I now use both of these resources to build my online business.

I talk more about this over on my Recommended Resources page listed under Resources #1 and #2.

I enjoy making money online because I can work from anywhere and on my own schedule, while still being able to take care of my health.

You Can Do It Too

So, why do I tell you all of this?

I share all of this with you, so you’ll know it’s possible to make money online and have total freedom from the 9-5 grind.

It takes time to build an online business, but it’s worth it to build either a side-income to supplement your full-time job or replace your job.

If you have found yourself in a similar situation to me or you simply want to get ahead of things and plan for the future, your goal going forward should be to not waste any more time.

Whether you love your job or hate your job, it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B to supplement your income or replace your income.

You never know what can happen with your job or even with your health.

Don’t waste time, like I did.

Just get started and keep going.

Hustle.

Do not dabble.

Take action now.

And most importantly, believe in yourself.

You can do it!