If you’re new to internet marketing it might be tempting to sign up with every affiliate marketing plan you can find. The problem with this is that until you know what you’re doing and are hitting pay dirt on a regular basis, you should probably stick with one or two affiliate networks instead of a bunch of individual affiliate programs.
Benefits of Affiliate Networks
You should consider deciding to focus on a narrow area so that:
a) While you get your feet wet, you only have to learn a specific set of rules instead of 10 different sets of rules based on different agreements. Keeping it straight can be tricky when you’re assimilating new info.
b) You have one goal for your first payout. If you sign up with an affiliate network, for instance, you might have a $100 payout level before you get your first check. Because you’ve got the opportunity to sell more than one product under that network, you’ll have more of a chance of hitting that payout level sooner. This is better than waiting for 10 different affiliate programs to add up to $100 each. The sooner you get your first payment, the better!
c) Not all affiliate marketing programs are created equally and if you sign up with individual plans, you’re at their mercy if they change policies or go belly up before you get payout levels. When you sign up with an affiliate network instead, you’ll get the opportunity to get paid regardless. The network has the onus of paying you and it falls under their responsibility to chase for payment.
This doesn’t suggest you should never sell affiliate programs that are run independant from networks like Commission Junction, Pepperjam or others but suggests that when you’re first getting started, you focus on an affiliate opportunity with proven results before you dabble in foreign waters.
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
I like the idea of focusing on one affiliate network and learning to get sales with them. There are a lot of terms and conditions for all of these places to read and most of the time I just check the box. But, if I concentrated on only one, I could probably stand to read its TOS and make sure I am doing the right thing.
I can’t wait until I get my first $100 payout.
Hi Sean
Great advice to stick with one to get established. I am concentrating on Clickbank at the moment and know they have an excellent reputation.
In due course I will check out the other one’s you recommend
I am also with Clickbank and they have more than enough products to keep me busy for a while I think. Once I get the hang of it and they don’t have anything else that matches my niche I will be experienced enough to handle a second one I guess
Hi Sean,
Very good advice to only concentrate on one or two Affiliate networks when first starting out. Signing up with more than one or two may mean that I’m not able to keep proper track of what I am doing.
I also think it wise to only be dealing with an Affiliate network that has a proven track record and is well known to Affiliate Marketers.
Hi Sean
I like the idea of signing up with one affiliate. I need to have used the product and I need to be sold on it.
When I like a product/course/forum etc, I talk about it quite naturally. People pick up on my enthusiasm I thinkl When I feel enthusiastic it is much easier to market the product.
It is a good idea to thoroughly check out the affiliate program. Talk to people who are already affiliates and talk to their customers where possible to make sure the product, management, delivery and remuneration processes are all above board.
Hi Elly,
You make an excellent point. It’s much easier to sell a product that you love. Your natural enthusiasm shines through and it’s easy to talk about it. I think this is the only way to sell an affiliate product.
I’ve made the mistake of trying to sell products I didn’t really love and I only tried to sell them as a business decision. It was a miserable failure. I’ve certainly learned a lot from that experience.
I jut Dugg and tweeted this on the icons above because it is sound advice. The biggest temptation is to grab onto as many as possible in the vain hope money will flow in more and more – but it doesn’t – all that happens is that you get lost trying to keep up and follow up.
(yes, from experience)
Hi Sean,
I have been staying with two Affiliate networks the moment CJ and Clickbank I hadn’t hear of pepperjam must take a look. I don’t know enough to take on anymore at this time, but maybe later down the track.
I have accounts with ClickBank and Commission Junction but have not utilised them to any extent so I have no real experience on the benefits of affiliate networks. The Learn and Earn competition is finally prompting me to get involved and try to start generating an online income.
Great advice as signing up to too many early on will probably mean that you wont be able to withdraw any money as you will be spread too thin. $100, even though it doesnt seem that much can be challenging for a newbie.
Some sites will also not let you display banners from competing networks.