What is Affiliate Marketing & FAQ

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What is Affiliate Marketing
Whenever I publish my income report or share how I earn money with my blog, I often use the term “affiliate marketing”. Bloggers and internet marketers who have been into online marketing for years are familiar with affiliate marketing, and with the fact that it is the most lucrative way to earn money online.
In this article, I will share the basics of affiliate marketing and all the details you need to know in order to understand how affiliate marketing works.
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Affiliate Marketing Explained: What is affiliate marketing ?

Affiliate marketing is one of the oldest forms of marketing wherein you refer someone to any online product and when that person buys the product based on your recommendation, you receive a commission. This commission varies from $1 to $10000, depending on what product you are promoting.
This commission varies from $1 to $10000, depending on what product you are promoting.
What is Affiliate Marketing
The most common question I hear is related to how companies track the record of who is sending the traffic and making the sales. The simple answer involves a tracking URL, which is a unique link given to you by the affiliate company or product company.
This URL is used to keep track of all the traffic and sales you are making via your website or other promotional techniques. Many old-fashioned affiliate programs allow a buyer to add the email or referral details in an effort to account for affiliate sales, but this is certainly not the best way to track progress.
So, in simple words:
Many online companies who sell products such as shoes, web-hosting space or any service, offer an affiliate program. You can simply sign up for the program and get your unique tracking link. Now, whenever you are writing about the product, you can simply use this special tracking affiliate link to recommend the company’s site, and if your readers buy anything, you will get a commission.
Every affiliate program has a set TOS.  For example, many of them offer a 60-day cookie period, which  means that if a visitor uses your special affiliate link to land on the sales page of the site and instead of buying today, he buys at some point within the next 60 days, you will be entitled to the sales commission.
Following are some of the common terms associated with affiliate marketing:
  • Affiliates: Publishers like you and me who are using affiliate program links to promote and make sales.
  • Affiliate marketplace: There are many marketplaces like Shareasale,CJ and Clickbank, which work as central databases for affiliate programs in different niches.
  • Affiliate software: Software used by companies to create an affiliate program for their product, for example: iDevaffiliate.
  • Affiliate link: Special tracking link offered by your affiliate program to track the progress of your affiliate promotion.
  • Affiliate ID: Similar to the affiliate link, but many affiliate programs offer a unique ID which you can add to any page of the product site.
  • Payment mode: Different affiliate programs offer different methods of payment. For example: check, wire transfer, Paypal and many more.
  • Affiliate Manager/OPM: Many companies have dedicated affiliate managers to help publishers to earn more by giving them optimization tips.
  • Commission percentage/amount: The amount or percentage you will be receiving in affiliate income from every sale.
  • 2-tier affiliate marketing: This is a great way of making money from an affiliate program. With this method you recommend that others join affiliate programs, and you receive a commission when a sub-affiliate makes a sale, (similar to MLM or multi-level marketing.) This income is popularly known as sub-affiliate commission.
  • Landing pages: A unique product sales or demo page used for the purpose of increasing sales. Most of the programs that you will be promoting have many landing pages, and you can run A/B testing to see which pages convert best for you.
  • Custom affiliate income/ account: Unlike a generic affiliate account, many companies offer custom affiliate income to people making the most affiliate sales for them.
  • Link clocking: Most of the affiliate tracking links are ugly. Using a link clocking technique like URL shorteners, Thirsty Affiliates, etc., you can turn ugly links into links that can be read and understood by your readers.
  • Custom coupons: Many programs allow affiliates to create custom coupons which are also used to track sales. Custom discount coupons help you to increase affiliate sales as well.
For companies offering an affiliate program, this is one of the best ways to receive free promotion, thus saving substantially on advertising. For example, whenever you see coupons or discount links, most of the time these are affiliate links, and when you make a purchase, web-masters make money.

Affiliate marketing :: FAQ

At this point, you should have a basic understanding of what affiliate marketing is and how it works. If you have any questions regarding any of this, you can always ask it in the comments section below.
Now, let me answer some of the common questions asked by web-masters and marketers where affiliate marketing is concerned:
Is affiliate marketing harmful or illegal?
No, it is neither harmful nor illegal, as you will simply be using the particular link provided to you rather than a direct link to link to any site.
Affiliate marketing and AdSense: Can we use both?
Yes, you can because affiliate marketing does not violate any Adsense TOS. In fact, for me affiliate marketing works better than Adsense, and that is one reason you see fewer AdSense ads here at ShoutMeLoud.
How do I find an affiliate link for any product?
Not all companies offer an affiliate program, of course, but for those that do offer affiliate programs, you can check their website for related information. When searching, be sure to check the company’s FAQ page if they have one.
Another way find this information to do a simple Google search. For example, one could place the following phrase into the Google search engine:  “product name + affiliate program“. Replace product name with the name of the product you are promoting, and this should bring you to the landing page. Many companies use an affiliate marketplace like ShareASale, CJ, or Clickbank. These are free to use and allow you to create a free account.
How to find new products to promote?
Affiliate marketplaces such as those mentioned above are the best places to start your affiliate marketing research. You can browse your niche and see the top performing affiliate programs
Alternatively, you can keep an eye on blogs in your niche and see which products they are promoting and what methods they are using.
Is it important to have a blog for affiliate promotion?
Not necessarily, however a blog is really the best promotional tool. With that said, you can always use methods such as PPC or advertising to promote a product as well. This is more like hit-and-run affiliate marketing however.  The best way to make the most of your affiliate marketing opportunities is to have a blog and use it for hard and soft promotion.
How much does it cost to join an affiliate program?
There is no charge for joining an affiliate program, however your total cost depends on what promotion technique you are using. For example, a blog post doesn’t cost a dime whereas PPC marketing, email marketing or advertising come with various price tags.
What qualifications do I need to become an affiliate marketer?
There is literally no qualification required to become an affiliate marketer, though having good copywriting skills and marketing skills will be an added advantage.
Are there programs available which automatically converts links into affiliate links?
There are a few networks like Viglink and Skimlinks which automatically convert normal links into affiliate links. They use Javascript so it’s SEO friendly, and you do not need to sign up for an individual affiliate program.
How much money can one make from affiliate marketing?
As I mentioned above, there is no limit to the amount of money you can earn from affiliate programs. It all depends on which program you’re promoting and how much conversion you are making. I started with $47 as my first affiliate income, and now I make almost $4k-5K/month by promoting products which I use day-to-day.
Alright, I now understand what affiliate marketing is all about.  How do I get started?
Here at ShoutMeLoud, I and many guest authors have covered some of the best guides to help you to understand in depth about getting started, and some of the pros and cons. Following is a list from our affiliate marketing archive which will help you to get started:
I hope this beginner’s guide to affiliate marketing will help you to get started. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask me in the comments section below.
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Simple Ways To Earn Money Online From Home

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 In:Make Money online Last Updated:

It’s an online era. 
I am sure you know at least one friend or family member or colleague earning a handsome money online.  You might have thought, it’s an easy peasy money. You can make it too. But either you got trapped in an online scam or failed.
Have you ever wondered why?
It’s because either you didn’t know where to look at and where to start from or you wanted a shortcut to earn tons of money. Let me tell you, there is no shortcut to earn money. You have to word hard.
Let me tell you a story. One of my friends went for a digital festival sometime back. There he saw a guy sitting with a big board saying “Earn money fast: simple and easy form and survey filling job”. The offer seemed attractive to him. He approached the counter and signed up for the job. The deal was he have to pay an initial amount of $40 to complete the registration. Once that is done, he will receive some survey forms and will get paid for it.
After few days, he received some online surveys which he gladly filled and sent. This continued for a month until one day the communication channel (email) was not reachable. All his emails bounced back and the guy who hired my friend was nowhere to be found.
This is just one of the story that is happening online. There are millions of scams out there.  The reason I am telling you this story is not to scare you, but to show you thereality.
Do a proper verification before signing up for some work.  Check about the brand or the person behind the brand. Otherwise, you might end up working for hours for zero money.
Today, I’m going to share some of the simple and legitimate ways to earn money online that anybody can do. Be it a 40-year-old homemaker, a 15-year-old school kid or a retired person, you can pick your options and start working online.

Simple Ways to Earn Money Online for Everyone:

Sell Stuff online :
Sell stuff online
How many times do you visit sites like eBay, Amazon, Etsy or OLX in a month?
How many times have you spotted antique, second-hand stuff on sale for a cheap price?
Well, the online marketplace is one of the easiest ways to earn money without sweating a bit. All you need to do is, find those stuff which you are not using any more. It could be anything, starting from your mobile, books, electronic appliances to a pin used by your grandmother.
All you need is to register yourself as a seller with eBay, Amazon or OLX, write an excellent sales pitch, take some good pictures and upload it online for sale. Check the price of related products and keep your price competitive. Try to create a brand of yours in the longer run.
Remember: Things which is are not useful for you might be useful for many.
Here is a guide which will help you to get started as a seller on eBay.
Set up a Blog
set up blog for money
If you are passionate about writing and want to share your thoughts, emotions or learnings with people, blogging is a great option for you.
You don’t have to be tech savvy or a computer geek to start your journey online.
You can either create a free blog on BlogSpot or WordPress.com or can start a professional blogging on self-hosted WordPress. All you need is a domain and hosting to get started for the self-hosted WordPress.  You can start earning within a month or it may take years. It all depends on how much time, hard work and dedication are you willing to give.
Read the below guides on blogging
Online Paid Surveys
online surveys
This is the most common method for earning quick bucks. Now let me explain, how these online surveys work.
There are many survey companies that usually pay internet users for their opinion or views on their popular products and services. They send out free products or services to contestants for trying their products.
If you are searching for an entertaining method to make money online, think about registering with a trustworthy survey company and go ahead.
However, before you register for any online survey program, make sure you read their TOS as many programs accept participants from specific countries like U.S or Canada and thus on.
Personally, I highly recommend it to be the last way to earn money, as finding a good site which pays for surveys is tough, and there are many scams involved with paid surveys.
Freelancing:
Whether you are a graphic designer or a finance manager, a writer or a homemaker, freelancing is for you. You just need to think what you are good at, and you can make your living.
You can be your boss, can work from anywhere you like, and  work according to your time schedule. Simply, Sign Up for freelancing jobs on sites like UpWork, PeoplePerHour,Fiverr, Truelancer, etc. Apply for relevant category and that’s it. You are good to go.
Of course, different sites has different payment schedule and terms of conditions; you just need to pick the site according to your need.
Tip: Make a good profile and mention your strengths and previous work. Ask people to leave a review after work. This will establish you as a reputed freelancer on freelancing sites.
If freelance writing options fits your requirement, you should consider reading how to promote freelance writing & Websites to start freelance writing career.
YouTube Videos :
How many times have you spotted advertisements on YouTube videos. Until I got to know about money making opportunities via YouTube, I never knew a normal user like you and me can earn income by uploading videos on YouTube. It doesn’t have to be a technical video; it could be anything from funny to a serious one.
However, video needs to be original. You can simply upload videos on YouTube and monetize it using Adsense. Here are some articles which will help you to get started.
You need not need to spend a lot or buy a professional camera or any such gadgets. A good smartphone video recorder can do the magic. Just be ready to capture some crazy moments.
Homemakers can consider starting a cookery show or similar stuff. If you are good with yoga, pilates or any other form of exercise you can create your DIY videos and upload it on YouTube and enable ads on them.
There are endless opportunities and options which you can select and make easy money online. Try to stick to one for some time and see which work and which doesn’t work for you. One of the most common mistakes which people do is, they try multiple options at one go, and in this process, they never explore the power of one.
In all the above options, I find freelancing to be the easiest and simplest way to earn passive income. 
Right now, go ahead and decide which method do you want to choose and why? Share your thoughts with us.

Making Money vs. Saving Money: Which Is More Important?

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Whether you want to become your own boss, start a side hustle, or earn extra money on the side, any of the strategies listed above can help. By finding ways to increase your income, you can free up more cash to pay down debt, save for the future, or invest for retirement. Saving money is only half of the equation. And if you truly want to get ahead, you might want to figure out how to make money – and hopefully, lots of it.
In the meantime, it also makes sense to save as much money as humanly possible – either through responsible spending, cancelling or reducing existing bills, or creating a budget and spending plan that helps you spend less than you earn.
The saying, “a penny saved is a penny earned,” isn’t just a play on words; it’s absolutely true. While there may be an emotional or intellectual distinction, your pocketbook doesn’t know the difference. And at the end of the day, all dollars earned or saved spend the same way.
So, why not do both?
What is your favorite way to save money? Have you used any of the strategies mentioned in this post?
If you want to find more ways to save money every day, continue reading The Simple Dollar and check out this post: How to Save Money: 100 Great Tips to Get Started.

10 Ways to Make Money the Old-Fashioned Way

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10 Ways to Make Money the Old-Fashioned Way

In addition to all the ways we’ve mentioned so far, you can also consider making money the old-fashioned way with some extra hustle. Most of these work options have been around for centuries, but in some cases, new ways to tap into them have just emerged in the past decade. Here are 10 ways to earn extra cash the old-fashioned way.
Drive for Uber or Lyft. If you have a reliable vehicle, a clean driving record, and a smartphone, driving for a car-share company is a real possibility. By working during peak travel times and optimizing your car for ideal gas mileage, you can make up to $25/hour on your own schedule.
Mow lawns or plow driveways. If you’re willing to mow yards or shovel or plow snow in the winter, you could easily start your own snow removal and lawn mowing business on the side. While you can usually find work by reaching out to your local community via word-of-mouth, flyers, or online message boards, the website Plowz & Mowz allows you to set up an online profile and reach more customers in your area.
Salvage and resell. Do you love antiques or have a knack for finding valuables at flea markets or yard sales? If you do, it might be time to consider salvaging items for resale – or even scouting out antiques to sell for a profit. While you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time searching for prospects and spend some money buying upfront, you could easily turn a profit if you know what you’re doing.
Get a part-time job. If you’re hard-up for cash, it might be time to consider a part-time job. Fortunately, retail, restaurant, and manual labor industries are almost always looking for workers willing to work weekends, evenings, and holidays.
Find seasonal work. Depending on the season, local businesses may be looking for part-time help. This is especially true during fall and winter when retail stores rely on seasonal workers to get through the busy holiday rush. And during the summer, temporary work opportunities range from manual labor outdoors to pool lifeguards and golf caddies.
Monetize a hobby. While some hobbies actually cost money, others can be transformed into a profitable business venture. Ultimately, it depends on what your hobby is and how talented you are. You could turn your love of photography, for example, into a part-time gig taking family portraits and wedding photos or selling prints on Etsy or at arts fairs.
Ask for a raise. If you’re unhappy with your compensation at your 9-5 job, asking for a raise is one way to beef up your bank account. Most employers offer an annual review of your work – which could be the perfect time to negotiate a higher salary or ask for better perks. If your employer doesn’t offer such an opportunity, it might be time to initiate a review yourself.
Ask for overtime at work. Have a job that offers overtime? Let your boss know you’re interested in the opportunity. Meanwhile, it might be wise to let co-workers know you’re willing to pick up any extra shifts they don’t want or need.
Start a bed and breakfast. If you live in a popular resort area or own a historic property, a B&B might be the perfect side hustle. Not only can you work at home with this career, but you’ll also score some tax write-offs in the process — although most innkeepers caution that the profession requires a lot of hard work and is more of an attractive lifestyle than a money-making pursuit.
Start a small business. Have a skill you can monetize? If you know how to mow grass, paint a room, or bake cakes, starting your own business is a great way to earn quick cash. Depending on the type of business, you could even do it in your spare time. If you want to browse for more options, check out 50 Side Businesses You Can Start On Your Own.

16 Ways to Make Money Fast

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If you have some time to spare and want to earn money quickly, there are plenty of strategies to consider. Here are some quick money schemes worth researching if you want to earn cash today:

Hold a yard sale. If you have a yard or garage and plenty of items to sell, you can have a yard sale as early as tomorrow. By advertising your sale on local Facebook pages andCraigslist, you can also skip the paid newspaper ad and keep all of the profits for yourself. If you don’t have time to price everything, try asking patrons to “make an offer” or grouping similar items on tables with an advertised price (e.g. everything on this table is $5).
Sell plasma. After passing an initial screening, you can usually sell your plasma for anywhere from $25 to $50 per donation. To qualify, you’ll have to stand in a long line or show up early, be willing to fill out a very personal questionnaire, and endure a painful needle prick or two. Still, selling plasma is a great way to raise money fast – if you can stand the hassle.
Offer to watch children or pets. If you know anyone who has children or pets, you could easily begin a side gig as a babysitter or pet sitter. To let people know you’re interested, send out a group email describing your services, post an ad on Facebook, or tell friends and acquaintances about your availability in person or over the phone. You can also create a profile on a babysitting referral site like Care.com.
Set up an account on Rover.com. Enjoy furry company once in a while? These days, many professional pet-sitters set up an account on Rover.com. With Rover.com, you can reach people in your area who are actively looking for someone to watch their dogs, cats, hamsters, or turtles, either in their home or your own. You can set your own rules and schedule and come up with your own pricing through the Rover.com pet-sitting platform.
Put computer skills to use on Fiverr. If you know how to do almost anything online, you can sell and market your services on Fiverr.com. While Fiverr’s $5 minimum service charge means you won’t earn a lot at first, you can add additional perks and services once you get a steady flow of clients and a few positive reviews.
Sell stuff online. If you have high-quality items to sell, there are a slew of online marketplaces you can use. Just make sure you understand the fees associated with your sale before you take the plunge. Where neighborhood Facebook pages and Craigslist ads are free, many online marketplaces or consignment shops charge for ads or require you to fork over a percentage when you make a sale.
Recycle scrap metal. Different types of scrap metal can be recycled for cash at scrap yards around the country. However, how much you’ll make depends a lot on where you live. Metals commonly traded for cash include aluminum, copper, brass, and steel.
Rent out a parking spot. If you live in a busy or congested area and have parking to spare, you might be able to rent out your parking space for some quick cash when you’re not using it. Simply advertise your open parking space online including details on the location, whether it’s covered or uncovered, and your desired hourly, weekly, or monthly fee. If you want, you can even use a site like Just Park or download the Spot App to reach more potential customers.
Get a roommate. If you have a spare room in your home or apartment, getting a roommate is one way to raise money fast. Not only can they help pay the rent, but they can also help with other bills like utilities, cable, and Internet service.
Set up a roadside stand. Depending on where you live, you could profit handsomely by setting up a roadside stand. If you live near a resort area, for example, you could buy cases of bottled water, put them on ice, and sell them to passers by for twice what you paid. Selling fruit and produce you grow yourself is also a smart idea in highly-traveled areas.
Sign up for TaskRabbit.com. With TaskRabbit.com, you’ll be connected to local people who need help with regular chores. Depending on the day, you could get paid to walk a dog, pick up someone’s dry cleaning, or do someone’s grocery shopping. Best of all, it’s free to create a profile and get started.
Sell old textbooks. If you just finished college, you might be able to turn your old textbooks into cold, hard cash. You probably don’t need your old books anyway, and sites like Amazon.com, BookFinder.com, and Cash4Books.net make the process easy and painless.
Sell your college notes. If you paid attention in class and took excellent notes, you could sell them for a handsome profit. To see if your notes are in demand, check out sites like NoteUtopia.com and LUVO.
Sell your old cellphone. If your old cell phone is fairly new and in decent shape, you could consider selling it for some quick cash online. While selling it on eBay or Craigslist is always a possibility, you could also try your luck on technology-specific resale sites likeGazelle.com, Glyde.com, and SellMyCellPhones.com.
Become a tutor in your spare time. Subject matter experts and recent college graduates might have no problem tutoring others in their spare time – and earning money in the process. To find clients, post ads on college message boards, ask around your inner circle, or try a college tutoring site like LUVO or Tutor.com.
Sign up for clinical drug trials. Signing up for clinical drug trials is an uncommon way for people to earn extra cash, but it still works. With ClinicalTrials.gov, you can explore various clinical trial opportunities in your area. Just be sure to read the fine print, ask questions, and understand the risks.