Rosalind Gardner was the one to introduce me to internet affiliate marketing through her book the Super Affiliate Handbook.  Rosalind has been recording a video at the beginning of each year predicting what the year would be like for internet affiliate marketing.  I though it would be fun to see what has happened so far in 2010 and see how correct she is.  Watch the video below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fPkbcsUvU

Rosalind makes some great predictions.  Let me tell you what I think.  I have always been a fan of frugality.  If you know me personally I have used coupons to buy things for year.  I carry a coupon binder to the store and last week I even got about fifteen items for FREE!  Yes for FREE!  I am one of those people that hold up the grocery story line with a stack of coupons. Rosalind was completely correct when she discussed saving money.  Right now a lot of people are looking for coupon codes on the internet, they are looking for ways to be frugal and a lot of it is out of necessity!

She also mentions social media and video marketing!  Within this year I have noticed a huge increase of companies offering coupons, sample and free full sized products if you become a fan of theirs on Facebook!  Big companies are really using social media to benefit them.  I have also noticed if I have any kind of bad experience with a company and mention it on Twitter, I get a message from the company asking what they can do to help!  Rosalind is right on the mark!

Video marketing has become huge.  The very few courses I have paid for this year have been on video marketing.  It is a way to not only bring traffic to a website but it is a way to get noticed.  This week I finished reading the book Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk.  He got noticed because of his video marketing on Wine Library TV!  I believe videos make things personal for people.  In a world of electronics we want to be able to see you and know we can trust you!

Lastly, Rosalind tells us about Forrester’s report that they predict that affiliate marketing will experience double digit growth!  Companies will also be putting more money into affiliate programs.  That is fantastic for us as affiliate marketers!  So what do we need to take advantage of this?  What do  you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

Until Next time!

Remember back in January when I told you about the 52 week Amazon Lens Challenge?  Right after I wrote this I went to NAMS 3 and I honestly have not done any Squidoo lenses since.  Even though I have not continued I have made money on the lenses I have.  Yay, right?!  Well yes and no.  I need to get back on the bandwagon!  Why am I telling you this?  I want you to learn from my mistake.  If you are making money somewhere then continue doing what you are doing and get better at it!

So what is Squidoo?

Squidoo is really where you can create a mini-website for free!  You can enjoy the benefits of making money and not have to spend money!  I am all for that.  The thing about Squidoo is that  you can create a Squidoo lens (your mini-website) on anything you would like.  So for my purpose I want to create genealogy Squidoo lenses!  I can create Squidoo lenses on software, books, how-to, etc.

Why use Squidoo?

Squidoo is a great way to build links to your site.  This is the first thing Squidoo is really good for.  The next is search engine ranking!  When you use Squidoo as a mini-website you will get the benefit of Squidoo’s high ranking in Google.  You can build a brand and reputation off of your Squidoo lenses.  One of the best advantages of Squidoo is it is so quick!  You can get a lens up and going in an hour or less!  You will also be supplementing your income with affiliate marketing on your Squidoo lenses.

If you haven’t opened an account with Squidoo go do it now!

PS. If you haven’t used Squidoo ever or need a guide as to how you should build a lens I would recommend Tiffany Dow’s ebook Social Networking on Squidoo!

Do you want to have your own business?  If so, what will you do for a business?  Most people that want to start a business start out with one of two objectives.

• The first is creating business out of their passion.  They already have a passion and possibly an idea of how to make a business out of it.  This is one of the best ways to start a business.
• The second is that they want to have a business but don’t know what their passion is.

Creating Business Out of Your Passion

This is the best way I believe to start a business.  Some success stories you may hear are about people who just happened upon a business when they were following their passion!  I have always envied people like this because I have always been a “Jack of all trades master of none.”

Starting a Business Not Knowing Your Passion

I have fallen into this category!  Over the last several year I have tried many things.  I have been successful twice at eBay.  The last time I ran eBay business I was a power seller!  But that didn’t work for me because I didn’t enjoy it!  I have run a health and wellness business out of my home but it was taking so much time away from my family.  I was successful at that and I still receive a check every month from that company.  So last year I decided to start a business online.  I knew It would be a journey because I didn’t know what my passion was.  So I started a few things. It seems that all of these roads have led me back to a niche which is my true passion!

Have You Been Ignoring Your Passion?

I have been ignoring my passion for many years now.  It all started when I was 8 years old.  I was given genealogy from my parents to copy so that I could use it for my own purposes later in life.  Well a few years after that genealogy software came out and I started inputting all my genealogy!  As I got older I started doing a little research.  The first time I discovered family members I didn’t know existed, I was hooked! There was a rush or a high that was so exciting.  I felt connected.  Like I belonged in this world!

Over many years there have been months that I worked on my genealogy non-stop.  Then I would get burnt out and not work on it at all.  So I have had my ups and downs.  The one constant is I have always wanted to be a Professional Genealogist.  This has always been a constant but I have often let that dream fade away because of one obstacle or another.  At the beginning of this year something inside started to stir.  I discovered I have been letting the sleeping giant sleep too long and now he doesn’t want to go away! I found my niche, my passion and what I love to do!  This is something I could live, eat and breath doing.

Last week I attended the National Genealogical Society annual conference.  I actual attended two genealogy conferences.  As I sat learning for six days from 8am-6pm each day I realized how I loved this.  This was not work to me at all.  I was excited everyday to go to the classes and I was more excited each night to go use the things I had learned!  The obstacles that were in my way for so many years have kind of faded away as I realize others are making a living doing this.  It is possible!  I also realized I am not alone.

I Found My Passion

Now that I have found my passion.  I am deciding on how I can use what I have learned over the last several years to implement a different business.  I want to work online as a Professional Genealogist.  In the next few weeks as I process all that I know, I will share with you what exactly I have decided to do with the knowledge I have.

It has taken a long time for me to find it but I am so grateful for a niche that I am truly passionate about!  This is something I will never want to stop doing.  It is something that I could do all day long and no realize the day has gone by!  As I was at that conference I also realized that I had finally come home and I wondered why I have been away for so long!

What is your passion?  Have you found it yet?  If you haven’t don’t stop looking you will find it!

Best,

PS. Check out my new website on genealogy at Start Your Family History.
photo credit: Yvonne R Thompson

I have been in Spring Cleaning mode here.  Up until yesterday we enjoyed seventy degree weather for a few weeks.  It was wonderful!  I have basically reorganized and purged most of my home!  This week my husband and started a Square Foot Garden.  SFG is container gardening.  We have not yet planted anything because it  is too cold still.  The day after my husband build the box and put in the soil it snowed!!  As I was thinking about the seeds we are going to plant and the harvest we will receive in several weeks, I started thinking about business!

What kinds of seeds are you planting?

As you know with any plant there has to be a growing period.  You have to nourish that seed.  You need to protect that plant.  Then harvest at the right time!  So what seeds are you planting.  In other words what do you want to harvest?  When I was at NAMS in January Mark Hendricks talked about how you need to have the end in mind.  This is the same idea! Do you want to build a list?  Have an increase in traffic?  Or do you just want an increase in income?

What will you do to nourish that seed?

So the seed has been planted in your mind as to what you would like  to harvest, now what?  It is time to go to work.  With a garden you have to consistently weed and water.  So how do you nourish your seed?  To build a list you need to get the word out, provide an incentive and maybe do a Telesummit or guest blogging.  To increase traffic do link building, guest blogging, consistent blogging on your blog, maybe some pay-per-click or advertising some other way.

The nourishing of this seed needs to be consistent.  This will be every day work or at least several times a week work.  It will be work where sometimes you get really dirty.  This is essentially the work you will do to make the harvest all worth while.  If you forget to water for a week your work will be a loss, so don’t let things slide!

When will the harvest come?

Now is confession time for me!  This is where I often fall short with my business.  I get impatient!  If you know anything about gardening you know that each one of the vegetables, flowers or whatever it is you are harvesting has their own time frame.  For instances squash takes about eight weeks from the time you plant to the time the vegetable is mature.  Broccoli on the other hand takes sixteen weeks to mature.

This is the same for business.  We don’t know when the business will be ready to harvest.  What I do know is that we need to have patience.  I also know that there will be signs of growth they let you know the health of your business.  With a plant we will start to see sprouting very soon after planting.  This is the same with your business, you will start to see people joining your list or coming to your website.  If you don’t see this kind of sprouting then you change what you are doing.  If you have too many things going on then you may be choking out your plant just as weeds do with a plant!  This is the time to get those weeds out.

So the question is: What Seeds Are You Planting in Your Business This Spring?

Decide on your objective.  When you do this make sure the market wants what you have.  Our family doesn’t like squash so it would be pointless to grow squash because it wouldn’t get eaten! Next make a plan, how are you going to get that seed to grown?  Then plant or in other words take action!  Nourish by working your plan consistently.  While nourishing you will need to watch for growth and adjust accordingly.  Sometimes you will need help when you don’t see the growth.  There are business experts everywhere.  You can join a mastermind group that will help you with the adjustments you will need to make in your business!  As you see growth you will know the harvest will happened.  So if you are looking for an increased income, a larger list or more visitors to your site you be enjoying this harvest!

You Reap What You Sow!

Haven’t we all heard that you reap what you sow.  It is true if we sow procrastination we will reap delayed dreams. If you sow a consistent, focused, hard work you will reap a stable business. 
A few finally things to remember.  Be patient with yourself and your business!  This is all about growth!  Be consistent with your plan. Always remember what your objective is.

If you plant an apple tree you will not have to do as much work for consistent harvests.  Just as an affiliate marketing business.  Once you get that website harvesting to the level you want you will not have to give that website the same amount of attention.  You will need to continue to build links and change bad links.  You will also need to email your list once a week.  So a few hours a week is all your will need to maintain that harvest!

So with all these things in mind go out and build your business by planting, nourishing and harvesting!

Off to plant,

photo credit: EraPhernalia Vintage

photo credit: kusine

photo credit: A writer afoot

Last week I shared with you some changes I made to my business.  I was trimming the business fat.  It feels great to be rid of the extras and I have to admit there was a little bit of a mourning period for me.  I had to let those other websites go and it wasn’t easy!  Now that I have some focus I have realized I am dealing with other issues.

How to Take Action?

I have not been doing much with all the extra time I have now.  I have just been making plans, plans and more plans but no action!  Let me tell why (be prepared for an excuse).  This is what I do.  You may do this to.  I plan too much in my day and have to rush from one thing to another.  Yes, I do get things done but after doing that day in and day out.  I feel strained, stressed and emotional!  After feeling this way I trimmed the fat!

Now I have all this time to think!  I have realized so many things I have not be doing in my home, business and family.  It has been eye opening and sad at the same time.  I want to do a lot in my life and I am not doing it.  I am really at a breaking point.  I have planned a lot and not taking action…Why?  No real reason!  I could analyze it but I don’t want to.  The bottom line is I am just not taking action!

Take Action Now

If you want to go on vacation it takes planning, right? Planning is only the first step.  If you are really wanting to go somewhere you have to take action.  The next steps are save up money, reserve a hotel, rental and buy plane tickets.  There is not much more than that except to get on that plane or get in that car to get there!  If you miss any of these steps you won’t have a successful vacation.

Take Business Action

This is the same with your business!  Planning is important.  You need to know where you are going, how to get there.  But don’t stop there.  Take action.  Blog every day or several times a week.  Build links going to your product pages.  Advertise your service.  Do article marketing.  Participate in social media.  Whatever it is that will make your business successful do it!  This is what I am doing.  Each day I have a list of things I need to do to become successful with my genealogy website, to help you Start Your Family History.  I have to create brand.  This week I will be setting up a blog on my new website Family History Queen (it is not live yet).  I will be branding myself the Family History Queen!  Also I am also going to a genealogy conference at the end of the month.  I just joined the National Genealogical Society last night and will be taking their home study course. I will being blogging and marketing my free e-course that will create a following.

I Have a Lot of Plans…

But if I don’t take action I will not get anywhere I want to go.  Above there is a picture of a turtle.  Just like the story of the tortoise and the hare, keep taking steps every day and you will get to your goals and achieve your dreams!  I challenge you to think about what you can do to take action in your business!  Have you been putting something off for a long time?  Have you been wanting to write and ebook?  Do you want start a membership website?  Take action today!

Gotta go get something done!

photo credit: denn

Today in Lynn Terry’s Elite brainstorming hour she gave elite members a secret! She will be closing membership to the elite forum.  As I have talked about several times, this has been the best investment I have been in my business! If you have ever thought about joining the elite group NOW is the time!

What is the benefit of the elite brainstorming group?

-A forum that is available to get one on one feedback and help from other elite members and Lynn Terry!  This is a very very active forum.

-Free downloads of all the webinars of the past.

-Free downloads of e-books, interviews and anything Lynn feels would benefit us!

-Opportunity for joint ventures.

-Find accountability partners (this is where I found Angie)!

-So much more!!

Those are just some of the benefits of joining the elite brainstorming/masterminding group! I believe that Lynn will be closing the membership tomorrow or Saturday!  So I can’t stress enough if you want to join, join now!

What have I gained from this mastermind group?

When I joined last July I had been working my business for three months on a daily basis and had not made a dime! I now am consistently making affiliate commissions each and every month!  I also found my fabulous accountability partner Angie Newton.  Angie and I are now working on a joint venture project.  One of the best things I have gained since joining the elite group is whenever I have questions or issues I can go to the private forum and get responses very quickly!

If you are in need of a brainstorming, masterminding group then you go join Lynn Terry’s Elite group!

Go do it now!!

Last week I was a bit absent from the blog.  This is because I was trimming the fat off of my business!  I know that sounds funny but it is what I was doing.  I have been spreading myself way too thin on everything I have been doing.  I guess that comes with being a mother, okay, maybe not.  Maybe it comes from being a type A personality!  Where ever it comes from I did it!

Too many blogs!

Up until last week I had four blogs and probably about ten websites.  I still do have all of them but I am not going to actively blog and update these sites!  I am finally doing what I really love!  I started a website on genealogy/family history.  It is called Start Your Family History.  This is where my main focus will lie!  Genealogy has been my passion for a very long time and I want to focus on helping others get started!  It can be quite overwhelming to figure out things on your own.

So in addition to affiliate marketing I am going to become an information product developer!  I am going to be selling the content that I create.  I have a long way to go on this project but it will happen!  I am really excited about this!

Focus your business!

It is really important to focus your business.  I know I have talked about this before but I am always needing more focus.  So what can you cut out of your business.  If you can’t cut things out can you outsource those jobs to someone else?  What I would challenge you to do is really take a good look at your business!  What can you do to have more success?

Yours,

PS. The catalyst of this change was going through Problogger’s 31 days to building a better blog.  It is a great ebook!

photo credit: Micah Sittig

So far we talked about what is affiliate marketing and what are the advantages of affiliate marketing.  Today I want to talk about the pros and cons of affiliate marketing.  There are some of both.

Pros of Affiliate Marketing

1. Very little to no money invested. – This is something that most people are looking for when they start an at-home business.  You do not have to invest money into the business to get started.  That is true if you are starting out by using Squidoo lenses or free blogging platforms such as Blogger or Wordpress.com.  A more professional look is to buy a domain name from Godaddy.com and setting up a self-hosted blog on Wordpress.org.  Godaddy it will cost you about $10 for a domain name.  If you search Google for a Godaddy coupon code you will be able to purchase a domain for as little as $7.  You can get hosting for a penny the first month at Hostgator.  Hostgator packages start out as low as $7.95/mo!  That is all you need to pay to get started!
2. You can choose products that you love. – The products you choose to promote are limitless.  That being said you should stick with one niche or subject until it becomes profitable.  Lynn Terry’s Elite masterminding group with help you there!
3. It is a repeatable business. -  Once you have become successful in one niche all you have to do is go and repeat what you already did with a new niche.  So the business can be as large or small as  you would like it.
4. You can truly work from home. – You do not have to go anywhere to be an affiliate marketer.  All you need is a computer and and internet connection!  You can even have kids running around you while you do this business!
5. Freedom to walk away. – A lot of businesses you are tied to everyday.  Once you have built your business up to be profitable you will be able to go take a vacation and still earn an income.  That is the life, right?

Cons of Affiliate Marketing

1. The time you must put into the business at the beginning. – In the beginning you will need to spend a lot of time working on webpages, link building, testing and tweaking.  This is not a get rich quick scheme!  It takes time.  I like to think of it as the snow ball effect. The first month you may get up twenty product pages.  The second month you get faster and more efficient so you put up thirty pages.  At the end of the second month you now have fifty product pages out there.  If you continue at the pace of thirty a month you will have three hundred and fifty product pages.  This means it will take time for you to create them as well as get traffic to these sites but the more you create the more passive income you will receive in the future!
2. You must learn a lot about internet marketing. – If you don’t know anything about internet marketing, you will soon become an expert in this field.  You will have to master search engine optimization and link building to get all of your web pages found.  This is something that is absolutely necessary.  This may be a pro for you!
3. You must have patience and persistence. – Okay for some of you that have these characteristics it will not be a con.  But for people like me this is a constant struggle!  You will have to be persistent every day for a long while to see results.  You must be patient while you wait for your income to become a full-time income.  It will come if you learn these skills.

These are the pros and cons of affiliate marketing!  I would love to hear your view on what I missed or what you think may be the pros and cons!  No business is easy but I absolutely believe that affiliate marketing can open up a world you never imagined!  You can have financial and time freedoms!  All the work you do up front is always a means to an end!

Best to you!

PS. To help you get started in affiliate marketing the best book I have found it the Super Affiliate Handbook by Rosalind Gardner.

photo credit: USACE Europe District

I have talked many times about my accountability partner Angie Newton.  We have been partners for quite a while now.  It has been a partnership that has helped me build and advance my business.  While Angie and I were at the NAMS 3 workshop in January, we were approached by several people asking all sorts of questions about accountability partnerships.

The questions about being accountability partners continues.

Since we have returned we still continue to get questions.  Here are some examples: How do you find an accountability partner?  What do you do when you meet?  How often do you meet? There are also many other questions.  During a recent call between Angie and I we discussed these questions and decided to address them by writing a report.

All your questions will be answered!  Now we need you questions!  Please comment in this post and share what you want to know about accountability partners!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcwBTx0TvBg

Now think, think, think!  Also please pass this on to a friend and have them think too!  Now what are you waiting for go leave a comment!

Thanks,

Continuing in the affiliate marketing series this is a follow up to my post a few days ago – What is Affiliate Marketing? Today we are going to cover some of the advantages of affiliate marketing.  In other words the why?!  I have four kids and every one of them have gone through the “why?” stage.  It always drove me crazy and I often had the desire to say “Just because!”.  Just as with kids it is important to ask and answer Why?!

What are the Advantages of Affiliate Marketing for the companies?

Have you ever wondered about a new Mexican restaurant that you saw a commercial for?  The restaurant looks really good but how much does it cost?  Does the food taste just like Taco Bell or is it good traditional Mexican food? One day you are talking to the neighbor and she mentions that her family went to this restaurant last night.  You are so excited and you ask her all the questions.  It turns out it is a fabulous restaurant and even accommodate children really well!  So the next night you plan to take your family to the restaurant.

In this example the neighbor is not getting paid for her recommendation of the Mexican restaurant but she willingly gives it.  The restaurant benefits from this greatly!  Companies would rather have personal recommendations given they pay the high costs of advertising.  People look at commercials skeptically but when someone you know recommends it you are very likely to use a product or service.  As an encouragement companies will pay people to recommend their stuff! It ends up being a win-win situation.

What are the Advantages of Affiliate Marketing for marketers?

If I like something I am going to tell you about it!  Recently I told my accountability partner Angie Newton about how much I love Quicken Home and Business.  I gave her such a recommendation that she went out and bought it!   Then she said “Why haven’t you written a blog post about it and told others?”  When I told her about Quicken I had no intention of her buying from my affiliate link but she did.  She trusts me that I am not trying to get her to just buy something. I just saw that she needed some organization with her checking account and told her what I use.  Now I am getting paid a commission from Amazon!

Most of us are going to recommend something to someone.  If you see a need and you know of something to help why not give an affiliate link to them.  Honestly people don’t have a problem with this.  So keep recommending things to people that know, like and trust you and if they decide to buy from your link you will get paid.  If not that person still will remember that you cared enough to share something that works for you!

Success,

photo credit: kevinspencer

When it comes to finances I am not a wizard! I even convinced my school counselor in High School that I didn’t need anymore math.  I only took a semester of Geometry and no Algebra.  So when it came time to budgeting and balancing a check book I wasn’t great.  About eight years ago I got a free copy of Quicken with my Turbo Tax.  I downloaded it and found that it would balance everything for me.  I later bought Quicken Home and Business. This helped me keep track of all the business expenses and income that I received as well as my family finances!

Why buy Quicken Home and Business?

Are you wondering why I am sharing this with you?  I am getting to a point.  My accountability partner Angie Newton and I were talking a few weeks ago.  She shared with me how behind she is in balancing her check book.  This was such a burden on her.  As we talked I could feel the weight on her shoulders to get it done.  I told her about Quicken.  These are some of the things I shared with her:

• With Quicken I don’t have to worry about putting in every receipt because it is connected to my Credit Union.  I press a button and Quicken Home and Business will update all the recent transactions.  Then all I need to do is match them up with what I have already recorded.
• I can keep track of when my bills need to be paid.  I also can include all your bills, such as: utilities, cable, internet, mortgage, insurance, etc.  When it is close to the date these are due I will get a reminder within Quicken.  I can even set up a reminder on my desktop.

More features of Quicken Home and Business:

There are other things about Quicken that has been very helpful.  For instance it memorizes the transaction and if you go to record a new transaction it will fill in the entry slot with the memorized information.  This makes things very quick.

This is a feature I have not used really but you can set goals for saving and getting out of debt.  Quicken will track your progress so you can have birds eye view of how you are meeting those goals.  You can also create graphs and reports to see how you are spending your money and where you income is coming from.

The business portion of Quicken helps to keep track of all the expenses you are incurring and income you are receiving!  I have recently started using Quick books for my business and then I very quickly stopped.  For my business the Quicken Home and Business has been able to keep track of everything I need to remember and track.  One last benefit I have seen is that you can import everything from Quicken to Turbo Tax when you do your taxes each year.  This saves loads of time.

After my conversation with Angie she decided to buy Quicken Home and Business.  After having the burden of balancing a check book she is done!  Quicken has been my life saver in so many ways.  I don’t forget to pay my bills and I know how much money I need for the upcoming bills.  I always know how much I have to work with and with my husband we can set financial goals for our family and my business!

Success,

PS. Right now if you purchase Quicken Home and Business you can get a great discount on Turbo Tax Home and Business!  Check it out!

PPS. If you just want to start with the beginner Quicken as I did that works too.  There are many different versions to fit your needs!

If you have followed me in my journey to find a business I love you know that I have decided to focus on affiliate marketing. When I talk about it do you ever wonder, what in the heck is affiliate marketing?  Maybe you don’t but I want to help those that don’t get it.

In the last few months I have been talking to people that I know, but don’t know what I do.  When I tell them I work at home doing affiliate marketing I always, back that statement up by asking them if they know what that is.  Most of the time they say “No”.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

By definition from Websters Online Dictionary and affiliate is: “A subordinate or subsidiary associate; a person who is affiliated with another or with an organization.”  This is absolutely true an affiliate is someone who has associated with a retail company or someone selling a product.  Now affiliate marketing is marketing for that company or person.

You become an affiliate by applying to an affiliate program.  You can go to affiliate networks such as Commission Junction, Click bank or Pepper Jam Network. These networks have many companies and products that you can become affiliates for. In other words sell their products and get paid for it.  Each company and program will offer a different percentage of commission for products that are sold through your link. You can also find a company or product you want to be an affiliate for and contact them to see if they have an affiliate program. The Super Affiliate Handbook goes into great detail about this.

How do you market a product or program?

Okay, so you have picked out one product or service and are now their affiliate.  What do you do now? You can market a product or program in many, many different ways.  The key is to have someone to talk to that would be interested in what you have to offer.  A few ways you can promote a product is with a blog, a mailing (e-mail) list, forums, an e-book, all of these things and others!

How in the world do I get paid for affiliate marketing?

When you sign up for an affiliate program you are given your own unique URL or website link.  When you are promoting this product or service to your market you use that link in your blog post, Facebook message, Twitter message, etc.  For example say my niche is Barbie dolls.  I sign up for Mattel as an affiliate.  I have a link that looks like this: http://mattel.com/aid=12349.  Now that number at the end is my member identification or affiliate number.  When I am talking about Barbie dolls on my blog, the Barbie Doll Collector, I would hyper link an image and/or the word Barbie dolls to the my affiliate link: http://mattel.com/aid=12349.

So far, so good right? Now if someone clicks on that link and buys something from Mattel you will get the 4% commission on whatever they buy.  So if they buy a collectors doll for $100 you will get paid $4.

Get the idea?  Now if you have a list of moms who want to work at home or maybe want to have their own blog you can offer them a start up guide that is free and include links to GoDaddy for the domain, Hostgator for hosting, maybe Aweber for a list management system and maybe a mom mastermind forum like Mom Masterminds.

How do you make a lot of money doing this?

Great question!  You create multiple product pages or posts on your blog, reports, e-books, articles, Squidoo lenses.  Cover all of the social media sites with great content free and paid when you do, include your affiliate links.  Make sure you follow the rules on forums and other social media sites when you do this but there are so many things you can do with affiliate links!  At NAMS we talked about strategies for social marketing.  This is a great way to get yourself out there and also an opportunity to share your affiliate links.

I hope this answers the question: what is affiliate marketing. If you have any other questions let me know!  If you want to see someone who has been very successful in affiliate marketing check out this interview of Lynn Terry. This is a PDF transcript of an interview Nicole Dean did of Lynn Terry.  This was my very first introduction to Lynn and as you know I am a huge fan!

Best,

PS. If you are going to take a serious look at doing affiliate marketing as a business make sure you get the Super Affiliate Handbook by Rosalind Gardner.  She gives you a clear picture as to what it is affiliate marketing is and how to be successful!

photo credit: ElizabethHudy

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.

Aristotle

Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

In the next few weeks I am going to cover some basics of affiliate marketing. Today, I am going to give you a bit of a history about me and share with you my favorite affiliate marketing ebook: Super Affiliate Handbook! This is the book that changed everything for me in business online and it happened over six years ago.

Super Affiliate Handbook, the affiliate marketing ebook!

I have always had the entrepreneurial bug!  I was never great in school and I didn’t finish college but I always felt like their were great things ahead for me.  I got married and had my first two children in the first two years of being married.  All along I was always thinking “What can I do to make money?”.  In 2003 I started an eBay business.  I made money but it was a lot of work! Work that I didn’t enjoy.  After that I found my first affiliate marketing ebook by Rosalind Gardner.  I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.  I was really clueless that anyone did such a thing.  I thought it was great that you could get paid when people clicked through a link on your website and bought something.  I also thought it wasn’t going to be a lot of work.  Boy, was I wrong (it is work I love though)!

When I purchased the Super Affiliate Handbook, I learned how to set up a affiliate marketing business, step by step.  To be honest this is one of the first ebooks I had read all the way through!  Not only did I read it all the way through but I made my husband read it too!  We were on board.  I purchased a domain and I used site build-it to create the website.  We created a few pages and then we did nothing more.  I am not sure what happened maybe self-doubt set in, but in 2003 that was then end of affiliate marketing for me.

Super Affiliate Handbook was always in the back of my mind.

After my experience with my first try at affiliate marketing I went onto some other businesses.  Ebay again and a company called Melaleuca (I still get a check from them each month).  Last year I got the bug again.  I decided I am not going to try to make money fast.  I want to make money consistently and have a business to last forever.  My mind immediately went back to affiliate marketing and the Super Affiliate Handbook!  That is when I started this blog and I started looking over the ebook again.  I still had that copy from 2003 on a CD.  I decided to go ahead and purchase it again to get the latest version.  Rosalind Gardner is the author and she has done a fabulous job of keeping it up-to-date and covering all the bases!

Once again I began to learn all about affiliate marketing and all the changes!  I also found Lynn Terry and the Elite group to answer questions I have had. Since last year I have made some money.  I am not making nearly as much as I would like but I am learning so much as I go.  I also know that this business is a snowball business.  It will grow and pick up speed!

Affiliate Marketing is a business that will last.

I have felt from the first time I read the Super Affiliate Handbook that affiliate marketing is a business that I would enjoy and that would last.  Just like all businesses you must stay on top of the changes in the industry but it is possible to make consistent money, pay-off debts and save for the future.  This is why I have chosen this business to focus on!

If you are not so sure about what affiliate marketing is, how to do it or whether it is for you keep following this blog for my blog series on affiliate marketing.  I am not an expert but I do know a lot.  If you want a comprehensive view of affiliate marketing get the Super Affiliate Handbook by Rosalind Gardner!

Until next time,

PS. My last two post I have written about the Niche Affiliate Marketing System workshop.  This workshop was focused on how to run an affiliate marketing business.  You can still purchase a flash drive with power point presentations and audio of the speakers here.

My last post I talked about the top 4 things I learned at NAMS3.  NAMS (niche affiliate marketing system workshop) was such a great experience for me.  In my last post I barely touched on all the things I learned.  I must say I learned a whole lot after hours.  I am so grateful that I stayed in the hotel!  I had some great room mates Kelley Denz and Kristen Arnold (pictured at the right, Kristen on the left, Kelley on the right).  We spent some time together but it was mostly mingling with everyone.  I have shared in that past about the brainstorming group I belong to.  It is Lynn Terry’s Self Starter Weekly Tips Elite Group.  I spent a lot of time with elite members at NAMS.  We had such a good time and spent time helping one another!

What is the Value of a Brainstorming group?

To me the value of a brainstorming group is huge, maybe even invaluable.  When I went to NAMS I knew I was not alone.  I felt like I knew all these people.  The reason why was because I am on the forum with them and at least once a week we get together for a brainstorming webinar.  Now when I found the elite group I wanted to join right away but I couldn’t because the membership was closed!  So I waited and watched the tweets coming in about brainstorming hour “the best hour of the week”!   In July the membership was finally opened again.  I jump on it!

Why?

I will tell you why because that is access to Lynn Terry!  Lynn has fourteen years of business experience online.  She knows how to make an income and do it right!  She has integrity and is one of the “what you see is what you get” kind of people.  I really found that out at NAMS.  That was the main reasons I joined the Elite group but it has become much bigger than that since then.  In September I found my accountability partner in the elite group – Angie Newton.  You can see her pictured in my last post.  We talk and text over Skype several times a week and we keep each other on track.  At NAMS we really helped one another and stuck together.  One of the best compliments I got at NAMS from my room mate Kelley was that Angie and I were so much a like we are like the same people!

Another reason why I am so glad that I joined the elite brainstorming group is that I get my focus there.  Every week during the webinar I am reminded of what I need to be doing to advance my business in affiliate marketing.  Also every time I talk with my accountability partner Angie I am once again focused.  I feel like I have a team of people that are there to cheer me on and pick me up when I fall.  In internet marketing that can be huge.  You can often feel lonely and lost in the vastness of the internet!

Back to NAMS

I felt so at home there because I was in the company of friends and because of this I was able to meet people that I didn’t know.  It was just so fun.  Literally we were up until midnight and later one night and what were we talking about?  Our businesses and how to help one another!  Sharing knowledge with each other.  On Saturday night Lynn has an Elite member reception.  We had time to mingle with each other and Lynn even gave away prizes I was lucky enough to win Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business by Erik Qualman. It is a fantastic book.

During the reception people were actually turned away because they didn’t belong to the Elite group!  Out of 180 people that attended NAMS3 there were 70 or 80 that came from the Lynn’s private elite group!  We were there in full force.  I am not sure how many people actually joined while we were at NAMS but I am sure it was more than just a few.

Do you have to join a brainstorming or mastermind group?

No, not at all.  What I am sharing with you is one of my best tools to success in my journey!  I have learned more from this forum and this group of giving people than an other place on the internet. Lynn also has a free forum that you can join and then you can upgrade to the elite forum later. The elite members do venture over to the free main forum to help out.  If you are desiring to move your business forward join a forum. It may not be Lynn’s but join a brainstorming or masterminding forum!

Until next time,

PS.  Why are you still here?  You should be checking out the Elite Brainstorming Forum!

I am back from NAMS3 and am ready to get to work and work my tail off!  If you recall last week I wrote about my goals for NAMS 3. I wanted to get certain things done and I learned most everything while I was there I wanted to.  What I wanted to do today is share the top four things I learned at NAMS3.  I learned a whole lot more then four but these were the top four!

Top 4 things I learned at NAMS3:

I was already on the right track

Not until the first day and I listened to Lynn Terry and Jeff Herring did I realize that I already knew what they were teaching and I was following a plan to get it done!  That was a great feeling.  Don’t you ever wonder if you are doing things the right way?  I do, ALL THE TIME!  So day one was very much review but it was also clarification that I need to focus on getting content out there on the internet and use long-tail keywords and so forth!

Affiliate Marketing is really so simple.

Now I didn’t say easy but it is simple.  If you choose a product, get a keyword, write a post and do link building “They will come”!  I make things complicated!  I get into information overload and don’t know where to start because I am looking at every one’s methods.  It is very basic!  Have a product, get long tail keyword, write a post and link build.  Simple, simple, simple!!

It is ALL about WORK.

Yes, I said work!  Those pictures of people sitting on the beach with their laptops can be true. What you don’t see in the hours and hours of work that they spent building a business.  Remember it is simple but affiliate marketing is work!  It is work that I love to do.  So if you are reading this thinking that working at home or working on the internet is easy, don’t fool yourself!  It is work!

Other people care about you succeeding in business.

I loved the hours I spent away from the workshop in the hotel.  These were hours spent mingling with the instructors, Elite members and others just trying to build a business online!  I have been to other “seminars” and found that those making all the money stayed away from the beginners.  This was not at all the case at NAMS!  Everyone was accessible.  I learned just as much “after hours” as I did the workshop itself!  One thing I never felt was that I wasn’t “good enough” or “not worth their time”.   Not only did the instructors care but there were others that helped out as well.  Erin aka NetKickStart helped me out with redirects which I have been having issues with for a very long time!  Traci Knoppe helped me figure out how to use the tweetdeck with multiple accounts. There was always someone to reach out to and get help from.

NAMS 3 was about action.  Making sure you applied everything you learned.  I am doing that now.  I have a plan and I am working it.  I have a schedule to keep with my blogs and I am taking action right now!  If you want to learn the details of NAMS don’t hesitate to purchase the NAMS 4 U jump drive.  I will tell you a little secret…this will be the last year that they will sell the information they used in NAMS1 & 2.  So get it while you can!

NAMS 4 will be coming up in August.  I plan on attending this event as well.  Keep watching and you will be able to sign up as well!

PS. If you want to learn from all the instructors from NAMS 1, 2 and 3 your can purchase a flash drive with audio, ebooks and power point presentations. Purchase the NAMS4U flash drive here.  One more thing.  This will be the last time you have the opportunity to get access to NAMS 1 & 2.  David Perdew is putting them in a vault!

Today we are going to celebrate Give a kid a Smile Day!  What a great day!!  I can’t imagine what life looks like from my kids point of view sometimes.  What if we were just able to tell are kids “You make me Smile.” ?  What a difference that would make in the life of a kid!

Growing up in my family whenever we got together with extended family there was always laughter.  I am not exactly sure where that came from but what a blessing it was to always here the adults laughing.

I guess it was after that, that I made an observation.  We would often go to Seattle for hockey games when I was young.  I loved it but as we walked down the street I watched people.  When they made eye contact I would always smile.  I felt like people always needed a smile and I felt so good when I approached smiling people.  It is an amazing thing when you share a smile.

What a simple gift!

A smile is a gift to others.  Even now I love to see smiling people.  It says something about them doesn’t it?  It says for just one moment all is good in my life.  For just one second I want to share that goodness with others.  So in difficult times smile!  When things aren’t going well at home smile.  Most importantly smile at children!  Don’t they deserve it?  Even when they are “naughty” they need to know they are loved.  You can share that when you smile at them! 

I feel a song coming on.

I can hear Michael Jackson singing it.  “Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even though its breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by If you just Smile.”  It just makes you feel better to smile!  So today give a smile to a kid!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-rLA4POkI

Have a Happy Day,

]]> http://daniellesjourney.com/tell-your-kids-you-make-me-smile/feed/ 0 http://daniellesjourney.com/tell-your-kids-you-make-me-smile/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DaniellesJourney/~3/LljjfH6nA0Y/ http://daniellesjourney.com/sunday-quote-art-quotes/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:24:16 +0000 Danielle http://daniellesjourney.com/?p=1518

Today, Sunday is Inspire your heart  with art day, so I thought I would share some good  art quotes with you!  Many things can be thought of as art.  Do you consider yourself an artist?

“The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at the center of the jaunt.”
Bono

“Man can’t do without God. Just like you’re thirsty, you have to drink water. You just can’t go without God.”

Bob Marley

“You come to nature with all her theories, and she knocks them all flat.”
Renoir

“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”
Michelangelo

Check out more Sunday Quotes at Sunday Citar!

Happy Sunday!

photo credit: Asbestos Bill

I am at Niche Article Marketing System workshop.  I have been having such a good time and surprisingly I am not in information overload.  I am close but not there yet.  I have been really looking forward to today because the topic is traffic!  How to drive traffic. If you recall from my last blog post with my NAMS goals, one of my goals is: I need to learn how to bring in more traffic.

This morning five incredible marketer sat down and shared great strategies for social media marketing.  I have learned so much and I am excited to implement it today!  You can learn the same things that I did from these fabulous marketers: Willie Crawford, Joey Smith, Jeff Herring, Kevin Riley and Maritza Parra! There presentation was recorded and is now available to listen to on audio!

Check it out at Strategies 4 Social Marketing.  This is going to help me get really use to using social media marketing.  This is something I have not been great at and it will bring in traffic to my websites and blogs.  It will do the same for you.  I have found the I have a hard time justifying my time on Twitter or Facebook. I just feel like I am wasting my time but I have learned today that I am absolutely not.

One more thing that is shared on the audio is… the experts secret weapons for social marketing!  These are things they use to save time and not sit in front of the computer all day.  So I invite you to use this social media marketing training.  It is so worth it!

The time has arrived for the Niche Affiliate Marketing System Workshop in other words NAMS3! I have been waiting since August to attend this NAMS event.  In preparation I have written my list of what to pack.  I have decide a niche to work on and I downloaded the NAMS Action Guide by Dan Morris.

In the NAMS action guide Dan encouraged everyone to write down what they are taking to the event.  Now this is not physical items but your skills and knowledge.

So here are the things I am taking to NAMS:

• I know how to use XSitePro.
• I know how to set up a wordpress blog.
• I know how to transfer files.
• I know how to use Aweber and set up a opt-in box.
• I know how to use  Tweet deck and Twitter.
• I know how to search for keywords.
• I can set up a affiliate accounts.
• I can use some html.

The list goes on from here!  I think that often times we don’t realize we know how to do something until we discover someone who doesn’t know how! The next list is what are your business goals for the event and what are the things  you want learn at the Niche affiliate Marking System workshop?

Here are some specific business goals I have:

• I need to learn how to streamline everything I do.  This includes, blogging, Squidoo lenses, traffic, link building, keyword research, etc.
• I need to learn how to bring in more traffic.
• How to maximize a mailing list.  This includes getting people to sign up and sending out messages.
• How to make more money.
• Simplify!

So here it is I am going to learn these things, make my business better.  I will bring home a recap of events and learning moments!  Maybe next time we can meet at NAMS 4 next August!

Best,

As you read this I am currently at NAMS in Atlanta. You can follow my tweets about NAMS at foreverjohnson on Twitter!

photo credit: juliejordanscott