Affiliate Programs Among Us

Most of us have seen the popular Men in Black films. In those flicks, Agent J played by Will Smith learns the shocking truth that many people amongst the population are really aliens in hiding. Examples in the movies are Michael Jackson and Dennis Rodman, which are obvious choices. Affiliate programs are similar, as they've been amongst many of us all along, without us even noticing. These moneymakers are something I've yet to fully delve into, but recently The Monetizer has discovered that this can be a fun and possibly rewarding revenue stream. There's already plenty of affiliate marketers making a killing online, and there's always more money to be made. If you choose the most attractive deals and offers that will work best with your visitors you can definitely profit.

This all got me to the realization that many companies want your help in promoting their products. As Shoemoney himself says in this presentation video, if you're going to talk about a company's product or service, then why not get paid for sending people to buy from the sites? After blogging a lot, I realized how many times I've mentioned a product or service yet didn't even link to it. Getting into that habit is a great idea, as evidenced by the Amazon Associates program. Someone just bought a $200 KitchenAid Mixer, and it's not even something I promoted (Note: if you bought this item, thank you!). Funny how it works, but the more links you have to Amazon products, the greater your chances are for sales of any sort from the site.

When you're visiting your favorite company or shopping sites, take a look at the very bottom of the site. Down near the Footer with Contact, Site Map, FAQ, etc. Something you may have overlooked is the word "Affiliate" sitting down there. If you're looking to make money online this is very valuable. Two great examples I just looked into are Nike and Apple iTunes. They each offer Affiliate programs to sign up for. If you have a site which can profit from these programs check them out. In fact, so many people are buying from iTunes and music relates to so many topics, it makes sense to join it.

The Apple affiliate program goes through a company called LinkShare which offers a TON of other companies you can apply for (everything from Gap to WalMart to FootLocker and Omaha Steaks). Many of them will have to review your site and approve you but its definitely worth the time. Nike has a separate affiliate program, and it actually looks like Nike is a part of iTunes affiliate program (to sell their Nike iPod special mixes and gear). If you have a sports or fitness blog this makes perfect sense. But it doesn't necessarily have to be that.

Something else to consider are other top websites and how they run ads. Based on your blog topic or niche, look at other sites that are well known for your topic(s). For example, many magazines these days have their own websites (some run on Wordpress). Most magazine sites are notorious for running many ads. Take a look at what companies they are using as advertisers. Rolling Stone, Complex and Vibe are three examples in music. Forbes, Fortune and CNN Money for financial topics and so forth. Those would be great examples for a blog to do some brainstorming with, and to see what sorts of companies or products they are promoting. Those magazine sites are most likely pulling a lot of traffic in and are running ads that apply to their audience most.

I'd recommend Amazon Associates, Commission Junction and Link Share to all those who discuss products or services regularly on their blog. It's yet another way you can add to your online revenue and success. Also check out the site AssociatePrograms.com, as it provides a lot of great info on affiliate programs you can apply for, and how to get started. And remember to keep an eye out on the sites you currently visit, for there just might be some great affiliate opportunities among them too.

(A final idea: consider movie affiliate programs such as Netflix, Blockbuster and any online ticket services for theaters. It seems many sites no matter what their topic are running these as movie watching rarely goes out of style).