Beginner's Guide To Affiliate Marketing

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations! You are now on your way to learning more about Pay Per Click Affiliate Marketing.
Inside this report you’ll learn how to set up your first pay per click campaign as an affiliate marketer. You’ll learn how to use the power of pay per click to make money.
Pay Per Click Affiliate Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be both fun and addictive.
Ready to give pay per click a try?
Let’s Get Started!
Tools of the Trade

Achieving success with pay per click advertising doesn’t require a lot of fancy tools. Of course, there are some nifty ones out there that you’ll probably want to invest in later if you decide pay per click affiliate marketing is for you.
Right now, you’ll need a computer with reliable Internet access. If you have spreadsheet software and are accustomed to using it, you’ll probably find yourself using it. If you don’t’ have spreadsheet software and haven’t a clue how to use it, don’t worry.
High speed Internet isn’t a must for pay per click affiliate marketing, but it does make things easier. If DSL is available, you might want to switch once you get income coming in. You can also take advantage of a dialup accelerator.
Protect your computer and your data.
Your computer is at the center of your affiliate marketing business. Before you even log on to the Internet, make sure your computer is protected. Surfing the Internet, researching products and keywords can expose your computer to all sorts of viruses and spyware. Make sure the firewall on your computer is activated.
Many experts recommend using at least 2 anti-virus programs and 2 anti-spy programs. You can get free spyware and anti-virus protection from AVG. There are several good paid programs also. Whatever protection you choose, remember to use. If it isn’t possible to set the software to run automatically, make a habit of manually running it daily. Backup data and files regularly.
Email
Set up one email account specifically for affiliate marketing. Free accounts are available at gmail, yahoo and hotmail. Use this email address only when signing up for affiliate programs or managing pay per click accounts.
Get another email account to use when researching. Use this email address when signing up for free newsletters, reports, etc. You don’t want to use your personal or business email addresses because they’ll fill up fast.
Getting Paid
Most merchants and affiliate programs give you the option of payment by check, automatic deposit or Paypal. Some merchants use only Paypal. Some offer a variety of payment options.
Sign up for a free Paypal account if you haven’t done so already. Use your affiliate email account for your Paypal email.
If you’ll be receiving commission checks by mail, you might want to get a Post Office Box if you don’t already have one. Paychecks may be safer in the post office box than in the mail box.
Preparation Checklist:
Computer.
Firewall on Computer.
Anti-spy and Anti-virus software installed and running.
Email address for Affiliate Marketing and Pay Per Click Ad Management.
Email address for research, newsletters and general web surfing.
Paypal account, if needed.
Post Office Box, optional.
Promoting Products

Getting Ideas
It’s been said that the hardest part of selling anything is deciding what to sell. The best place to start is to consider what you know and what you live. Grab a sheet of paper and start listing everything you enjoy. What are you passionate about? Do you have special skills? What about hobbies or other interests?
Make a list of 10 or 12 things that you enjoy. Topics that make you smile when you think about them. Finding something you’re passionate about makes it easier to be passionate about your affiliate marketing business. Here’s a few ideas to help you get started:
Accounting Arts & Crafts Automobiles Birds Baseball
Books Calligraphy Carpentry Cats Catering
Coaching Computers Cooking Dating Decorating
Dogs EBooks Ezines Fitness Flowers
Football Games Gardening Genealogy Golf
Home Biz\ Home Décor Internet Landscaping Magazines
Marketing Martial Arts Movies Music Parenting
Pet Care Pet Grooming Pet Training Plants Plumbing
Recipes Relationships Romance Sewing Skin Care
Soccer Software Spirituality Teens Travel
Websites Weight Loss
Have you made a nice, long list of possibilities? Make a shorter list now of your top ten or twelve ideas. What type of products or services could you sell for each of those ideas?
Locating Products

The quickest way to find merchants with affiliate programs and browse their products is to go directly to an Affiliate Network.
Clickbank, Paydotcom and Commission Junction are three popular ones.
Browsing the categories may give you even more ideas about products you’d like to promote. Take the time to look at commission rates, affiliate requirements and other fine print information. Make sure the commission you’ll earn is worth your time.
Look at payment options and times. How often does the merchant pay or network pay? How are affiliates paid? Some programs pay at least once a month. Some pay only 3 or 4 times a year. What is required to qualify for the affiliate program?
Some merchants require completed applications, established websites and specific traffic numbers before issuing approval. Others automatically approve all applicants.
With Clickbank and Paydotcom approval is usually instant and automatic. Commission Junction features merchants that have varying requirements. Some will approve you even if you don’t have a website. Others have stricter requirements.
There are other affiliate networks. We’ve included a list of them in the Resource section at the end of this report. The three we’re focusing on here tend to be the most popular and the easiest to get signed up for.
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