How did you get started doing Affiliate Marketing?

[Linda Buquet]

What were you doing before you got started doing affiliate marketing? Did you have a J.O.B. and quit to do this full-time? Do you still have a J.O.B? Do you do AM from home or have an office?

Here is a long blog post about me and how I got where I am today:
I am often asked how I got started in the biz. So here is my wild ride to affiliatedom in a nutshell: http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliat...ting-programs/

So how about you??? How did you got started doing affiliate marketing? Did you have a J.O.B. and quit to do this full-time? Do you still have a J.O.B? Do you do AM from home in your PJs like me???

[ajaussiemale]

Hello Linda
In reply to your questions,

How did I get started?
I havent yet, but I am out of work because of illness and NEED to create an income of some description.

Did I have a J.O.B?
No.

Do I still have a J.O.B?
Obviously, no.

Do I AM from home in my PJ's?
Ummmmm, sorry, but I do not possess any PJ's.
I do live in Australia, however, and probably keep US hours in my research, so I guess if I had PJ's, the answer would have to be yes,,,,,,,,lol

still-not-able

[stephfoster]

I got started because of my job. I did medical transcription at home and kept getting asked how to get started. I was taking a web design class in college at the time, so did my class project on that subject. Things just kind of grew from there.

I quit transcribing a few months ago to have time to take care of my kids and grow my business better, since it finally started earning enough that I could do so.

Can't wear the PJs too long each day! I have an active 3 year old and a 5 month old. The 3 year old always needs to go outside to play, so I have to get dressed. I do a lot of my work in the evenings when my husband is home, since the kids need me frequently during the day. Daytimes are when I pop in to the discussion boards to see what's up, since I can step away from them more easily.

[StephenR]

I think I started marketing back in 1988 in the school cafeteria. I would sell Jolly Ranchers (an elementary school delicacy) for a dime a piece....and kids paid in droves. I did this every day and made a small profit. Basically only enough to buy another bag of Jolly Ranchers because I ate half the profits.

After that I moved onto lawn work. I would get as many jobs as I could and then have my friends help me finish them. They were eager to earn some extra money so it worked out beautifully. I did that all the way through high school.

After some schooling in Marketing/Advertising I decided to join the Air Force. My dad was in the Army during Vietnam and I felt I owed something to the US as well.

That was 7 years ago. The USAF has offered me many opportunities and taken me all around the globe but you obviously won't get rich in the military.

I guess about 4 years ago I started looking for ways to supplement my income. Like many of you in the beginning I purchased just about every e-book and marketing tool I could get my hands own....and you know what...they're all collecting dust.

Yes some were good reads but most were just regurgitated material from another marketer. The best way to learn this business is to just do it and TALK to other people who ARE successfully doing it.

Affiliate marketing allows me to do the things I want to do when I want to do them. It's a great business that literally anyone with the a willingness and dedication to learn can prosper from.

[Dorian]

ajaussiemale,

I read you post about how to get started in affiliate marketing. Well! Quite often I ask myself where to begin when someone asks me that.

First off you need to develop your why for doing so. Why do you want to get into business for yourself. This is what will get you up in the morning and what will keep you motivated.

Second, build a foundation of affiliate marketing, what it is, how it works and how to make it work for you?

Ask those question on online communities and people are bond to point you in the right direction.

Remember one main think, along the way you will receive many product offers and promotions and I want to strongly recommend not purchasing them unless they establish the ground floor of affiliate marketing. When I look at the material I have and the material that has made me successful it only adds up to $20 worth of products. Although I spent much more on other products they worth not a necessary purchase.

The good material and courses will also tell you how to build your business for free ike free traffic although there are minor business expenses.

I hope I was of help to you. Feel free to visit my profile and ask me a question if something was unclear of you need further information.

[cdorob]

If we think Affiliate Marketing on the lowest level (placing some links, but without making a real business from it) then the following must apply as well:

I'm now and Affiliate Manager, but during my early Affiliate Marketing days, I actually started for fun, while working as a Project Manager at a software company. My first site was about aquariums (the site is abandoned since some time now) and I tried to place some Amazon links on it I remember having a hellish time with HTML, and very few leads and no sales. After that, I've started a blog - which really got me into Affiliate Marketing (nothing extraordinary - it got me dinner from time to time). All this during my 9 to 5 job.

Now I just switched places as a Manager, and do what I know best, selling software (through affiliates), but my start in the business was more or less accidental.

I guess a lot of Affiliate Marketers start by mistake and they are not really aware that they are Affiliate Marketers (again if we take affiliate marketing at the lowest level).

[income2k]

I started doing affiliate programs in hopes of quitting my day job as a Real Estate Agent. But I have to admit, I haven't made a dime but spent many dollars. I have no idea, how these so called gurus make tons of money through affiliate programs. I'm still searching because I'm hard headed.

[Dorian]

I started doing online marketing because I just feel in love with the business model and how it all worked. I was so new to list building for one and the very idea of it amazed me (and still does to this very day).

I love to be able to have the skills to take a product whatever it may be and market it to thousands of people all done at the comfort of my own home and at the click of a button sometimes.

[kbldshmn]

I started a little ebay biz on the side while I kept a day job. I researched a few more sites on how to make money online that led me to Adsense. From there, further research got me to affiliate marketing. I enjoy writing. And affiliate marketing blends money making w/ writing quite well.

[Linda Buquet]

kbldshmn saod: "I enjoy writing. And affiliate marketing
blends money making w/ writing quite well."

Getting paid to do what you enjoy doing... PRICELESS!