As you already might have noticed, some links in this course show up as an affiliate link. An affiliate link looks like this:
Paydotcom.net
At first, it looks like a normal link, but when you click on it, it, it looks different.
As you can see the link shows some code then. This is the code that you have to put in, to link to an affiliate product that you promote. The code refers to your account at the affiliate network and that is how they and you know what your sales are.
Some people that want to order through your site will notice that and that can prevent them from buying through your link.
Why would that prevent them?
Well, for different reasons probably:
If you don't want this to happen, then you can use a link cloaker that covers your affiliate link and makes it look normal. You can find a free link cloacker here:
Clickfire
Should I use a link cloacker?
So far I have not used a link cloacker myself.
Why not?
I think that affiliate marketing is a good and honest way to earn money. It is hard work and there is nothing wrong in helping people find the products that you support. Internet marketing is a whole new world, also for big or small companies and small companies can often not afford to hire a professional or a marketing team. So if you can help them out there, what is the problem.
If I would cloak my links than that would make it look like that it is something that should be hidden and I think, it should not..
Why not?
If I would do that it would make me feel like I am ashamed of what I do. But the opposite is the case. I believe that through affiliate marketing, people can create new jobs for themselves or earn some more money and be more independent. On the other hand, if people have the wrong idea about affiliate marketing and that is what keeps them from buying through an affiliate link, I can understand that people use link cloaking.
Why is there then a lot of skepticism about affiliate marketing?
Some people think that affiliate marketing is some kind of illegal pyramid scheme.
Is it an illegal pyramid scheme?
No, because in a pyramid the people that started first, earn the most. In affiliate marketing the people that work hard, have the opportunities and facilities, or are smarter earn the most, just like in the real world.
In affiliate marketing you have the system of 2-tier and 3-tier. This is a reward system for the person that made you join the program. So if I make you join an affiliate program and start with affiliate marketing, then I will earn a percentage everytime that you sell something and also when it is 3-tier, when you make someone join the affiliate program and he sells something. But then it stops. You have the same possiblity as me and you can also start making people join the affiliate program. I think it is normal that I get a reward for this information that I gave you, if it helped you. I will only get real rewards if you start earning money and it won't cost you anything.
In an illegal pyramid this tier system goes from 2-tier to endless tier. The problem is that everyones percentage of what they can earn goes down when they reach a lower tier. So the people at the top get rich, doing nothing and the rest is working their ass off and earn nothing. That is also like in the real world but they can not forbid that.
But people are not aware of this so they confuse affiliate marketing with the illegal pyramid system. This is even more so with multi-level-marketing because that programs add often many more levels and that is why I am careful with that. In my ignorant days I once was so stupid, desperate or curious that I joined SFI, (Six-Figure Income) which is a big multi-level-marketing company. I hated it there. It made me think of the stupid live presentation of an American multi-level-marketing company once here in the Netherlands, where Dutch people clapped and shouted and looked stupid.
But SFI is still alive and I don't really know about how they are doing these days but might look into that once.
Another reason is that there are a lot of bad affiliate marketers.
Affiliate marketing is quite new but lots of people already joined in and most of them know nothing to little and earn nothing to little. I consider myself as someone who knows a bit more than little. I joined the Internet in 1995 and from time to time I picked up an interest in affiliate marketing. I started researching it then and every time I backed off because of the unending horrible shouting websites that I found through search engines told me I could earn millions or at least thousands in seven days.
The second category that give affiliate marketing a bad name are the so called guru's. I've mentioned them before but there are many around. You can recognize them through a number of things:
This does not mean that there are not any good people around where you can learn from. I will review some of them later.
Do you believe in affiliate marketing?
Yes, I do. But it is not for everyone.
Affiliate marketing takes a lot of effort so you at least should believe that it has possibilities, before you start anything. You also must be prepared to learn a lot. It is very difficult to get good information. My intention is to make this the best free course on earning money online but at the moment it is probably not that..
And even then, you still would have to do some research yourself and make your own choices.
How much do you earn now with affiliate marketing?
Not much or a lot
Where I live 200- 300 is not a lot of money. It does not even cover the rent. In some other countries you can easily live of that. And I believe hat more is possibe and because I definitely want to be independent I stick with it for the moment.
So, what is the conclusion?
I don't know if you should go for affiliate marketing, earning online or link cloaking. Just do what you feel is best. That's what i do too.
Paydotcom.net
At first, it looks like a normal link, but when you click on it, it, it looks different.
As you can see the link shows some code then. This is the code that you have to put in, to link to an affiliate product that you promote. The code refers to your account at the affiliate network and that is how they and you know what your sales are.
Some people that want to order through your site will notice that and that can prevent them from buying through your link.
Why would that prevent them?
Well, for different reasons probably:
- They might know what an affiliate program is and might not like the idea of making you money
- They might worry that they would have to pay more
- They might not trust it because it looks like an untrustworthy or at least, strange link.
- They might not like affiliate programs.
If you don't want this to happen, then you can use a link cloaker that covers your affiliate link and makes it look normal. You can find a free link cloacker here:
Clickfire
Should I use a link cloacker?
So far I have not used a link cloacker myself.
Why not?
I think that affiliate marketing is a good and honest way to earn money. It is hard work and there is nothing wrong in helping people find the products that you support. Internet marketing is a whole new world, also for big or small companies and small companies can often not afford to hire a professional or a marketing team. So if you can help them out there, what is the problem.
If I would cloak my links than that would make it look like that it is something that should be hidden and I think, it should not..
Why not?
If I would do that it would make me feel like I am ashamed of what I do. But the opposite is the case. I believe that through affiliate marketing, people can create new jobs for themselves or earn some more money and be more independent. On the other hand, if people have the wrong idea about affiliate marketing and that is what keeps them from buying through an affiliate link, I can understand that people use link cloaking.
Why is there then a lot of skepticism about affiliate marketing?
Some people think that affiliate marketing is some kind of illegal pyramid scheme.
Is it an illegal pyramid scheme?
No, because in a pyramid the people that started first, earn the most. In affiliate marketing the people that work hard, have the opportunities and facilities, or are smarter earn the most, just like in the real world.
In affiliate marketing you have the system of 2-tier and 3-tier. This is a reward system for the person that made you join the program. So if I make you join an affiliate program and start with affiliate marketing, then I will earn a percentage everytime that you sell something and also when it is 3-tier, when you make someone join the affiliate program and he sells something. But then it stops. You have the same possiblity as me and you can also start making people join the affiliate program. I think it is normal that I get a reward for this information that I gave you, if it helped you. I will only get real rewards if you start earning money and it won't cost you anything.
In an illegal pyramid this tier system goes from 2-tier to endless tier. The problem is that everyones percentage of what they can earn goes down when they reach a lower tier. So the people at the top get rich, doing nothing and the rest is working their ass off and earn nothing. That is also like in the real world but they can not forbid that.
But people are not aware of this so they confuse affiliate marketing with the illegal pyramid system. This is even more so with multi-level-marketing because that programs add often many more levels and that is why I am careful with that. In my ignorant days I once was so stupid, desperate or curious that I joined SFI, (Six-Figure Income) which is a big multi-level-marketing company. I hated it there. It made me think of the stupid live presentation of an American multi-level-marketing company once here in the Netherlands, where Dutch people clapped and shouted and looked stupid.
But SFI is still alive and I don't really know about how they are doing these days but might look into that once.
Another reason is that there are a lot of bad affiliate marketers.
Affiliate marketing is quite new but lots of people already joined in and most of them know nothing to little and earn nothing to little. I consider myself as someone who knows a bit more than little. I joined the Internet in 1995 and from time to time I picked up an interest in affiliate marketing. I started researching it then and every time I backed off because of the unending horrible shouting websites that I found through search engines told me I could earn millions or at least thousands in seven days.
The second category that give affiliate marketing a bad name are the so called guru's. I've mentioned them before but there are many around. You can recognize them through a number of things:
- They have secrets that they offer to you for money or at least for your e-mail adres to sent you a free e-book or another gift. After you got that you will get e-mails with secrets and other offers. As for their secrets: I don't believe there are real secrets that will make you money. The Internet is a very open place and most so called secrets will be out in the open within no time. Also if their secrets are that valuable, they would probably never sell them, let stand give them away for your e-mail address.
- They have websites that shout at you! They shout that you can easily make money and lots of it, as long as you follow them. But the only ones that will make money are they because you are so stupid to follow them.
- They offer you an e-book or so for a certain price and together with that you get loads of freebies, worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. In reality they offer you an e-book together with other e-books that are outdated or that you can get anywhere for free.
- They give you an offer that only stands for 24 hours or so..
- They need lots of words to say nearly nothing
This does not mean that there are not any good people around where you can learn from. I will review some of them later.
Do you believe in affiliate marketing?
Yes, I do. But it is not for everyone.
Affiliate marketing takes a lot of effort so you at least should believe that it has possibilities, before you start anything. You also must be prepared to learn a lot. It is very difficult to get good information. My intention is to make this the best free course on earning money online but at the moment it is probably not that..
And even then, you still would have to do some research yourself and make your own choices.
How much do you earn now with affiliate marketing?
Not much or a lot
Where I live 200- 300 is not a lot of money. It does not even cover the rent. In some other countries you can easily live of that. And I believe hat more is possibe and because I definitely want to be independent I stick with it for the moment.
So, what is the conclusion?
I don't know if you should go for affiliate marketing, earning online or link cloaking. Just do what you feel is best. That's what i do too.
Last modified: Thursday, 24 July 2014, 2:54 PM