Internet Marketer, Graduate Student, Radical Dude.
Archive for January, 2008
"No Product? No Problem! Affiliate Marketing In College"
Jan 16th
When cash is short, tuition is due, your gas tank is on empty, your dog needs open heart surgery… what do you do to increase your income? A lot of students work overtime, get second jobs, participate in research for a few bucks – and sometimes their grades suffer the consequences. This situation is all too familiar for a lot of college students.
Thanks to the Internet, money is lurking behind every click of the mouse. All you need to do is learn how to hunt it down and take it. Affiliate marketing is one way of hunting down a nice supplemental income to help you get through school. Lots of people are affiliates and some of them earn a full time income doing it. So if you need to add a little cheese to your plate, this post is for you.
Most people don’t have a clue what affiliate marketing is; so let me break it down into terms anyone can understand. I used to work at a shoe store. For every pair of shoes I sold, I earned a commission. But I didn’t have to go through the trouble of designing and making shoes or opening a store. Instead, I was selling someone else’s product and taking a percentage of their profit in exchange. Affiliate marketing is exactly that – selling someone else’s stuff (shoes, books, music, whatever) and earning a commission for doing it. And it all happens online.
In order to become an affiliate, you’ll need to sign up for a website’s affiliate program. Many sites have them and it’s free to sign up. I recommend Clickbank or Commission Junction. Once you have signed up, you can browse through the thousands of products on CB or CJ. When you find one you like, you can get a hyperlink with your affiliate ID in it. Then you have to get your links out there so people will click on them. If they make a purchase, you get a commission.
That’s a basic description of affiliate programs. There is a ton of information available to help you become a successful affiliate, but I’ll share some tips for you here.
• Affiliate links can be placed almost anywhere online: on your website, blog, in your eBooks, posted on forums, etc. It’s up to you. The main thing to consider is that wherever you put your links, you need people to see them and click on them in order to make any money.
• Blogging is a great way to promote affiliate products. Try starting a blog about whatever your affiliate links are promoting. If it’s a golf instructional eBook, start a blog about golf. Then, in a blog post, mention and recommend the product. Then post the link. If your visitors click on it, you’re in business.
Of course there are a million ways to make money as an affiliate, and this post can’t cover them all. So do a little research, take action, and start earning a nice income selling someone else’s stuff.
“How Internet Marketing Can Pay For College”
Jan 4th
If college students were surveyed about the major stressors they face, finances would rank right up there with finals and term papers. Most college students are forced to work, often full time, in order to afford tuition, books, rent, food, and the big one – entertainment. After all, what’s a well-rounded college experience without all the memorable good times and token keg parties?
Unfortunately, finding time to get the most out of college is nearly impossible when you’re flipping burgers or waiting tables forty hours a week. That’s why many students find creative ways of earning money in order to get more out of college – or even just to stay afloat.
Some of the typical quick cash sources are giving blood, stuffing envelopes, and filling out surveys. But with today’s computer-based society, there are more options available to students. One of the most widely used moneymakers is eBay. When you’re crammed into a tiny dorm or apartment, it’s easy to find something laying around and taking up space. And selling that excess stuff is an easy way to bring in money when you really need it.
Affiliate marketing, although more advanced than selling off your surplus on eBay, is another easy way to turn the World Wide Web into cold hard cash. The trick here is to be “in the know.” The truth is, most people have no idea what affiliate marketing is. There are probably even some confused looks on the faces of people reading this article. But don’t worry. Once you know, you’ll realize profit is everywhere online. And you can grab your fair share (maybe even an unfair share) if you’re willing to learn the ropes and exert your knowledge.
The ins and outs of affiliate marketing will be the subject of another article, but for now I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes (or Spark Notes for you web-savvy slackers!). In basic terms, affiliate marketing is selling somebody else’s stuff and earning a commission on the sale. Lots of websites have affiliate programs: Amazon, eBay, even Google has something similar. It’s free to sign up, and if you can learn the best affiliate marketing strategies and put them into action, the sky is truly the limit. Lots of people earn a great supplemental income as affiliates, and some are full time affiliates. Imagine that!
Some of you are thinking I don’t want to just get by. I want to strike gold! Well, there are ways to do that online as well. And my personal favorite is selling information products. Info products are generally eBooks (Google it, if you’re confused) and anybody can create one. You don’t have to be a great writer – you can even pay someone else to write eBooks for you. The biggest advantage to selling eBooks is that you don’t have to ship anything or keep anything in stock. The delivery process can be automated so that you can just sit back and collect a paycheck. 24/7/365. Creating your info product will be a great subject for another article, but you can do a Google search if you just can’t wait.
With all these options (and there’s more, too) it’s no wonder college students are signing on and collecting a paycheck from a little creativity. Learn all you can, soak it in, and take action. You’ll be on your way to living job-free in no time flat!
