Affiliates - How did you get into this business?

Just thought this would be a good topic and am curious about how everyone got into the biz.

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?

So, how about you???

 

I started showing up in some SEO forums to optimize a site of mine (didn't know anything about SEO before that), and I heard more about affiliate marketing and things..

I'm making around 6K/month (but creating new sites all the time so hopefully that'll increase). never had a real job in my life (I'm 18, college student)

 

Hey digitalpoint,

Good to know you cut your teeth on the Western Union affiliate program. Our company bid on managing that one but a good friend of mine Chris from WSO got the contract. He's great to work with. Sounds like you are doing well with the program!

Thanks for starting the ball rolling with my little thread starter. I mod a lot of affiliate forums and find this question is a great way to get to know people on the board better.

disgust,

SO COOL that you have never had to get a real J.O.B. and already have such a great start at making money with affiliate marketing. I know many "old" affiliate marketers who are still trying to hit $6K a month. Great job!

 

I was wondering who owns this website before, see it's links every where, I thought that what Western Union would do if it got the #1 ranking on Google, that must be funny.

 

When I read the post from Disgust & Shawn, it keeps me going to get my sites more profitable. If I only could make half of what Disgust makes... I would be happy...

 

I got into the business after reading an article about internet sportsbetting in a magazine. Decided to have a look at some sites and saw that many had affiliate programs and it just blossomed from there.

I do a mix of business/management consulting and affiliate marketing. At the moment the consulting pays a better hourly rate but not nearly as fun...

 

I'd settle for 10% of what Shawn makes overall.

 

I was a web/application programmer for 4 years and I work as I.T. project manager today. I already made a lot of website (mostly dynamic) for our clients and one day just realize that it may be a good idea to have my own. At first, I was contented on regional service sites that earns from membership fees. But as I discovered the good news of affiliate marketing Im now giving it a try. I'm still doing my day job and at the same time learning & building my future in affiliate marketing. I am now 26 years old and I hope I still have enough time to grow in this business.

 

Well here's how I got started...

I had my own SEO company, then became VP of Marketing for a company, took another position as eCommerce manager for an online retailer. I started their affiliate program on CJ, then decided I wanted to manage lots of affiliate programs and help lots of affiliates instead of being stuck in a company doing the same program every day.

Quit my job, started my own Affiliate Management Consulting Company and here I am consulting for & helping to oversee 15 affiliate programs and supporting over 10,000 affiliates. Now I'm working out of my home 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and making six figures in my PJ's! (I never bother to get dressed unless I need to leave the house.) ;-) NO boss, NO commute, NO office politics - just helping lots of people make money with affiliate marketing and loving every minute of it!

How about the rest of you???

 

I hope that I am not moving this considerably away from the point of the discussion. But, members who are serious about Affiliate Marketing as well as about AdSense could help me out. With the same degree of relevant effort, do you find Affiliate income more? Or is AdSense more remunerative?
Thanks
Ajeet

 

I'm still in the stuck in corporate J.O.B. mode.
I do SEM and other online communications for an almost billion dollar company for my real job.
Once I get out of that I will have more time for sites like this.

Then again, that's just an excuse.

 

they're really, really different. the learning curve is much higher with AM than it is with adsense. however, AM is much much more flexible. you can do things with AM that you never could with adsense- for example, PPC campaigns.

 

I feel myself like an idiot after heard your story, I earned $7 from my affiliate website. Ok, I do it as a hobby(not really), this can make me feel better.

 

I am now starting with affiliate programs. I would like to know how much I could earn monthly, in more or less 6 month period. What is substantial effort to earn real money (like 2-3K $/month)? The impressions of sities or rather keyword guiding to thease sities?
Should I rather find niche sities (like canada meds) or rather main keyword like online pharmacy?
How much do you earn monthly?

Tomecki

 

Can anyone recomend a good book or guide to getting started in AM.
Thanks

 

Hi, Eddie!

Affiliate marketing is very hard to get started with and overwhelming to learn, but if you devote the time and energy it can be very rewarding. Too many thinks it's get rich quick, throw up a couple banners and then give up when that fails.

This is one of the best threads I have seen for getting started with affiliate marketing.

It's from my affiliate forum over at WebProWorld and if you study everything suggested in this one thread it will get you off to a really good start!
http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=21311

Hope this helps and Best of Luck!

Linda AKA Catalyst

 

Thanks Linda
I have been working at learning seo for the last year or so I think I have at least a good handle on it. I also have been looking at AM for some time as well. Just now getting to the point to look for a new challenge.