I LOVE Affiliate Marketing...I Mean I Really DO Love It!

Affiliate marketing is the easy button, no muss, no fuss way to make a crap ton of money.

You build your audience. Create an email list. Build a social media presence. All with people who are into a particular topic. Then you just share products and services with them that they might like. If they buy, the company you referred them to takes the money, delivers the product, and does the bulk of the follow up.

If they don't, it's no big deal. You keep your relationship with the person and you show them something else another day. It's the coolest thing!

All I need to do is focus on my people and what would serve them best and point at cool offers and let them be the ones to decide what they want to look at.

And the best part is there is ALWAYS something available to sell.

Need some cash? Go find an affiliate product and you are off to the races! You can sell pretty much anything under the sun. Don't believe me? Go be an Amazon affiliate. I've sold everything from books to coaching card decks to microgreens kits to glow sticks! You can turn almost everything into CASH FLOW!

My advice to you today.

First take a look at all the tools and products you use everyday in your business. Check if they have an affiliate program. If they do, sign up!

Next, become an Amazon affiliate. Look for products that complement your existing business. Share them with your audience. Easy income stream.

How to Make More Money in Less Time With Less People

Affiliate marketing. You've all heard the term. But do you all know what it is? And why low-ticket affiliate sales can actually make you a CHUNK of money?

Think about this. When you approach someone with your mega-dollar high-ticket item, you are a SALESPERSON! No way to deny it. That's what you are. And people are almost genetically coded to regard salespeople with distrust.

Think about you're own behavior when you are shopping, and the salesperson approaches you and asks if they can help you. What is your response? Usually it's something like, "No thank you. I'm just looking." Salespeople are regarded as predators. It's in our DNA!

Now think how much different it is when you go to customer service and ask where something is. Totally different relationship because now they are not salespeople....even though they really are. Now they are perceived as helpful customer service.

It's the same in MLM or High Ticket Sales. When you try to sell someone a $200/month autoship or a $2000 coaching program, you are a salesperson. How much easier would it be to say try my $29 bottle of weight loss supplements or my $7 training video? Now you're selling something affordable that your customer really wants. And when you contact them again in a few days to just follow up and see how they are doing and you CASUALLY mention your other items, you aren't selling them anything, you're just following up to see if they got what they ordered from you.

Now you are not a salesperson. You are customer service checking to make sure everything is good with their order.

Plus, numerous statistics have proven if you can get someone to break the ice and spend even just $1 with you, they are more likely to purchase from you again in the future. You have now earned their trust. You aren't a salesperson anymore. Now you are their friend who helped them solve a problem.

Unfortunately, even today, many MLMs do not have a retail component. You either buy the big package of stuff or nothing. You can't get just the one or two items you may really want.

Enter affiliate marketing!

Affiliate marketing is the process by which an affiliate earns a commission for marketing another person’s or company’s products. How does this help you sell your main product?

Once you sell someone some little something, now you are free to follow up with them just to see how things are. They will talk to you. They are no longer defensive. You will be able to get more information from them about their needs and wants. Then you will know how to steer them to whatever you want them to buy.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make some money while you are attracting the right kind of people to your main offer. It's a great front-end product.

You can also use affiliate marketing to sell things AROUND your main product.

Think PepsiCo.

When you think of Pepsi, you think soda. Which they will happily sell you. But so many people are trying to get healthy now. So Pepsi will also sell you Aquafina and LIFEWTR. And KeVita Kombucha. They will sell you Doritos and Quaker Oats. Cheetos and Sabra Hummus.

Now think of me. I am back in the MLM biz. I will happily sign you up in my business opportunity and sell you a pretty phenomenal weight loss product.

But I also sell training for marketers. Both my own and through affiliate marketing programs. I promote the tools marketers need. Autoresponders, website builders, text messaging systems, snail mail systems. I promote the 360 Marketing System, reports and books and coaching programs, my best-selling book, ring lights, and headsets, and microphones for video marketers.

So even if someone doesn't sign up for my business opportunity, I am still likely to sell them something because they are still looking for something to help them make money. I don't create any of these things except some of the trainings and my book. I just find things my people can use that has a really good sales process around it and I point people at them. I simply show them where they can find what they are looking for (with my affiliate link of course), and let someone else do the selling for me.

I am NOT a good salesperson. But I am a VERY good friend who can always help you find something you need. And because of that, I will always be able to generate cashflow and leads.

If you are looking for the right affiliate programs, obviously I recommend ours. But this isn't about signing you up for our programs. This is about being a SMART business person. So when you look for one, look for one with a strong sales process that will continually remarket on your behalf. One that has stability and a good track record. Make sure the people attached to it have stellar reputations. And of course, an opportunity for escalating earnings is a plus.

Affiliate marketing is the way to make more money in less time with less people selling folks what they already want to buy.

If you want to check out the affiliate programs I'm promoting, come check out the BeClub. It is invitation only, so just drop a comment below if you want an invitation and I'll get you in.

I'm your VERY good friend who will help you find the community you need to finally BEcome a professional marketer.

Start an Affiliate Program

If you have a side hustle that you want to turn into a full-time gig, I have a suggestion for you.  Set up a referral or affiliate program. An affiliate program lets your customers sign up and share your services with their friends using a special link. If a friend makes a purchase, the affiliate gets a small commission.

Nervous at the thought of starting your own affiliate program?  Don't be.  It's easier than you think.  And your clients or customers will love the chance to make some money promoting someone or something they believe in.  It's an awesome combination!

If you’d like to start an affiliate or referral program, you may be stuck on how to begin. Here’s what you need to do first…

Check Your Shopping Cart

If you sell digital products or use an online shopping cart to help your clients order your service, then you may already have a few options you can use. Some software companies bundle the affiliate function with your shopping cart. If this is the case for you, set up might be as simple as reaching out to your company and letting them know you’d like to turn this feature on.

However, some software companies may charge extra to add an affiliate function to your site. They may call this feature a “plugin” or “add-on”. If the affiliate fee is affordable and you already like your shopping cart, then don’t feel like you have to switch.

Some online business owners may not have a shopping cart. If that’s your situation, then two good suggestions are aMember Pro (free affiliate feature included) or WooCommerce (affiliate feature is an add-on available for purchase).

Look for Similar Offers

Once you have the tech taken care of, you’ll want to investigate other digital business owners that are selling similar products or services. Check out their affiliate programs and see how they structure their fees.

Typically, affiliates promoting a digital product want 50% of the purchase price. However, if your affiliates will be promoting your service, then set your commission rate to 10-20% of the purchase price. If you need to, raise the price of your product or service a small amount to cover the cost of your affiliate payouts.

Ask Friends to Promote

When your affiliate program is ready to use, invite a few close friends or supporters to join. Remember that many affiliates love promoting something they believe in and earning cash for that recommendation.
Announce Your Affiliate Program

Next, tell others in your circle about your new affiliate program. Put together a page with information about your referral club. Then post this link to social media—sharing it with your Facebook groups, Instagram followers, and Twitter peeps.

Keep in mind that running an affiliate program is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s OK to let it grow slowly over the course of a few months. As you see it expand, you’ll be inspired to come up with new ways to help your affiliates promote your products or services.

Affiliate Showcase a Scam!

I just received that news in my email.  Someone - who doesn't have the guts to identify themselves by the way - just informed me of this fact.  Affiliate Showcase is a scam!

It seems they read some of my blog posts on affiliate marketing.  If you have read them, then you know that I am a huge fan of Ken McArthur and his Affiliate Showcase.  I recommend it every time I talk about affiliate marketing. 

I normally don't respond to anonymous emails. But this one upset me greatly since I have known Ken and

have been a member of Affiliate Showcase for a number of years.  It's how I got started in affiliate marketing.  In Ken's own words:  If you've got 5 minutes, he will show you how to plug into hundreds of products that will pay you commissions of up to 50% or more - and the best part... You don't even need your own web site!  And I can vouch for the fact that it will work - if you do! 

My guess, if I could ask my mystery emailer, is that you are one of those people who sign up for something and then sit back and wait for the money to come in, but don't want to do any real work.  I'd be willing to bet that you didn't promote your site in any way.  Any opportunity that says you don't have to work at it is a scam!  Any REAL opportunity will take at least a small amount of work.

 Please do all of us who strive to earn decent, HONEST, livings online a favor.  Actually put some effort into your next business.  Really pay attention to what you read and listen to the advice of those who, like Ken McArthur, have become successful and want to help you do the same.  Try some of the techniques they suggest.  Then email me again - and tell me how successful you've become.  I'll be waiting to hear from you!





 

Top 5 Ways I Make Money on the Internet

My last post gave you the easiest way to find just the right business for you.  Plus I shared some examples of clients and friends who have used this tecnique to create successful home businesses.  Now I want to share internet businesses that are fairly simple and inexpensive to start.  I have used each of these during my own online business career so I can tell you - they work!

1.  Affiliate Marketing:  The easiest way to get started online is through affiliate marketing.  What's affiliate marketing?  Promoting other people's products and/or services.  This was how I started.  In fact I'm still an affiliate for Ken Evoy's Site Build It!, Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring, and Rick Raddatz's Instant Teleseminar.  To get started, look at the products you use and trust.  Then find out if they have an affiliate program.  Chances are they do.  Then simply register to be an affiliate and you are on your way.  If you don't know of any affiliate programs, a little online research will help you find them.  Affiliate programs are free to join.  If someone is asking you to pay to be an affiliate, beware!  Most programs will also provide you with a website, training, and promotional tools.  These are great to get started, but you will want to learn some web marketing skills to increase your income potential.

2.  Blogging:  I started blogging simply as a way to share my experiences with others.  I never dreamed you could actually use your blog to may money until I met Darren Rowse aka ProBlogger.  While participating in his 31 day Build a Better Blog program, I discovered that you can use the power of your blog to drive people to your websites, promote your affiliate programs, and even set up some advertising.  Now my blogs are a main source of income for me.  If you like to share your ideas and can express yourself well, blogging may be for you.  If you are considering it, I highly recommend you check out the ProBlogger site.  No one teaches the ins and outs of blogging better than he does.

3.  Your Own E-Commerce Site:  Once you have learned your way around the internet business world, you may want to consider setting up a site of your own to promote your own product or service.  Infoproducts are especially easy to create and market and as Ken Evoy says - Everyone knows something someone else will pay to learn.  If you aren't sure how to create and market an infoproduct, there is help available.  Marlon Sanders has created the InfoProduct Dashboard.  I use it and I like it so much that I became an affiliate of Marlon's products just so I could promote this product.  You'll need to understand internet marketing, copywriting, networking, and a host of other skills - but that's why you started with affiliate marketing and blogging.

4.  Freelancing:  One of my businesses is the Travels with Bob shop.  In in you will find all sorts of merchandise with designs featuring Bob - and soon, some of his friends.  And if you think I created those designs myself, think again.  I hired freelance graphic designers to do the work.  In fact, all of my graphics on every site I own were designed by two wonderful designers - PopArtDiva and Karlyn.  If you have a skill such as design, or copywriting, or web design, or programming, becoming a freelancer may be for you.  And freelancing can lead to regular work.  I started out as a freelance writer, submitting articles to various publications.  That landed me a regular spot as a business columnist and travel writer on Boomer-Living.com!

5.  Coaching/Consulting:  Those that can, do.  Those that have proven that they can and want to help others, coach.  Or consult.  Either way, if you have expertise in something, you can provide that expertise to others and get paid for it.  BoomerBizCoach is my coaching business.  I love sharing what I have learned with others.  And thanks to my friend Wendy Y. Bailey, now I charge for that!  You can too.  (You can hear how Wendy helped me by listening to my interview with her on the BoomerBizCoach site).  By the way, this is my first attempt a building my own site.  That's another task I usually outsource.  Why not this time?  Long story.  But I would appreciate some feedback on the site.  Email me with your input and I'll send you a free internet marketing report. 

These are the ways I make money online.  There are others.  If you have a unique business that you have taken online, we'd love to hear about it.  I may even want to do a blog post about you or invite you to be a guest on my next series of interviews. Share your business in the comments.  P.S. Commenting on other blogs is another great way to market your business.  A tip I learned from ProBlogger!    

What The Heck Are Back End Products?

When I first started out online as an affiliate marketer, I have to admit - I struggled. With no website and no list and no idea of what I was doing, it was hard to even make a few dollars. I often tell the story of my first sale - which netted me an incredible $20! I was soooo excited! I had made money online! But realistically, it takes a lot of $20 sales to make a living.

Then I joined the Internet Marketers Club. At the time it was being run by Corey Rudl. Corey passed away a few years ago in an automobile accident. His close friend and associate Derek Gehl runs things now. But nothing has really changed. It is still a great source of information if you are trying to learn the internet marketing business.

One of the first things I learned from them was about something called "back end products". Newbie that I was, I had no idea what these were. I found out pretty quickly that they are cash in the bank!

What are back end products? Very simply, they are the products you sell your existing customers after your initial offer. It is much easier to sell additional products to repeat customers than it is to continually try to find new customers for your one main product. For example, my brother-in-law, the chef, has an online cooking class for single guys. Once they sign up for his class, it's very easy for him to promote all types of household and kitchen gadgets to them. He plays on the fact that women love a guy that can cook and since most men don't normally have well stocked kitchens, he makes quite a good sum of money selling them the things they need to use what they learned in the cooking class.

To be effective, back end products have to be compatible with your main offer. Mark makes money selling kitchen items to people who find him through his cooking class. He and his wife are also in my Fortune downline. They don't mention the business opportunity or the many FHTM products to the leads this list. Chances are these guys aren't looking for a biz op, vitamins, or a cell phone! By targeting his offer to his ready made market, he is much more successful.

Back end products also work for affiliate marketers. Just about every affiliate product I promote has a selection of other products already designed to complement it. Site Build It! - main product the Site Build It! system. But there are also ebooks available on many subjects that can serve as back end products. Magnetic Sponsoring - I market the Magnetic Sponsoring course, then follow up with Black Belt Recruiting or one of Mark Dillard's other great courses.

If your affiliate product doesn't already have a ready made back end, look for another affiliate product that is compatible and offer it. Or create one of your own.

Bottom line - back end products can make a huge difference in your online success. Find them, create them, but do use them.

Failure or Success?

There are three main reasons why home based businesses fail:
1. Poor planning
2. Poor marketing
3. Poor management

According to a report I read recently, over 90% of all network marketers, affiliate marketers or other work-at-home business people quit within the first year. Then they proceed to go out and tell everyone they know that you can't make money with a home business. It drives me crazy when I think how many people could have been successful with just a little planning, training, and time management.

If you think you have the idea for the next great business, or you've found the perfect MLM, or an excellent affiliate program - GREAT! Now, before you do anything else, write your plan. If your business is already somewhat established such as a network marketing, MLM, or affiliate program, much of that is already done for you. But you still need to plan how you are going to build YOUR team or downline or customer base or opt-in list. If you are actually looking a starting your own unique business then get a business plan template (most banks will give you one for free) and write your business plan.

82% of businesses fail due to poor cash flow or by starting out with too little money. Make sure you look at the money involved in starting your business. Many network marketing and MLM opportunities say they cost little or nothing to join. That may be true. They neglect to tell you that you have to spend hundreds of dollars each month to purchase products in order to make any money. Don't be like a friend of mine who joined a MLM company and quit her job two days later because she was going to make a fortune! Needless to say, she is back at work, in debt, and very bitter about the whole MLM industry. Could she be at home today making a decent living from this company? Possibly. But she did not consider all of the financial costs involved with successfully marketing an MLM opportunity and had nothing to fall back on until she built a business.

So you wrote your plan. You examined the financial costs of your business. You have the cash to make this work. You have a source of income or some savings put aside to live on until you start bringing in enough income to live on. You're on your way to success. Wait a minute! What was that second reason most businesses fail? Something about marketing? Oh well, it can't be that important. After all, it's Avon (or Melaleuca, or Herbalife, or Tupperware, or even Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing). I'm an affiliate for SBI! (or Amazon or Iris Silks or the Internet Marketers Club). Don't they do all that marketing stuff for me?

It's true you can capitalize off the name recognition of many of these companies. Do you think that fact that Fortune markets for companies like AT&T, DishTV, and Travelocity helps me when I talk about the business? Sure it does. But I still need to let people know what it is I do. That's marketing! If you are not doing anything to promote yourself and your business, it WILL fail. Every evening, I write down a list of things I need to do the next day. I always include at least 1 thing I can do to promote my business. You should be doing the same thing. If you don't know how to market, there are lots of great books and resources available to help you learn. The first marketing books I ever read were Guerrilla Marketing and Marketing on a Shoestring. I can't even remember who wrote them but I remember and still use much of what they taught me.

Okay - business plan, marketing - now you're all set. Right? Maybe. Don't forget the last reason so many home businesses fail - poor management. I know you're thinking "what's to manage? It's just me." Sometimes managing yourself can be more difficult than you realize. Learning to manage your time and available resources effectively can be hard. Read some of my earlier posts about treating your business like a business for more insight and don't start out on the wrong path like I did. It's much easier to develop good habits from the beginning than it is to change bad ones.

Plan, market, manage. Or as I've heard it put from so many of my colleagues and mentors - Plan your work. Work your plan. Failure or success? The choice is yours.

How to make money with affiliate marketing

Just got another email from a friend of mine. I'll let you read the main point:

"You told me it was easy to make money on the internet. You said you do it all the time. So I got online and I'm sitting here not making any money. What gives? Is this a scam? I thought we were friends!"

I get phone calls and emails like this all the time. Someone hears I have an online business. They call or email me to see if it's true. They ask how much money I'm making. (Never, EVER, answer that question unless you want to get this phone call: "You told me I could make MILLIONS!"). I tell them I make enough to live on. So they get all excited and the next thing I get is an email or a phone call stating that they too have started an internet business.

Let's get two things straight right now. Starting an internet business involves a bit more than signing up for some affiliate programs and then sitting in front of the computer waiting for the money to start coming in. However, if you have some discipline and can learn from those who really do make millions online, then you can make a decent living on the internet.

So what does it take to get started in affiliate marketing? It's fairly simple. Decide on your market. Try to choose something you are passionate about so you'll stick with it long enough to see some results. Could it be health and fitness, cooking, gardening, travel, crafts, juggling? These are all businesses that have been started by friends of mine and each of them are making a good living.

Next, find affiliate programs that pertain to your market. The best place to do this Affiliate Showcase (http://www.affiliateshowcase.com/?46035). This site gives you access to literally hundreds of the best affiliate programs available. Plus you can also market Affiliate Showcase itself!

The next step is to figure out a way to reach your potential customers. You will need some sort of web presence. While most affiliate programs provide you with a website, these are all cookie cutter sites with nothing to set them apart from every other affiliate. You need something of your own. If you can't afford to hire a web designer and don't know how to build your own website, there are a couple of options. You can try a great product called SiteBuildIt! (http://buildit.sitesell.com/wealthtogether.html) to create your site. Or you can create a blog which works almost as well as a website to get you started.

Once you have identified your business niche, your products, created your website or blog, then it's time to market your products to your prospective customers. There are all kinds of ways to do this and what works for one may not work for you. The best way to learn about internet marketing is to study what the experts have to say. Learn all you can from people like Ken McArthur, Derek Gehl, Mike Filsame, Sterling Valentine, Michael Angier, Yanik Silver, or Mike Litman. If you can buy some of their products, great. If not, at least sign up for their mailing lists and newsletters. They are the "gurus" in this business and can teach you all you need to know. How do I know? Who do you think taught me? (I have even had the honor of personally meeting Ken McArthur and Michael Angier and they are two great guys!).

This is just a brief outline of how to start an online business using affiliate programs. There simply isn't room to go in depth here. But if you will follow these basic steps and listen to the experts, you can make money online.

There's Gold In That Thar' Internet!

I just finished reading an article about online marketing in which the author compared it to the California gold rush. The article said that just as hundreds raced West in the hope of striking it rich, so too are hundreds now rushing to get online with the same dream. And, it says, just as so many struck out in California instead of striking it rich, the same is happening to the vast majority of online marketers.

Are people really making millions online? Yes, they are. Are they the minority? I don't know. I don't have the data on that. Are there plenty of people making a decent living online? Yup! That I do know because I'm one of them and I know many others. Can you make a fortune online? I don't know. It's possible. But I DO know that you can make a living online just like many of us are already doing.

How do you get started? First, you need to decide what your business will be. Will you become an affiliate others' products? Will you create your own products? What types of products and/or services will you offer?

Second, it's a business. Treat it like one. If you think you are going to sign up for free affiliate programs, put up some free classified ads, then sit back and watch the checks roll in, don't quit your day job. It doesn't work quite that way. You can't own a McDonald's franchise without a little upfront investment. The same is true of any business. You can find some legitimate businesses that are very inexpensive to start. It only cost me $299 to start with Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing. And there are some very good affiliate programs such as SBI that are free to join but pay very good commissions. But you still need to invest a little bit in advertising.

Once you have decided on the basis of your business, you need to learn all you can about your internet marketing and your business in particular. There are many ways to do this and you will find all kinds of "gurus" offering to help if you will pay them enough. Some of them really do know what they are talking about and some of them don't. I can personally recommend some of them and you will find them mentioned in many of my earlier posts. You can also read this blog from the beginning for help. Be prepared to spend a little bit of money on some of the better books, courses, and seminars. Consider it part of your "online marketing degree!"

Let everyone know you are in business! This seems to be one of the biggest obstacles for most online marketers. Either they think they can't afford to advertise or they don't know how to do so effectively. Some, especially the network marketers, are afraid to do so because they think no one will take them seriously. Let's face facts. You can't slap a McDonald's on a street corner and expect to do business if no one knows McDonald's exists. You can't expect customers to find you if they don't know who you are. Tell people! If you don't have money to advertise, start by telling everyone you know. You can do that pretty inexpensively and you know far more people than you realize. When I started in Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, the first thing I did was send an email or a postcard to everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) I could think of telling them what I was doing and inviting them to visit my website. Some of them ignored me (FHTM is network marketing, after all). Some didn't. Some of those that visited became my customers. Six of them even became involved in the business with me. Those six have helped me build a team of over 300. Not too bad for a few emails and a postcard or two. And the ones who laughed? They aren't laughing so much anymore!

Work your business. The number one reason most internet marketers fail is that they give up. They just quit. They don't make thousands of dollars overnight and so they just stop working. Do you know how much my first FHTM commission was? 84 cents! Eighteen months later I'm not going to tell you how much I make, but it's enough to support me quite nicely. Am I a millionaire? Not yet. But I make more than enough to live on. So get up and go to work every day. If you have to keep your regular job while you build your business, that's okay. Just be sure you do at least one thing everyday to move your business forward.

Internet marketing is just like any other business. You will get out of it what you put into it. I can't promise you will get rich. I can promise you that if you find a legitimate business or affiliate program, take the advice of those who have gone before you, let people know you are in business, concede that you aren't going to get rich without some investment, and most importantly, WORK YOUR BUSINESS and DON'T GIVE UP - you can make a living online. Heck, if I can do it, so can you!

The Basics of Affiliate Marketing

I've been looking at affiliate programs again. I have been making money with most of the affiliate programs I belong to and decided I'd like to add a couple more this year. How to choose which ones though? I want to be sure I work with products that complement what I am already doing. If anyone is currently working with a program that has been successful, I'd love to hear about it.

What exactly is an "affiliate program"? Affiliate marketing is a web-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates (that's you) for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. The details of each affiliate program vary from program to program. Generally, you are provided a referral link to a website which you use to promote the affiliate progam. If you work hard and SMART, you can make a lot of money through affiliate programs.

As in any business there are good and bad affiliate programs. I have had much success with SBI! ( http://buildit.sitesell.com/wealthtogether.html). Not only do they have a terrific website for you to use, but they actually provide you with tools and training on how to make the most of their affiliate program. Another favorite is Iris Silks (http://www.irissilks.com//index.asp?REFCODE=SUPERCHA81640). I love silk lingerie - and the affiliate program is great too! But my favorite have got to be Affiliate Showcase (http://www.affiliateshowcase.com/?46035). Not only can you join just about every decent affiliate program through this site, you can also be an affiliate for Affiliate Showcase itself. My friend, Ken McArthur, who designed Affiliate Showcase, also provides lots of promotional tools, training, forums, and support. This is probably where I'll wind up looking for some additional affiliates for my own business.

Have a great New Year!

My First Ezine!

All of my marketing guru friends tell me I need to start an ezine. I have put it off for as long as possible, thinking it would be too difficult and time consuming. But after listening to them tell me I REALLY needed to do it, it was such a great marketing tool, etc, etc - well, I finally gave in and published my first issue. And you know what? It was much easier than I expected.

First I chose my listserve. My more experienced ezine buddies all suggested Constant Contact. I did look at a few others, but Constant Contact suited my needs so I signed up with them (www.constantcontact.com).

Next I had to decide on content. I wasn't sure exactly what my ezine should look like, other than the fact that it shouldn't be too long. Who has time to read these days? But I solved that problem fairly easily. First I found an ezine template at HomeBiz Tools (www.HomeBizTools.com). And then I got promises from some of my marketing friends to supply some guest articles. So all I had to do was fill in the blanks with a little content of my own and we were off and running.

So, how did it turn out? See for yourself. Simply send an email to wealthtogether@hotmail.com and request to become a subscriber. It's free. Then tell me what you think.

If you are running a home business, you really should consider an ezine of your own. It really is easy and a great way to generate extra revenue. When you do, be sure to add me to your subscriber list!

Making Money with Affiliate Marketing

Okay! You've decided I'm for real and you really do want to learn how to make some extra money from home. Unless you already have a product to market and some experience in internet marketing, I suggest you start out with some affiliate program. These can help you earn some steady income AND help you learn the ins-and-outs of online marketing without risking a huge investment.

I know, I know. You know someone who knows someone who tried several different programs and didn't make a dime. In fact, they lost money. Well, I can introduce you to others who have made millions just through affiliate marketing. And you can do it too. You just need to know how.

Step one: Set some goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic goals. With a Timeframe for achieving them. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed (SMART) goals - I'm sure many of you have heard that terminology before, so I'm not going to discuss it in great detail right now. Having set goals will help you stay focused on what you are trying to achieve.

Step two: Set up a base. Yes, most affiliate programs provide you with a web page. But which is easier - driving traffic to dozens of sites that look just like everyone else's or driving traffic to one unique site with links to all your affiliate programs. Building your own website is ideal and there are several ways to do that even if you know nothing about web design. An even easier and less expensive way is with a blog such as this one. Either way works as long as it is full of content designed to draw internet surfers in to your page. Notice I said content - not advertising! There are several blog sites such as this one and each one offers instructions and templates to help you get started. If you really want to spend the money on a website then I suggest you purchase SiteBuildIt! (http://buildit.sitesell.com/wealthtogether.html).

Step three: Choose your affiliate programs. There are so many different programs to choose from. Luckily, there is an easy way to find them. There are several sites you can go to with lists of hundreds of affiliate prgrams. I recommend Affiliate Showcase, run by my good friend Ken McArthur (http://www.AffiliateShowcase.com/?46035). It provides you with access to literally hundreds of programs. You can even become an affiliate for Affiliate Showcase! Once you become a member of Affiliate Showcase, Ken will give you access to all the information you need on how to market your affiliate programs. And I will devote future posts to that same topic.

For now - set your goals, build your base, choose your programs. And post your achievements here in the comments. List your link so we can all visit your blog or website and check out which programs you've chosen. Let's get started!

What You Can Expect from Me

I have spent a lot of time trying this product and that system only to wind up broke and disillusioned. "Make money while you sleep!" "Start your cash machine today." Promises, promises. And I bought into every one of them.

Can you make money on the internet or through a home based business? You betcha! Is it easy? Depends on what you call easy. Will you have to work some long hours and (uh-oh) invest a little cash? You will if you really want to build some wealth. Will what worked for me work for you too? Maybe - maybe not. There is no one-size-fits-all method to earn financial freedom.

I have learned some things in my struggle to earn a living from the comfort of my home. Things like which programs really do work and which are just scams. Ways to save the money you do earn. People you can connect with who really will give you advice. How to stay healthy while you are building your online "empire." Resources to help you get there faster. I will happily share my adventures and misadventures with anyone who wants to avoid the mistakes I made. Not everything I share will be of use to you. Take what you need - leave the rest. All I want is to share my experiences with you and maybe we can all learn to live an abundant life - together. And if you have some expertise on any topic, please feel free to share it with us. WealthTogether means just that. We are all in this world together and everyone has the right to live abundantly. God WANTS us to live an abundant life. We are MEANT to be successful. What that means to you depends on what you want from life. I would not have made it without the help of others. Now I want to do the same for you.

I hear someone out there asking who is this person? I have never seen her marketing anything. Probably not. And just because you never heard of me until now does not mean I don't know what I'm talking about. There are thousands of people making wonderful lives for themselves at home and online and I'll bet you never heard of most of them. They don't spend a lot of time promoting themselves. They just go about their business every day - whatever it is. I will introduce you to some of them because they have helped me and they will help you too.

We're off to discover Wealth - Together! Come along for the ride!