Many people are making a living from affiliate marketing online – some are doing so well, they’re known as SUPER affiliates!

Here are seven really cool advantages to becoming an affiliate marketer by promoting products and/or programs you believe in and highly recommend:

Low Risk

You’re not ultimately responsible for the product you are promoting and you don’t have to spend your own money or time to create a product.

Proven Market

The products’ creators will already have researched the demand for their product and will have some idea of their target market.

Keep your cash in your wallet

You have very low start up costs.  All you really need to begin affiliate marketing is a website or blog.  You don’t necessarily have to set up a new site, you can use affiliate programs to optimize your income from sites you already have.

No need to become an expert copywriter

Many of the tools you need will be provided for you. The minimum you will be provided with is sales materials such as banner ads and product benefits.  Some affiliates are provided with sales copy, Tweets to post on Twitter, autoresponder emails, sales letters, blog posts, and  even website templates.

Save time and money on operating costs

Affiliate marketers have low overheads. By purely promoting someone else’s product rather than creating your own, you have no inventory to look after, no orders to process, and no customer service function to provide.

Passive income

One of the most enticing benefits of affiliate marketing is that you can earn passive income. This means you stop trading hours for dollars. You can review a product once, place the review on your website, and that review can potentially make you money over and over again. This is passive income and affiliate marketing is one of the best businesses to get into for anyone who likes the idea of passive income.

Flexibility

With affiliate marketing, you can work as little or as much as you’d like – you get back what you put into it. This means that your earnings aren’t limited. If you simply want to work a few hours a week and build a business that gives you extra spending money then you can do so. If you want to work a little more and build a long-term business that gives you complete financial freedom then you can do that as well.

There’s no denying that affiliate marketing offers many benefits!

The best part of affiliate marketing is that you can fit it into just about any niche or topic you’re interested in. If your passion is pets for example, you can create an affiliate website about pets and caring for pets. You can then earn money promoting products that pet owners want.

There’s something very appealing about making money doing something you’re passionate about.

See you for Part 3!

Babies are soft and sweet and gentle, wouldn’t you agree?

But sometimes they can be doggone loud!

Those are the moments they will instantly and effectively grab your attention, awaken you from a sound sleep, call you away from the dinner table, or even cut your shower super short.

What can you learn from babies that will help you market your business online?

Babies are great at taking center stage, tooting their own horns, and getting someone to take action. And that’s exactly what you need to do as an online marketer in order to reach your business goals.

Pardon the pun, but you can’t take “baby steps” and be shy about it. Many solo professionals I’ve met would rather do a root canal on a Rottweiler than promote themselves. They’re afraid of coming across as sales-y and no one likes a pain-in-the-patootie sales person.

I’m not suggesting you annoy your target market by pitching, pouncing, prodding, and pestering (loud and obnoxious never wins any awards). Instead, learn how to become an expert at Bragging — the right way.

Your clients and potential clients want to work with a winner, someone who is skilled at alleviating their pain and solving their problems. They want you to brag and they want to brag about you.

Ask yourself these questions as you put together your marketing messages: “Why would someone want to hire YOU? What are your strongest selling points that set you apart and make you stand out? If someone were to brag about you, what would they say?”

Friend and colleague, Cathy Goodwin of Copy Cat Copywriting, has an mp3 recording and 25-page workbook called Bragging101 for under twenty dollars that is a phenomenal tool that teaches you how to market confidently without sounding like a used car salesman. I use it in my own business and refer back to it often. If you have a fear of bragging, check it out.

If your current marketing strategy and self-promotion resembles that of a sleeping baby, it’s time to wake it up!

What ticks you off?

What makes you want to IMPLODE and EXPLODE at the same time?

Things that bother me

Drivers who don’t use turn signals when changing lanes on the highway, especially when they pull right in front of me and leave about a hair’s width between my front bumper and their rear bumper.

Drawers left open.  I don’t get it.

People who are in the #1 position at a stoplight who don’t GO when it turns green.  They’re probably texting.

Getting slammed in the backs of my ankles with a shopping cart in line at the grocery store.  I’ve found that hungry people can be very impatient.

Broken promises.

Automated phone prompts and mechanical messages on customer service lines.  I may be the exception, but I prefer to converse with human beings.

Note: These are some things that “bother” me, but don’t necessarily make me angry.  Now on to my next list …

Things that make me angry

People who work very hard at their jobs and struggle to pay their bills.

Children left in day care centers and after-school programs because their parents have to work.

Companies who don’t provide benefits to their employees because they can get away with it.

People who are paid far less than what they’re worth.

Dreams and desires that are not being fulfilled.

Passions in life that are being ignored or put on hold for “some day” – which, of course, isn’t on the calendar.

Single parents who miss out on their children’s school activities, plays, performances, and sporting events because they’re the sole bread winners and can’t attend.

A lot of other things make me really angry, too – situations and circumstances that stand in the way of people designing a comfortable and enjoyable life for themselves.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of working my fingers to the bone to make the company and the boss rich.

It’s my turn.  And it’s your turn, too!

Prefer to listen to this post?

Do you think you could you sell a bathing suit to a fish?

Fish spend all their time in water and do a lot of swimming, right?!

And how about selling shoes to a dog?

Dogs have four feet and do a lot of walking, right?!

But fish don’t need bathing suits and dogs don’t need shoes.

Fish might want a larger aquarium to swim around in, additional fish in the tank to keep them company, or some new exotic fish food to sample.

And dogs might want some doggie treats, a new toy, or a nice comfy bed for all those naps they seem to enjoy every day.

As a small business owner and online marketer, it’s much more savvy to sell people what they WANT, not what they need!

Let’s say you’re an artsy-craftsy kind of person and you’re in the business of sculpting figurines in the shape of cats.

Instead of marketing and promoting your cat sculptures in newspapers, trade publications for artists, or art-related venues online …

Find out where cat lovers hang out and share your expertise! Look for them in forums, groups, on Twitter, or research cat-loving blogs and articles.

Tell cat lovers why you chose this art form, why cats inspire you, what motivates you as an artist, your favorite kinds of cats, big sculpting boo-boos you’ve made along the way, etc.

Cat lovers certainly don’t NEED a cat sculpture, but they sure might WANT one!

Do you see the difference here?  Can you think of some ways you might change your marketing efforts and strategies to get better results and enjoy greater success?

Nothing spells disaster faster than not having the right tools to market your business – especially if you are trying to market on a shoestring budget.

This is a sequel to a recent post on the Solo Mompreneur blog entitled, “What’s Your Business Building Cast Iron Skillet?”

I’m writing this because Bobbye, Martha, and Heather asked. These are three exceptionally talented bloggers and small business owners I met through joining a 30-day blogging challenge.  (Be sure to click their names and check out their amazing talents!)

These three lovely ladies asked me to share the tools I use to market my business – my “Cast Iron Skillets”.

So here’s what I use to cook up some tasty marketing messages and spread the word about my business:

Free Headline Analyzer: I love this tool and consider it a must-have.  It measures the “emotional marketing value” of your words.  It’s great for crafting blog post titles, landing page & sales page bullet points, and article headlines.  And it’s fun to use!

Social Oomph: This is the best time-saving tool in my arsenal.  I use it to preschedule Twitter updates – a day or two or three in advance!  So when I am away from my computer or working on other projects, my Tweets will automatically show up in my Twitter stream at specified times throughout the day.

Ping.fm: With one click of my mouse, I can send out a post/message to ALL of my networks at once!  I’m currently subscribed to 15 different networks.  It’s another time-saver and a real convenience.

Survey Monkey: I really like this free easy-to-navigate platform for creating surveys and polls.  Google Docs are also a great choice.

Audio Acrobat: I have lots of fun recording Audio Notes here to send out to my list, publish in my ezine, or post on social networking sites.  They have some really cool templates, too.

My Marketing Cornerstone: This is a series of OUTSTANDING webinars and accompanying workbooks created by my mentor and colleague, Jessica Swanson.  I return to this information again and again!!  This $97 bootcamp took me from ZERO success to targeted subscribers and sales!

To search for other bloggers in my niche and to keep up-to-date on what people in my niche are talking about, I use:

1) Icerocket

2) Blogpulse

3) Technorati

So there you have it – My business building Cast Iron Skillets!

Get a cast iron skillet.  Your grandchildren will fight over it when you’re dead.

The whole time I was growing up, my dad did all the cooking.  Well, except for Sundays when he left my mom in charge (we usually ate hot dogs or pizza on Sundays).

My dad’s favorite frying pan was a cast iron skillet. We had all kinds of pots and pans, but he always reached for that one.  He said it was perfectly and divinely “seasoned”.   Just about every cooking lesson he ever gave me involved the use of that cherished utensil.

I’ll have to admit – EVERYTHING cooked in that skillet turned out great (not to mention “delicious”).

And by the way, don’t ever wash a cast iron skillet. I got caught once as I was about to immerse that little treasured gem into a sink full of soapy water.  I can still picture my dad leaping up from his spot at the kitchen table and grabbing my wrist right before the big “dunk”.

You would have thought I was about to soak his prize hunting rifle! What did I know?!  All the other dishes got washed.

Dad told me I was about to RUIN his favorite skillet forever.  All you’re supposed to do for proper maintenance, apparently, is wipe it out with a paper towel or cloth after each use.  Go figure.

So by now you’re wondering, what does a cast iron skillet have to do with online marketing and growing your business?

My dad’s EXPERTISE was cooking and he used the very BEST TOOLS for getting desired results.

What’s your business-building “cast iron skillet”?

The corporate culture at Zappos has evolved over the years to create a WOW customer experience.  That experience is due, in large part, to the Henderson, Nevada staff who refer to themselves as Zapponians.

Zappos is a happy place to work!

See for yourself!  Check out this one-minute video of “Life At Zappos”.

Each team’s area is decorated differently from fantasy themes, to jungle themes, and other creative environments.  Almost every employee has their own cubicle, including CEO Tony Hsieh.  No big fancy office for the Chief.

They have a “nap room” and in the lunch room, there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

In the front office, there appears to be a mini book store – Personal Development books, maybe about forty different titles, line the shelves.  It’s not a Lending Library.  It’s a “Giving” Library. If someone sees a book they like, they’re welcome to take it – that includes employees and visitors!  CEO Tony has a new book coming out in June, 2010, called Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.

By the way, my daughter, Morgan, is attending “doctor” school in Henderson, NV.  I’m going to give her a call and tell her to get her fanny over to Zappos and take the tour!  When you’re studying to become a physician, you don’t get to have a lot of fun.

As a small business owner and online marketer, are you creating and incorporating a fun factor into your business?

What are you doing or could you be doing to create a WOW experience for your customers and clients?

Let’s not let Zappos have all the fun!

I was reading the Viva Visibility Blog from Nancy Marmolejo this past week and she suggested a really intriguing 20-minute exercise for online marketers to create “teachable moments” for your target audience.

It’s very simple.  Actually, it’s fun!  Just look around your immediate environment and see what objects, knickknacks, or items you discover that you could transform into good marketing tips or lessons for prospects, subscribers, or colleagues in your niche.

This is what I took notice of on my desk that I can transform into teachable moments:

1) Large ceramic mug overflowing with pencils, pens, markers, etc.  I don’t use or need half of these writing implements.

Teachable moment: Clean up your act, get organized, and declutter your office space for better concentration and less distraction.

2) Intricately designed wrought iron napkin holder.  I use this to hold my mail.

Teachable moment: “Recycle” your posts, articles, podcasts, teleseminars, videos, etc. into info products or programs you can sell.

3) Hat box that’s imprinted with pictures of beach-y and exotic vacation locales.  I keep business cards, postage stamps, my calculator, etc. in this box.

Teachable moment: Rest and relaxation, a much needed break, or even a vacation from work is essential for your well being and your success as an independent business owner.

Getting the idea?  Now look around your home, office, or even your back porch and see what you can use as teachable moments.

Have some fun with this exercise!

We’re about to celebrate the halfway point in the 30-Day Blogging Challenge, hosted by Connie Ragen Green.

Connie is best known for her “5-Pronged Approach to Online Writing Success.” She came online back in 2005 and struggled her first year.  She doesn’t want others to lose ANY time in getting started.  Connie is an expert at teaching list building strategies through blogging, article marketing, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, and teleseminars.

I missed the last opportunity to get on board with the blogging challenge and I knew I missed out on something spectacular.  So I jumped in this time with all the vim and vigor I could muster up!

Since this was my first time participating in the challenge, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I did know, however, that if Connie was leading the way … it had to be fun and I had to be a part of it.

Good decision!  This event has helped me to become better disciplined at writing, greatly improve my skills, and help me to tap deeply into my creativity reserves.

All of the 30-day blogging challenge entrants have been bloggin’ their little hearts out.  And they’re some of the most fascinating people you’ll ever meet!

Wishing everyone magical and meaningful 30-day blogging challenge experiences, memories, and lasting friendships.

No, not the rain gutter on your house or the gutter at your local bowling alley!

I’m talking about the gutter/s on your website or blog – the left and/or right hand columns that flank your content.

What items with juicy benefits are you positioning in this prime time piece of real estate? Or are you ignoring this space or maybe just throwing any old stuff in your gutter you happen to have the html code for?

I constantly hear online marketers comment that buttons, badges, and banners in the gutter are insignificant and ineffective.  I don’t go along with that train of thought.  Whenever I land on a site, my eyes will definitely scan down the gutters and see if anything pops out at me.

I’ve met the neatest people, found the coolest resources, and grabbed a number of dynamite freebies by taking a few minutes to see what’s in someone’s gutter.

Take a few minutes today and take inventory of your gutter.  Maybe it’s time to do a little gutter clean up!