You’re making some money online but are not quite where you want to be yet. Neither am I, but guess what I’ve done. I’ve decided to align myself with those who ARE where I want to be. Join me and take the next step, follow those who are now where you want to be tomorrow.

My research has unearthed the following sites as the best for bringing you to the next level with your web properties and online marketing projects. Join one of them today!

1. Warrior Forum – this forum is a power house of information and a hot bed of networking opportunities. Looking for a JV partner? Register and become a contributing member, then begin your search for a suitable joint venture partner here. Everyone from PPC marketers to WordPress bloggers and seasoned online marketers reside at the Warrior Forum. $30 To Join, Then $19 for Each Special Offer. A+++

2. Self Starters Weekly Tips – this forum is run by long time affiliate marketer Lynn Terry and is aimed at those who run affiliate sites. Lynn is herself a super affiliate who has been successfully earning an online income since 1997, and this forum is very active with both newbies and experienced marketers. My favorite part about SSWT is the weekly live webinars where we get to discuss our web properties and affiliate marketing strategies with her and with each other. Lynn does a good job of keeping everyone on their toe’s and constantly working toward our goals. $27 per month. A++++ [PROUD MEMBER & AFFILIATE OF SSWT]

3. Digital Point – popular among those who are new to the online marketing space, DP is free is to join but don’t let the low cost fool you. This is a top notch online money making forum. My favorite area of the Digital Point Forum are the BUY/ SELL/ TRADE section, which is a fantastic marketplace for low priced services, such as articles, design, site development, etc. This is where I secure low cost blog headers each month from several designers who charge a flat rate per banner. Excellent destination for discounted online marketing services and goods. FREE (with optional upgrade) A++

4. Problogger – if you’re a blogger you’ve heard of this forum, as it’s run by Darren Rowse. This one is aimed at those who are new in the blogging space and for networking with other blog owners. Not as active as it was when first opened, but still a viable option if you seek guidance for your blog. It’s moderated by several members and although Darren never (or hardly ever) makes an appearance, it’s a good solid community for those who manage a blog. $5.95 a month. A++

5. Sitepoint – multi purpose forum aimed at website designers, blog owners, site flippers, online marketers and more. Established and very active, this forum is an excellent choice for you if you’re into making money with your website design and development skills. A must join for the CSS and PHP crowd! FREE A+++

6. Wicked Fire – kick butt attitude permeates this online money making community. It’s focus is internet marketing and its audience is hell raisers who take no prisoners. Maybe I am in over kill mode, but this (super active) forum is rock ‘n roll, plain and simple. FREE A+++

7. A Best Web – probably the most established on my list and very well connected. This forum is frequented by a lot of big hitters in the affiliate marketing space including network managers and seasoned affiliate managers. A good bet if you seek to network with industry experts or need contacts in the AM niche. FREE A+++

READER QUESTION

Which one of these forums are you already a member of and what has been your biggest benefit since joining? Share with me below in the comment area.

Tweet

There is loads of information on the web on the topic of affiliate marketing, but if you’re a blogger, the five tips below are all you need to know to get started.

If you’re a blogger and want to know how to best use affiliate marketing on your blog, read what i’ve written below, then go practice it. If you disagree with me, feel free to comment after the article.

1. Find a good affiliate network – First you need to find a good affiliate network and not good as in popular or big, but one that suits you, your niche, and your site. You will need to spend some time doing research on this, i would point you in the direction of Shawn Collins and his affiliate tips blog for a good primer on general affiliate marketing. Then i would like you to visit the directory of affiliate programs, and find one (or two) that are in your niche. Don’t pick too many, as this will overwhelm you, like it did me. Stick with just a core few.

2. Use a relevant merchant - Once you have found a suitable affiliate network, now search for a suitable merchant within the network. Look at things like banners and links available, when do they pay, how do they pay, are they somewhat established, and don’t forget to see what sort of support system they have in place. Do they have a blog, phone number, email, forum, etc? Are they easy to reach if you have questions or problems? Find an affiliate network that works for you, then work on generating revenue.

3. Write killer (affiliate product) articles on your blog – One of the best methods to generate revenue in affiliate marketing from a blog, is to write good articles on the blog. Incorporate some affiliate products into the article, just make sure the products are RELEVANT to your readers and your niche.

4. Promote that article – After you’ve written your killer article with a few affiliate products incorporated, make sure to promote the article. Tell your blogger friends about it, submit to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Then submit the article to social bookmarking sites like Stumble Upon and Digg to garner some possible traffic and or backlinks. Also don’t underestimate the value of blog carnivals, these are fantastic for generating links back to your blog.

5. Rinse and repeat - Now do steps 1 through 4 about once a week or so. The frequency will be dictated by your posting schedule. If you post 3 times a day, then obviously you can do more. But if you post once a week, affiliate marketing articles should be less frequently. Keep a good balance, do not annoy your readers and visitors.

The most important thing to remember in affiliate marketing is that you need to have a foundation in place first. Since this article is directed at bloggers, the foundation in your case, would be your awesome blog. Establish yourself as knowledgeable in your niche. Not an expert, but knowledgeable and resourceful.

I’m not an expert by any means, but i relate my knowledge and my resources from experience. I’ve been blogging since April 2007 and have become quite savvy on the subject. i hope you have enjoyed this article and learned a thing or two.

Have Questions?

Do let me know any questions you have or general comments on the subject of affiliate marketing as it relates to bloggers.

Tweet

As you may know by now, the big G has completed its quarterly update, and as usual, caused a tidal wave of discussion and uproar.

photo credit: Yodel Anecdotal

Several of my fellow blogger friends, wrote a post on their blog, with their comments and thoughts on the infamous pagerank update. There was the fat cupcake eater or is it the kid who eats fat cupcakes, who wrote on his rise to PR 3 in 7 weeks. Then there was the British bloke who has an affiliate blog, but rarely writes on affiliate marketing, who got his cherry popped with a PR 2.

Then there is the crazy American who can sell ice (and ebooks) to (blind) eskimos, who came in with a respectable PR 2. And how can i forget the site flipper cum laude, SuiteJ, who flipped his first blog in record time, and made an impressive profit. Well done, Jay.

As for me (with my army of blogs), some went down from a PR 2 to PR 1. One shot up to a PR 3, and two others stayed at PR 2. So quite a mixed bag. Oh! and this one, my network blog, stayed at PR 3. Final shout out goes to the most prolific blogger i know, no, not Darren Rowse, but Max from Zedomax.

The guy is a blogging machine. Take a look here, here, here, and here.

Why did G34 Media Stay At PR 3?

It is my belief that G34 Media stayed at PR 3, because i didn’t actively seek out backlinks. Plus this past quarter i didn’t write much on it, so in turn not many link opportunities were availed of. As you know pagerank is all about (quantity and quality) of backlinks.

Anyways, that is my theory.

What Are Your Goals For The October 2008 PR Update?

My goals for the next rank update include:

• writing more valuable articles
• having bi-weekly contests
• actively seek out backlink opportunities via various methods
• and basically just step it up a notch.

My overall (short and long term goals) revolve around making and sustaining an online income of around $3000 a month.

Currently my MMO projects include:

Blogging

Freelance Writing

Domains

Site Flipping

Via the 4 MMO projects mentioned above, i will take stock in December 2008, and see where im at. Am i meeting, exceeding, or not making my goals? We will see, and as usual i will provide regular updates here, so you can follow along.

Reader Question

How did you do with this last rank update? Did you learn anything on this PR update? And what are some of your overall goals for years end? Share below.

Tweet

For July 2008, affiliate marketing network Pepperjam Network, has exciting news.

I joined Pepperjam recently, and one of the things i like about this network, is the accessibility factor. You can easily reach the staff (heck even the CEO, Kris Jones) via multiple communication channels, including: IM, email, (and my personal fave) their company blog.

They have a slew of solid merchants, including: eBay, Webmaster Radio, Text Link Ads (boo! to that one), SEOMoz, PlayBoy Store, and others. eBay is a great money maker. If you’re a blogger and have yet to try and make money with the eBay affiliate program, now is a great time to join Pepperjam and do so. The (exciting news) i mentioned above is that for the month of July, Pepperjam is offering NEW! incentives.

NEW! Incentives from Pepperjam Network

1. )The lead payout has increased to a generous $7. So every blogger you refer to the program (*and gets approved) nets you a $7 referral commission

2.) Spread the word on your blog, (like i have), and earn an easy $10

3.) Join the network, receive a $10 sign on bonus

Pepperjam is an up and coming affiliate marketing network that is growing leaps and bounds. They were recently featured on a report by Marketing Sherpa, which highlights the leaps and the bounds.

Once you have reached $25 in commissions, PepperJam pays you promptly via Paypal. Ready to join? Click the banner below, and sign up today to make money via your site or blog!

Tweet