Affiliate Marketing Companies

Affiliate marketing is a marketing model in which a business compensates third-parties to generate leads or traffic to its products and services for free. The third party publishers are usually affiliates, and the payment they receive incentivizes them to seek ways to advertise the business. The affiliate does not have a product or service of his own and does not produce or deliver a product. He is only an agent who acts as a channel between a consumer and a merchant.

Affiliate marketing has played a major role in generating leads for both small businesses and large conglomerates. Smaller companies rely on affiliate marketing companies to spread the word about their product and encourage people to purchase it. Larger companies often compensate affiliate marketers for generating leads. Affiliate networks and social proof are the key factors behind the success of affiliate marketing. These two factors are essential to the success of this strategy.

A small business can benefit greatly from an affiliate marketing network, because the network gives them access to thousands of other small businesses. This increase in potential prospects allows the small business owner to expand market reach and develop loyal customers. The existence of affiliate programs that work across industries provides another crucial advantage for the small business owner. This gives the small business owner an opportunity to penetrate markets that other large corporations have ignored or that are not profitable. The existence of a good affiliate program can give a small business owner a competitive advantage.

The second key factor behind affiliate marketing is the creation of residual commissions. These commissions are earned once consumers or visitors to the merchant's site to make a purchase. Merchants pay commissions based on the earnings generated by sales referred to and advertised through the affiliate. The amount of commissions paid is dependent on a number of factors including the difficulty of the product, the popularity of the product, the quality of the product and traffic generated by the affiliate marketing campaign.

Many affiliate marketing programs exist today with varying commission structures. Some companies provide a fixed commission rate, while others offer a residual commission rate. Other companies offer a monthly commission rate that is paid on a set schedule. The most popular method of payment among companies is the pay plan method. Other companies have advertising campaigns that feature discounts and other promotional opportunities that reward consumers for their referrals.

Affiliate networks create a win-win situation for both business models; the merchant and the affiliate marketer. Because the affiliate marketer doesn't have to pay a commission upfront, there is no upfront cost to the affiliate marketer either. There is no capital investment necessary from either the merchant or the affiliate marketer. This makes the affiliate marketing works quite attractive to new entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Because affiliate marketing has a proven system that works, the affiliate marketing program is set up to make money in a consistent manner. A system in place that is dependable and will continue to make money is something that everyone is attracted to. Most people want to know that if they choose a particular business model or advertising campaign that they can rely on to make money time again. They don't want to take the chance and invest a great deal of money only to have that investment lose its profit margin along the way.

A successful affiliate marketing program offers affiliates the opportunity to earn a fixed rate that continues as long as the relationship between the affiliate and the advertiser exists. This offers affiliates the opportunity to build a relationship with a specific company and then offer them promotions and specials that will continue to benefit them long after the original referral has sold the product or service. This kind of business model is very different from the pay-per-click model, where the pay-per-click campaign results in the advertisers only paying the host site if their advertisements are clicked on. Because the affiliate marketing program offers advertisers a predictable commission based on a predetermined rate, there is a strong incentive for them to continue to work with the third-parties.