I want to get started in affiliate marketing. Where should I start?

[KaloVast]

Hello! I have some domains I'd like to use for affiliate marketing and I'm looking for a little guidance with regard to... WHERE do I begin?

I am skilled in design, graphics, ecommerce, search marketing and content writing. I have been building my site but I feel a little, I don't know, lost. With all of the other areas I have lists of people I follow on twitter, or bookmarked web pages for specific things I find that I do commonly. I'm in the dark with Affiliate Marketing and I'm looking for a little general info.

Which websites or industry professionals should I be aware of? Is there any kind of core of affiliate marketing that exists out there? In this industry it seems very difficult to tell between what's legit, quality info and what is inevitably trying to sell me something and wasting huge amounts of my time.

Any thoughts?

[skibum]

One of the first thing to do might be to check out the major affiliate networks. CJ, Linkshare, and ShareASale are three you may want to start with. You'll find merchants in lots of different verticals that may match your website. There are tons of other networks so if you search for affiliate networks, CPA networks or something similar you'll probably find lots of other potential networks to work with that may have merchants to match your website.

[KaloVast]

Thanks for the response, I'm honestly kind of surprised that you were the only one so far.

I've been a member with CJ & a couple others for over a year now. I guess I'm having specific difficulties locating any meaningful websites geared toward helping affiliate marketers. Seems like everything I find ends up being a pitch to sell me something.

Any industry professionals you can name drop that might point me in the right direction?

[martinibuster]

Are you asking how to get started in affiliate marketing, as the title of your discussion indicates, or are you asking what blogs/ebooks/forums to go to?

[KaloVast]

Thanks for the response martini. I'm asking specifically about blogs & forums I should be regularly visiting as a resource. I'm familiar with how to get started. The 2nd paragraph of my initial post is where most of my concern lies at this point. It's very difficult splitting the nonsense from legitimate info re affiliate marketing!

[martinibuster]

WebmasterWorld does not encourage the promotion of other blogs. As far as other forums, there are others out there and they're easy to find using your favorite search engine.

Best,

mb

[Egon]

@ Well moderator martinibuster, that's a warm welcome to a valuable member :- ). I guess most of us use several fora, blogs, etc. So, my opinion is that there's nothing to worry about when members give each other advice on what fora they use. I guess your moderating intervention could even cause the opposite of what you would like to achieve: it could scare people away from 'your' forum.

good luck