How do I get started with affiliate marketing?

This is, of course, the proverbial $64,000 question!

Here's what I'd suggest you do:

First, sign up to join Commission Junction as a publisher then dig around in their affiliate programs, paying particular attention to the payout numbers and ratings that CJ presents: they pay close attention to the best affiliate programs to help answer the exact question you asked.

Then, click over to Revenue Magazine, the publication of record for the affiliate community. You can also subscribe via Amazon, if you'd prefer using that service (and yes, that's an affiliate link. Amazon has a huge affiliate program that's well worth exploring).

I also strongly suggest that you need to check out the Affiliate Summit: the next conference is going to be July in Orlando, Florida, though registration isn't yet open. It's really the best way to meet all of the top affiliate marketing people - from both sides of the equation - face to face, and there's no better way to jump-start in this space than talking to this community. I'm planning on attending!

Shawn Collins, who runs the Affiliate Summits, also has a smart weblog that you should be reading: Affiliate Tip.com.

And don't forget to set yourself up in the world of online business too, and there's no better way to do that than to pick up a copy of my popular book Growing Your Business with Google.

Good luck to you!

Useful additional reading:

  •   The Future of Sales? Affiliate Marketing.