What do McDonald’s, Quiznos, and Harley Davidson have in common? These companies all sell franchises to their business. That means a portion of the owner’s revenue goes back to the parent company for each sale that’s made. They’re affiliated with the parent company.
That’s why it amazes me when I hear statements online like “I wouldn’t buy from him, he’s an affiliate” or “The only link is an affiliate link and I don’t want to buy using that” — all said like they’re trying to spit dirt out of their mouths. I truly don’t get it.
About Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a business strategy. It’s no different than what we do every day as we go about operating our businesses. Sure, I understand that a few affiliates can be a little pushy, but that can be the case with someone who’s not an affiliate, too.
The truth is — using affiliates to help sell your products is a good idea. You can’t be everywhere at once, and affiliate marketers are a ready-made sales force — except you don’t have payroll costs.
The bottom line for me is that I love to see a small business owner get a commission for recommending a good tool that I can use. After all, the responsibility for deciding to purchase is still on my shoulders, whether I’ve gone to a site via a direct or affiliate link.
Affiliate marketing is a good way to add passive income streams to your bottom line. If you think that’s a good idea for your business, hop on over and pick up a copy of my free passive income guide to find out if it will work for you.