Today, I’d like to “bust” an affiliate marketing myth that’s been making the rounds since… well, since affiliate marketing started.

It goes something like this…

To be successful as an affiliate, just join any affiliate program, slap their banner ads onto a basic Web page - and presto, you’ve got an instant Web business that will make you money hand over fist!

For the record, yes, you can make a lot of money by marketing other peoples’ products on the Internet… but no, affiliate marketing is not a shortcut to instant wealth.

As with any other online business, building a successful affiliate site still requires research, planning, and - here’s that four-letter word I keep insisting on using -work.

It’s like building a house. The more solid the foundation is, the more stable the entire structure will be. So if you’re thinking of starting your own Internet business promoting affiliate products, here are four strategies you must follow to guarantee you’ll earn the maximum amount of commissions…

Strategy #1: Start by finding a niche market.

I’ve probably said this a million times, and I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face… Do not get started by choosing the affiliate program you want to join.

Most people who start affiliate sites make the mistake of first picking the products they want to promote, because:

• They look like they’ll be fun to sell.

• They think people will want them.

• They offer the highest commissions.

• They assume the products must be profitable, because so many other people are promoting them.

Trust me, you won’t be doing yourself any favors. You’ll end up working around the clock trying to drive qualified traffic to the site… and failing miserably. (And you’ll likely drop a hefty chunk of change on pay-per-click ads in the process.)

So do your niche market research first…

• What are your interests?

• Within your areas of interest, what kinds of problems are people going online to try to solve?

• Which of these problems seem to be neglected by most of the sites out there?

Identify a group of people who are desperately trying to find something online without success - and then offer them that something. They’ll snap it up.

Strategy #2: Make sure your products are relevant and related.

Nothing frustrates me more than seeing all of those affiliate sites out there with banner ads promoting everything from cheap holiday travel to pet health insurance to steak knives to Internet marketing tips… all from the same page!

I call them “flea market” sites, and they’re a complete waste of time.

Make sure that any products you promote are closely related to your niche, and closely related to each other. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to find qualified traffic for your site, and you’ll have a heck of a time writing copy that directly relates to your visitors’ needs.

Even worse, you’ll risk hurting your credibility. Because rather than looking like someone who has the interests of your visitors in mind, and really wants to help, you’ll look like someone who is out to sell anything to make a buck.

Strategy #3: Build a strong opt-in list, then establish lasting relationships with your subscribers.

When you’re an affiliate marketer, e-mail plays a big role in your ongoing promotion efforts. So make sure you start with a strong opt-in offer containing truly useful free information that’s relevant to your visitors. Then, over time, continue to send your opt-in list even more free information.

The more you can prove to your subscribers that you’re a reliable source of usefulinformation… the more you can train them to look forward to hearing from you… the more successful you’ll be.

Not only will you build a rapport with your subscribers, you’ll establish yourself as an expert in your field, making it easy for you to recommend your products. Which brings us to my final affiliate strategy…

Strategy #4: Personally recommend your products for maximum conversions.

If you were in the market for a new television, would you be more inclined to purchase a particular model because you saw an ad for it on TV… or because a friend that you trust recommended it?

You’d likely go with the recommendation, right?

That’s what most people would do… which is why plunking down a bunch of affiliate banners or links in a website, and then hoping that someone - anyone - will decide to click on them, is not going to make sales.

Remember, you’ve been building relationships with your customers through e-mail marketing. They trust you. They view you as an expert. So now they’re open to your opinion.

Take advantage of that to tell them about the products they should consider purchasing… and why they should own them. They’ll actually appreciate the recommendations - and, as a result, your conversion rates will soar!

While affiliate marketing isn’t the “magic bullet” that will let you enjoy instant success online, it is possible to earn substantial profits promoting other peoples’ products… if you do this:

Start by clearly defining your market. Then build an information-rich website that your audience will want to visit. Be sure to include only products that arerelevant, and take advantage of your site to build your credibility and establish yourself as an expert.

At the same time, build a large list of qualified subscribers, and take advantage of e-mail marketing to both build lasting relationships and promote your products.

With the right planning and research - and a reasonable amount of effort - you’ll be well on your way to a successful website recommending affiliate products.

[Ed. Note: If you're looking for freedom and income, you can't do much better than starting your own business. Internet marketing expert Derek Gehl has helped thousands of people grow online businesses that generate $100,000 a year - and often much more! Learn how you can start a "hands-free" Internet business right here.

You CAN start an Internet business - or accomplish any goal you set for yourself. And with expert advice and goal-setting strategies, achieving your dreams can take as little as 15 minutes a day.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Getting to the top of a search engine results page is a never-ending quest for Internet business owners. But guess what? I’ve found that banging out a few short articles - on a subject I already know - has a powerful effect on the amount of traffic my websites get. And you can harness this power for yourself by following a few simple guidelines.

You may be wondering how much a little article can REALLY do for search engine rankings. Well… more than you would think. For instance, as I’m writing this, the keyword phrase “sell a reality show” brings up three links on Google to articles I’ve written and posted on article-publishing sites. And those three links are all in the top-10 organic search results. (Remember, unlike pay-per-click advertising, you don’t pay anything to be in organic search results.)

Since most people don’t look past the first few pages of organic results, this is a major coup.

When a person clicks on one of those links, they find my article and a link to the website where I market my course on how to sell a reality show to Hollywood. Those highly ranked articles have attracted more than 10,000 visitors to this site.

If you’re interested in getting free traffic to your website, publishing articles is one of the best and easiest ways to do it. (You have to admit that the results I just mentioned are pretty impressive.) And I’ve discovered a few “rules” that will help you achieve maximum success.

Rule #1: Post your articles on high-traffic sites where they’re likely to get read.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites that allow you to post articles. I’ve tried at least 20 of them - and not all have gotten me a significant number of reads. (Most article-publishing sites have tracking tools so you know how many people are reading your article and clicking through to your link.)

To improve your chances, search for the keyword or keyword phrase you want your article to rank for. If an article-publishing site comes up when you plug in that term, your article will likely come up too when you post it there. I also now check the volume of articles on the website, the quality of articles posted on it, and whether the site seems to be well established. (My postings that got few reads have been with new sites.)

The three article-submission sites I’ve had the most success with - achieving high rankings for specific keywords - are Wikihow.com, Howtodothings.com, and Ezinearticles.com. But there are many others - so do some digging before you start posting.

Rule #2: Understand the way the site works.

When I first posted on Wikihow, I included a link to my website in the body of the copy. I was bombarded by angry e-mails from people who felt that this was too commercial for the site - and it was. One reader moved my link to the resource part of the page, which is where it belonged. And since then, everything has been fine.

With Wikihow, other people can edit your articles. Maybe that’s okay with you, but if you’re going to post on this site, it’s something you should be aware of.

There are things you need to be aware of with any article-submission site. Many require you to customize your article to fit a certain style. Some, for instance, want you to write your advice as steps that the reader should take. There might be a section for warnings or suggestions. Or a specific way to insert the link to your site.

Because there are so many differences in the way these sites work, I don’t recommend using any kind of software that will supposedly post your articles to hundreds of them. Each submission has to be done individually and properly.

Rule #3: Make sure your content is good.

Telling you to “make sure your content is good” may sound obvious - but it’s important. Most article-publishing websites allow readers to post comments. And the more positive comments your article gets, the more likely it is that other readers will want to read it. On the other hand, if your article doesn’t include much good, specific, useful information, it will probably get bad ratings and/or reviews. Even worse, an article with no real substance won’t convince readers that you know your stuff… and they won’t be inclined to visit your site.

Unfortunately, there are some people out there who seem to get a kick out of being super-critical, so even a good article can get a handful of negative reviews. Don’t let it bother you. If the quality is there, other readers will come to your defense.

By the way, you don’t have to be a talented writer to write articles that will get the attention you’re looking for. If you’re stuck for an idea, try this one from David Cross: Interview an expert in your field - maybe even yourself. In my experience, the interview format never fails to produce great content.

While there are many effective ways to market online, the ones I’m interested in are those that cost little to nothing. Posting articles on popular article-submission sites has gotten me plenty of free exposure - and some amazing results in terms of organic search engine rankings on Google.

Try it!

[Ed. Note: Marketing your business online doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor. In fact, starting an online business is one of the most inexpensive ways to create your own fortune. This fall, you can get 12 insider secrets to making millions online - and could be making $1.2 million or more in 2009.

Paul Lawrence is an expert on entrepreneurship. For dozens of business-savvy techniques and strategies that you won't find in any business-college textbook, check out Paul's Street Smart Business Program. For dozens of "no-nonsense" tactics for the small-business entrepreneur, click here. ]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.