Affiliate Marketing: Staying Away From Scams

Many of us are upset and frustrated with our current jobs.
The low pay and sense of being undervalued drive many of
us to dream of our own businesses. However, the costs
combines with the risk factors stops most of us in our tracks.
Affiliate marketing is a way for people to work for themselves
with no risk. There is no cost to you and you’re paid on
performance. However, today one has to be careful. There are
plenty of scammers and con artists out there that are more
than happy to take you money and hard work off of you.
Unfortunately, affiliate marketing is not immune to these
scammers. Daily, people are taken in by promises of big
money with relatively little effort. In this article we will
teach you some of the signs to look for and tell you how to
spot a scam.

When you join an affiliate marketing scheme, you either going
to sell a product or a service. With products, you usually have
a choice and range to sell. How you decide to do this is largely
up to you. You could also sell a service. Web page designs as
well as increasing sales and Internet traffic are all examples
of services offered by affiliate marketing programs.

How many times have you seen as ad on the internet promising
huge earnings? Things like "Earn 1000$ a day" or Join our
program now and become a millionaire. If your look closely at
these ads they are not actually selling anything. Any company
that is just selling the opportunity to make money is likely a
scam. True, some affiliate marketing companies will have
attention grabbing headlines like the ones mentioned above.
However, if you go on to read the ad and information, there
will likely be a detailed description of what they company sells.
They will also have a disclaimer and terms and conditions listed.

These companies that offer, the opportunity to make money
are likely pyramid schemes. The only people paying money in
are the ones actually joining. There is no income being created,
just money being passed from person to person. Not only are
these scams and you’ll loose what you invested, they are also
illegal and you can face prosecution.

Another thing to watch out for is no free participation. If you
have to pay to join then you may have stumbled upon a scam
or what is known as a multilevel marketing program.
multi-level marketing programs are completely legal and
some people make good livings out of them. However, if you’re
not successful you may end up purchasing a bunch of products
that you cannot sell.

True affiliate programs are free. That is part of their attraction.
There are no costs to you and they should also be risk free.
Any Affiliate marketing programs that demands your money is
not an affiliate program. You should ask yourself why they are
misrepresenting themselves this way if they are legitimate.

Many of us dream of being our own bosses. We would love to be
able to take control of our lives and careers. The attraction of
answering only to you combined with setting your own working
hours and committing what your choose bring loads of people
into the affiliate marketing schemes. Affilaite marketing can be
an excellent way for a highly motivated, creative person to make
an excellent living. There are some wonderful programs out there
just waiting to be joined. However, for every great program there
is likely one that is fraudulent. Con artists operate in many areas
and unfortunate affiliate marketing is not immune.

Before joining, check to see what the company is selling. If they
are not selling goods or services then they are likely an illegal
pyramid scheme. If they require your own money to get started
then they are what are known as a multi level marketing program.
Affiliate marketing can be a great opportunity but you need to do
your homework.

Recommended Reading:

AffiloBlueprint - Your Blueprint to Affiliate Success