Squidoo is a community of users and a great platform for the affiliate marketer. Basically, what you do is create “lenses” or pages online, sharing your interests with others who share the same interests. It’s a great way to generate a buzz around your product, blog, or website.

Don’t underestimate the power of Squidoo. It’s one of the top 500 visited sites in the country and one of the top 300 in the United States alone. One year ago this month, there were 900,000 hand built lenses on Squidoo.

10 Ideas for a Squidoo Lens

You can create multiple lenses to promote your affiliate marketing business, but here are a few ideas you may want to consider:

1.    Products You Sell. Squidoo is a great place to create a lens about your products. If you want to be even more effective, write a review about each product. Don’t sell them. Talk about them.

2.    Books of Interest to Your Target Market. Every time you read a book that may be of interest to your target market, create a lens about it. What was good about it? Was there something you didn’t like? Do you recommend it?

3.    Post a Rant. It’s not just about selling. It’s about building connections. If there’s something you’d like to get off your chest, create a lens that rants. Have fun with it. People love controversy, and this is a good way to get more views on your lens.

4.    Post a Roast. Let people post stories about you. This is a fun way to poke fun at yourself and entertain your followers. Encourage participation from others.

5.    Entrepreneur’s Lens. Post ideas and new products or services and let others do the same. Create an inventors’ brainstorming lens and let the creative juices flow.

6.    Showcase your eBay Store. If you have an eBay store, create a lens to show people what you’re selling. Be open to questions that others may have about your products.

7.    Showcase Your Website. Don’t use Squidoo to do heavy-handed selling. Instead, write about your website and feature some interesting facts about your business. Let your sales page do the selling. Use Squidoo to direct traffic to your website.

8.    Reveal Your Passions. Use Squidoo to give people insight about the non-business side of your life. Because Internet marketing does not happen face-to-face, people tend to respond to interesting personalities that catch their interest.

9.    Spread the Word about a Special Cause. Give back to your community by creating a lens around a charity or other special interest you support. Don’t just showcase it; invite others to talk about it.

10.    Write a Blog Post. This is the perfect platform to create a blog about your product or service. Because Squidoo is an online community, people will find your blog based on their interests.

Using Squidoo to promote your affiliate marketing business is a fun way to showcase your products, share your talents, and generate conversation in the community. Use Squidoo to build a connection with your target market, generate a buzz, and grow your business to new heights.

Making a Fortune with MySpace: Ashley Qualls

Some teenagers are taking a single idea and making a mint from it. Take, for instance, Ashley Qualls. When she was 14, she borrowed $8 from her mother to buy a domain name. She started a company that designed MySpace layouts, targeted primarily to girls.

Today, Ashley’s website gets 60 million page views each month. She paid cash for a $250,000 home and has turned down a 1.5 million dollar offer to buy her business. While her business is not classified as an affiliate marketing business, it just goes to show you how one teen with a simple idea can make more money than most adults. She is now 18 and well on her way to continued success.

Meet Nate Brown—a 14-year-old Affiliate Marketer

Nate Brown is a 14-year-old affiliate marketer who has already learned how to automate his affiliate marketing business. He’s been an affiliate marketer for a year now. He even blogs about how he does it and offers tips and tricks to others who want to do the same. I’m sure we’ll hear more about Nate as his affiliate marketing business grows.

Why are Teens Prime Candidates for Affiliate Marketing?

Teens are prime candidates for affiliate marketing because they haven’t yet become jaded about the Internet. In fact, they’re paving the way for the future of the Web. They have the “I can do anything” attitude that gives them the incentive to learn through trial and error.

Teens are experts at viral marketing because they’ve literally grown up in front of a computer. They know exactly how to get the word out about their favorite music, products, and ideas. They’ve already mastered MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and a multitude of other social networking sites.

Teens Need to Make More Money In Today’s Economy

With the federal minimum wage set at $7.25, teens realize that they can’t get much bang for their buck if they work only part time. The high price of gasoline, insurance, and the cost of going to a movie, is prompting teenagers to look for ways to make more money, more efficiently.

Once mastered, an affiliate marketing program can be automated, enabling a teen to have an active social life without being tied down to a set schedule. Just one successful affiliate marketing site, once set into motion, can give a teenage boy or girl enough money to pay for fun activities without interfering in school work.

Many teens see affiliate marketing as an avenue to generate just enough cash to get by, while others are learning everything they can to create wealth. Regardless of the motivation, more and more teens are turning to affiliate marketing as a way to create a positive cash flow and leave bussing tables and waiting on customers to someone else.

Here are 5 keys qualities that you’ll need to become a successful affiliate marketer:

1.    Take risks. How many multimillionaires do you know? How many of them acquired their wealth by playing it safe? Anyone who has struck it rich—either with business or investments—has done so by taking a few calculated risks. Affiliate marketing is no different.

Many affiliate marketers fail to make a sizeable dent in their bank accounts because they’re too afraid to think beyond their comfort zones.

2.    Listen and learn. You’ve got to be a student of affiliate marketing, even when you’ve had some success at it. If you can swing it, hire an affiliate marketing coach to help you avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls that new marketers are sure to make.

If you cannot afford a coach—and even if you can—consider joining Internet marketing forums. The greatest thing about forums is that you’ll get a wealth of advice for nothing or next to nothing! There are a lot of free forums out there.  If you can get in on the private, members-only paid sites, you’ll probably be privy to more than what you’ll get free…and for a fraction of the cost of hiring a coach.

3.    Think big. If you’re serious about making real money, go with what sells, and go with products that will make you a higher number of dollars per sale. The top-selling affiliate products are not e-books; they are software and membership sites.

Sure, you can make a few bucks selling e-books and learn the basics of affiliate marketing, but only a few out of the thousands of these books will generate a sizeable income. Go for the big-ticket items.

Don’t sell yourself short. Even though that first sale gives you an emotional high like no other, it won’t last long if you cannot earn enough money to make it worth your while. Take some time to investigate the top 10 sellers in the affiliate marketing field while the window is open, and jump on those opportunities.

4.    Get a competitive mindset. It’s common for new affiliate marketers to worship gurus; however, those guys are “you.” Many of them began with little or no experience, and some of them wiped out the competition by being tenacious.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you cannot make it to the top of your niche because others have been at the top for years. There’s no reason why you can’t take one of those top positions.

That means you’ll need to study your competitors’ sites. Find the top three sellers in your niche and model them. Network with successful affiliate marketers. Your success depends on the company you keep, and that means keeping your competition close.

5.    Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Once you’ve found something that works, keep doing it. New marketers can sometimes be all over the place with their ideas. Give your ideas a good trial run and test the results. The old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is a good one to follow.

Having the proper mindset will make the difference between becoming a successful affiliate marketer or not. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to make a lot of money in affiliate marketing. You’ve just got to be willing to do what it takes and stay the course for the long haul.

Find a Vendor That Has an Affiliate Program

First, find a vendor who has a product you’d like to promote. The best way to begin is to find a company that you’ve already done business with, go to their website, and see if they have an affiliate program. Check their website to see if they have an “Affiliate Program” link. You may be surprised to know that your favorite companies offer affiliate commissions.

Many of the high-profile companies that get a lot of exposure offer affiliate programs. One example is Amazon.com. Let’s talk about how their affiliate program works. They call their program Amazon Associates. You can find this program by going to the Amazon.com website and clicking on the “Associates Program” link on the left side of the page. (You’ll have to scroll down to see it.)

Joining this program is easy. In fact, they’ll walk you through the process onsite. When you join Amazon Associates, you’ll earn money selling their products. They’ll set you up with links and banners, widgets, and a self-contained store that you can display on your website. When someone orders a product on your site from Amazon.com, you’ll get a percentage of the profits. It’s that simple.

Create Your Affiliate Marketing Website

Next, create the name of your website. It’s best to put the name of your product in the domain name to make it easier to locate. For example, if you’re selling computers, you’ll want a domain name with the word “computers” in the title.

Once you’ve covered these steps, register your domain name. You can do this fairly cheaply, for less than $2. GoDaddy.com can walk you through the steps. You can also get Deluxe Hosting for $6.99 a month.

Set Up a Twitter Account

Another cheaper option you can use is to link your affiliate account with your Twitter account. This way, you can set up your Twitter account and promote products free. You won’t even need a website if you choose this route. You can market products through your tweets.

Once you set up your account, you’ll have to complete some basic information to get started. Using Amazon.com’s program as an example, you can actually choose your payment method: gift card, direct deposit, or check. However, if you choose to get paid by check, there is a fee associated with that option.

Start Selling!

Once you get everything set up and have an inventory of products, you can start selling through Twitter. There’s no need to spend a pile of cash to make money. Just become an associate and the products will sell themselves.

To succeed in affiliate marketing, you have to think outside the box. There is no one-size-fits all method for success. If the recession has emptied your pockets and you need a quick and easy way to set up an affiliate marketing business, go with a high-profile company that generates a lot of sales. That way, you can market products for a company with a proven track record and earn the cash you need.

1.    Sell what’s in demand.
Do a little research to see what’s hot in affiliate marketing and follow that trend. The biggest mistake that new affiliate marketers make is to launch a new, untested product. Even if you think your product is great, the market could indicate otherwise. Don’t let your excitement blind you to the realistic needs of your target market.

2.    Sell what you know.
Always sell a product you’re familiar with so you can write reviews and give a credible assessment of the products you’re promoting. If you are familiar with what you sell, you can establish your expertise in the industry. People tend to buy from experts. That’s why it’s best to sell products that you know about and can get excited about.

3.    Fulfill orders quickly and efficiently.
When people place orders, make sure the turnaround time is quick. When people order a product from you, the anticipation of its arrival is part of the excitement. Get the product to them as quickly as possible to ensure a positive buying experience. Always make the buying experience a great one.

4.    Keep your customers happy.
Do whatever it takes to make your customers happy. Fulfill orders quickly, answer correspondence quickly, and give refunds quickly, regardless of the reason for the customer’s dissatisfaction. Build your reputation on excellent customer service, and your business will continue to grow.

One of the biggest mistakes that affiliate marketers make is to avoid unhappy customers. Keep in mind that you can learn valuable marketing lessons from all customers—even the unhappy ones.

5.    Use hover ads.
Hover ads are great to announce upcoming products, special promotions, or to showcase customer testimonials. Hover ads increase conversion rates and are shown to be much more effective than pop-ups or pop-under ads. Hover ads cannot be blocked like pop-up or pop-under ads because they are part of your website. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that you use them responsibly.

6.    Work with multiple merchants in the same niche.
You can have affiliate agreements with multiple merchants to give your customers several options to choose from. Offer several buying options on your website. This will increase your chance of making sales.

7.    Create your own newsletter or e-zine.
Newsletter and e-zines are great ways to showcase your expertise and to keep prospects and customers up-to-date on current promotions, upcoming launches, and newsworthy information about your niche market.

If you integrate these affiliate marketing strategies into your business, you will be able to create a successful affiliate marketing business. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to try new things and learn from your experiences. With a little trial and error, you’ll learn how to create a top-selling affiliate marketing website.

There are, however, certain things you should not do in this business. Before you make a big goof that could cost you a lot of money, you’ll need to know what you should avoid.

1.    Don’t let the “big guys” intimidate you.

Is it safe to assume that many newbies stand in awe of the big names in the business? Probably so. However, there’s no reason to believe that you cannot have paralleled success alongside some of the more experienced players in the market.

Keep in mind that affiliate marketing is a wide open field, and you may offer something on your site that will tip the scales in your favor. Go in it to win, not to whine.

2.    Don’t worry too much about “the numbers.”

Don’t be deceived into thinking that you need a huge list to get big results. The key is to get qualified prospects on your list. When you hear other affiliate marketers boast about the size of their lists, keep in mind that bigger is not necessarily better. Quality trumps quantity every time.

3.    Don’t jump on the newest bandwagon, just because someone promises it to be the “next big thing.”

Let’s cut to the chase…  Marketers are in business to make money. Just because someone says they’ve got a blow-out product doesn’t make it so. As a new affiliate, focus on products that have a successful history of making sales. There are a lot of people out there talking the talk but not walking the walk. Focus on results not empty promises.

4.    Don’t spend a fortune buying software programs.

One of the biggest tragedies that newbies face is they fall prey to the very marketing machine that proposes to help them! There are plenty of free programs, e-books, forums, etc., out there to get you started in the right direction. Don’t spend money that you can invest more wisely in other directions. There are many options for getting your marketing machine revved up, and you don’t have to break the bank to get started.

5.    Don’t use unrelated phrases or add too many dashes to your domain name.

If you want to sell products, you’ve got to make it easy for people to find your products. Creating “cutesy” domain names that have nothing to do with what you’re selling may set up your affiliate marketing business for an early demise. Also, avoid domain name disaster by adding too many dashes. It confuses people and they are less likely to remember the address.

Your affiliate marketing success will depend on avoiding mistakes as much as making the right decisions. Discover what NOT to do before you go full steam ahead into your online business.

Use Twitter to announce new products and services.

With everyone jumping on board the Twitter phenomena, using it to announce new products and services is an excellent avenue to get publicity. Be sure to follow your followers’ followers to increase your exposure.

At least once or twice a week, choose one of your followers who is interested in your niche and follow the people who are following them. Most people, in return, will follow you back. This, alone, will make them privy to all your special announcements.

Use Twitter to promote your blog posts and articles.

Whenever you publish an article or make a post on your blog, use Twitter to announce it. Don’t forget to add a link to your website or blog to make it easy for your followers to land on your site.

Add a “Follow Me on Twitter” button on your blog or website.

To increase the number of followers, add a button at the bottom of your blog. You can also add a link to your bio box for e-zine articles. Keep everything linked. Your Twitter should direct readers to your websites and blogs. Conversely, your websites and blogs should direct people to follow you on Twitter. This will create more publicity for you. Hopefully, as your followers increase, their followers will decide to follow you on Twitter.

Use Twitter to pitch other bloggers, and ask them to do the same for you.

If you’re using a blog site to promote your affiliate marketing business, strike an agreement with other bloggers to promote each other on Twitter. That way, you’ll get the benefit of added exposure, which should ultimately lead to new followers if you have a “Follow Me on Twitter” button on your blog.

Use Twitter to announce contests.

One of the more creative—and fun—ways to get publicity is to sponsor a contest for your followers. It can be something as simple as naming a new product or blog site. Contests are a good way to generate a buzz around a product or service, and Twitter is a great avenue for doing just that.

Get creative with Twitter!

There’s no one-size-fits-all way to market a business. Brainstorm ideas and try them. You’ll never know if they work if you don’t test drive them.

Using Twitter as a publicity tool for your affiliate marketing business is a great way to increase your exposure. Devote some time each week to Twitter promotions, and you’re likely to not only benefit from the added exposure but will also get cool promotional ideas from the people you follow.

Step 1: Find a Niche

Even though the Internet makes it possible to sell to the entire world, don’t make the mistake of thinking the world is your customer. In affiliate marketing, less is definitely more. In other words, find a niche and build a reputation within that niche.

Don’t try to be everything to everybody. The key is to find a specialty area and get good at promoting it. As you expand your business, you may consider promoting products in another niche market. For now, you want to get competitive, and you can’t do that if you spread yourself too thin.

The mistake that many new affiliates make is to try to do too much at once. That’s a huge mistake. Your first task is to learn a few basics. Once you’ve learned the ropes, then you can consider adding more niches to your repertoire of products.

Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research

Before you start blazing trails with websites, AdWords, and other marketing efforts, do your research. You’ll want to know the popular keywords and search phrases for your niche so you can incorporate them into your website.

The Google Keyword Tool is a great way to get started. Whether you’re looking for descriptive words and phrases or website content, this free tool will give you the information you need to develop your web content.

Don’t rely on guesswork when it comes to keywords. Google will show you the most popular keywords, so you can use them to your advantage. The tool will also introduce you to search phrases that you may not have considered, giving you the ability to make your website more visible to more searchers.

Step 3: Dare to Be Different

Show your personality. Be different. Often, the “fun” sites are more popular than the “strictly business-looking” sites. Have fun with your niche. Let your website visitors see you for who you are.

Also, make sure that your website is easy to navigate. If someone lands on your site and can’t figure where to go, he’ll quickly click off the site. Keep your site user-friendly, and you’ll get more repeat traffic.

Finally, steer clear of a lot of animation and bells and whistles. While you may find some cool applications to liven up your site, chances are that too many distractions will lower your conversion rates. Avoid website clutter, and it will be a better experience for everyone.

Succeeding in affiliate marketing is not just about the big picture. It’s about taking small steps toward your destination. Start small and move toward a single goal to begin with. As the profits roll in and you learn a few basic rules for success, you can gradually build the affiliate marketing empire you’ve always dreamed of.

First, do your homework. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel so this part is not too difficult. All you need to do is fill a need. Usually, the most profitable niches are simple to identify because they are relatable to the population at large.

If you still need a little direction for choosing a product, here are five more hot affiliate marketing niches for 2010.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #6: Pain Relief

You may think that prevention is a big seller, but the truth is that cures bring in more sales. Products that relieve joint pain, back pain, or migraine pain are among the favorites in this niche.

You’ve probably heard that you need to sell to the pain of your target market. In this niche, you can take that point literally. Pain relief has a wide open market. For instance, a product to relieve joint pain can be sold to athletes with overworked joints as well as elderly individuals who are suffering from arthritis.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #7: Improving Relationships

Self-help continues to be a big seller, and what better way to help yourself than to improve your relationships? This niche is huge and can be broken down into various micro-niches. Here are just a few suggestions:

• How to Improve Your Marriage
• How to Improve Communication within the Family
• How to Communicate with Your Teen
• How to Get Along with Difficult Co-Workers

The list goes on….

Because self-help is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, it’s a perfect way to get started in affiliate marketing.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #8:  Gadgets

Gadgets are big sellers and the more updated and unique they are, the more people seem to want them. Cutting-edge gadgets are hot sellers, so you’ll want to take advantage of any opportunity in this niche market. Keep abreast of modernized gadgets with enhanced features so you can stay on top of the trend.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #9: Computers

Computers are here to stay, and with the continuous changes and updates to software, hardware, and computer systems, this niche market is red hot year after year.

Software is a particular favorite since instant downloads enable customers to enjoy their product immediately after the transaction. People use computers for entertainment as well as for work; therefore, the sky is virtually the limit with the types of products you can promote.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #10: Games and Entertainment

Online games are big, and this market is not only hot but the potential for growth is exponential. As technology changes, the opportunities to make a lot of money in this niche continues to grow.

There you have it – five more profitable affiliate marketing niches for 2010. Choose just one, and you will enter a market with high income potential. The good news about being an affiliate marketer is that there are many possibilities to choose from. Start with one, and you can build your affiliate marketing business as you gain the experience and insight it takes to create a profitable online enterprise.

First of all, resist the temptation to jump on what you may think is the “next big thing.” Unless a product has been proven to be a big seller, you have no idea if it will sell or not. Many entrepreneurs have been overly enthusiastic with what they thought were great products, only to learn that there wasn’t a buyer’s market for what they were selling.

Therefore, the first thing to remember is that you don’t determine what the next big thing is: the buying market does. That’s why it’s important to stick with niches that have proven themselves. If you’re ready to get started, here are five hot niches for 2010 to consider.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #1: Debt Relief

It’s no secret that people are struggling in today’s economy. Individuals are struggling to pay their bills when there just isn’t enough money to go around.  That’s why anything related to credit, debt, preventing foreclosure, etc. is a lucrative market to tap into.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #2: How to Make Money

People can’t pay their bills if they’re out of work or aren’t earning enough money to begin with. If you can promote credible ways of generating cash, you’ll have a hot commodity. Steer clear of get-rich-quick markets. People tend to be skeptical. Focus, instead, on markets that have a high potential for success.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #3: Diet

With each new year comes a myriad of resolutions. One of top New Year’s resolutions is always related to losing weight. Although the solution may seem simple to many people, others struggle with the battle of the bulge and need additional guidance. If you can provide tips, tricks, and recipes for the would-be dieter, you’ll stir up a recipe for a successful affiliate marketing campaign.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #4: Fitness

Along with diet is the need for exercise. This is a market where you can branch off into several micro-niches, such as fitness for seniors, fitness for menopausal women, fitness for men, etc. Because there are so many niches to choose from in this popular market, fitness remains a hot affiliate marketing niche year after year.

Hot Affiliate Marketing Niche #5: How to…

The “how to” affiliate marketing niche remains strong. Everything from how to start a business to how to get a date sells well on the Internet. The greatest benefit of this niche is that you can tap into hobbies, interests, areas of business, relationships, education, etc. The list is exhaustive.

As you approach 2010, keep in mind that affiliate marketing is as strong as ever. Tap into niches that have proven track records, and you’ll increase your chances for success. Remember, it’s not about the next big thing; it’s about the products that continue to generate strong sales in any economy.