Out of every type of work from home business you could explore, affiliate marketing undoubtedly has the most potential. It requires the least amount of startup capital and, if done properly can net you some huge gains in a relatively short time frame. But to market correctly, you need some correct information.

For rookie purposes, avoid those tangible items out there. Items like iPads and cell phones and laptops and PlayStations need to be shipped, and you will need to deal with a go-between on top of a go-between and any wrongdoings or damage that isn’t your fault will still be viewed as your fault. There’s just too much that can go wrong and not enough that can go right to make it worth it. You can switch to tangible products down the road.

Any newbie to the field of affiliate marketing should have an affiliate manager — the individual(s) in charge of the products you’re promoting. This manager will be able to give you some very useful advice on how to promote. And perhaps more importantly, this individual will let you know what isn’t allowed, i.e. spam and coercion and deception.

What are you offering people to purchase from you? Understand that the term “you” here is relative, as it’s someone else’s product, but you still need to make an enticing offer. Is it something different from what everyone else is offering? View what you’re offering compared to what others are offering, and find something that works well for you and your particular product and niche.

When you’re looking to offer an affiliate product, you’re also looking to basically create your own entire business structure. The only thing different here is that you’re selling something someone else created, so you can think of it more like a small retail store. To this end, the marketing and promotion of your store is going to be difficult. You can make it a lot easier by going with a product or a niche that you already know about.

If you’re attempting to sell low-carb diet programs as an affiliate, do you know how to identify the need? Of course you do! The need is the need to lose weight. Now, of course, that example was a no-brainer, but it does illustrate what you need to look for when marketing your product. You have to identify the needs of a customer and play directly to them.

What angle do you have for promotion? You’re going to be engaged in heated competition with a lot of other affiliates out there, so it’s up to you to work out an angle that’s going to ensure that you’re noticed before the other guy. You need to have a catchy, appealing angle that ensures people purchase from you and not from someone else.

Believe it or not, most online shoppers don’t like giving their credit card numbers out online! Most people who shop online use a third-party system — an e-wallet. So when you’re selecting a product, try to go with something that has PayPal or Moneybookers for an option instead of only MasterCard and Visa.

As you can glean from the tips provided above, there is a discipline involved in proper affiliate marketing. Follow it and you can experience success. Become an undisciplined marketer, and you will find only failure.