Affiliate marketing is a method of promoting web businesses (merchants/advertisers) in which affiliates (publisher) are rewarded for every visitor, subscriber, customer, and/or sale provided through his/her efforts.
A number of different types of companies and individuals are performing this type of internet marketing, including affiliate networks, affiliate management companies and in-house affiliate managers, specialized 3rd party vendors and various types of affiliates/publishers who utilize a number of different methods to advertise the products and services of their merchant/advertiser partners.
It overlaps with other internet marketing methods to some degree, because affiliates are using the same system as most of the merchants themselves do. Those methods include integrated search engine, paid search engine marketing, email marketing and also reveals advertising.
This form of marketing is to use one site to drive traffic to another,is another method of online marketing. While search engines, e-mail and RSS capture much of the recognition of online retailers,despite descent that goes back almost to the beginning of online retailing, carries a much lower profile. Yet affiliates continue to play a essential role in e-retailers' marketing strategies.
Affiliate networks that have already a number of advertisers usually also have a large number of publishers already. This large pool of affiliates could be recruited or they might even to the program by themselves.
Relevant, sites that attract the same audiences as the advertiser is trying to engage but are not competing with the advertiser are potential affiliate partners as well. Also vendors or the existing customers could be recruited as an affiliate, if it makes sense and is not violating any legal restrictions or regulations.
Affiliate programs directories are one way to find affiliate programs, another procedure is large affiliate networks that provide the platform for dozens or even hundreds of advertisers. The third option is to check the target website itself for a reference to their affiliate program.
Websites, which offer an affiliate program often, have a link titled "affiliate program", "affiliates", "referral program" or "webmasters" somewhere on their website, usually in the footer or "About" section of the site.