Affiliate Marketing Facts

Did you know that affiliate marketing is a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry? Did you also know that in 2012 alone, online affiliates have increased by 42%? If not, this blog post will help explain the history of affiliate marketing and how widespread it is today. 

Affiliate marketing is a performance based marketing strategy where affiliates promote their merchant’s products through their own devices and receive compensation from every sale made. Affiliates work independently and do not have a manager to answer to or a certain quota they need to fulfill every month.

The idea of affiliate marketing was created and patented by William Tobin, founder of PC Flowers & Gifts, in the mid 1990’s. Since its inception, affiliate marketing has undergone significant growth and become extremely popular among online businesses. With over one-million affiliates worldwide, Amazon.com has one of the most popular affiliate programs and serves as a model for modern day affiliate programs. 

In a recent article from MSNBC.com, online affiliate was voted the #1 job of 2012. There are many advantages to becoming an online affiliate. Some of these advantages include:

• Online shopping is continuing to increase leading to more opportunities
• High earning potential with little startup costs
• Ability to work from home
• Lots of information and resources on how to succeed in affiliate marketing (books, websites and conferences)

If you have not done so already, please read this previous blog post on affiliate marketing and how it relates to you as a Sigma affiliate. Please take advantage of this information if you are deciding whether or not to join the affiliate marketing world!

© 2012 Sigma Enterprises, LLC