This is the final stop for the Affiliates Blog Tour! The time has flown by and some great content has been shared. We’ve welcomed many new affiliates to our program and that’s exciting stuff!

We’re going to wrap things up today by answering some questions those considering affiliate marketing often ask.

I’m not a salesperson and affiliate marketing is selling, right?

Well yes, affiliate marketing involves selling. The good news is that it can be tackled in a variety of ways. Some affiliate marketers are very passive in their approach, incorporating relevant recommendations into their content and trusting on that relevance to produce results. Other affiliates take a more pro-active stance, creating sites designed specifically to sell products. Many more create something in between the two.

There’s no right or wrong way. You build what suits you. I will say this: No matter how laid back you prefer to be, you’ll have to get used to the idea of writing a clear call to action if you want to do well.

Do I have to have a website?

Yes, I believe you do.

There are a few who like to say you don’t. They promote article marketing as a way of spreading affiliate links without the need for a website. I’m sure it can work given enough effort, but honestly – if you’re serious about building an income online, you need your own home on the web.

If you don’t have a website now, head on over to MomWebs and get started with a Wordpress site. You can even order a ready to roll blog set up with affiliate product content from our Mom’s Talk Network program and other mom friendly groups.

Do I have to know HTML?

Only a tiny bit. We use HTML to create text and graphic links. Most of the time this code is provided to you by the affiliate program but it helps if you understand how it’s put together so you can fix problems if you run into them. Don’t let this scare you off – there are great tutorials explaining HTML on the web, just google for it.

How long does it take to start earning?

That depends a lot on what you do. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll have the opportunity to earn commissions.

I can tell you that I started to see small results in just a few weeks but it was about a year before I felt I was earning a significant amount of income. It was then that I really stepped up my efforts to increase those profits. I wish I’d focused more and tried harder sooner!

Some affiliate programs have minimum payout requirements, so even if you make a sale right away you may have to make additional sales to reach their minimum. (The Mom’s Talk Affiliates program does not have a minimum – you receive every penny you earn each month.)

Everyone else is promoting the same thing, wouldn’t it be a waste of time for me?

I hear this question a lot, especially from those in the Work at Home Mom community. Everyone seems to be promoting the same hosting programs and learning resources. Since so many people are promoting their own links, is it crazy to think that they could ever make a dent in the market?

I used to feel that way. It held me back from affiliate marketing for quite a while. But then I noticed some moms who were newer to the community than me were making sales and I thought, ‘Hey! If they can do it, I can do it.’ Thank goodness I did because I earn between 25 and 30% of my monthly income from affiliate sales.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Everyone has some influence – and even a little influence can go a long way. People will respond to your advice if they know you and trust you. There may be a dozen promotions flying around, but they’ll choose to act on yours because of the relationship you’ve built with them. So don’t hold back for fear of competition.

I hope that we’ve lit a fire in your mind about affiliate marketing over the past few months. If you haven’t already signed up for a few great relevent programs, I hope you will soon!

Kelly McCausey is the host of Work at Home Moms Talk Radio and owner of the Mom’s Talk Affiliates program that offers a variety of learning resources and coaching opportunties for internet marketing moms.