They say it's easy to make money using affiliate marketing but it is a fact that 95% of people trying this business model never earn any money? The first time you hear about affiliate marketing it sounds as a very easy concept. You just have to find product that people want, and find a way to present this product to the right people. The rest of the process should be easy - but it's not. What are the problems you're facing as an affiliate marketer?

You are just one of many marketers who are trying to sell the very same product to the very same consumers. If you are determined to win this war, you must have a plan to get your share of the market.

Make people trust you
The majority of website visitors don't buy the first time they see your product, so it's very important to keep the conversation going. This mean you have to build an email list of people interested in your type of product. You've probably heard this a thousand times - build a list if you want to have success in online marketing. A resent study showed that 50% of affiliate marketers don't have a list. Having a list is crucial to making a profit in affiliate marketing. People will buy from you if they get a chance to know you through your email list.

Give and you shall be given
Building an email list of interested subscribers is not that difficult but it takes time and some effort. When you have a list, don't try to make them buy in every email you send to them. Give something for free - a useful tip, a small report, a link to a great website. When people find out that you really care and that you are a person they can trust, then you have a much higher chance of selling your product or products to them.

Copy what works
Study how other successful affiliate marketers promote a product - and copy their promotion process. Rewrite it, make it your own - but based on principles you know that works. If you see an article you like - rewrite it in your own words. If you see a great ad for your product - rewrite it and use it. Did you find a great small report? Do some more research, rewrite it and give it to your email list.

It is hard work
Most people are lazy but you're not going to succeed in this type of marketing without some hard work. Any successful affiliate marketer can tell that it takes daily promotion of the product to get any kind of results. What kind of promotion should you be doing? If you're on a low budget here's some of the tools you should try to master:

- Email marketing - Forum marketing - Making a lens on Squidoo.com - Blogs - your own blog or making comments on other blogs - Article writing - Writing small free reports - Posting ads on USfreeads.com - Posting ads on Craigslist.org - Posting a video on YouTube.com or FreeIQ.com

Your goal should be to do at least three of these activities every day.

Don't give up
It's important to keep promoting on a daily basis using all the free tools mentioned earlier in this article. Affiliate marketing is hard work but it is possible to win the war or at least get a fair share of the market you're targeting.

A customer who trusted you and bought a product on your recommendation will probably be much easier to sell to in the future. So take good care of your paid customers - this is the most valuable asset you have in your affiliate business. Keep them on a separate email list and treat them generously.

Jan Sepstrup - Internet Entrepeneur. Are you having trouble getting any success in affiliate marketing? Visit Affiliate Rescue at http://www.affiliaterescue.net and learn all the dirty tricks you'll need for success!