What’s the difference between Internet marketing and affiliate marketing?

Often the terms "affiliate marketing" and "Internet marketing" are used interchangeably. If you're new to the field, you may have wondered what the difference really is. Put simply, all online affiliate marketing is Internet marketing, but not all Internet marketing is affiliate marketing.

Internet marketing comes in a wide variety of forms. You could say that any endeavor whereby you make money on the Internet is Internet marketing.

Some of the most common types are search engine marketing, membership sites, selling physical products, e-mail marketing, and web site flipping. (You know how some people "flip" houses by buying a fixer-upper, remodeling, and selling for a much higher price? The same is often done with web sites. Without all the blackened thumbs and splinters.) There are many more techniques that would fall under the umbrella term of Internet marketing.

Affiliate marketing is just one facet of Internet marketing--some say the most profitable, although much depends on the individual and the subject. It attracts many because it's a relatively simple concept and possible for newbies to grasp rather quickly. I'm not saying it's easy; it definitely takes a lot of time and effort. But the basic concept is relatively simple.

As you may have learned, the way it works is this: You build a web site to promote an online merchant's products. The idea is to direct people from your site to the merchant's site, where they will make a purchase, if you've convinced them with your ad copy that they need it! An affiliate network keeps track of who sent whom and calculate your earnings based on the commission rate set by the merchant. They generally send out payments on a monthly basis.

You can even do affiliate marketing without a web site of your own, although I think it's much more fun to have your own sites. That way you have something of value, too, if you ever want to sell it and do something else.

One of the great things about affiliate marketing is that there are millions of products you can promote. Just about anything you can think of is sold online somewhere, even big things like vehicles and real estate.

So the affiliate (you) acts as a middleman, "introducing" the customer to the merchant. You might think of it in terms of a brick-and-mortar retail business with a sales staff. If you're a salesman for that company, your earnings are based on how much you sell.

Fortunately, affiliate marketing is far easier, at least in my mind. There's no cold calling (no calling at all, in fact), no dealing with demanding or cranky customers, and no being on your feet all day long. Although I have to say, BIC all day isn't any easier (Butt In Chair)! You do need to get up and walk around every hour or so.

With affiliate marketing, you work at your own pace. You write articles about aspects of a subject you particularly like. You can express your creative side by the way you arrange and design your site.

It's also enjoyable to connect with others online, whether visitors to your site, the merchants you work with, or other affiliate marketers. When you work at home without co-workers, it can sometimes be a little lonely. Don't get me wrong; there are some co-workers I definitely don't miss! But human interaction is important, and even though online connections are not exactly the real thing, they are a good substitute.

Of course, many of these things are true of Internet marketing in general, too. But if you enjoy being online, have at least some inclination toward writing, and have some interests you could center sites around, affiliate marketing might be just the thing for you. Why not give it a try? You may find, as I did, that it's a perfect fit for you. (And the money doesn't hurt.)