Most newbies don’t realize it because they haven’t been in the industry long enough to know, but affiliate marketing success depends largely on the research you do before you ever begin.  Many people who are new to the internet start out blindly, without the information they need to strategically build a successful business.  Many make the decision as to what they will sell according to what everyone else seems to be doing, which can be a mistake especially if the market they choose is very competitive.

Good niche and keyword research is necessary for affiliate marketing success.  By determining what peoples’ problems are, and if they are a buying market, you can continue on to do the research needed to set up a successful, profitable business.  By performing in-depth niche and keyword research, you can often find long-tail keywords and phrases that are far less competitive, which allows you to make money with much less effort.

If you start out in a very competitive field, you will work yourself to death trying to make money, which is likely to cause you to burn out quickly.  This often results in people giving up before they really have a chance to succeed.

By doing careful research, you can find keywords and phrases that allow you to rank your website or blog high in the rankings much easier, meaning targeted traffic will easily find you.  Some affiliates market products without a blog, site, or email list, but this makes people finding you much more difficult.

Writing articles, blogging, using social media, and forum marketing are all great strategies that will help lead to affiliate marketing success; but be sure to research your niche thoroughly before you jump in blindly.  It will save you much hard work and frustration, and increase your chances of success tremendously!  My IM Gold is a great source of information for any online marketer, and will help you succeed no matter what niche you choose.