Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Affiliate Program vs Pyramid Scheme, What is the Difference?



When we hit hard times and the economy is down as it is at the moment, many people turn to other more creative ways to make money. Whether they want to add to their main income or they are struggling to find reliable work, they may turn to affiliate programs or pyramid schemes as an easy way to make an income.

I am sure we have all heard of pyramid schemes… I would hazard a guess that they are all bad things too! But have you heard of affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is fast becoming a very popular way to make money online, it is relatively easy and risk free for all involved, all you need to do is learn a little along the way!

So what is the difference between affiliate marketing and pyramid schemes, are they not the same thing with different names?

No they aren’t, here we will explain the clear difference between the two so that you are fully aware of what you are getting into when trying to make an extra bit of cash for you and the family when starting with affiliate marketing.

Affiiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is where you agree to sell or advertise a product in exchange for commission on the sales that you make for the company you are advertising for.  Most typically these programs pay from 1- 9 tiers in depth, allowing you to earn money if a customer decides to also get involved and recommend the product. The company you sign up with will typically provide you with a unique identifier link, in order to keep track of how many sales have been generated by your advertising online. Most affiliates will have used the product before selling it so there is minimal risk when it comes to conflict of interest for affiliate marketers. Most large companies including amazon have affiliate marketing systems and it is a completely legal way for them to advertise and a completely legal way for individuals to make money on the internet.

Pyramid Schemes

First of all, it should be noted that pyramid schemes are illegal, and the way they work is extremely misleading. A pyramid scheme begins when a single money transaction is carried out between two people. After the deal has been done, it is suggested that the second person and others who get involved further down the pyramid can make money out of selling the pyramid scheme. The promise is that there will be a commission given for new person. Sounds fine, right?

Wrong… For each additional person that joins and pays an entry fee to the scheme the, first person gets a percentage of the revenue when an entry fee is paid…  Basically the other members may make some money but it is only the person on the top who really benefits. So is it worth your effort? No because you are usually just a pawn to allow the people at the top of the pyramid to make all the money.

So, pyramid schemes are built around "referring" new people who pay a fee to be able to make money from other people joining. This fee is usually a signup fee and monthly fee to be qualified to earn from the pyramid.

So how is Affiliate Marketing different?

Affiliate marketing is a much fairer way to make money online, and it works because the payment model is the same for everybody, or is based on an on an objective payment. Each affiliate will make a commission when a product is sold with their link, which really makes affiliate marketers more like an extended sales force.

Affiliate marketing is legitimate and will probably be the future of marketing, the beauty of affiliate marketing is that you are not just getting people to click on your referral code to get money, you are actually selling a useful product to the people that want it.

It is an extremely transparent way to market and a great way for individuals to make money online without the worry that they are in a pyramid scheme making money for referring someone else.

Affiliate marketing does not cost any money to join up, so you earn from what you sell without any cash lay out. Most pyramid schemes ask for a payment upfront to join in the beginning, so be on the lookout for this when you want to get involved with affiliate marketing.

Pyramid schemes are ultimately a way to get people to pay money into the system which is then passed up… there is usually either no product or a worthless product, this makes the people on the top a lot of money, and the people in last loose it all!

Next time we will discuss how to write an effective affirmation, join me on Wednesday 18th February 2015 to find out more!

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Repeat after me: "I´m Financially Free! Dollars Want Me" 
           
Matthew E. Alleyne

Founder - DollarsWant.Me


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