Why is an affiliate marketing plan so important? Many new affiliates in my list have feedback to me about how difficult it is to make their first sale. While that may be true, it really is not. When you grasp several simple steps, you will be able to follow an effective affiliate marketing plan that not only helps you get your first sales, you will also be able to build a long-lasting business.

1. Selecting A Product

The key is to stay focused on one product. The chances of folks hopping from one product to another is high. After all, everyone wants to find the “best” product to sell. There really is no such product around. What you need is a product that converts and pays you well.

ClickBank is the perfect marketplace to begin with. Check out the hottest selling products for each category. Such products have been proven to convert so it is good for you.

2. Set Up A Sales Funnel

Imagine sales funnels as your online sales person that pull in visitors and make sales on your behalf. These can take the form of a name squeeze page that offers a free report or free ecourse in exchange for their name and email addresses. Another way is to create a website or blog that posts reviews about the product you are selling. The third which is the simplest is to let your forum signature to do all the talking.

3. Start Your Traffic Campaigns

Without traffic, it is impossible to make any sales at all. There are both paid and free methods to drive traffic. Paid methods like PPC, using ad networks like AdBrite and Adwords, and even banner advertisements can be effective but costly. There are free methods which you can use such as article marketing, blogging, forum marketing and even free classified ads posting.

This is a simple yet powerful 3 step affiliate marketing plan that any new affiliate can jump right into. If you are willing to work on it and replicate what is explained here in a larger scale, you can expect more than just your first sale. In fact, you are building a lasting business here.