If this weren’t a marketing blog, this article would go something like this:

So, you’re interested in making money selling other people’s stuff, eh? No problem! First, get yourself a sturdy crowbar. If you don’t already have a truck painted to look like a moving company, get one. Often times the crowbar can be useful here, too. Other people’s stuff is everywhere. It’s the ultimate growth industry!

Of course, this is a marketing blog so we’ll be exploring methods to make money selling other people’s stuff that involve far less snatch and grab and a lot more effective marketing strategies. And no possible jail time!

Specifically, we’ll be discussing affiliate marketing and joint venture opportunities. Interested? Well put down that crowbar and read on!

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a way for everyday people to make commissions by selling products from well-known brands. More than 80% of online retail companies have affiliate marketing programs. 

That’s because they benefit both the retailer and their affiliates. The company gets extra exposure and extra sales and the affiliate marketer gets a commission for every sale they make.

To better understand, let’s examine a modest example — Amazon, the largest retailer in the galaxy. They have an affiliate marketing program that allows individuals to market any of their hundred zillion products. 

Once you’ve signed up for an affiliate account, you’ll be free to search their listings for products you’d like to sell. For each you select, you’ll be provided a unique web link that you can use in social media ads, pay-per-click, on your website, or anywhere that drives consumers to your affiliate page.

If anyone buys the products you’re advertising through your link, bingo bezos…you get a commission!

Affiliate marketing can be a great way to monetize your website or build a successful marketing enterprise without the expense of buying and maintaining an inventory of products. You do the selling and Amazon takes care of the rest.

There’s no shortage of sites where you can sign up as an affiliate and there’s plenty of training out there as well. We just did a Facebook Live on this exact topic. You can check it out here.

What Are Joint Ventures?

Imagine if affiliate marketing switched to a carb-free diet of protein smoothies and power foods, hit the gym for three hours a day, and could bench Jeff Bezos’s net worth. What you’d get are joint ventures.

A joint venture is affiliate marketing on steroids. The main differences are the prices of the products sold (higher), the commissions earned (significantly higher) and the structure of the sales window (…different).

For example, Marie Forleo runs an online business training school for creative entrepreneurs called “B-School”. It’s an intensive 8-week program that only runs once a year, and costs $1,999. 

Her affiliate partners make a whopping 50% commission for every virtual seat they sell in the online class. $1,000 is a pretty sweet commission for one sale. The rub is that the program, like many joint venture opportunities, is launch-based. 

Partners can sell seats for a period of time leading up to the launch of each year’s class. When the class starts, the sales window closes. Commissions are then paid 45-days later. Joint ventures are structured to feel more like you’re a partner in the endeavor and less a salesperson.

But you’re really just an affiliate marketer that sells an expensive, limited-run product for a hefty commission. And we’re okay with that.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can make some extra cash by promoting The Outsource Playbook, check out our affiliate opportunity.