Free Articles continue to be one of the most effectiveways of quickly generating traffic and sales, withoutpaying for advertising.

But how can you use free articles to promote anaffiliate link? Putting your affiliate link in yourResource Box is not going to work, for a number ofreasons:

- people can easily remove your affiliate ID

and just visit the main website of the affiliate

program (you get no commission)

- an affiliate link makes you look like just another

beginner, instead of an expert with something

unique to offer

So how do you use articles to promote affiliateproducts? Here are some strategies:

(1) Turn your website into a 'Marketing ResourcesDirectory'

On your website display book covers and provide briefreviews for a range of eBooks or software that dealwith web marketing.

You could divide your directory into categories: WebMarketing (general), Affiliate Programs, Search EnginePositioning, Email Marketing, Copywriting, EzinePublishing, etc.

In your Resource Box at the bottom of your article youcould say: John Doe shows webmasters how to succeed inonline business. Visit his collection of marketingresources at: http://www.yourdomain.com

(2) Write a Free Report

Write a free report on web marketing and turn it intoan exe format free eBook.

Your free report might have 5 or 6 chapters, eachchapter dealing with a different aspect of webmarketing (Affiliate Programs, Search EnginePositioning, Email Marketing, Copywriting, EzinePublishing etc).

In each chapter you would include recommendations (andyour affiliate link) for eBooks or software that dealwith that topic.

Your Resource Box could say: John Doe shows webmastershow to succeed in online business. Download his freereport, 'Web Marketing In 5 Easy Steps':http://www.yourdomain.com/free_report.html

(3) Customize the affiliate links in Free eBooks

Most web marketers produce free or trial versions oftheir eBooks, and in many cases the order links inthese free eBooks can be customized with youraffiliate link.

You could build a directory of these free eBooks, eachcustomized with your affiliate link.

The Resource Box at the bottom of your article mightread: John Doe shows webmasters how to succeed inonline business. Visit his collection of free eBookstoday: http://www.yourdomain.com

(4) Use your Resource Box to get new subscribers toyour Newsletter and then promote your affiliateprograms in your Newsletter.

This is the strategy most people use. But promotingyour affiliate links in a weekly Newsletter is asubtle art - the best way to learn is to join theNewsletters of marketers who specialize in this andstudy their techniques.

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Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
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