One of the things that hits you in the face as soon as you decide to become an affiliate is this: the shortage of helpful information on effective strategies to get your affiliate marketing efforts to pay off. Of course, bare-bones guides tell you that you can begin by registering a domain name and putting together a sales page. Then all you have to do is register with some service for PPC ads and money will start flowing in, they say.

Unfortunately, this is a "pipe-dream!"

But it is possible to promote without spending a ton on advertising. There are numerous ways to generate free traffic to your domain that are quite effective...

1. Forums

With their popularity rising every day, forums offer you a great opportunity to promote your affiliate link. Visit forums related to your product and give helpful suggestions or useful information. Do not forget to provide your sig file at the bottom of the post. This is how interested clients will find you.

My guarantee: once you've contributed something useful, you will see an immediate rise in traffic through your link.

2. Blog It

Search engines simply love weblogs. So you really can't imagine earning 'super' money without setting up a blog. There are a number of free blog services available. Sign up with one of them and follow their simple instructions. You'll be ready to go in less time than it takes to bake a cake!

Target your blog tightly around the exact niche you are promoting and contribute regularly. The incoming traffic will blow you away! This is one of the best ways to earn affiliate income from your domain.

Another great technique: Visit related blogs and post your comments. This will bring links back to your own blog. Of course, spamming is a big NO!

3. Set up a "knock your socks off" squeeze page

Your 'pre-sell' page or landing page is similar to the appetizer before the main course: just good enough to whet your reader's appetite for more. Just give your visitors enough to make them leave their email address with you.

Squeeze pages help you build your most important affiliate tool - your lead list. This list is the pulse of your online business because it holds the names of all those people who are interested in the product you offer.

A little tip: Utilize technology to your advantage. Place a short video or audio on your squeeze page. This is the easiest way to punch up customer responsiveness.

4. Write a free report

The web is all about offering quality content for FREE!

Write a free 5-8 page report and advertise it using blogs, forums and social bookmarking sites. Include your affiliate link in the report. If your report is genuine, many people will check back and discover your product.

Paid ads can break your marketing budget even before you start. So stay away from Pay Per Click advertising.

A new affiliate marketing campaign must always begin with the lowest possible investment on your part. If your product is new in the market, diving head long into a PPC campaign will lose you money. Before making the decision to pay for advertising, exhaust all free methods. Once the existing channels start paying up, you can try PPC advertising.

This simple blueprint will help you generate massive income from your online business.