One of the major issues which strikes you as soon as you decide to start affiliate marketing is this: the shortage of helpful information on effective strategies to get your affiliate marketing efforts to prosper. Of course, bare-bones guides tell you that you can start off by registering a domain name and putting together a sales page. Then all you have to do is register with a 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 bundle on advertising. There are several ways to generate free traffic to your domain that are quite effective...

1. Forums

With their popularity rising every day, forums provide you with 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 include your signature file at the bottom of the post. This is how interested visitors will find you.

My guarantee: once you have contributed something useful, you will see an immediate rise in traffic via your link.

2. Blogs

Search engines simply love weblogs. So you really can't dream of earning 'super' money without setting up a blog. There are a number of free blogging 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 really surprise you! This is one of the top ways to earn affiliate income from your website.

Another great trick: 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 good squeeze page

Your 'pre-sell' page or landing page is like 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 might be interested in the product you offer.

A small tip: Use 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 information 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 paid advertising.

A new affiliate marketing campaign must always start with the lowest possible investment on your part. If your product is fresh in the market, diving directly into a Pay Per Click campaign will lose you money. Before you decide to pay for ads, 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.

To see a great example of a video squeeze page (mentioned above), and to get more insight on driving visitors to your site, visit TheSecretAffiliateFormula.Com. For a limited time, you can also sign up for a free training course worth $67.