Affiliate internet marketing can be extremely lucrative if done efficiently, and the correct way to do it is by creating an income funnel. Having a sales funnel means having a list of clients that you can sell to from time to time as you locate or produce products in the popular market region you're working with.

Here are some tips to use to construct your sales funnel:

Your primary goal with affiliate marketing is to create a list of clients and build a relationship with them. You probably thought it was to promote a product or service, but that will come later. Right now, you need to focus all your effort on building a list of customers who are interested in the industry niche you're in and start building a connection with them. This will ensure the longevity of your affiliate internet marketing enterprise.

Build a lead capture page or landing page. This is a website that offers something of value to visitors to entice them to provide their name and email address. You can offer an eCourse, a newsletter, an exclusive report, or something else that has a perceived benefit to your visitors. People are very wary of spam these days, so you have to offer something of value.

Set up an autoresponder and create a series of messages. The first message should welcome your new subscribers and deliver the promised eCourse, newsletter , exclusive report, or whatever you offered to get them to sign up. It's a good idea to offer them an unadvertised bonus as well, something related to the same affiliate internet marketing niche. You want to start building a relationship right away, so an unadvertised bonus in addition to what they signed up for is a great idea.

Put your autoresponder messages on autopilot. You can preload your messages for up to a year in advance, so you don't have to remember to send them out. You'll need to decide how often to send an email. Sending too frequently can be annoying, while sending too infrequently can make them lose interest. I recommend spacing them out at intervals of 4-7 days.

Don't constantly send offers of products. People will run away if they feel like you're treating them like an ATM machine. Of course, you want to offer products, but don't overdo it. A good sign that you're overdoing it is when you start losing subscribers.

Keep your visitors engaged by occasionally offering freebies. Let them know you value the relationship and understand their challenges.

If you follow these guidelines correctly, you will create a product done for your affiliate marketing sales funnel that will keep generating income for a long time. Continually build and refine your sales funnel because you'll naturally have people drop off from time to time. Affiliate marketing is a great way to create a full-time income stream. How are you currently performing with your affiliate marketing program?