Commission Junction

One my favorite money making vehicles working at home is Commission Junction. It's ironic, that in 2003 I was kicked from CJ because I didn't make any money after a duration of 6 months. I got pissed and was like, "whatever.", right? Yeah, I actually typed that, sorry. So yes, if you don't make any money, they weed out the loafers in their database. Who knew?



Fast forward to 2006. One of my primary sources of online income drops their inhouse affiliate program. Guess who they were outsourcing all affiliate driven sales to? Commission Junction! I try to sign up, but they already have my email on file. I can't login or get my password either. Now what do I do? I called them up and explained that I needed my account reinstated. A week and new application process started all over again, I'm back in.

From the website: "Maximize your revenue opportunities by developing sustainable relationships with top-tier advertisers. Perform and get paid for every sale and lead you generate. For qualifying publishers, take your program to the next level with our industry exclusive solution for top-performers. Join our unparalleled network of publishers and learn more about our commitment to the long-term success of top-performing publishers."

Sign up as a publisher. What you do is you search the marketplace for Advertisers you are interested in. Maybe you want to start a blog about cars. You search for car parts, accessories, auto loans, anything your heart desires - and click "Apply to program". You will have to read some terms and conditions on some advertisers. Most advertisers approve manually and you must wait until you get approved.

Apply to advertisers and place their ads on your blogs, myspace pages, even Google Adwords accounts! Some people have literally made fortunes doing that technique. Google has rules about linking to affiliate driven links sometimes, but you can do redirects on your own webspace for those situations. (I'll discuss that later)

TIP! Look for advertisers that offer leads. Some of the best programs on CJ in my experience are advertisers like GameFly, Service Magic, and PerfectMatch.com. These advertisers will pay you anywhere from $1.50 to $25 just to get someone to type in their email address for a free or trial service! GameFly pays you $6.50 if someone signs up for a free 30 day trial. I know, because that's how I signed up!

By the way, Gamefly actually is a great service if you are into video gaming on your PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 or whatever you play. Personally, I have wasted so much money on a $60 game that turns out sucks because I can't pass the first level. With GameFly you can keep one at a time for just $15/month as long as you like.

HOT TIP! People sometimes can't get a credit card or bank account. If you have a site or offer a product that is only available via credit card, you can recommend your visitors to get a All Access Prepaid VISA card , which is another advertiser that uses CJ.

HOT TIP! People need things repaired on a home. Houses fall apart, it's true! We had to do some repairs and maintenance on our 15 year old house. We had some flooring that needed to be put in, we needed a termite inspector, etc. We found a company called Service Magic. They found us contractors in our local area. We're talking about top notch professionals, too. Certified, guaranteed, insured and bonded companies recommended by only the best. Service Magic is an advertiser in the Commission Junction marketplace. If you know somebody who needs some repairs on their home, send them an email with a link to Service Magic. They pay publishers anywhere from $1.00 to $10.00 per lead. You can apply this logic to anybody that needs something. I'll tell you later how to use some of these tried and true methods using your CJ links on your own webspace and domain.

You have to be creative and use your CJ ads in a way that draws attention and interest. It works, because we get a check sometimes twice a month from Commission Junction in the mailbox.