Often newbies ask whether or not affiliate marketing is a scam. This is especially true when they see a two-tiered program, which means the affiliate is able to earn off the affiliate that brings them into the program. This is often associated with pyramid schemes. So how do you know when an affiliate marketing offer is a scam? There are few things that can help you identify a scam from a legitimate affiliate marketing offer.

#1 There Are No Fees Associated With Affiliate Programs

It costs you nothing to join an affiliate marketing program the only way you're ever going to make any money is if you make a sale. Even with the two tiered programs, you only make money off the affiliate that is under you if they make a sale and earn a commission. There are no membership fees when an affiliate program is legitimate. You will often come across an offer claiming to be an affiliate program, but they are charging a set up fee or they are offering to sell you a site to market with. These are a good idea to walk away from, because being an affiliate should be absolutely free.

#2 Offering You Big Income Overnight and With No Work

People have dreams in one of those dreams is to make tons of money so that they can live the lifestyle they dream about. This is also why so many people fall for the promise that they will become rich overnight with little to no work. These people get scammed into buying tools, information products, e-books etc. that will show them how to make a million without ever doing an honest day’s work. That's the equivalent of telling you that you could lose 100 pounds in two weeks with the latest miracle diet. This would set off all kinds of warning bells for you, yet when these same tactics are used relating to affiliate marketing, people buying in daily wanting to believe there's some magic bullet to quick sales and getting rich fast.

If you come across promotions that sound too good to be true then it is more than likely that is exactly the case and rather than parting with your hard-earned money, turnaround and go the other way.

Red Flags to Watch For
* Promises of large amounts of money without hard work.
* Pictures of insane homes luxury cars and crazy lifestyles.
* Pictures of ridiculous size checks
* You are told it's a full proof system.

The Truth About Affiliate Income

With hard work and time you can earn a significant income through affiliate marketing. You can also build yourself a long-term income stream that will provide income to you not just now but far into the future. The best way to avoid scams, is to not get overly excited when you see all this hype and to use your logical brain to decide what appears truthful in what seems too far-fetched to be true.

Anyone can make a successful career out of affiliate marketing. You can find amazing success with the right affiliate program. You just need to have realistic expectations and achievable goals and you won't be disappointed.