by: Terence Tan
What is a Multi Level Affiliate Program(MLAP)?
A MLAP is an affiliate program that is free to join, and pays affiliates a commission when they make a sale, as well as when subaffiliates under them make sales.
How is a MLAP better than basic affiliate programs for webmasters, ezine publishers, and forum owners?
When affiliates promote products using their affiliate links on their sites,only a small percentage of visitors/members/subscribers will end up buying the products.The other "impressions" are wasted. Because MLAPs are free to join, a proportion of these "wasted" visitors will sign up as subaffiliates to sell products to their freinds and contacts. As a result, when they subsequently make sales (or recruit further subaffiliates), the original affiliate member gets paid a leveraged, passive income through no further effort on his part. Depending on the number of levels the MLAP incorporates, the potential for profit could be HUGE, at no risk!
How is a MLAP better for merchants than traditional affiliate programs?
While basic affiliate programs are a wonderful no risk, cost per action way for merchants to make sales, their popularity has resulted in a huge abundance of different programs, each competing for the same, limited number of affiliates to promote their products.In fact, recruiting affiliates has become almost as hard as making sales for many merchants. MLAPs offer merchants a way to make their programs and products stand out from the crowd, to recruit new affiliates much more quickly and effectively, thereby boosting their "sales force" and eventual sales and profits.
How is a MLAP better than MLM for affiliates?
While MLAPs have the huge income potential of MLM programs due to the use of the leveraged downline concept, because they are free to join, they present a zero risk alternative to people wary of losing money in poorly executed MLM programs.
How is a MLAP better than MLM for merchants?
MLMs, while a very effective and profitable means of product distribution, have been getting a bad reputation because of the poor execution by some companies. The need to first buy a product or pay a joining fee has drawn some criticism, as well as hampered many would be "salesmen" from joining these programs. MLAPs allow merchants to much more effectively win affiliates, without the risk of being labelled a "MLM company".
Where is the best place to find MLAPs to join?
As MLAPs are still relatively uncommon, it is very hard and time consuming to find them online. An effective way would be to go to a specialised MLAP directory, like Hugeaffiliate.com , which continuously combs the web for such programs to list in an organised manner.
Where can I get affiliates for my MLAP?
While it is possible to sign up affiliates by listing your MLAP in normal affiliate program directories, it is also very useful to list your MLAPs in specialised directories like Hugeaffiliates.com. This is because this is where most affiliates interested in MLAPs go to locate new programs to join.
Where can I learn more about MLAPs?
Go to our extensive resource bank and discussion forum designed specially to help both affiliates interested in learining how to make money using MLAPs, as well merchants thinking of setting up their own MLAPs.
How popular are MLAPs?
While still relatively new, these programs are quickly gaining popularity because of the distinct benefits they offer to both affiliates and merchants.