In the past few years, affiliate marketing has become a booming industry. The lure of making money online can be hard to resist, and though many have tried tapping into this relatively new market, it can be a lot harder to pull off than it may seem.

Here are some tips on how to become an affiliate marketer:

1. Find your niche. Whether its beauty products or mixology, it’s important to first find your niche market. Focus on a specific niche and learn everything there is to learn about it. Build your credibility.

2. Branch out. There’s no rule that says you need to stick with one merchant. Protect yourself by promoting products from several different merchants. And be wary of exclusivity agreements.

3. Determine the type of affiliate marketing you would like to do. The two most popular types are the resource site and the review site. Resource sites offer how-to articles and tutorials, and feature new content frequently, while review sites feature product reviews with links or banner ads that click through to the merchant partner’s site. Review sites are updated less frequently than resource sites, though they still need to be tweaked every once in a while to let search engines know they’re still running.

4. Get clever. Most users won’t click affiliate links, so you’ll need to come up with a clever mix of marketing tactics to increase your site’s traffic and attract people who will click those links. You can do this through paid advertising, free advertising, or article marketing. Choose which method works best for you.

5. Choose your domain carefully. Your website’s name is an important part of your online presence. Make sure it’s easy to remember, optimized for your niche, and reflects the type of site you’ve decided upon.

6. Quality versus quantity. Having three or four effective affiliate sites which are well-optimized will give you a much better return than hundreds of mediocre sites.

7. Be thoughtful about links. Place links in appropriate places. If you’re featuring more than one product, consider creating a page for each. Within the product page ensure that links are clear, visible and showcased with a compelling call to action.

Despite all the buzz, getting into affiliate marketing is not a sure-fire, get-rich-quick strategy. Like all businesses, the best affiliate marketers will have a solid business plan and a strategy for executing it. A well designed, unique affiliate site can lead to a tidy and (relatively) passive income stream. One of the best things about affiliate marketing is that it doesn’t cost much to dip your toe in, so you can afford to make a few mistakes along the way to building your affiliate empire.

The handful of tips above cover some of the most important aspects of affiliate marketing, but it’s a good idea to read one of the many comprehensive guidebooks on the subject so you know exactly what you’re getting into. Don’t let all the information bog you down though — you’ll learn much more by just getting out there and giving it a go.