Marketing Programs have literally taken over Internet and riding high, is Affiliate Marketing.

According to Computer Industry Almanac "The world-wide Internet population for 2004 was 934 million and projection for 2006 is 1.21 billion."

Sean Michael Kerner in an article in Click Z News quoting a spokesman for eBay states "According to eBay their largest affiliate earned over $1.3 million dollars in January commission, largest amount yet in their affiliate program's history. Their top 25 affiliates averaged over $100,000 per month each and top 100 affiliates earn almost $25,000 each per month."

With this sort of statistics around, is it any surprise that thousands of entrepreneurs especially those Home Based Business entrepreneurs with very small marketing budgets are jumping on to Affiliate Marketing band-wagon!

Given below are some of Popular reasons for this desire and urge to do Affiliate Marketing:

1. Cost Factor: Most Entrepreneurs refrain from starting a brick and mortar business or for that matter a Home Based Business (non internet) because of investment required. In Affiliate Marketing set-up cost is negligible with most programs being free to join and merchant even providing you with tools, tips and websites.

2. Pick and Choose Products: With dozens of Affiliate Program providers and thousands of merchants having their own affiliate programs, there are several thousands of products to choose from. You name it they have it! In fact there are even Fortune 500 companies to choose from. The idea is to pick and choose your niche products and promote them.

3. No need for an Inventory. The hassle of purchasing, stocking of items and storing of finished items (in a production unit) and dispatching them are not there. There is no need to maintain an inventory. It is all handled by merchant.

Unfortunately with hundreds of affiliate programs that are started weekly by merchants, Attracting Your fair share of affiliates willing to participate in your program is never an easy goal unless you are already experienced in such matters.

With this in mind there are several solutions catered towards announcing your program to industry. The most obvious solution is offered by affiliate program submission services which submit your program to relevant directories, in hope that affiliate marketers will find and join your program. These can charge up to $300 (Usd) which may seem a bit excessive for inclusion in majority of directories.

On positive side they will present your program accurately and promptly to correct editors, And these submission services are normally very well established and recognised as professionals by editors of such directories. You'll find that most directories themselves recommend you use these services.