A network marketing business sells its products through a network of distributors. Commissions on earned and paid out on several levels deep. A distributor can make money selling products at the retail level and many good network marketers do this. They can also make money selling products at wholesale to distributors and their downline. Money can be made on the sales of the downline through several layers or levels as well.

Affiliate marketing is when you are paid to sell other peoples' products. Thanks to the internet many businesses from different industries have an affiliate program. Most are free to join and offer their affiliates everything they need in the way of support. This would include websites, follow-up autoresponders, taking the orders online, collecting the money, and shipping the orders out. Some affilitate programs are 2 tiered meaning as an affiliate you can recruit affiliates and get paid on their sales as well. Generally affilliate marketing is only one or two levels and not any more.

That is one big difference between network marketing and affiliate marketing. The network itself is non essential in affiliate marketing. So which is the best way to make money? How about both depending on what you like to do.

Thanks to the internet today it is possible to make money many different ways with many different products. Find something that interests you to start with and then move on from there. You will find training and support available in both affiliate and mlm businesses. You are in business for yoursefl, but not by yourself. Your parent company can not succeeed unless you do, so they are there to serve you.

One big consideration you have to give to network marketing is do you like dealing with people. An MLM business is only as good as it's distributors and when you recruit and bring new distributors into the business you have an obligation to be available for training and helping them be successful. In affiliate marketing all you have to do is sell other people's stuff to make money. If you become adept at internet marketing you can run your business 100% online without ever having to talk or even email anyone. But again you will not get paid for the efforts of a downline and that can be worth thousands of dollars a month to a network marketer with a large group.

So when you see the phrase network marketing affiliate program now you will know that they are really 2 separate ways of making money and both are great ways to do it depending on your personal preference.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Is There Such A Thing As A Network Marketing Affiliate Program

About the Author

Jeff Schuman helps people start their own network marketing business. For free mlm training and opportunities visit his website here: http://network-marketing.team-schuman.com