Perhaps you’re switching business models or maybe you’re totally new online. Either way, you’d like to create an income stream by promoting products as an affiliate marketer. So what do you really need to have to start making affiliate sales? Here are 5 things in no particular order:

#1 You need at least one promotional platform to start, but several are better. By a platform I mean something like a niche blog or static site. A place, your home base, where you can showcase the products. People need a place they can go to check out the item they’re interested in, learn about it and get their questions answered, and decide if it will solve their problem. Importantly, they need the opportunity to buy it, and from a trusted source.

It is possible to promote products by simply doing a redirect from your website address to the creator’s product page, but that’s not usually the best way to do it. You need to presell before you send them on. Potential buyers are more comfortable having a recommendation before they buy.

#2 Every affiliate marketer needs an audience. You can write up a nice little product review on your blog but obviously if no one reads it, you won’t make sales. SEO every piece of content you put on your site, offer free lead magnet material that people actually want, join online forums, offer your lead magnet material somewhere highly trafficked such as on a forum, do joint ventures, partner with marketers who have followers, run ads, create and post YouTube videos, and any other method that gets exposure to you and the products you’re promoting.

#3 Related to #2 and the desire for traffic, you need to open several social media accounts. Which ones? Start with Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You won’t know which are the most successful for you until you get them established, work them, and look hard at your results.

#4 This probably goes without saying, but you need quality products to promote. The best place to start is with products you already own and use. If you want to promote Internet marketing items, what have you purchased that you’ve had great success with? Tell your story. People respond to authentic stories and they want to have the same great experiences.

Otherwise, choose carefully. Products need to be well presented, without problems or the problems already fixed, backed by a guarantee, have good customer service, and plenty of “meat”.

#5 Successful marketers need to track their various promotions. Why waste your time throwing everything at it in hopes that something will stick and you’ll make some sales? Not only does it waste your time but drains your energy and is very discouraging. Track your promotions! You can use tracking software and do split tests with ease. At the very least, use a separate affiliate link for each way you promote. Are you selling a bunch via email or your blog post? Is the tweeting a bust? You will know with tracking.

There is a lot more to affiliate marketing and as you go along you will settle into methods that work best for you. But if you’re just getting started, these 5 things are what you need now.