I'm sure you've heard the expression, "This is where you separate the men from the boys."

It's usually used when you're faced with some ridiculous stunt like jumping off a bridge with a rubber band tied to your foot. Or when you're staring at a sheer cliff with nothing to climb up it but your hands and feet. Or when you have a job walking around six inch beams 200 feet up in the air.

Yeah, I'd say that would be some severe separation.

We can use the same expression for affiliate marketing also.

The real men (and women) are the ones that can set themselves apart from the rest of the pack, make a name for themselves, and start making new trends. The boys and girls are the ones that follow and try to pick up the scraps left over.

How do you set yourself apart to start building a long lasting, profitable affiliate business?

True affiliate marketing success lies within creating your own product.

I know that sounds like a strange tip for people involved in affiliate marketing, where you sell other people's products. But, if you take some time to look around at the most successful people in the affiliate marketing world you'll see one major difference between them and the rest. Or the men from the boys.

They all have their own product, or products.

You're probably asking yourself, "Doesn't this defeat the whole affiliate marketing concept?" Actually it strengthens it.

Set Yourself Apart for Affiliate Success

More than anything else, having your own product to sell sets yourself apart from the rest of the field. Most affiliates try to get by with the ads and articles that are supplied by the merchant. Some will buy Google Adwords in the hope of turning that traffic into commissions. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

Having an ebook, software, membership site, print newsletter, or whatever other product, or service, you can think of will leverage your affiliate business exponentially. You are no longer a follower, but someone who visitors will see as one that is trustworthy and determined to stay in business, not just collect a quick buck.

Increased Reach Through Your Mailing List

Your own product means more subscribers. More subscribers means more reach to place reviews of affiliate products, small ads, and recommendations of products.

Expert Notoriety

This is more of a side effect from having a larger mailing list. You are perceived as an expert and your recommendations will be taken more seriously. It's a lot different than being a nobody and having a few articles about a topic linking to an affiliate product.

Trend Setter

A majority of our population here on earth don't like to be first in line. They like to follow. Let them follow you. Be a trend setter in developing new products to teach or help others.

If I could give you one magical affiliate marketing tip it would be to create your own product. A short, well thought out and informative ebook can do more for your affiliate marketing business than any automated software or DVD package every will.