One of the toughest challenges of marketing is connecting the creative process to techniques that maximize the promotional results. Most smart, passionate small business owners know their businesses better than anyone, but they lack the specific knowledge to channel that energy into marketing success.

The Internet and Web 2.0 are bringing these savvy entrepreneurs all of the tools to execute a world-class marketing plan. Unfortunately, there is still that missing piece–knowledge.

Old school marketing firms and ad agencies are trapped in business models sustained by big retainers, long-term contracts, and little accountability. This is a recipe for good money chasing bad execution, in an economy that can’t afford it.

In contrast there are some emerging options, provided by more innovative marketing firms. Leveraging Internet tools, social marketing, and new mobile techniques these new marketing firms are specializing in strategy and expertise, leaving execution to their clients.

Here are a few hints to save you money and squeeze the most out of your marketing spend:

1. Find Experience

Look for firms with talent and proven experience. Survey their impact on the Internet. Ask associates for referrals and references. An effective Internet marketing firm should be easy to find.

2. Pay for Expertise, Not Execution

Chance are you are heavy on smart people, while light on marketing expertise and budget. So, find a marketing partner that will work with you to balance that mix. Look for specific how-to advice and guided strategy. Then do the heavy lifting yourself.

3. Look for A La Carte Services

Don’t pay for the whole marketing department when you just need a few targeted services. Look for coaching and expertise in copywriting, press releases, and campaign management, not managing your message or “communications.” You probably have better knowledge of your target market any way–and how to get their attention. Ask (and pay) for only what you need to get it done, and nothing more.

4. Discard Retainers for Pay-As-You-Go

Retainers are for multi-national, Fortune 50 companies. Pay only on performance, as you go. This more closely aligns a marketing partner with your goals and objectives, while minimizing your long-term risks.

5. Results are the Final Measure

Bottom-line sales and revenue producing results are the most important objectives of any business, but particularly a small or medium-sized business. This is why you may find great marketing firms willing to let you employee their expertise, while giving you the responsibility and savings for implementation and measurement. This assures that their services are credible and drives immediate value.

Find do-it-yourself marketing options for your next ad or marketing campaign. Hire expertise and retain execution and measurement. You get to lead the marketing charge, giving you more for you marketing dollar.

Are you ready to really start making some serious money?

I’ll let you in on a little secret. The only way that you can make money like this without a huge amount of investment and risk is affiliate marketing. No where else is it possible to make this much money fast, not even in the offline world. In the face our dismal economy, being able to start your own business up online is not only attractive, it makes a good deal more sense than wasting months sending out resumes no one pays any attention to. The answer to your dilemma is affiliate niche marketing programs.

I will warn you that you do have a lot of stuff to learn, but it will be worth the effort.

If you don’t educate yourself about how the Internet works and what the proper procedures are, you will be hard pressed to make money even in affiliate niche marketing programs. Make it a point to learn your trade from the pros and the sky will be the limit on your earnings. Every newcomer to affiliate marketing has to deal with this learning curve. Nothing you have done offline can prepare you for the ins and outs of Internet marketing.

You will need to learn all about important tools and measurements.

The fastest way to make money at affiliate niche marketing programs will be to make sure you know how to take advantage of things like:

o Keyword Tools

o Market Demographics

o Hot product locaters

o Social Marketing

o Search Engine Optimization

o Pay Per Click

o Organic Search

o Copywriting

o Publishing

o Website Building

o Article Marketing

o Video Marketing

o and more

Are you worried about the down economy melting down your money making ability online?

That will never happen with affiliate niche marketing programs. The exact opposite is more like it. The harder merchants find it to reach the ready buyers for their services and products, the more money they will be willing to pay successful affiliate marketers. In 2008, over $2,000,000,000 (yes, billions) was paid out to affiliate marketers for their performance online.

That is how you spell income security, with 9 zeros after it.

How big a piece of that pie do you want? You can have as much of it as you earn. The more successful marketers there are taking advantage of affiliate niche marketing programs, the more zeros will be added to the total payout for any calendar year. What are you waiting for? There is definitely money to be made and you don’t even have to leave home to claim your share.