Many people join affiliate programs in the anticipation of earning a substantial amount of money. They advertise in a few places and then wait for the money to start coming in. When it does not, they criticize the program and quit.
I am convinced that the only way to earn money online is to have a consistent advertising plan. A plan that you are willing to work hard on and commit to for a specified period of time. When creating this plan, you should do two things. First, you should choose a few affiliate programs that interest you. Second, you should decide how long you want to work these programs for.
Following that, consider your advertising options: traffic exchanges, classified ads, e-mail campaigns, ezine articles, posting to forums or message boards, chatting with others who are interested in what you have to offer, and posting flyers throughout your town. Now that you've seen the numerous advertising avenues available to you, I recommend pursuing them all. It may seem like a lot of work, but when broken down into a plan, it's not.
One possible plan might look like this: 1 hour per day on traffic exchanges. 15 classified ads per day. 5 posts per day to a message board or forum. 1 article per week to an ezine. Visit chat rooms and distribute flyers when you have extra time during the week. This can all be accomplished by spending 2-3 hours per day. You will be surprised how much you accomplish when you have a plan.
Make a commitment to your new plan and refrain from participating in any other programs until your present ones are regularly profitable. Don't give up; sticking to this plan will considerably increase your success.