I don’t see articles about affiliate marketing in magazines like Forbes very often, so this one caught my eye. They interviewed several affiliate managers and marketing directors from companies such as SmartBargains.com, CollegeRecruiter.com, Aplus.Net and others. There is some good info especially for newer AMs or merchants considering the launch of an affiliate program.

The Internet phone service business is fiercely competitive, with players like Vonage, eBay-Skype, Yahoo! and Microsoft. So, how can upstart company SunRocket stand out?

With an affiliate marketing campaign. Within one year of starting its campaign, SunRocket is the second-fastest-growing independent provider of residential Internet phone service in the United States, behind Vonage.

“Affiliate programs are one of the most powerful marketing tools available,”

Read the rest here, Creating A Virtual Sales Force – Forbes.com then come discuss it.