In my previous blog post, I talked about starting an affiliate business from scratch. Some people stay in this novice step forever, contented with the small side income their referral websites bring.

But in my experience as an EpicToon affiliate, those that enter this business have more ambition than to have a couple of hundreds as spare cash. This dream is to earn thousand-dollar commissions per month, and make it as a bona fide super affiliate.

Super affiliates command perks and income that far eclipse those of regular affiliates. If you’re wondering whether you’re already a super affiliate, ask yourself: Do I bring enough business to my product vendors that they consider me as one of their best? If your answer is no, then you have a long road ahead of you.

And there’s no shortcut to super affiliate status, as I found out when talking to some super affiliates over the years. But I did learn some key strategies (and which I now share) on how to secure your own golden badge:

Build A Comfortable Trust. I wrote before the building block of an affiliate business is to choose a right niche and to develop a strong relationship with potential customers. Super affiliates go further by engaging their audience in constant, creative ways. They don’t just put up a cool-looking website and wait for people to visit them. They answer queries, send out thoughtful emails, and give cool tips on why their products will be useful. Super affiliates make their presence and products felt—but not too forceful as to be labeled as spam.

Optimize Your Websites. Super affiliates learn from their mistakes and grab tools to correct them. Is your landing page not effective in encouraging visitors to click and purchase your affiliate products? Then maybe that Nickelodeon green font isn’t cutting it or you may need more pictures to catch their attention. You should be able to look at your website and think about where to improve next—whether it’s catchier visuals, better SEO content or more interactive features like a grassroots community board.

Cultivate Market Insight. You need to have the eye of a hawk when it comes to what your market is looking for, why they need it and how much they are willing to pay for it. Read up on current trends you may be missing out on, and visit competitor websites to see what you’re up against. It’s all about keeping tabs on the changing wants of your market so become an expert on your chosen niche. Soon you’ll see that clicks, visits and conversion sales will rise as you turn your knowledge into solid selling techniques.

With the help of these three broad strategies, you can expect to grow your business and proudly call yourself a super affiliate. And if you’re not convinced that all that hard work is worth it, here’s a rundown of privileges you’re missing out on:

Higher Commission Rates. Super affiliates receive higher commission rates from their product vendors. The EpicToon affiliate program, for example, offers 13% for affiliates who rack up $2,000 to $3,999 worth of referral sales in virtual game services. But this percentage goes up to a big 16% or higher (depending on website quality) once you reach $12,000 in monthly referral sales.

Royal Treatment. Affiliate managers also take care of their super affiliates because losing them would result in a big blow to their sales. These perks vary per product vendor but usually include prioritized pay-outs and yearly performance bonuses.

Niche Expansion. If you gain a reputation as a super affiliate in one niche, you can easily branch out to related fields. For example, if you sign up as an EpicToon affiliate and master the virtual gaming services field, you can choose to promote other gaming related products and earn more cash.

If your goal is to become a super affiliate fast, I can’t recommend enough EpicToon.com. Aside from having one of the best commission rates in the industry, EpicToon.com will help you understand the gaming services niche.

You’ll be marketing a very promising field and your customers will be the millions of gamers now signing up to play titles of World of Warcraft and Star Trek Online. Read up on the EpicToon affiliate program FAQ and maybe you’ll soon join me as their newest super affiliate.