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Affiliate Program Facts: What You Need to Know
Want the real scoop on affiliate programs? Have you been
put off by the get-rich-quick tone of most affiliate
program information?
Then grab a cup of tea and let's chat.
First, let's get the terms right.
An affiliate program is online talk for marketing
partnerships. The affiliate is a person who endorses,
promotes or advertises another person's product or
service online. The merchant is the person who pays a
commission to the affiliate when a sale is made. The
program is the organization that brings the affiliate
and merchant together.
So for instance, you have a website where you post
vegetarian recipes. You discover a seasoning that adds a
wonderful flavor to your favorite corn casserole. You do
a little research on several affiliate market sites, and
discover this small, family owned business is looking
for customers to tell others about their product. You
agree to be an affiliate and place their ad on your
website. Now, every time website visitors click on that
ad, your website will be credited for the link, and if
the visitor buys the seasoning, the company will pay you
a commission.
And it really is that simple. You don't have to be a
technical whiz, an advertising guru, or even own a
website to be part of an affiliate program. It just
takes someone who is online and willing to recommend
products or services to other people.
There's got to be a catch
No, but there is a lot of oversell, so you'll encounter
claims and promises about making serious money without
any work. You'd be wise to remain skeptical of those
claims.
It's possible, and maybe even probable, that you can
generate a respectable monthly income from affiliate
programs, but it requires honest effort. If you want to
turn your affiliate programs into a serious money-making
endeavor, you'll need to make a decision upfront about
how you go about your apprenticeship to the business.
You can learn as you go through trial and error, or you
can pay a consultant to give you marketing tips and
insider news. If you choose to pay for insider
information, then be thorough in your research of the
provider and get reliable recommendations before paying
the fee.
Different marketing methods
For the person who wants to earn as much as possible
through affiliate programs there are two "multiples" to
know: multi-tiered affiliate programs and multiple
methods of marketing.
Multi-tiered affiliate programs are different from
affiliate programs because they rely on you signing
other people up as sub-affiliates. When that person's
marketing produces a sale then you get a commission as
well. So these people work for you, in a manner of
speaking.
Read your affiliate agreements carefully to understand
exactly what is expected of you and anyone who
sub-affiliates through you in a multi-tiered program.
Ask for recommendations and talk to sub-affiliates and
affiliates with other products to find out what problems
they may have encountered before you make a decision.
Another way to increase your affiliate program earnings
is through multiple marketing methods. If you want to go
beyond a website ad, then you can promote your
affiliates in many other ways. Blogs, email marketing,
traditional promotions, writing e-zines and e-books, or
engaging in online discussion like forums, chats,
message boards all offer marketing opportunities.
A blog is a webpage where you write regular entries
about any subject you like and expect visitors to read
your thoughts, opinions, frustrations, and ideas. Many
bloggers write entries about their experiences on a
specific topic then recommend the product or service
that they enjoy using. Visitors to blogs are not looking
for advertisements, and they'll leave quickly if that's
what you write, but if you build a readership that
trusts you, then they'll be interested in the products
and services you recommend.
Email marketing includes a variety of techniques. It can
be as simple as having an ad linked with your automated
signature. Each time you send out an email the product
or service link is included with your name at the bottom
of the email. Or, you can use email marketing that is
more time-consuming like designing and maintaining a
regular email service on a specific topic that you email
to subscribers.
These daily, weekly, or monthly emails are centered on a
topic you enjoy and people request to receive your
emails. You should enjoy gathering or writing about the
topic information and dispersing it to others, since
that is how you will spend the bulk of your time.
Since people subscribe to email lists to receive
inspiration, information, or encouragement, they are
receptive to an ad that corresponds to the topic. You
can include ads at the end of your emails or provide
links within the body of the email as long as the
product or service placement makes sense.
Writing a book or an article may sound far-fetched, but
it is a great way to increase your affiliate
commissions. Now writing isn't a wise use of your time
if you are only trying to sell a product. But if you are
passionate about a topic, then writing articles for
ezines or ebooks is a wonderful way to share your
enthusiasm while motivating and educating others about
your specialty.
Once you write an ebook or for an ezine, you can include
affiliate ads at the bottom or on the sides of the
screen. Just make sure the products or services go along
with the topic you have written about in your ebook or
article.
If you enjoy engaging in an online community and already
contribute your opinions and thoughts to chat rooms,
forums, and message boards, then you can use those
channels to increase the visibility of your affiliate
links. However, and this is a big however, most online
communities do not allow or desire spamming - those
awful advertisements that are splattered into
discussions willy-nilly. Furthermore, merchants usually
don't want to be associated with spammers, so steer
clear of anything that resembles that activity.
If you post regularly and have built online
relationships with the people in a forum, then you
should use those boards to offer your knowledge and
affiliate links when it is appropriate. Sometimes this
can be done easily by including the link with your
signature (similar to your email signature) or other
times the discussion board will have a certain forum
space or specific days to for you to advertise. Just
know what the site's rules are so your marketing is
received positively.
Some affiliates use traditional promotions such as
signs, classified ads, brochures, or flyers to interest
buyers. If you go this route, remember that you need the
interested buyer to remember your web information to buy
the product or service. So a clever, catchy, website
name or email address would be critical for this type of
marketing.
All in all, when it comes down to affiliate programs
what you are offering is yourself: your reputation, your
character, and your online voice. So think carefully
about what merchants you wish to endorse and how you
much marketing you are willing to do.
Now, go wash out that teacup. You've got a lot to
consider. |
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