How Super Affiliates Choose Their Top Affiliate Program?
You will certainly have heard about success stories from affiliates who are making their living just by selling products which they haven't even created themselves... How did they know which affiliate program to promote?
Going after the money or your interests?
When you're promoting affiliate programs, you have two choices: Either you can decide to promote popular items which are very likely to be sold as there is a huge level of interest (a lot ofcompetition also) e.g. dating sites, casino sites, weight loss products or you can promote something you really like, something that is related to your hobbies and interests.
The best thing is to combine the best of both worlds by promoting a product which is in demand but which interests you as well. For example products related to golfing are very popular and there are a lot of keywords related to that area. And if you are a golfer yourself, you will have no problems finding topics to write about on your site. You could write about how to improve your golf swing or where to find the best golf equipment or you simply explain golfing rules. That's up to you.
Whatever you decide, make sure you do your keyword research. The best tool I know of to find related keywords to your main keyword is an online tool called WordTracker. With this tool, you'll find dozens if not hundreds of related words and phrases together with an analysis for the
profitabililty in the search engines. It even shows you how often people have searched for these combinations. I'm using the suggestions from WordTracker myself now to create highly targeted and optimized affiliate sites! What are the most important facts before promoting ANY affiliate program ?
1.) There must be a DEMAND for the product the merchant is offering. You can check this by visiting Overture.com and see if any sellers are bidding on keywords related to the product you want to offer.
2.) The commission must be substantial in itself . If you're promoting a $5 item then you need to make a LOT of sales and it can be as difficult as selling a high ticket item. Make sure it's worth it. Commissions of 50% would be desirable (mainly digital goods) but for high ticket items even just 20-45% will do it. Personally, I would not promote anything that offers me a commission lower than $15 per sale.
3.) You should be able to reach someone at the company if you have any questions related to the product. After all, if you don't know enough details, how are you going to sell these items to your customers ?
4.) The sales letter must be convincing enough to get people to buy the product. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and ask yourself: Would I buy the product myself when I was visiting this page ? Moreover, the sales letter has got to have enough testimonials included. This will boost your conversion ratio.
5.) There should be a money-back guarantee for the product being sold. If the affiliate program owner doesn't offer this, then you better search for something different to promote...!
6.) Physical address and contact info should be visible on the site.
7.) The affiliate program must offer realtime statistics so you can see how many visits you are converting into sales. If you are using an affiliate network like ClickBank or Commission Junction, be sure to use tracking links for your ads to be able to check the number of visitors.
Where to find those profitable affiliate programs?
There are several dozens of affiliate program directories and these places are the first choice for affiliate marketers to look at when searching for new products to promote. Typically, the most known directories will be searched first, like Alan Gardyne's AssociatePrograms.com or Chuck McCullough's AffiliateMatch.com . Another way to find the most profitable affiliate programs is by searching in regular affiliate networks like the before mentioned ClickBank (for digital goods) and Commission Junction (mainly physical goods).
Conclusion:
Most super affiliates will look in the affiliate program directories to find their top performing affiliate program. If the product owner offers a fair share of the profits (for physical goods around 5-20% and for digital goods about 35-75%), the super affiliate will choose the one which offers him the highest payout when the points 1-7 of my list above are okay with the merchant. So as an affiliate program owner, you better make sure that you are listed there... 7 Things You Must Do If You Want To Make More Money In Less Time
This article gives excellent inputs to actually make money from quality network marketing programs.
Making money through quality Network Marketing has become a very hot topic in today's Internet Marketing industry.
I know it for sure, because as an Editor of Arigola e-Millionaire Newsletter at (http://www.arigola.com) which provides weekly FREE Ad to my subscribers, I notice that the numbers of ads I received which promote Network Marketing programs have increased significantly for the last 2 months.
They now occupy around 60% of Ad Spots available in each issue of the Classified Edition of my ezine.
If you want to take advantage of this growing trend, the following suggestions might be very useful for you to build your own nice residual income through quality Network Marketing programs.
1. Join A Quality Network Marketing Program That Guarantees Paid Sign Ups In 30 Days Or Your Money Back
First, because if they fulfill what they promise, you are already in profit in 30 days.
Second, because if they fail to give you what they promise, you lose nothing. You can always get 100% of your money back!
Make sure that the owner of the program is honest, has amazing track records in the past and is willing to do everything legally to pay checks on time. Including reaching deep into his/her own pockets!
Here's the program that I currently join, meets the criteria and has made me money: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4207/4116)
2. Work Closely With Your Upline
The fact that your upline has successfully recruited you as his/her downline means that his/her method works.
It's really a simple common sense to ask them for "their success secrets". If you succeed from putting their ideas to work, they succeed too.
3. Organize An Advertising Co-Op For Your Organization
Getting quality traffic to your Network Marketing program site can be very expensive, if you do it on your own. But you can save tons of cash, if you purchase it in bulk.
Let me explain.
Let's say you want to buy responsive and quality leads from Marty Foley's well-known Lead Factory, but your budget for that purpose is only $150. With this cash, you can only get $0.30 per lead.
Now, you can ask your downline to do Ad Co-op with you. If you can get 9 downlines who are willing to pay $150 each, your budget becomes $1500. With this money, you can get leads for $0.22 each. So everyone will get 681 leads instead of 500 for the same $150.
What if you just start and don't have any downline yet? Easy. Ask your upline(s) to organize it for you.
Here are some resources to buy quality leads:
1. Jodi Hans' Permission Email: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4189/4116)
2. Marty Foley's Lead Factory: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4190/4116)
3. BigLeadsPro: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4194/4116)
4. Set Up At Least 7 Series Of Email Campaign In Your Autoresponder
All Web Gurus and offline Advertising Media people agree that your target audience should be exposed to your sales message several times, before they decide to buy your products or join a program under you. The more often you contact them, the better.
That's why you need to set-up a series of automatic email campaign that goes to your prospect's inbox in interval. In message 1 that goes instantly, you can expose all benefits of your program(s). Then you can highlight and explain more about each one of them in message 2 to 7. Message 2 goes 2 days later. Message 3, 4 days later and so on. It's done automatically using your Autoresponder.
The following are the Autoresponder services which I personally use:
1. Lead Lightning: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4208/4116)
2. Greensponder: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4209/4116)
3. QuickPayPro: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4210/4116)
Once you set-up at least 7 email series, the next thing you need to do is...
5. Get As Many Targeted Prospects As Possible To Trigger Your Autoresponder
You want to do this because you need to expose your series of sales messages to people who are in needs of what you have to offer. The more targeted prospects who send an email to your autoresponder email address, the better.
Apart from importing quality leads you purchase into your autoresponder as explained in point 3, you can also do it by promoting your autoresponder address through Ezine Advertising.
Run Solo Ads or Top Sponsor Ads in Ezines of which the subscribers match your prospect criteria. Give them something valuable for FREE to send a blank email to your autoresponder email address. Trust me, it works. I've personally gained hundreds of prospects using this tactic alone.
You can buy cheap Ezine Ads from the following resources.
1. 2 Bucks An Ad: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4212/4116)
2. MyWizardAds: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4215/4116)
3. EzineAdNet: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4216/4116)
4. 10Dollars20Ads: (http://www.leadlightning.com/go.php/4217/4116)
6. Repeat The Methods That Work Until You Gain Significant Profits
If the methods you receive from your upline work, repeat it. If not, forget it. The same thing goes for other tactics explained in this article.
If you keep repeating what works, chances are you will gain significant profits in no time. What I mean by significant is the amount you receive per month from a particular program is at least 10 times its monthly fee.
Once you reach this stage then...
7. Ask Your Friends To Join Under You And Persuade Them To Do What You Have Done
Well, you've gained profits already. It means that you have a solid prove and you don't come to your friends empty handed. You won't be laughed at. In fact, you will trigger their curiosity and move them to join under you.
After they do, explain to them the benefits (read: profits) they will get, if they follow your examples. Be their faithful coach until they earn their own significant profits. Once they reach this stage, tell them to ask their contacts to join under them and follow their steps.
Once you hit success with this technique, CONGRATULATIONS! Your Downline for a particular program has grown like crazy! Without you even knowing it!
It's really possible to make money through quality Network Marketing programs. Provided that you follow those who already "make it". The key is you put to work what you've learned maximally. And you can't go wrong.
How To Recruit Affiliates With The Affiliate Directories
There are many affiliate directories providing searchable database's to help webmasters find affiliate programs suitable for their sites. Think of them as the Yahoo's for the affiliate world.
All of these directories will consider your affiliate program for a free listing in their database. If a directory editor chooses to highlight your program as a recommendation in their newsletter then you will benefit from even more great publicity!
With almost 40 such directories ensuring you are listed on as many of these directories as possible is an important task.
As affiliate programs rise in popularity they are becoming increasingly selective as to which programs qualify for a listing making it important that you submit and present your program in the correct manner.
How to get listed
Each directory will have their own submission policies but in general they will not accept -
- Adult content related sites
- MLM, that's anything paying commissions on more than 2-tiers or 'levels'
- A few restrict 'Gambling Sites'.
- Most won't accept submissions from affiliates themselves, submits need to come from the program owner
It's also worth noting that a lower priority is often placed on most pay per click programs, some will still accept your listing but be prepared for a higher rejection rate than for a pay per lead or sale program.
In almost every case your submission will be reviewed by the directories editors before inclusion in the directory. Also bear in mind that they are very busy and if you have evaded the submission policies the chances are your request will just hit the recycle bin!
Six Tips To Increase Your Chances Of A Listing
1. Make sure your programs ready!
Is the affiliate sign-up form up and operational, is your tracking system actually logging click thru's and sales. Make sure there is no 'little red crosses' where logos and banners should be and spell check your pages.
2. Create an 'Affiliate Information Page'
Both directories and potential affiliates need to be able to access pages detailing your program. If your using one of the affiliate networks it's generally not enough to just supply the directories with your co-branded sign-up page at the network.
Create your own affiliate information page and include the following -
- A description of your product/service
- Illustrate your commission and payment terms
- Make sure the programs terms and conditions are available before joining up
- Ideally also include a link to your home page and privacy policy
3. Do Your Homework
Review a few of the directories before you start. Get a feel for how they list programs.
All provide a 'drill down' category selection and some also offer a keyword search.
Look at the category choices to find the most suitable to submit your program to. Try to search as an affiliate might. Some headings can have more than one meaning. For example lets say your a retail outlet you might think the heading of ecommerce is appropriate but if you look at the other programs listed you'll discover most are actually offering services to enable ecommerce, maybe you ought to have opted for Shopping instead?
Perhaps you sell household goods and think 'Hardware' is a good choice but then you might look like a computer hardware seller and would be better off in Homes & Gardens!
Finally, I suggest avoiding the 2-tier category if you're only allowed one category choice. If you have gardening products with a 2-tier commission structure wouldn't good affiliates who know they attract gardeners want to know you meet their sites visitors needs before worrying about your pay plan?
4. Prepare Your Submission Data
Next plan out the data you want to submit.
I suggest when your asked for your URL if you're only given the option to provide one address submit that of your affiliate information page.
Write your 'program description'; often you are limited to just 255 words so you need to get your message across fast.
Mention your product/service and also work in commission rates payable and any special features of your program.
DON'T SHOUT it all out in caps. Go easy on the exclamation marks and hype - promise untold riches for no work in just 7 days and your listing is heading for that recycle bin again :)
You will also need a list of keywords or key phrases, comma separated. Choose phrases affiliates might use to search out your product/service types or program features.
5. Don't Play Tricks
An editor reviews all submissions. Try to bend the rules and chances are you will waste both your time and that of the directory editor.
You could try naming your program aaaaaaa1computers to try to get to the top of the categories alphabetical listings but more likely you will end up no where!
You could try subtle keyword loading with your program title and description but personally I very much doubt you will attract much more exposure through this. This isn't like search engine submissions influencing automated spiders, rather spend your efforts creating a great program the directories will love and promote for you!
6. Submit Your Data
With all your data prepared your ready to start submitting.
You need to track down each affiliate directory, double check their submission policy and find their 'add URL' or submission form. When completing the forms you will find it easier to have your prepared data open in a separate notepad window to cut'n'paste.
Here's the definitive course for Affiliate Marketing Masters Guaranteed to take your affiliate marketing business to the top 3% of all marketers online!
Links to Top 40 Affiliate Program Directories!
These links lead to the best affiliate directories on the web where you can list your own affiliate program or find affiliate marketing programs to join.
Successful Tips for Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate programs can be an effective way of earning money by just focusing on Internet Marketing. It doesn't matter whether you have a product to sell or not; if you can harness the benefit of those already selling on the web, you can get thousands of affiliate programs, which will pay you commission for selling their products. It is just like becoming a retailer for some manufacturing company, which pays you once you affect a sale of their product. But to choose from thousands is a difficult thing altogether.
Let's give a look at an example of any brick and mortar business. Imagine you have a local shop and you are selling products of a brand, which is well recognized. As you cannot store more than two or three products in your one single shop, the same logic applies on the web too. Since you have a web presence, it doesn't mean you would sell all the products available on the web. Keep yourself restricted to some niche products. If you wish to sell more, then get more websites running, which would sell all those other products too. The mantra to succeed here is to have specialty websites, which offer one or more like-products rather than selling everything available under the sun.
Getting good profit margins on affiliate programs is also a crucial factor. You must consider those programs, which provide you ten percent or more in commission. Choosing the product to sell is also of importance, as everyone knows selling a product worth $20 is as difficult as selling a $200 product. So analyze and decide what would sell, at what price, and how much commission you would get on that. It is all about algorithms and statistics on the web. If you learn the fundamentals, chances are that you would be making some money initially and thereon you would be a marketing guru yourself.
You would be surprised to know that all Internet marketing gurus started their business on the web and that is quite logical. You should read their success story, learn their success formula, and follow those principles. Affiliate programs are just about how you market a product on the Internet. You should be able to generate traffic on your website and able to turn browsers into buyers. There is a gamut of products, which would sell like a hot cake. You just need to identify those and become a reseller, thereby earning handsome commission on your efforts.
|