Affiliate Marketing Secrets

Internet Marketing is an extremely lucrative career if pursued earnestly and in the right ways, however it is no get rich quick scheme, which is often the case put forward by so many of the “Guru’s” that have set themselves up and unfortunately give our profession a bad name.

Fortunately for us there are some extremely good, and strangely oftentimes free resources out there that we can use to help us unravel the mysteries of SEO, Blogging, Affiliate Marketing and article writing. Ezine which is where I write and you are reading this is an extremely popular site and one of the best for submitting articles to since it is SEO optimized and gives great power to the back links that you get from the bio’s attached to each article you submit, and best of all from the writers perspective it is free to join. There are many other similar sites available and you can easily perform a web search to find a publisher that suits your needs and style of writing.

The big question is where do we go to find out which sites can be helpful and which tools will be of use in setting us along the right road to Internet marketing success? I have chosen to do my Internet Marketing with the Wealthy Affiliate University, but at the same time I am also participating in Ed Dale’s 30 Day Challenge. The 30 Day Challenge is a free to enter training program which runs each year from the 1st August for 30 days, The idea of the challenge is to get you set up to the point where you have earned your first $ 10 on-line. There is also no marketing performed by Ed Dale’s team during the course of the challenge.

I have found this combination to be extremely helpful in learning all of the pitfalls and hurdles to be taken and/or avoided in managing to start up an Internet Marketing career. The 30 day challenge gives the initial training and impetus and the Wealthy Affiliate University provides the tools needed to perform most of the required tasks as well as containing a forum where you can discuss topics of difficulty or interest with the owners or any of the more experienced marketers. This is particularly useful for the beginner, but also for the experienced marketer with challenges again I should point out that there are other similar courses available. There are many other places where you might get similar facilities, but I cannot  vouch for them. When you make your selection  please ensure that you choose a reputable company that does not attempt to scam either its members nor the public with high pressure tactics and up-sells.

You have decided to start an internet business. Affiliate marketing is a good choice for the beginner because you do not have to carry stock or have a product. It is cheap to set up and easy to learn.

You need to build a list and you need a website, a hosting service and an auto responder. At first, you will be sending your customers to a sales page after they opt-in to your email or newsletter list.

I would suggest starting with a Clickbank product because they do most of the work for you and collect your payments. They have plenty of statistics for you to find the best selling products. It is a good idea to start with the most popular products until you learn the system.

When you have a viable topic, a list of keywords, and a customer profile, you can start to plan your opt-in page and your newsletter.

You need to have some reason for people to give you their email address. A free gift, report or eBook is the usual incentive. It has to be something of value. You are trying to establish your reputation for quality and service, so some old eBook that has been around the net for years is not suitable. It is best if you have your own report but a good quality report from an expert is good.

You need to plan where you will send your new subscriber, how often you will send newsletters and how often you will send a sales pitch. It is important to establish a rapport with your potential customer. Make your newsletter full of quality information and do not have a blatant sales pitch in every one. It takes time to establish trust but it will be worth a lot of money to you.

You need to remember whom you are talking to, in your newsletter and on your opt-in page. Personalise your copy so your potential customer feels as if you are talking to them personally, not to the general public. The best approach is to solve a problem for them. Tell them how you understand the problem and then give them the solution. Do not sell the product here that is why you have a separate sales page. You should try to create interest or curiosity and leave it to the sales page to sell the products for you.

Once you have a loyal following you will be able to offer more quality products at a higher price point and your list will begin to support you. That is what internet marketing is all about. 

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Your success in affiliate marketing will center in two major areas; first, the amount of effort and time invested in learning and properly marketing your products, and, second, the relationships that you will be able to build not only with the customers, but also with the merchants and sub-affiliates which you recruit. Don’t look at people mostly as “dollar signs”; you must take sincere interest in them as people if you are to expect their loyalty and cooperation in helping you build your business.

Here are some important points to consider as you develop these relationships;

1) Try making favorable first impressions. Your website should be attractive, well organized and carefully thought out. Navigation should be easy, with attractive and original content. Leave options for comments and e-mail opt-ins. Answer questions thoroughly and in a timely manner .Media such as audio and video are a plus.

2) Personalize your email communications. Write your correspondence as if you were talking to a friend. Do not push products in your e-mails. These should be used to draw the interest of your customer, and establish your knowledge and authority in related subjects. Let the product more or less sell itself.

3) Try to elicit feedback from your customers in a personal way. For example, you can use a survey form to elicit responses from your customers. People are usually quite willing to answer surveys. These responses will guide your efforts as to how to present your product to entice the customer in a more effective manner.

4) After the sale, be sure to send a “Thank You” note or else refer the customer to a “Thank You” page. Be sure to leave contact info in case there are any issues with the product. If possible, a “Thank You” phone call would be ideal.

5) Establish an honest presence. Do not try to “short-change”. If a customer wants a refund, give it promptly without creating a conflict or argument. A well handled customer complaint can sometimes result in the customer buying one of your other products or referring other customers to your business. Give the customer more than what he or she expects, and your business will grow steadily.

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