Affiliate marketing is extremely popular - both for affiliates and for merchants. As an affiliate you make a profit by selling a merchant's product, but you don't have to worry about all the numerous variables of running a business...
except for...
Internet Marketing, marketing strategies, affiliate marketing, internet marketing network programs and affiliate marketing campaigns.
Here's the key word, in case it's not obvious – marketing.
While the merchant provides the website, the product, the delivery and pays you your commission, you need to do the marketing.
Here's the brutal truth.
If you're not willing to invest time and some money in learning how to implement affiliate marketing effectively through the internet, [and offline, if you prefer], abandon all plans about running an internet business and stick to your 9 to 5 routine, no matter how much you hate it.
Oh yes, I know. There are thousands of slick sales copies on the internet promising you secret formulas and arcane codes never before revealed that will magically make you an internationally renowned figure. People, says the copy, will be knocking your door begging you to sell them whatever it is you're promoting.
How I wish this were true. Millionaires galore all over the world, and none of them doing any work.
If you can be that well known and in such demand in 15 minutes, all through a simple process of clicking the "Buy Now" button, why not run for President or Prime Minister instead?
Let's get real, and leave fairy tales for before bedtime. In any business, and affiliate marketing in particular, you're going to be competing with hundreds or more affiliates selling exactly the same thing.
Since it isn't your own product, you can't apply the recommended marketing strategies of branding and USP. Remember you're selling a product that was created by someone else and there are plenty of affiliate marketing hopefuls out there who are hoping to make their fortune.
This is why it is crucial for you to get a measure of the competition and see if you can beat it. If you don't know how, or what your options are, take time to learn affiliate marketing skills. If you don't have time, or don't want to strain your mental faculties, it's better you direct your efforts to working for someone else.
There are many good resources for learning the skills of internet marketing and affiliate marketing. Some are really good, while others are camel drool. It's better to select one that offers a trial period before you commit your money and time for the long haul.
Rest assured, there's no short cut to instant wealth. If you are offered a business opportunity that requires you to do nothing except sign up, expect to get nothing.
Now, most new affiliates and even established ones choose to promote products from clickbank's marketplace. They have some great products there, and also a lot of trashy stuff. Be selective if you choose to adopt a 'clickbank affiliate' as your business model.
There's also another problem with clickbank products. The hottest selling product is not really the best. Why? Because there's too much competition. Thousands of affiliates all marketing the same product to the same market. Bad business.
So, what's to be done?
Look at the statistic called 'gravity.' This is based on the number of affiliates making money by promoting that particular product. If you want more information on how gravity is arrived at, just google it. It's quite interesting really.
In a nutshell, the larger the gravity number, the more intense the competition. Of course, a high gravity means the product is selling well -- there's demand for it, and lots of affiliates are promoting it. But the question is: how are you going to make yourself the supplier of choice? If you're into affiliate marketing and have an opt-in list of tens of thousands, you've got it made.
But what if you're not an expert in affiliate marketing, with all the secret codes and guarded secrets that these experts are privy too. What if you're just starting to get your feet wet?
.
Then you look for products with low gravity? Say 70 or below. Good.
You've identified the product. got the hop link; maybe even bought the product to review it first so you can promote it from first-hand experience.
Then what?
If you already know all about affiliate marketing, what to do and how to do it, that's fantastic. Here's to big bucks and a fat wallet.
If you are not really sure, are new to affiliate marketing, or have tried various strategies that didn't bring enough income to pay for your coffee while you sat up nights slaving over your affiliate marketing campaign, you could be doing yourself a great favor by taking time out first to get the necessary skills, mentoring and support from other more experienced affiliate marketing aficionados.
Yes, to be successful in affiliate marketing, taking stock of the competition is crucial.
Even more critical is having the skills and knowledge necessary to winning in the affiliate marketing arena.
Published: 2008-09-02
Author: Daniel Jeremiah
About the author or the publisher
Dan is involved in lecturing, in-house skills training and proofreading and editing services. Also an internet marketer, he does research on internet marketing and affiliate marketing to separate hype from truth. The articles are gleaned from personal experience and from mistakes that thought him valuable lessons. He also helps maintain www.vmsbonline.com as a resource center.
except for...
Internet Marketing, marketing strategies, affiliate marketing, internet marketing network programs and affiliate marketing campaigns.
Here's the key word, in case it's not obvious – marketing.
While the merchant provides the website, the product, the delivery and pays you your commission, you need to do the marketing.
Here's the brutal truth.
If you're not willing to invest time and some money in learning how to implement affiliate marketing effectively through the internet, [and offline, if you prefer], abandon all plans about running an internet business and stick to your 9 to 5 routine, no matter how much you hate it.
Oh yes, I know. There are thousands of slick sales copies on the internet promising you secret formulas and arcane codes never before revealed that will magically make you an internationally renowned figure. People, says the copy, will be knocking your door begging you to sell them whatever it is you're promoting.
How I wish this were true. Millionaires galore all over the world, and none of them doing any work.
If you can be that well known and in such demand in 15 minutes, all through a simple process of clicking the "Buy Now" button, why not run for President or Prime Minister instead?
Let's get real, and leave fairy tales for before bedtime. In any business, and affiliate marketing in particular, you're going to be competing with hundreds or more affiliates selling exactly the same thing.
Since it isn't your own product, you can't apply the recommended marketing strategies of branding and USP. Remember you're selling a product that was created by someone else and there are plenty of affiliate marketing hopefuls out there who are hoping to make their fortune.
This is why it is crucial for you to get a measure of the competition and see if you can beat it. If you don't know how, or what your options are, take time to learn affiliate marketing skills. If you don't have time, or don't want to strain your mental faculties, it's better you direct your efforts to working for someone else.
There are many good resources for learning the skills of internet marketing and affiliate marketing. Some are really good, while others are camel drool. It's better to select one that offers a trial period before you commit your money and time for the long haul.
Rest assured, there's no short cut to instant wealth. If you are offered a business opportunity that requires you to do nothing except sign up, expect to get nothing.
Now, most new affiliates and even established ones choose to promote products from clickbank's marketplace. They have some great products there, and also a lot of trashy stuff. Be selective if you choose to adopt a 'clickbank affiliate' as your business model.
There's also another problem with clickbank products. The hottest selling product is not really the best. Why? Because there's too much competition. Thousands of affiliates all marketing the same product to the same market. Bad business.
So, what's to be done?
Look at the statistic called 'gravity.' This is based on the number of affiliates making money by promoting that particular product. If you want more information on how gravity is arrived at, just google it. It's quite interesting really.
In a nutshell, the larger the gravity number, the more intense the competition. Of course, a high gravity means the product is selling well -- there's demand for it, and lots of affiliates are promoting it. But the question is: how are you going to make yourself the supplier of choice? If you're into affiliate marketing and have an opt-in list of tens of thousands, you've got it made.
But what if you're not an expert in affiliate marketing, with all the secret codes and guarded secrets that these experts are privy too. What if you're just starting to get your feet wet?
.
Then you look for products with low gravity? Say 70 or below. Good.
You've identified the product. got the hop link; maybe even bought the product to review it first so you can promote it from first-hand experience.
Then what?
If you already know all about affiliate marketing, what to do and how to do it, that's fantastic. Here's to big bucks and a fat wallet.
If you are not really sure, are new to affiliate marketing, or have tried various strategies that didn't bring enough income to pay for your coffee while you sat up nights slaving over your affiliate marketing campaign, you could be doing yourself a great favor by taking time out first to get the necessary skills, mentoring and support from other more experienced affiliate marketing aficionados.
Yes, to be successful in affiliate marketing, taking stock of the competition is crucial.
Even more critical is having the skills and knowledge necessary to winning in the affiliate marketing arena.
Published: 2008-09-02
Author: Daniel Jeremiah
About the author or the publisher
Dan is involved in lecturing, in-house skills training and proofreading and editing services. Also an internet marketer, he does research on internet marketing and affiliate marketing to separate hype from truth. The articles are gleaned from personal experience and from mistakes that thought him valuable lessons. He also helps maintain www.vmsbonline.com as a resource center.
No comments:
Post a Comment