I’m currently working on several huge affiliate marketing articles that will take a while to write so I’m thinking of doing some smaller blog post for now.
I’d like to take this time between writing the big articles and ask my readers what they would like to know more about concerning affiliate marketing or Internet Marketing.
So if there’s been a question you need the answer to or you need some help to get over a hump, let me know, I’ll write a blog post or reply in the comments if I can help. Chances are if you’re having a problem or have a question, someone else is having it also.
Feel free to ask about any topic as long as it pertains to affiliate programs, affiliate marketing, internet marketing, search engine optimization, blogging or Adsense.
I’m no Guru, but I bet I can help most of you if you’ve reached a dead end. Just leave a comment and I’ll get started.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Mikael // Aug 1, 2008 at 9:08 am
I would like to know how to best write a sales letter for your list when the company that you’re an affiliate for hasn’t done it for you.
Thanks,
Mikael
2 Mark Olsen // Aug 1, 2008 at 10:57 am
I think it is essential that affiliates understand that affiliate marketing has many models.
I have now managed several programs and run as an affiliate under even more. Each and every company has its particulars. While each program runs on different terms such as CPL, CPA, CPS, CPC, etc. that is not the biggest variance. The most irritating thing to me is that you have affiliates and affiliate managers who talk their talk and don’t bother explaining it to the new affiliates. As I said above every company has products, services, offerings, competition, unique conversion rates etc. and each comes with its own set of problems. All of this while running on a wide array of in house tracking, CJ, SAS, LinkShare etc.
From the affiliate to the affiliate manager everyone has a learning curve. Each conversion rate is unique. Each program has its flaws and its strong points.
I your training docs I think you ought to dive into many programs/types and models and show how vastly they can vary.
Lastly – for those of you aspiring to be affiliate managers – its okay to be oblivious to certain complexities in any new program you are joining or trying to become manager of. As long as you have a basic understanding that affiliate program vary, that for the most part they follow a particular model etc. you can answer these questions with appropriate examples from programs/models you do know.
Hope this makes sense and is helpful.
Mark
3 Affiliate Programs // Aug 1, 2008 at 11:44 am
@ Mikael
Okay Mikael, I’ll get started on that one although I’m not a big sales letter writing person. I do have a few tricks that might help though.
Have you contacted your Affiliate Manager and asked them to supply you with a sales letter? That’s the easiest way, but if they don’t supply you with one, you’ll have to write it yourself (or have one written for you).
@ Mark
Thanks for the reply Mark. Your absolutely right about the many models of Affiliate Marketing.
I’ll try to start commenting on different types of Affiliate Programs and the the varied monetization models.
Don
4 Mikael // Aug 1, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Don, for some of the programs there will of cause be sales letters ready but sometimes it is better to write personal letters to your audience instead of copying what everybody else is already sending out. To exactly similar promotional emails can do serious damage to your reputation.
Mikael
5 Mitch // Aug 3, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I’d like to know how one is supposed to market affiliate programs of the type that Commission Junction and Connect Commerce provide. I have to be doing it wrong on my blog, and I have websites that maybe I could present them better, if I knew just how it should be done. Thanks.
6 Affiliate Programs // Aug 4, 2008 at 6:14 am
@ Mikael
I understand what you’re saying. It is true about a personal message having higher conversion rates, normally.
From reading your original comment, I thought you were looking for a specific sales letter for an Affiliate Program.
I’m currently working on a Post that will address how to write a Sales Letter.
@ Mitch
Mitch, you asked the $64,000 question! To be honest, the only way I’ve ever made serious money from those programs was with massive amounts of traffic.
By “serious income” I mean $1000 or more a month.
Also, if you’re just using the banners from CJ, you probably have a lousy conversion rate. The best way I’ve found to market those programs on websites with little traffic (under 1000 hits per day) was to use a referral link in the content.
Don
7 Mitch // Aug 7, 2008 at 12:07 am
Thanks Don. Truthfully, though I might be struggling to figure out how to link some of those CJ programs in with my content, I’ve actually never thought about it for them. I’ve done it with books, since I’m also an affiliate with Barnes & Noble, but now I’ll have to think more about the other.
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