Affiliate Marketing Business Models

Time to Tie up the Loose Ends – Affiliate Marketing Part 5

Before you read the grand finale on affiliate marketing, be sure to go back and read Parts 1-4, if you haven’t already. They’ll help you tie up any loose ends about the common mistakes people make as well as the wonderful benefits and expert tips for affiliate marketing success.

Here are the two questions people ask me all the time:

“What is the best tip you can give me, Melanie, about affiliate marketing so I can start making some money?” And “What’s the best way to start?”

The answer to both those questions is the same. You need to focus on finding the RIGHT people to promote and recommend to others.

GET TO KNOW potential affiliate partners first. Follow them on Twitter, befriend them on Facebook, communicate through emails, attend some of their free teleseminars, opt in to their list, and read their blogs. Observe what they are doing and how they conduct themselves to decide if you resonate with them or not.

5 Expert Tips for Success – Affiliate Marketing Part 3

By Melanie Kissell 4 Comments

In part one and part two of this series, you’ve learned about different business models, how to zero in on your affiliate marketing personality, and the cool advantages of becoming an affiliate marketer.

In Part 3, I want to share some expert tips on how to be successful by promoting and recommending other people’s products, programs, and services.

Tip #1

Dip Your Toe In First

Trying to start up too many sites and affiliate programs when you first begin as an affiliate marketer can mean you won’t have enough quality time and energy to dedicate to each one. Beginning with one website and a handful (3-5) of relevant affiliate products will give you a chance to learn the ropes. Once you have found the winning formula, you can repeat it over and over again.

Tip #2

Believe In The Products You Promote

Make sure you purchase and test any product you intend to promote before you begin to sell it. By recommending it to your target audience, you are putting your reputation on the line! So making sure the product does what it claims is just good business sense.

Check out the company selling the product you are promoting. Is their customer service up to your standards? Is their site professional and easy to navigate? Will they treat your customers as you would treat them yourself?

Tip #3

Let’s Talk Money

Check out the payment terms of each affiliate program you join. What percentage can you expect to get from each sale or will it be a fixed dollar amount? Will you be paid only for the sale, or will you get commission for each sales lead you generate? If an affiliate program pays out less than 40% in commissions, I wouldn’t consider joining. Most pay 50% and some as high as 75%. Now we’re talking!

Tip #4

Use The Resources In Your Affiliate Members Area

When you join an affiliate program, check your affiliate back office to see what marketing materials have been created for you to use in your promotional and business-building efforts. These may include email marketing messages, text links, articles, blog posts, graphics, banner ads, Facebook updates, and Tweets for social media marketing.

Some affiliate program owners choose to email you affiliate tips and marketing materials over a 30-day period after you join their program in lieu of having these items stored in the affiliate members area. In that case, you’ll need to create a file to keep those items handy.

Tip #5

Grab Your Megaphone

You can have a great website promoting high quality affiliate products and fantastic sales copy that would convince the most skeptical visitor to buy, but if you don’t have any traffic to your site, you are not going to make any money. Successful affiliates spend around 75% of their time and energy on marketing – through e-books, articles, social media venues, classified ads, free reports, tips booklets, and blogging (my favorite).

The beauty of affiliate marketing is that anyone can do it – exclusively or as an addendum to your existing business.

See you for Part 4!

Filed Under: Affiliate Marketing Tagged With: Affiliate marketing, Affiliate marketing business models, Affiliate marketing strategies, Internet business success, Online Promotions

In Case Of Emergency – Affiliate Marketing Part 1

By Melanie Kissell 8 Comments

Although I’ve been a medical professional for many years, I’m not talking about medical emergencies here. Let’s put all of those into the hands of the skilled and fine emergency room physicians.

However, I do want to talk about what you can do to put a band-aid on your business in case of a solo entrepreneur emergency.

If you’re brand new to the internet, you’ll want to keep a big box of these band-aids on hand.

You’ll need a smaller supply if you’re a seasoned solo professional and you experience only an occasional cut or scrape.

Whether you’ve been a solo pro for years or you’re just getting your internet biz off the ground …

You need affiliate marketing band-aids!

You’ve been a “promotion and recommendation” expert since kindergarten.

When you got a new toy for your birthday, you shared it and showed it off to your friends. And when you put on a spiffy new pair of Keds sneakers, you instantly became a walking advertisement – literally and figuratively!

In this series, I’ll be talking about how you can rely on affiliate marketing to create streams of income or heal a drop in sales.

To begin this journey with me, grab a FREE copy of Affiliate Classroom Magazine and read the comparison of different affiliate marketing business models. No, I am not an affiliate for this magazine.

Choose a business model that fits your goals and your personality.

See you for Part 2!

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